THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. My mother’s grandmother, Anonna, called this the “Festa di Gallina”, Feast of the Chicken. Don’t ask why she called it that. There probably were no turkeys in the part of Italy from which she came.
I love this time of the year. For me, autumn begins the day after Labor Day. Although 90 degree temperatures can occur, they become rarer as September continues. I like sweater weather and sleeping with light blankets at night. I like the daylight waning in the evenings. It’s comfort weather. I think the reason why I like this time of the year was because of the anticipation of the holiday season, even though it wasn’t until November and December that they occurred. I had a mother who started play Christmas Carols in October. Every Christmas, she gave her nieces homemade ornaments she started making in September.
Over the years, the venue for Thanksgiving changed. I remember going to Auntie Ang’s for dinner, then to Felicia, then my mother having it and then to cousin Sandra’s. It was a less stressful holiday. There were no decorations to put up, no presents to buy, and usually no bad weather with which to deal. Only cooking!!!! And I can still smell the aroma of the turkey cooking in the oven.
I know you are expecting a recipe and there is one at the bottom of the page. However, before I present one, I am going to narrate the way to cook a turkey as given to me my by Uncle Jerry. It’s the best way to cook a turkey that I know. Feel free to leave your own method in the comment section following this Post.
Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Place your turkey breast side up in a roasting pan that has a cover. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan at least an inch up. When the oven has been pre-heated place the turkey uncovered for 20 minutes. This gives the opportunity for the skin of the turkey to brown. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and place the roasting pan cover on the turkey. At this temperature, the water in the pan simmers and creates steam which keeps your turkey moist. Time in the oven depends on the size of your turkey. I like the turkeys with the built in thermometers already in the turkey breast. When the little thermometer pops up, the turkey is done. You will probably note that the turkey breast has loosened from the breast bone. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 15 minutes before carving. I guarantee that this will be best turkey you have cooked. All the meat falls cleanly from the bones. Thank you Uncle Jerry!!!!
So there’s your turkey. As you may be aware, in our family, and in countless other Italian families, turkey is just one of so many dishes. Somewhere on the table you find, pasta, insalada, bread, meatballs, sausage, braciole, besides sweet potatoes, and vegetable dishes. And save room for desserts.
The following recipe was given to me by a friend. It’s a long process, but it is worth the effort. When you first start the recipe, you may think that is a huge amount. But it reduces quite a bit. It won’t be that much. It can easily be doubled without compromising the taste. And a little on your plate goes a long way.
FUNGI ALLA TOSCANA
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil or butter or combination of the two
2 Tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup red wine
1 lb. mushrooms (halved if too big)
2 green peppers cut into one inch squares
Sauté onion in olive oil/butter until transparent. Add mushrooms and green peppers and sauté for a few minutes.
In a bowl, mix vinegar, anchovy paste, Dijon mustard and brown sugar into a loose paste. Add the red wine and stir.
Add wine mixture to vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce heat
and simmer for 1 to 2 hours or until sauce is very reduced and thick.
ENJOY!!
