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ThanksGavin 2012

Nov26

It’s that time of year again, time to loosen your belt buckle and sit down for the annual ThanksGavin!

The table is set.

And decorated.

The libations begin with this bubbly.

And the real deal, Grand Cru Burgundy. Parker 95, “This saturated and dark colored wine, with its extraordinarily spicy nose of sweet red and black fruits, sent me soaring. This massive, intense, broad-shouldered, masculine, structured, and chewy wine is crammed with super-ripe, rich, and layered blackberries, cassis, licorice, earth, and Asian spices. As if that were not enough, its dense fruit comes roaring back after expectoration, lingering on the palate for nearly a minute. This is an extraordinary Clos Vougeot! Projected maturity: 2006-2014. Bravo! to Jacques Lardiere and Pierre-Henri Gagey.”

And this 2006 1re Cru, which was younger and brighter than its older sibling, but still delicious.

The first of the two birds comes off the BBQ, cripsy!

Parker 93, but tasted like a 98, “The classic 1997 Barbaresco Santo Stefano is evolved and flamboyant. A medium ruby/garnet color with an amber edge is followed by a sweet perfume of black cherries, tobacco, leather, spice box, licorice, and tar. Full-bodied, with a creamy texture, superb concentration, and an exquisite finish, it can be drunk now or cellared for 15+ years.”

Here is the full spread. Most of this hard work is by our tireless chefs: my mom and aunt.

Cranberry sauce, the jelly-like kind.

A kale salad with pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and optional parmesan.

Parker 94, “The 2001 Bocca di Lupo is a wine which demonstrates that the Aglianico grown in the northwestern part of Puglia, just a short distance from the Basilicata, can compete with the best of Italy’s south. Smoky and balsamic on the nose with intense and expansive notes of raspberries and blackberries, cloves, mint, and high-roast coffee, its packed, strappingly muscular, and dense flavors continue in a seamless flow over the palate, softening as they move but still totally mouth-filling and explosively powerful. The only regret is that these wines are released too early and will probably be drunk too early as well – this is a bottle which I would not touch until 2007, and it will still be going strong in 2020.”

A tangy-spicy cranberry chutney.

Balsamic glazed beets.

Parker 90, “The 2003 Chianti Refina Riserva exhibits a similarly sweet, open nose along with plenty of vibrant, super-ripe dark fruit, outstanding length and lovely overall balance in a style that is plump and accessible without sacrificing the wine’s underlying structure. It is made from 90% Sangiovese, with the remaining 10% divided among several other varietals, and aged 24 months in French oak barrels.”

From scratch Challah stuffing.

BBQ Turkey.

And homemade gravy.

Thai curried sweet potatoes with a bit of coconut milk.

Bread. In the back in Cranberry Walnut from “Park’s”.

The official 2012 plate, or you can find the last 10 years of them here.

This 20 year Dow Tawny Porto covers dessert.

The spread.

Homemade (like everything else) rustic pear, cranberry, and ginger tart. My Mom makes these 🙂

And these: The world’s best pecan pie!

And my grandmother’s special brownies and blondies.

This was another spectacular homemade ThanksGavin dinner as usual. It was arguably even better than ever before.

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

By: agavin
Comments (4)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Dessert, feast, holiday, stuffing, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, turkey, Wine, Wine tasting descriptors

ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event

Nov25

Every year my mom and her sister cook up an incredible feast for the family. And every year, incredibly, the food gets slightly better.

We open with the real Chardonnay from my cellars (hauled 3000 miles): “The Domaine Fevre 2006 Chablis (there is a separate cuvee from purchased fruit which I did not taste) displays an uncanny combination of creaminess of texture with firm underlying suggestions of chalk and stone. Mouthwatering honeydew melon and lime run with the mineral suggestions right through to a long luscious back end of exceptional quality for generic Chablis.”

Then back it up with a red burg, cousin to last nights. Parker 93. “Super-ripe aromas of cookie dough, spices, and black cherry syrup can be found in the nose of the medium-bodied 2002 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Pruliers. Its fabulously satiny texture, concentration, and purity are immensely impressive. This medium-bodied wine coats the palate with innumerable black fruits, minerals, and spices. Projected maturity: 2008-2018.”

My mom in the kitchen, hard at work on the turkey.

her cohort and sister, also at work.

Turkey and stuffing.

The appetizer spread. Various breads and crackers (mostly picked over).

Caponata.

bean salad.

Guacamole. I didn’t make it, so it isn’t incredibly spicy. Sometime I’ll have to do a post on mine.

A decent chianti clasico. Parker 90. We had two fabulous meals right in this town in Chianti. “The 2007 Chianti Classico is a pretty red laced with dark cherries, dried flowers and spices. The perfumed bouquet melds seamlessly into a caressing, attractive mid-palate that turns delicate on the finish. The Chianti Classico is 95% Sangioveto and 5% Canaiolo. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2014.”

The main spread.

Bread from a great Philly bakery.

Two types of cranberry, this one is more a jam, with a bit of spicy kick.

And a cranberry relish.

Salad (dessing in the background).

Nuts, separated out for the allergic.

Marinated carrots, sort of Moroccan style.

Brussel sprouts. Don’t knock the veggie until you’ve tasted these.

Roasted beets. Yummy — and pink pee.

Butternut squash puree.

The turkey. We BBQ the big fellows on the charcoal grill.

Stuffing.

Gravy.

A total blockbuster. Parker 96. “The top effort, the 2007 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Rasteau Fleur de Confiance, is awesome. An inky/blue/black color is followed by a stunning bouquet of scorched earth, incense, blackberry jam, coffee, and spice. This full-bodied, massive, stacked and packed Rasteau is destined for two decades of life. Its sweet tannin and textured mouthfeel are compelling. Give it 2-4 years of cellaring and consume it over the following 20 years.”

This year’s plate.

And what little I left of it.

After dinner we move onto this incredibly grapey wine. Parker 01. “The 2007 Shiraz Angel’s Share reveals a Cote-Rotie-like nose with its scents of mineral, meat, game and bacon. On the palate there is plenty of sweet, spicy blueberry fruit, silky tannin, and incipient complexity. Give it 1-2 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2010 to 2017.”

Me, after more than a little wine and food.

This rare cream sherry was opened to go with dessert.

And for dessert, homemade (like everything else) plum tart.

And pecan pie!

And my grandmother’s special brownies.

Plus Haagen daas vanilla to wash it down with.

This was another spectacular homemade ThanksGavin dinner as usual. It was arguably even better than ever before.

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

By: agavin
Comments (2)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Caponata, Chardonnay, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Dessert, Family, Pecan pie, stuffing, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey, Wine, Wine tasting descriptors

Thanksgiving Proper

Nov25

Thursday night has finally arrives and with it the serious consumption of traditional Thanksgiving fare. Last night we whet our whistles, CLICK TO SEE, and you’ve seen the echos of the past, but here is the real thing. Blow by blow.

When I arrived my father had already cracked this. The order was wrong but the wine was right. “A profound effort, the 2000 Figeac‘s opaque purple color is accompanied by a terrific bouquet of camphor, graphite, black currants, licorice, and smoked herbs. With well-balanced, powerful tannin, concentration, and pinpoint precision, finesse, and purity, this expressive effort will drink well between 2004-2018.”

A few appetizers. Bear in mind that EVERYTHING is made from scratch. Homemade guacamole (like mine, but not spicy — I make a special shotgun guac with Jalapenos, cyranos, and haberneros).Tapanade with olives, vegetables, garlic and olives. Olives, bread etc.

Flowers from Robertson’s, overpriced but lovely.

The room.

The next two wines. A 2002 Bonnes Mares (yum) and a nice CNDP. “Three separate tastings of this wine left me with the impression that there is a lot more to them than meets the palate. One of the finest estates of the appellation, Clos des Papes tends to produce wines that require 4-5 years of bottle age before they reveal themselves. That may be the case with the 1998, but I am still calling it relatively conservatively, especially when compared with other efforts. The color is very evolved, and not darkly saturated. The bouquet is top-notch, offering attractive cedar, dried herb, black cherry and raspberry scents that are intense yet delicate. Similar flavors emerge on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, with a restrained, elegant style, particularly for this vintage, Clos des Papes’ 1998 tastes as if it emerged from a different year because it was not exhibiting the power, unctuosity, and jamminess possessed by many 1998s. However, there is a lot to the wine, all of which may be revealed with further age.”

My father carries in one of the two turkeys. Multi hour BBQ.

Pounding through the wine. Parker gives this 92, one of my favorite Rhone wineries, “That may explain the open-knit, complex notes of tree bark, black cherries, licorice, seaweed, pepper, and floral notes in the 1998 Beaucastel. The wine is medium to full-bodied, has nice, sweet tannins, and is surprisingly open and approachable. This wine has reached the beginning of its plateau of maturity, where it should last for at least a decade or more. Atypically forward for a wine from Beaucastel, my recollection is that the actual percentage of Grenache, which never exceeds the Mourvedre in their final blend, was much higher in 1998 than in other years.”

The stuffing.

bread.

One of the two cranberry sauces. This is the “relish.”

Mom carves as well as cooks.

Turkey number two. You never know.

Sweet potato.

Brussel spouts, made fresh and not bitter in the least. My cousin-in-law made this one.

The gravy.

Roasted beets.

The turkey plate.

Corn soufflé. One of the few things not made by my mother and aunt.

Chugging through more wine. The 1994 Lagrande: “In comparison to the more open-knit, flattering style of the 1993, the 1994 is a backward, less precocious, more tannic wine that needs another 5-7 years of cellaring. It is a wine that recalls the style of the more tannic vintages of the sixties and seventies. The healthy dark ruby/purple color is followed by copious quantities of smoky, toasty, new oak. There is an impression of ripe fruit, but, for now, the wine’s personality remains dominated by excruciatingly strong tannin. Give this wine 5-6 years of cellaring, as patience is definitely a requirement for purchasing the 1994 Lagrange. It should last for 15-20 years.”

Also a Shiraz from my dad’s cellars. We had some cork issues but it came out okay.

Salad, because you need something to wash it down.

The second cranberry, the jelly (homemade of course).

The full spread.

And the official 2010 plate!

Mom presents the pecan pie.

Snickerdoodles made fresh by cousin Abbe, Grandmom D’s brownies and blondies made by cousin Matt.

The chocolatt cake and whipped cream.

The world’s best pecan pie!

This lovely PX returns from last night for yet another round. Motor oil soaked in sugar!

My dessert plate.

Full. Full. Full!

And last but not least: the Chefs! My mother on the right, my aunt on the left.

ThanksGavin Calendar:

Wednesday night dinner

Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast

Friday night pork roast

Saturday Deli Brunch

By: agavin
Comments (8)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beverages, brownies, Clos des Papes, cranberry, Dessert, Food, Grenache, holiday, Mourvèdre, Pecan pie, side dishes, snickerdoodle, stuffing, Sweet potato, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, turkey, Wine

Ghost of Thanksgivings Past

Nov24

This year I’m going to fully document the gluttony that is the Gavin/Flitter Thanksgiving “weekend” (it’s really more the better part of a week: Wednesday – Saturday). As a teaser, below I reveal two decades of historical testaments to the gut. Each year, my mother and her sister gather to craft an exquisite and entirely homemade feast. No attention to detail is too small.

The ThanksGavin master index page details all the meals for 2010-2022!

2002 – While the feasting and plates like this go back for decades prior, it was only in 2002 with the purchase of my first DLSR that I started recording the spoils. Notice not only the large number of dishes, where everything is made from scratch (including cranberry sauce, stuffing, etc), but the carefully planed color coordination.

2003 – No two years are the same. Peas make an appearance in the green vegetable category. Dishes do repeats. For example, my mother’s incredibly delicious cranberry sauce, which has citrus, ginger, and cayenne added to the cranberries. There is a tongue searing zing to the stuff.

2004 – Asparagus and beets make an appearance.

2005 – A different salad, and the beets become a regular guest.

2006 – The sweet potatoes get an experimental dose of black mustard.

2007 – Brocoli Rabe comes onboard.

2008 – This year was the odd man out, although no less delicious. My son was born just a week before in California, and so we hosted. My aunt wasn’t able to make it and so my mother had to shoulder the load alone. No problems with the cooking, and we heard the East Coast feast went on strong too, but it just wasn’t the same without the whole gang. However, in honor of sunny California, the salad went frisse and apples. Oh, and my father and I, unaware that my new European gas BBQ had a thermometer labeled in Celsius, cooked a 20 something pound turkey in a record 2 hours.

2009 – The entire gang returned to Philly for the usual reenactment. The fare was as sumptuous as ever!

2010– As good as ever.

The 2011 plate, best yet.

And the 2012 plate!

The 2013 bounty, new additions include the sweet potato (looks like refried beans).

2014 doesn’t mix things up too radically, but there are brussels sprouts, a spinach salad, and sweet potato with black mustard.

2015 has some new features. There are green-beans, an artsy carrot dish, and Brussels-sprouts with cheese and bacon. Yes bacon, because sprinkled across the plate certainly makes everything better. Almost without a doubt the food has reached a new local maximum.

And for 2016, the plate returns to California with hybrid Gavin and Perlmutter dishes.

And in 2017 back to Philadelphia but relocated down the block to cousin Matt’s house. Best yet!

The 2018 plate at Matt’s house. Maybe even better than last year.

The 2019 plate, also at Matt’s house. Gorgeous again!

2020 was an odd year, locked in for Coronavirus, I made smoked turkey, stuffing, and gravy for the core family and that was it. They were done obsessively from scratch and turned out great.

Back at it in Philadelphia for 2021 (returning to Matt and Andrea’s house) with the most awesome plate yet.

My 2022 Thanksgiving Dinner Plate. This year I was on a serious diet and so avoiding the carbs. I did have to cave in and pile a little bit of stuffing in the middle, but otherwise I avoided all the potatoes, beets, bread, etc and just piled on the meat and veggies. #thanksgiving