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Archive for Thanksgiving dinner

ThanksGavin 2014

Dec02

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


The table is set.


NV Casa Vinicola Botter Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Santi Nello. Bubbly to start. Zingy acids, excellent minerality, very small fizzy bubbles. Ultra refreshing.


Crudites.


Some kind of dip of mysterious origins.


1995 Robert Ampeau & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. 90 points. This is medium gold. Nose is very ripe fruit and honey, but not boytritis. Sweet and satiny and weighty, acid is failing. Finishes with baked apples and pastry.


Artichokes.


Hummus. Achem, from a tub.


1988 Camille Giroud Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots. Burghound 90. This too is very fresh, in fact fresher than the Clos de Vougeot with a beguiling mix of spice and secondary aromas that lead to big, intense, firmly structured flavors that have plenty of sweet pinot sap to buffer the solid tannins. This is quite long, in fact the longest of these bottled wines and delivers unmistakable Vosne character. It remains a creature of its vintage and the finish is austere and masculine in style but there is plenty of volume and flavor authority. This will live for years.


Now we’re talking: cheese.


And good olives.


1998 Dominique Laurent Mazis-Chambertin. 93 points. Showed good complexity and depth, excellent balance, and a medium finish. Flavors of black raspberry, cherry, spices, dried leaves, and forest floor all emerged after a time. The acidity held everything together nicely. Good freshness of flavor both on the nose and palate. I think this is nearly at peak or plateauing nicely.


This year there were two turkeys, and because our chefs patched up the neck with skin grafts from different birds, they nicknamed them Frankenturkey!


Turkey. But they came out perfectly.


Gravy. Of course.


Stuffing. Nothing better than gravy soaked stuffing.


Cranberry. A choice of three variants on the cranberry theme. My favorite is the spicy chutney (lower left) which is smooth and slightly spicy.


1973 Bodegas Olarra Rioja Añares Crianza. 92 points. wonderful wine; surprised how much vitality it retained. Like fig juice.


Brussels sprouts.


With a delicious lemon sauce.


Roast beets with balsamic & maple syrup.


Squash with black mustard seeds.


Spinach salad with goat cheese.


2009 Nugnes Falerno del Massico Rosso. 92 points. Red edges, dark core — Nose captivating, mindblowing, fresh, flowery, almond, sweetness, dried fig, pickled fruit — Palate mild, fresh, watery, like marsala wine, plums for days, oriental herbs, some cherry, some sour cherry — Finishes on red fruit, tartness and spice aspects again. This is special, an oriental dream, changing by the minute, now some pepper and some cinnamon, appears to be expressive and young, a long life ahead. Fairly high acidity level. Happy I bought 12 bottles to drink over the next 10 years.


The 2014 official plate!


1975 Dow Porto Vintage. 86 points. The wine showed all the characteristics of a tawny. Not exactly overwhelming but very nice to drink. Alcohol was a bit too evident. It’s so nice to open old bottles of Port like this! Unless the wine is really spoiled, it’s always a pleasure to drink it.


Coffee cake.


“Bubbie Caplan’s” rice pudding. Really quite lovely. Eggy sweet custard.


My mom’s absolutely perfect pecan pie.


Grandmom’s brownies and blondies.


Apple crisp.


Dessert plate.

This was another spectacular homemade ThanksGavin dinner as usual.

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

Our main chefs, my mom and her sister

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  2. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Third Wave
  3. ThanksGavin 2013
  4. ThanksGavin 2012
  5. ThanksGavin 2010 Reprise
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Cooking, Gravy, Mashed potato, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey, Wine

Ghosts of Thanksgivings Past

Nov23

Find here a review of the ThanksGavin dinner plates for the last decade!

Related posts:

  1. Ghost of Thanksgivings Past
  2. ThanksGavin in Review
  3. ThanksGavin 2010 Reprise
  4. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey

ThanksGavin 2011 – The Third Wave

Nov27

Given that we went out to the Zoo all day while my cousin Abbe cooked up this followup to the official Thanksgiving dinner, she insists that it should really be called the ThanksFlitter (her last name). Regardless, the gluttony continued.

The 2006 il Cocco. This guy makes only 3000 bottles a year, and he does ALL the labor (field and cellar) himself.


Parker 93. “The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a beguiling wine laced with all sorts of black cherries, minerals, spices, licorice and menthol. All of the aromas and flavors are layered together through to the exquisite, refined finish. The 2006 shows a level of richness and density this bottling has lacked in some previous vintages. Today the tannins remain a touch austere, but another few years in bottle should do the trick. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026.”


The cheese spread I bought at Di Bruno’s.


A medium aged goat cheese. Chalky goodness.


An American farmhouse buttery cheddar.


Mimmolette.

A stinky washed rind.


And a medium body blue cheese.


And quince paste which always makes cheese better.


Various appetizers, some recycled from the night before.


Muhammara.


A little champagne.

Parker 94. “The 2007 Laurel, a blend of 65% Garnacha and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep purple-colored with a bouquet of wet stone, Asian spices, black cherry compote, and incense. Dense and sweet on the palate with tons of spice, it is super-concentrated, rich, and smooth-textured. Give this lengthy effort 2-3 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2013 to 2027.”

This is an amazing wine, deep grape.


Parker 91. “The 2005 Finca Libertad is a blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 30% Merlot aged for 18 months in new French oak. The Cabernet Franc portion of the blend was sourced from 100+-year-old pre-phyloxera vines. Dark ruby in color, it exhibits a complex aromatic array of toasty oak, cinnamon, earth notes, pencil lead, cassis, and black currant. This is followed by a medium-bodied, elegant wine with savory flavors, considerable complexity, and enough structure to evolve for another 2-3 years. This lengthy effort should be at its best from 2011 to 2020.”


Classic Mexican “gulf coast style” rice pilaf. Chicken stock, garlic and onions in there. These recipes are mostly from Mexican Everyday.


The main dish: Chipotle Shrimp. Tomatos, chipotles, garlic, broth, cilantro. This had a good bit of heat.


Flounder in the same sauce.


Avocado.


Various condiments: lime and fresh tortilla from a Spanish place by the Italian Market.


Chopped onion, queso fresco.


“Classic Mexican pot beans” with Abbe’s special twist of roasted poblanos and Thanksgiving smoked turkey. Very tasty, although they had the usual effect.


Swiss chard sautéed in olive oil and garlic.


And the sherry comes back out for dessert.


The spread.


Vegan brownies. Hmmm.


A chocolate chip cake with chocolate sauce. It isn’t that pretty but it tasted great.


My grandmother’s special brownies.


These were supposed to be Grandmom’s blondie’s, but they were made vegan and so ended up a little weird.


Another plum tart.

Overall, another great feast from Abbe. You can check out her pork spectacular last year too.

For more ThanksGavin dining, click here.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  2. Bibou – ThanksGavin 2011 Prequel
  3. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Italian Market
  4. Thanksgiving – Pork Insanity
  5. Thanksgiving Proper
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: brownies, Brunello di Montalcino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cheese, Cooking, Dessert, il Cocco, Mexican, Muhammara, Quince, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, Wine

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.

Related posts:

  1. Bibou – ThanksGavin 2011 Prequel
  2. Thanksgiving Proper
  3. ThanksGavin in Review
  4. Eating Tuscany – Villa Dinner
  5. ThanksGavin 2010 Reprise
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

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.
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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.
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And for 2016, the plate returns to California with hybrid Gavin and Perlmutter dishes.
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And in 2017 back to Philadelphia but relocated down the block to cousin Matt’s house. Best yet!
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The 2018 plate at Matt’s house. Maybe even better than last year.

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

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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.

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

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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

Just so you can appreciate what the spread looks like, here is 2009’s fare before being plated.

And in case you thought deserts were neglected. Just two of the fabulous array. The “rustic apple tart.”

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My mom’s homemade cranberry tart.
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And my mother’s incomparable homemade pecan pie.

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

For the complete list of ThanksGavin meals, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Book Review: The Ghost Brigades
  2. Food as Art: Hatfield’s part 2
By: agavin
Comments (6)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: baking, bbq, California, Cooking, cranberry, Cranberry sauce, Food, Fruits and Vegetables, holiday, Home, home cooking, Pecan pie, side dishes, stuffing, Sweet potato, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey, United States
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