The ultimate masochistic turkey stuffing from food writers talking about Thanksgiving recipes.
Vogue food-critic Jeffrey Steingarten recounts his favorite Thanksgiving in his book The Man Who Ate Everything, which utilizes a recipe for Thompson’s Turkey, by Morton Thompson, a 1930s newspaperman. Aside from the labor-heavy recipe for roasting the turkey, the stuffing recipe is a feat even for accomplished chefs.
“As the stuffing contains 29 ingredients, it took me three hours to get the bird in the oven, and not only because my spice shelf had fallen out of alphabetical order; nearly every spice I possess found its place in Thompson’s stuffing. The completed mixture is reminiscent of no identifiable cuisine; it includes ingredients like crushed pineapple and canned water chestnuts that daring housewives of 50 years ago put into nearly everything they cooked. And it contains garlic, which was even too daring for most housewives 50 years ago when the American kitchen was still in the thrall of Anglo-German flavor phobias. Made with fresh herbs instead of Thompson’s dried, and with several ambiguities in the shopping list properly resolved, this is the most delicious bread stuffing I have ever tasted.”
Seriously, I’ve had the fire department come to my house twice because I started a fire on the stove boiling water, and the smoke alarm goes off when I make toast–I’m going to let someone cook for me this year and bring a store bought cake. It’s the best I can do. I do love stuffing and consider it the best of the Thanksgiving feast.
Very funny! I stayed with someone on the Welsh Borders who would make himself a cardiac arrest fry-up breakfast on Saturdays and go away to read a book until he heard the smoke alarm going off. Scorched eggs were his favourite!
I’ve burned my share of pots too — I hope you have a lovely meal cooked for you and that the cake is great!
Sort of related to this post – got home from the shop and a border collie was in the backyard – and all my chickens were gone.
Except for one Rhode island red, who approached me and my two year old. We walked together up and down the back, looking in all their favorite hiding places and roosts and couldn’t see anything nor eve a mess of feathers. So there was at least hope.
At this point the alcoholic me would have been simmering into some sort of rage and i was either blaming the workers two houses away, or the owner of the collie.
Then, during dinner, all five chickens were pecking fastidiously at the dirt outside the hen house, waiting for me to lock them in.
Happy Ending.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Relieved to hear about that happy ending — in my experience border collies are herding dogs but not vicious. I identify with that dangerous simmering rage, though. Happy Thanksgiving to you.
Last night I was thrilled to smell the butter, onions, and celery… the bread toasting in the oven, and the fresh sage. Oh, there is nothing like it. I cannot imagine throwing pineapple into that mix!
Your stuffing sounds delicious — I love reading old recipe books but shy away from some of the stranger ingredients. Canned pineapple was big for most of the 20th century and out in the African colonies people used to store canned goods up for years to save them for special meals.
I would love for you to come sample all the flavors in the US today..you would so enjoy it! And sweet girl could use it as a balm to her spirit from the ugly birthday party.
PS: pineapple should be on the bottom of a pineapple upside down cake, which sadly, I will not have today.
Pam, I love pineapple upside-down cake! Some of the Thanksgiving recipes make my mouth water and I would love to be sitting at the table with all of you!
Sweet Louisey, I deleted that post because some AA bashers came by, and of course that was not my intent. And is was just a poorly written post.
I read your previous post. How painful to your roommate not to be loved and accepted by her family. I think, deep down, we want/ need to have our family tell us we are “OK.” Often that doesn’t happen…I wonder why this very basic communication is the most difficult.
Thank you for your insight, your compassion, all the year around. You understand others on an instinctive level, truly a gift.
Well, Lou, I did rather miss the point! I get anti-AA and some endearingly optimistic Moderation Management posters from time to time but I email them in sweet reasonableness and don’t post the comments. I once made a small mistimed joke about Al-Anon and had hate mail, but from readers who were not Al-Anon, how odd –
Well, it is herbed stuffing here, roasted 18 lb. turkey, Hatteras Clam Chowder, corn pudding, brussels sprouts with brown butter and nuts, green bean casserole, roasted butternut squash with sage and 7 spices from Lebanon, cranberries, mashers with goat cheese, pumpkin and cherry pies. Whew! Wish that you were here to sample it all and add your special touch. Wishing you and the housemate a good day.
Just reading this makes me faint with hunger. Beyond delicious! I love the seven spices from Lebanon. Happy thanksgiving to you and your loved ones Syd.