FROM THE BOOKSHELF: “Best of Thanksgiving”

“Best of Thanksgiving: Recipes and Inspiration for a Festive Holiday Meal” by Williams-Sonoma

Article By Paige McKay White

One of the biggest food-centered holidays of the year is upon us, and it is finally time to start thinking about what to prepare for this year’s Thanksgiving feast. Whether you’re hosting a dinner for the whole family or attending a smaller gathering, Williams-Sonoma's Best of Thanksgiving cookbook is full of all kinds of appetizers, main courses, sides and desserts for the perfect Turkey Day feast.

Before diving into the recipe portion of this cookbook, Best of Thanksgiving opens up with tips for setting the scene for a successful dinner and timeline tips for staying on track with preparation, which is helpful to any rookie or seasoned chef.

Once you gather your thoughts and begin to plan your Thanksgiving Day menu, kick things off with a pre-dinner cocktail like a Maple-Bourbon Smash, Sparkling Apple Punch or Pomegranate Gin Fizz. Along with drinks, snack on appetizers from this chapter like Shrimp Bisque, Mushroom Turnovers and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Pecans.

A staple to any Thanksgiving table is stuffing, and this book is full of all kinds of variations of the classic dish. In the “Stuffings & Breads” chapter, find recipes like Spicy Cornbread Stuffing, Oyster and Mushroom Stuffing, Focaccia Stuffing with Chestnuts, Bacon and Apples, Cheddar Chive Biscuits and Sweet Potato Biscuits with Honey Butter.

Don’t fill up on just bread, though, because everyone knows that side dishes are arguably one of the best parts of Thanksgiving. “Sides” in Best of Thanksgiving include dishes like Candied Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Shallots, Tangy Braised Greens and Honey Roasted Spiced Carrots.

Every dinner table needs sauces, and the “Gravies & Relishes” chapter has just that. Find recipes like Classic Turkey Gravy, Giblet Gravy, Herbed Citrus Gravy, Port-Spiked Cranberry Sauce and Sweet Onion Marmalade. These will pair perfectly with proteins and side items on your Thanksgiving table.

After dinner, leave room for dessert because Best of Thanksgiving is full of sweet treats. Finish off your meal with Classic Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Apple Crumb Pie, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Boozy Ice Cream, Cranberry Sorbet or Warm Gingerbread with Brandy Sauce.

After dinner is over and all the extra family members have returned home, you will more than likely have leftovers. Thankfully, Best of Thanksgiving even includes a chapter on how to use your leftovers and give them life in the days after Thanksgiving. Put your leftover turkey to use and whip up a Turkey, Onion and Cheddar Panini, or a Turkey Panini with Blue Cheese and Chutney, Turkey Banh Mi, or even a Turkey with All the Trimmings Sandwich.

If you serve wine with dinner, Best of Thanksgiving even has a chapter on wine pairings at the end of the recipe portion of the book. Matching a bottle of wine with all of the flavors of a Thanksgiving meal can be difficult, so Best of Thanksgiving offers different suggestions for different courses. Following the wine pairing tips section, you can find tips on how to prepare and cook different kinds of turkey, such as frozen or fresh, as well as tips on how to make gravy and how to cut the turkey for serving.

The thought of taking on hosting a Thanksgiving meal can be intimidating, but with the tips and recipes from this cookbook, it can be done with ease. Find Best of Thanksgiving online at Amazon or at Barnes and Noble. edm

• 1 recipe Basic Pie Dough for a single-crust pie (see recipe below), shaped into a disk and chilled • 3 large eggs • 3/4 cup dark corn syrup • 2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar • 1/4 cup light molasses • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled • 1 tablespoon Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt • 1-½ cups halved pecans • Whipped cream for serving, optional

1. Remove the dough disk from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough round to a 9-inch pie pan or dish. Using a paring knife, trim the dough edges, leaving a half-inch overhang. Fold the dough under itself to form a rim and flute the edges decoratively. 2. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees

Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended. Add the corn syrup, brown sugar, molasses, butter, coffee liqueur and salt and whisk until smooth. 3. Scatter the pecans evenly in the pie shell. Pour the egg mixture over the pecans. 4. Bake the pie until the top is browned and the filling is evenly but not firmly set, about 50 minutes. Check the pie after about 40 minutes and cover the edges of the crust with strips of aluminum foil if they are browning too quickly. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting, about two hours. 5. To serve, cut into wedges and top each wedge with a dollop of whip cream if desired. Note: This pie is good warm, but it is so soft right after baking that it is difficult to slice. If you want to serve warm slices, let the pie cool completely, cut it, then rewarm the individual slices in a 300 degrees F oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour • 1 tablespoon sugar • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt • ½ cup cold, unsalted butter, diced • 3-4 tablespoons ice water 1. In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, 10 to 15 pulses. Add the minimum amount of ice water and pulse twice. The dough should hold together when squeezed. If it is crumbly, add more water, one teaspoon at a time, pulsing twice after each addition. 2. Remove the dough from the food processor. Shape the dough into one disk for a single-crust pie. Wrap the dough disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.