Incommunicado (or, a turkey primer)

Well, it's been almost a week since last I posted something. It's not that I've been busy so much as I've been out of town. And I'm sick. Still. Nothing like catching a cold while you're on vacation.

Sorry about not updating; I'll make up for it, all at once, right now.

Brandy and I went to my parents' for an early Thanksgiving. I'll be pulling the all-day shift at work on actual Thanksgiving, so we figured we could just do the whole turkey thing a week early. Better air fares, less people travelling (and many, many fewer families with small children), and the opportunity to go to a friend's Michigan / OSU party. More on that later.

We got into Cleveland Thursday evening and had dinner at Korea House restaurant with my paternal grandmother. It was nice seeing her again, even if it was only for a couple of hours. She seems to be doing alright since my grandfather died, which makes me feel a little better, and she's still sharp as a tack. And I felt completely healthy.

Friday, I woke up with a cold. Unfortunately, I had also volunteered to cook Thanksgiving dinner this year. With some help from Brandy, everything turned out fine. We had to throw the bottom half of the turkey back in the oven for an hour (for future reference, if you use the America's Test Kitchen method, I'd say leave the turkey breast-side down for three-quarters of the time, then flip it over), but it tasted great. No stuffing in the bird, just a simple rough chop of mirepoix tossed in the cavity and scattered around the pan plus a butter / chardonnay baste. I'd say use very little (quarter cup) chardonnay if you're using the pan drippings for gravy later, but definitely throw in some chicken stock / broth to boost the liquid volume. And ALWAYS use roux to thicken your gravy. I make mine with butter and prefer a blonde or peanut-butter roux for turkey gravy. Yum.

The theme of this year's Thanksgiving (and pretty much any meal I make) was butter. Melted butter in the turkey baste. Two-thirds of a stick melted with equal parts ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg (and ginger, if you've got it) drizzled over the sweet potatoes during baking. Butter for the roux. Two tablespoons in the mashed potatoes. Four in the stuffing. No butter in the Brussels sprouts (there was enough fat from the bacon).

It was, if I may say so, a damn good Thanksgiving meal.

As far as Thanksgiving wine pairings, I'd go with a Chateauneuf-du-Pape or medium-bodied pinot noir. In any case, you're looking for some depth of flavor without a lot of tannin, which is why I don't suggest the popular choice of zinfandel. A slightly older CdP will possess enough fruit to pair with T-day spices, enough earthiness to complement the autumn flavor palette, and enough acidity to cut the butter and fat, while not overwhelming everything with tannin. Thanksgiving is also one of the rare occasions where I think a big, rich chardonnay would be fine. Robert Young's leaps to mind immediately -- opulent and very ripe, lots of wood and baking spice, but just enough acidity to keep its definition amidst the Thanksgiving fat-tacular.

On Saturday, still nursing my cold and slowly emerging from the tryptophan stupor, Brandy and I drove back up to Cleveland to watch the Michigan / Ohio State game at our friend Steph's house. Bunch of people there, and thanks to all the UM alums, the rooting was fairly even. Despite the Michigan loss and the damn cold, it was a fun day. Michigan beat the spread and they're still ranked #2 (although that will likely only last one week).

I know that some of you were surprised that I didn't make a bigger deal over the Big Game beforehand, but I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive about the game. You see, Jim Tressel has Lloyd Carr's number. And Bo or no Bo (R.I.P.), I had an idea it might end in a Michigan loss. So now we're hoping for USC to beat Notre Dame, UCLA to beat USC, and Arkansas and Florida to play an ugly, mistake-filled game in the SEC championship. Because we all know there's no way Boise State will be allowed to play in the national championship game.