Thanksgiving or Pre Christmas?

I actually didn’t get Thanksgiving when we lived in the USA. I couldn’t understand why what was a Harvest Festival should take place in late November. However it did start as a kind of Harvest Festival in 1621 as the new settlers had had a good harvest that year. Apparently it wasn’t until Lincoln in 1863 declared it a national holiday and in 1941 Roosevelt to abolish the confusion of which Thursday in November stated that it would be the fourth Thursday in November.

The USA is not the only country to celebrate Thanksgiving others included Austria, Brazil, Liberia, Canada, Switzerland and Germany, though whilst living there I do not recall any type of Thanksgiving celebration. However it all stems from giving Thanks for a good harvest.

I always felt that it was way too close to Christmas but I don’t think that I have ever cooked a TRADITIONAL Christmas dinner, let alone a Thanksgiving one , however, this year somehow or other we are having a family dinner, here next Sunday. Fortunately we changed our dining table about 2 years ago, so now we can seat 14 easily and on a round table !

So I have been thinking and planning now for a few weeks. We will be 14 ranging from age 81 to 3 years old. Actually the little ones eat well, with a favourite dish being Pad Thai, whilst the older grandchildren have gone from being the most difficult children in the world to being gourmet diners, with oysters, squid, octopus and steak tartare amongst their favourites!

My FESENJAM ( aubergine dish which I made a few weeks ago) is safely stored in the freezer, along with dishes of buttered mashed winter root vegetables ( carrots , Swede, turnip, celeriac, parsnips). Passion fruit and mango ice cream, likewise has been made and obviously frozen. Another must for Himself and son in law is a crumble, it varies with the seasons, and this one is no different, being made with plums, apple and frozen mixed berries. This too is frozen ready to go.

One of my favourite do ahead potato dishes is gnocchi made with potatoes. It is a bit fiddly , but it can be made over several days and freezes really well, which means that double or treble the quantity can be made, well in advance , flat frozen ( so they don’t stick together) and some can be pulled out as needed. I made enough for 14 people so I used several kilos of potatoes, but here is the basic recipe, which can be easily doubled or trebled.

1 kilo of potatoes

135 grams of plain flour

130 grams grated Parmesan cheese

1 whole egg, beaten together with 2 yolks

Teaspoon salt

Peel the potatoes, cut into chunks and boil gently until cooked . Drain and leave to cool. When cool push through a potato ricer ( or sieve), into a bowl.

Add the flour, cheese and beaten eggs and mix well ( can use an electric mixer). Place sheets of cling film on the work surface and spoon 20-25 cm of mixture on the cling film, leaving space at each end to to tie the ends up. Repeat until all of the mixture has been used.

Boil some water and cook the gnocchi rolls for 15 minutes, and then place in some iced water to cool them down. At this point, they can be refrigerated overnight.

Stage 2, unwrap the gnocchi and cut into

2 cms slices. Put some flour into a dish, dust the gnocchi with the flour and fry in butter or olive oil until golden brown on both sides. Drain on some kitchen paper paper and then place on a flat baking tray. Repeat until all of the gnocchi mixture has been used. At this point the gnocchi maybe flat frozen until needed.

To use, simply defrost, and reheat either in a frying pan or in the oven. They can also be used as a small starter or as a canapé. for example with a tomato fondue or mango chutney ( can be bought) or as a canapé, with Parma ham and blue cheese.

Moving on, I made my ice cream. When passion fruits were very much in season I bought several and kept the pulp which I froze until ready to use. I always use Ben and Jerry’s basic recipes for making ice cream and this time was no exception. According to Ben and Jerry ( they are real people) the list of fruit ice creams is pretty endless, with Banana having no added sugar to apples and raspberries needing a fair amount. However, I would go with the basic and have a taste ( what a good excuse) and add more if it is too tart. They didn’t actually have a passion fruit recipe, so I had to wing it, starting with a sweet cream base. However before you start switch on your ice cream maker if you have one to make sure it is cold OR have a container in the freezer also that it is cold.

• 3 Cups double or whipping cream
• 3 whole eggs whisked for about 2 minutes
• 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
• 1 very ripe mango chopped into small bits
• Pulp of 5+ passion fruit

To the beaten eggs add the sugar and blend well , then add the cream and finally the fruit.

Pour into the container / freezer unit/ ice cream maker .

If you are simply pouring into a container in your freezer, then give it a stir about every hour so that it freezes well throughout. Cover until ready to use.

I did go a bit overboard with desserts, it is something I only do for guests, so I made a burnt basque cheesecake ( in a long tin for ease of serving)with blackberries, chocolate and coffee semifreddo,mixed fruit crumble with crème anglaise, passion fruit ice cream and brandy snaps.

Brandy snaps, I haven’t made in years but they are easy and fun to make.

50g of caster sugar
50g of golden syrup or corn syrup
50g of butter
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp brandy
50g of plain flour
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Preheat an oven to 170°C/150 *C fan /gas mark 3

Place the sugar, golden syrup, butter, lemon juice and brandy in a small saucepan and heat gently to melt butter and to dissolve the sugar
Leave to cool slightly adding the flour and ginger, beat to a smooth paste

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and drop 4 Teaspoons of the mixture at intervals along the tray. Smooth out into a circle with the back of the teaspoon.

Bake for 6–8 minutes until golden brown

Leave to cool slightly before rolling around the handle of a wooden spoon to shape or can be moulded round a cup cake. Place on a wire cooling rack and leave to set until hard and cool. Can be eaten as they are, filled with cream, dipped in molten chocolate . Best eaten on the day they are made but if any are left they should be stored in an airtight container!