And now for something Completely Different (i.e. Slightly Different)

Change was in the air this fall as we gathered together to discuss our Thanksgiving menu.  We all agreed we needed to shake things up a bit: we were tired of making the same exact recipes year after year.  My parents go to Santa Fe every fall and return home with incredibly flavorful chile powders and whole dried chiles from the farmers' market there.  We are always struggling to find new uses for these flavors before the next round arrives.  With all these chiles at our fingertips we decided that this year would be a showcase of New Mexican flavors, in other words a Southwest Thanksgiving.  And of course everything would be different....

We sat down together to discuss the menu of new and different dishes we were going to prepare, only to find that every one of us had a dish (or two) that we apparently couldn't live without for our Thanksgiving feast.  Personally, I couldn't give up the cranberry sauce my mom has made for years.  My dad had to have the mashed potatoes.  Gravy was a non-negotiable for my mom.  Making something new and different was going to be harder than we had expected.

We came to the realization that it was our own traditionalist tendencies that kept us in a Thanksgiving "rut", and that really what was so wrong with that?  If we cared so much about keeping particular dishes in the Thanksgiving canon, then we had better embrace our "rut".

Needless to say, we mostly altered traditional Thanksgiving dishes, giving them a twist instead of having something completely different.  We had a lot of fun researching recipes and identifying "Southwestern" ingredients.  We tried to incorporate the "three sisters": squash, corn and beans.  These three grow well together because they help nourish one another, and they are a common combination in  traditional Southwest Indian diets.  We asked friends for their recipe suggestions, and even received in the mail a stack of New Mexican magazines with recipes from friends in Santa Fe.  And, I think we all had a pretty good time arguing about what recipes could and couldn't change.

Ultimately, this was our Southwest Thanksgiving menu:

Nibbles before dinner:

Pecan-Chile Dip

Roasted Chile-Pumpkin Seed Salsa

Tortilla Chips

Fresh Vegetables

Hummus
Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Olives

The dinner:

Butternut Squash Soup with Cayenne and Sauteed Mushrooms

Chile-Rubbed Turkey 

Cornbread Dressing with Poblano Peppers and Chorizo Sausage

Mashed Potatoes with Chicos (smoked and dried corn kernels)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cilantro-Lime Pesto

Gravy

Cranberry Sauce (the usual recipe with orange and walnuts)

Cranberry Sauce with Jalapeno and other earthy peppers

Pickled Red Onions

Desserts:

Pumpkin Pie

Pecan Pie

Ginger Ice Cream

Chocolate Chile Truffles

Caramel Popcorn

Chocolate Pecan Bark

Hors d'oeuvres

Soup

The bird

The spread: (Clockwise from top left) The Turkey, Cornbread Dressing, Cranberry Sauce, Pickled Onions, Roasted Chile Salsa, Brussels Sprouts, Mashed Potatoes.

My heaping plate

   Desserts!

Chocolate Chile Truffles

Caramel Popcorn and Chocolate Pecan Bark

All gone....

Table decor included a mix of gourds and cactus pears with a sprinkling of paper cactus cocktail stirrers for good measure.  I managed to ignore the whole "cactus" part of the cactus pears when I bought them.  I picked each one up, rolled it over to check the color on all sides, and then stood in line to check out with them cradled in my arms.  Do NOT follow my lead on this one!  I had very uncomfortable invisible cactus spines in my hands for a few hours.

The cactus cocktail stirrers I bought in Chinatown, cut the wooden pick down to about an inch long, and stuck the ends into rounds of cucumber to stand them up straight on the table.

I'm thinking maybe we'll improve upon the Southwest theme next year.  A few ideas for next time:

- Crumble the cornbread in the dressing in larger chunks

- Write out the menu on a board or mirror for guests to refer to

- Watch your hands on the prickly cactus pears

Gourds, Cactus pears and Cactus cocktail stirrers amidst votive candles

Gourds and cactus: Mixed messages? Perhaps, but we're allowed to on Thanksgiving

The garden

     A few leftover bottles of wine chillin' in the garden

Wedding of Whimsy

I'm still trying to figure out what makes a wedding great, but this was definitely one of the most creatively handcrafted and whimsical I've attended.  Apologies for the quality of photographs -- I went camera-less, but found myself overwhelmed by the ebullient details and had to resort to my phone's camera.

After the ceremony, we processed through the streets of the West Village with makeshift instruments, giant garlands of paper flowers and a group of whimsically masked and costumed revelers. 

Arriving at the 14th Street Subway Station, we all boarded the train bound for the reception in Queens.  The bride and groom found seats directly under an illustrated subway poster of a subway car scene with a cast of NYC characters colorfully represented.  It seemed to reflect our own parade of merry-makers.

Arriving at the reception, we were faced with tables laden with food and flowers, reminiscent of a medieval feast.

 

The "wedding cake" was the most ethereal and enchanting I have seen.  Made by the father of the bride, it was a whirl of branches bent together and fitted with wire "nests" full of cream puffs.  The most delicious cream puffs I have ever eaten!

The traditional bride and groom cake topper snuck itself into the tree as well.

The reception space was hung with hand dyed paper banners and fairy lights.

The view of the Manhattan skyline was breathtaking, especially with the party reflected in the window.

Details really help to set the tone of a party and invite guests to experience the events in particular ways.  The details of this wedding set a tone of abundance and abandon, and gleeful originality.  This kind of energy is catching, and it caught on fast with the guests who added their own fodder and exuberance, making it a memorable occasion for our bride and groom.

Watermelon Round-Up!

'Tis the season for those big juicy globes that bring delight to all and are such a radiant symbol of summer.  That's right, I'm talking watermelons.  Here's a round up of watermelon uses from elegant to campy.

Watermelon and Feta Salad:

This is one of my favorite recipes.  I see it on restaurant menus more and more these days, but I still find it an unexpected pleasure to serve at home.  Plus it is easy and doesn't require ANY cooking (which is a great advantage on a hot day).

Watermelon, cut off rind and thinly sliced

Feta, sliced thinly

Olive oil

Black pepper, freshly cracked

Salt, a flaky one is the best like Maldon or Fleur de Sel

Arrange sliced watermelon on individual plates, then place feta slices on top.  Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Ta-dah!


An Alternative Watermelon Salad:

Watermelon, cut off of rind and thinly sliced

Mint leaves, whole or ripped

Olive oil

Black pepper, freshly cracked

Salt, a flaky one is the best like Maldon or Fleur de Sel

Chili flakes

Arrange sliced watermelon on individual plates and sprinkle with mint.  Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and chili flakes.

Watermelon Porcupine:

This whimsy just tickles my fancy because we've had a resident porcupine in my parents' garden for the past two years.  She/he waddles out in the late afternoon to fill up on greenery and in the process trims our hedges.

Image via Cutest Food

Vodka Watermelon:

Image via SweetPaul

I've always wanted to try this, but haven't yet.  These directions come from Sweet Paul

Watermelon

Vodka

Large funnel

Cut a hole in the watermelon all the way into the meat. Place the funnel in the hole and pour in the vodka.  (He suggests using lime vodka.)

Note: It takes about 2 days for a watermelon to soak up 2 cups of vodka, so do it in the fridge and ahead of time.


Watermelon Polo:

Image via Goaupairsouthcentralnj

Image via Crazy As A Cool Fox

This game is reminiscent of the days of summer camp.  It can be played in a pool or at the lake.  Grease a watermelon using Vaseline or Crisco.  Divide your players into two teams.  The objective is to get the slippery watermelon to the "goal" without picking the watermelon up out of the water. (In a pool, the goals would be two opposite walls.  In a lake, use two buckets weighed down with rocks to keep them submerged, and set them up about a pool-distance apart from each other.)  I promise, this is harder than it sounds.

Wedding Flowers: A Neighborhood Affair

Neighbors had been growing and tending extra flowers for this wedding all summer long.  The day of harvesting finally arrived, and I had the pleasure of watching as bucket after bucket of flowers arrived and crowded together on the front porch of the house.  Long stems, short stems, an old paint bucket filled with 10 different kinds, mason jars full of sweet peas.

 Friends and neighbors convened at the house the day before the wedding to help with the flower arrangements.  We taped a grid over the mouth of each vase to better stabilize and contain the stems, and then set to work in pursuit of our own floral arranging styles.  The results were seriously breathtaking.  Everything was in season so nothing looked out of place, the colors were vibrant, and the flowers were everywhere.

Here are the two big ones K and I did:

We had one very talented family friend who made all the bride/bridesmaid bouquets and the boutonnieres.  These were a combination of locally donated and purchased flowers.

Pacific Northwest Wedding Teaser: Here Come the Girls!

I went to a splendid backyard/garden/farm wedding last weekend on an island off of Seattle (and no, I am not just saying that because it was my best friend's wedding: it actually was a design blogger's dream come true.)  I'm still traveling the craggy cliffs and winding roads of that particular coast, so I'll just give you a first taste today.  More to come!

The Girls

The pastoral view from the flower and candle lined driveway

The Peony Viewing Party

My mom has 58 peony plants in her garden, which bloom in about the first three weeks of June. Each one is different in color and personality, some having more organized and cupped petals like a rose, and others having wild plumes, and feathered edges.  The season is short, coinciding with strawberry season, so there is always a sense of urgency and reverence to our appreciation of this occasion.  Getting out into the garden to see which bloom has opened over night, which should be cut and brought in to be admired during meals at the kitchen table, is foremost on our minds when we get up in the morning.

Last weekend we held a Peony Viewing Party to herald in the summer months, and appreciate the peonies at their peak.  It was a garden tea in the afternoon, with scones, tea sandwiches and little desserts.  Delicate and decadent, with the added challenge of bringing the peony-pink theme into the food as well!

The Menu:

Rose wine

Iced tea

Hot tea

Orange currant scones

Strawberry jam

Strawberry butter

Tea Sandwiches:

Shrimp with spicy mayo

Goat cheese and roasted radicchio

Beet-tinted mascarpone with walnuts and honey

Cucumber

Ham and grainy mustard

Radishes

Mini cupcakes with pink frosting

Fresh strawberry tart

Strawberries

I awoke Saturday morning to gloomy skies and occasional showers.  It didn't look good for our party in the garden.  We began to set everything up inside: setting out all the food in the dining room, and cutting more peonies to brighten the inside rooms if we were to be cornered indoors by the rain.
And then, just as our guests were about to arrive, the glorious sun poked through the clouds!  We rushed out to the lawn with extra tables and chairs.  The tea cups and wine bottles went out, and the plates of food, seat cushions and picnic blankets.  And there we remained, sipping wine and clambering around in the peony bushes, trying to capture the perfect photo.

Preparing sandwiches

Ellen sketching peonies in the kitchen

The spread indoors

An array of tea cups

Fresh strawberry tart

Hurriedly assembled drinks tables outside.  Tea cosies I made for my parents.

A pink-hued guest


Pink nibbles


The scones with a "peony" of strawberry butter

And the guests of honor....

And one yellow one!