Blake Makes

Hello, Blake Makers. I’ve been getting e-mails and comments about a Blake Makes Thanksgiving. Sorry posts have been slow in coming lately, but this was the first year Bridget and I hosted the holiday at our house. We had family come to New Orleans from back home, and planning took a lot of time and energy. You may also know that I own my own marketing firm, and although initial indications were that things would slow down for the holidays, I’m busier than ever. I got 4 new clients the day before Thanksgiving! That’s my excuse, but Thanksgiving continues below.

We have a small kitchen, so Bridget and I had to be smart about the dinner. We outsourced the turkey, dressing and gravy to Langenstein’s (a local grocery store renowned for their holiday catering). I have to say that I was a little concerned about what the in-laws would think of me ordering out the centerpiece of America’s annual gorge-fest. Luckily for me, it was delicious.

The turkey was about 15 lbs. and they baked it. When I picked it up, it looked like the turkey on the cover of Gourmet this month. The skin was dark mahogany, and studded with herbs and spices. A spoon through the gravy revealed turkey bits and giblets, so I knew it was going to be good. Now, the only thing left was the dressing.

I ordered two kinds: cornbread and oyster (since this is New Orleans). The oyster dressing was ok, a little salty and a little too much celery for me, but the cornbread was divine. And by divine I mean it tasted like my granny made it. It was sweet, no doubt made from the sugary, cake-like cornbread that’s standard on most dinner tables in the South.

The sides were pretty standard. Bridget made mac & cheese, and green bean casserole (the kind with French fried onions). Bridget’s mom brought her famous sweet potatoes (I love you Mommer!), so let me take a moment to describe this spectacular dish.

Most of the dish is just plain, cooked, mashed (fresh) sweet potatoes, and their are marshmallows on top that make it great, but the secret is what lies between the soft potatoes and sticky, gooey marshies. It’s a layer of brown sugar and crushed pecans that tastes almost like pralines. When you spoon through this layer, it breaks a little and when you eat it, you get sweet potatoes, crunchy pecans, toasted marshmallows, and dark, rich brown sugar. Every spoonful is the perfect bite. I like to fill small yeast rolls with the good stuff, and eat them for seconds (along with a little more turkey and dressing).

Now, dessert was very Blake Makes. I made my version of pumpkin pie, or pumpkin-banana mousse tart. That post will come later. For now, I’ve got to get back to work! I’ll get back soon.