Wednesday, November 10

Two's company - even on Thanksgiving

Thayer Wine

The Tennessean

If you and your sweetie will be alone for Thanksgiving this year, it doesn't mean you can't have your share of the turkey.

Sure, you can get a carry-out turkey dinner or sit down for a formal dinner at a hotel, the most likely place to look for a restaurant meal. But neither option is as warm and friendly as your own home-cooked meal. Remember, cooking for two takes considerably less time than cooking for a crowd.

We've developed a menu for an intimate celebration with traditional tastes that will make the day special, yet relaxed.

You can prepare this meal with a single trip to the store. You'll be looking for a small turkey breast instead of the whole bird. Better yet, look for half a breast. Look for one that's never been frozen. It will have a fresher taste and smoother texture, and you don't have to wait for it to thaw. Be sure to check the freshness date on it.

If you cook a little extra turkey, be happy. Many consider the turkey leftovers the best part of Thanksgiving. Turkey sandwiches, turkey salad and turkey soup will be your rewards.

Plan of attack:

Start with items that take the longest to cook. Get the turkey and sweet potatoes into the oven. Prepare the stuffing next and put it in the oven. Cook the green beans and make the butter-garlic sauce.

Remember, you don't have to cook absolutely everything yourself. You can buy the dinner rolls and the pumpkin pie or splurge on a special dessert tart from a fancy bakery.

You begin with the turkey, but you hardly have to spend much time with it. Rinse it off, pat it dry, season it if you like, and stick it into the oven. Then you're free to make everything else, which should be finished about the time the bird comes out of the oven.

You can bake the sweet potatoes in the microwave, but they won't have that nice flavor of the roasted and caramelized sugars they get when baked in the regular oven. If you're concerned they may hold up the dinner production on Thanksgiving Day, they (and homemade cranberry sauce) can be made on Wednesday and refrigerated.

You also can prepare the green beans part way and refrigerate them. Steam them just until they turn bright green but are still a little under done. Plunk them into ice water to stop the cooking, drain well and refrigerate. Close to serving time, prepare the speedy sauce, toast the pine nuts and put the green beans back into some boiling water for a couple of minutes, or just long enough to finish the cooking and heat them all the way through.

When it comes to the stuffing, bake it in a separate casserole dish instead of tucking it into the bird. This version, which takes about 30 minutes to put together and 20 minutes in the oven, includes apricots, raisins and pecans. The chutney added to the pan drippings, instead of a big heavy gravy, complements these ingredients.

If you prefer a more savory stuffing, omit the fruit and add some sliced mushrooms cooked with the basic onions and celery and more bread cubes. You could even add some cooked sausage, if you like.

Heat up some purchased dinner rolls and present small pumpkin tarts from a local bakery on pretty plates for dessert.

Serve the dinner, open a nice bottle of wine and the elegant Thanksgiving feast is all yours.