Thanksgiving and now the leftovers!

Thank you to my new Waitsburg friends, I am so fortunate. The community effort Thanksgiving spent with so many new friends was truly a treat. The amount of food and wine bordered on obscene, and the number of pies was obscene. But there are those times when obscene is worthwhile, and a plethora of pies is one of those times. They were all homemade, delicious, and worth every additional mile I need to run to work off the calories.

My ex-husband, the chef, Daniel, visited me here in Waitsburg, the second time since his first visit for the July 4th vacation. Being here in July reignited his love of playing banjo, (thank you Kate for arranging the jam), and cooking for friends. The butternut squash risotto he made for Thanksgiving was a major success, along with the homemade Parker House Rolls.

He is planning to return at Christmas and perhaps become a permanent resident around spring. As I said in my previous column, it’s a VERY long story. Maybe the Beatles said it best,

“it’s a long and winding road.” But it seems to be a road that may have a happy ending. And a reminder; there is truth to the cliché “never say never”—who knows what’s in store in the future?

Right now, I am still digesting all the food and wine from Thanksgiving weekend. I thought it would be impossible to start thinking about Christmas and/or Chanukah menus, but I was wrong! I forgot that when hanging out with a chef, it’s never too soon to discuss food or menus. Chefs are obsessed with food, it’s their life focus. After a morning of wine tasting, and over a late lunch at Walla Walla Steak Company, Daniel and I started planning our Italian-themed, updated, blended, semi-traditional Chanukah-Christmas dinner menu.

But, before we plan the menu and start the grocery list for the upcoming holidays, what about Thanksgiving leftovers? The best part of Thanksgiving for me, are turkey sandwiches the next day, truly perfection. If you don’t already, spread some leftover cranberry sauce on the sandwich. It’s like all the best of the turkey dinner between two slices of rye bread. In my family, we always had a Jell-O mold the next day, because it was invariably forgotten and left way in the back of the refrigerator on Thanksgiving.

Like most people, if you have leftovers, here’s a thought; try a savory bread pudding. I was lucky enough to have those airy Parker House Rolls left over, they don’t suit a turkey sandwich like rye bread does, but they are a perfect fit for a bread pudding.

No recipe needed: Just cut or rip up soft rolls or bread, cut up and add turkey, or other meat, (chicken, ham), any left-over string bean casserole, or other leftover cooked vegetables, and place it all in a casserole dish. Then, mix 2 eggs to every cup of milk (or half & half or cream), that you need to make cover the meat, bread & vegetables. Season with salt & pepper, and any other seasoning you like, I usually bake this at 325 degrees for about 35-60 minutes. The time will depend on how large your casserole is. Any bread or custard pudding is better when cooked at a lower temperature, the gentle treatment is good for custards.

Turkey Pot Pie is another favorite of mine. Especially in winter, it just hits the spot.

It seems like most everyone in Waitsburg has a cold or flu, including me (congested, with sore throat). Right now, nothing tastes good except hot tea and chicken soup. I am sure glad I got to enjoy a few turkey sandwiches before the germs found me.