What’s everyone cooking for Thanksgiving? We’ve got 6 adults and 4 kids, so I’m not making a ton of food.
I’m doing:
Spiral Ham (From Costco - our favorite)
Turkey Breast (for the non-pork eater)
Stuffing
Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Carrots
Homemade Creamed Corn
Brie and Garlic Mashed Potato Casserole
Parker House Rolls
For dessert, my 10yo is making mini pumpkin pies a la mode. 
Very nice! Thanksgiving party is a traditional potluck, but Friday with smaller family is where the real fun is:
Hors d’oeuvres: Charcuterie (piccolo diavolo, lonza, White Rock salami, prosciutto di parma, Fatted Calf pate maison), cheeses (manchego, red hawk), crackers, marcona almonds with rosemary, castelveltrano olives with olive oil and maldon salt.
Soup: Butternut squash puree with toasted sage and pepitas.
Salad: Arugula, persimmon, bleu cheese, cinnamon-pear balsamic and Sicilian lemon olive oil vinaigrette
Main: Grilled pork chop, roasted sunchokes with black truffle salt, celeriac puree, braised onions and cabbage, guanciale, pepper and brown butter.
Dessert: Fuji apple crostata with Tin Pot Four Barrel coffee ice cream with cocoa nibs.
Drinks: Billecart-Salmon rose, Bollinger special cuvee brut, Louis Jadot pouilly-fuisse, Williams Selyem vista verde Gewurztraminer, Chateau Suduiraut sauternes ('10)
Snacks: Jamon Iberico from Surfas
Seared Scallops with fennel and apple salad and orange vinaigrette.
Egg pasta with white truffles
And this guy:
Asked for the fat from jamon iberico to render and brown the lamb.
Drinks: 1985 Ampeau Mersault Perrieres with the truffle pasta. 1996 Hudelot Noellat Suchots, 2012 Pernot Bienvenue Batard Montrachet
My rule for Thanksgiving is that we have all the dishes that the guests think are necessary for a proper Thanksgiving.
For me that means turkey, savory sweet potatoes with bacon, Acme levain, wine, and mayonnaise for later.
My usual suspects bring that bread casserole people call “dressing,” mashed potatoes, gravy, cloverleaf rolls, cranberry sauce, creamed onions, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and whipped cream.
This year, maybe I’ll make a Dorcas Reilly memorial casserole.
https://www.campbells.com/kitchen/recipes/classic-green-bean-casserole/
I’ve been having this Turkey on my mind. My Mom only made it once but it was by far my favorite over the years. Not exactly traditional but really flavorful - the Yucatal style turkey published in the LA Times Food section back in the day.
I’ve had some of the best turkey ever at Yucatecan restaurants.
8 adults and 5 kids
My friend and I have a fantasy football bet. Loser buys something for Thanksgiving. I won this year and chose this beauty.
https://www.jackstackbbq.com/product/jack-stack-signature-sampler/bbq-meat-packages
I’m also cooking
Small smoked turkey in my Traeger
Chestnut and Pancetta Ciabtta Stuffing
Mac and Cheese
Roasted Brussels w Pancetta
Green Bean Casserole off the back of the can recipe
Creamed Spinach
Roasted Beet, Arugala, Goat Cheese and Candied Walnut Salad
Garlic Bread
Dessert
Pecan Salted Caramel pie from The Pie Hole. My wife’s absolute favorite pie in the world.
I adore Jack’s Stack! I went once while visiting in-laws and had their lamb ribs. They were so good!
When we lived back east and could get capons fresh from the Amish, I grew to love the traditional capon at thanksgiving. My tradition, at least. I had a heck of time finding them fresh back home in socal, so I finally gave up and get the shipped fresh from dartagnan. Though our first year living back in LA, I made turkey mole. Delicious! But haven’t done it since. I might have done duck mole one thanksgiving - that was superb. It’s a green mole with all fresh herbs. I made green mole duck tamales last year. Drool!
I love that green bean casserole, though it was never on my family’s table. My aunt brought it to a potluck when I was a teen and I fell in love.
Can I put in for an order of green mole duck tamales? Sounds super delicious.
I’m going to make again, but this year, not make the mistake I made last. We made four different kinds of tamales at once!! We were up until 10pm making them! This year, moderation.
#ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdeaAtTheTime sounds like a good time to me…also delicious.
You’re not Mexican, are you? I had a non-Latino who made tamales one year for Christmas Eve. She said “quoth the raven, never more.”
I’m going to try to find a duck in this area - Reno. That sounds like a great idea.
Puro Chicana. 
So yes, of Mexican descent. I had my two aunts, or Tia’s, helping me, but was an eleven hour day, even having made all the meat the day before.
I would never make them alone, though I know some folks do. The only thing that makes all the work bearable is company, and knowing you’re going to get a belly full of tamales later.
It’s a Diane Kennedy recipe that I follow. It was so good my aunts wanted a copy.
Oh, I forgot to mention that she made them alone! Groan. I have a Kennedy book. Thanks for the update.
Chinese / pan-Asian markets should have ducks. Maybe only frozen.
Ah, good thought. We do have an Asian market, little fresh anything but tons of frozen. Thanks, robert.
