Freeing My Mind

The best part about Thanksgiving, at least for me, is family. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy turkey as much as the next guy. (In fact, I adore a nice turducken.) But, my best memories concerning Thanksgiving involve my extended family. For some, being around extended family is best summed up by the saying my friend’s family has about get-togethers, “If you haven’t left mad, you haven’t left yet.” For the most part any feuding is put on hold for holidays. The change that occurs in all of us as the years go by seems unable to detract us from picking up right where the previous year left off. There isn’t  much change year to year. The food is amazing, as most southern cooking is. You simply follow Paula Deen‘s advice and double the amount of butter that any particular recipe calls for. Football intermingled with napping takes up the majority of the day, along with watching Bart Simpson float above the Macy’s parade. Someone will bring up an old story that could contain such tales as my grandfather single handedly saving the television airing of the Miss Mississippi pageant sometime in the 60′s.  From the ages of about 6 to 10, my siblings, cousins and I would create elaborate skits that included my portrayal of an underwear salesman who entered the scene by throwing pairs of underoos at the entire dinner party. Everyone has their favorite dish. My brother’s being white sweet potato casserole. If you haven’t heard of them, white sweet potatoes are even sweeter than orange sweet potatoes. They are baked with another helping of sugar and candied walnuts I believe. (Chris, if the recipe is wrong, forgive me.) I actually just got word that a Thanksgiving catastrophe was averted. Up until yesterday, white sweet potatoes were assumed extinct. The word at the barber shop is that they have been discovered. Thanksgiving saved. My favorite dish is simple. Pecan Pie. A simple pie that involves pecans, butter, crust and about a gallon of karo syrup. Add to that a cup of coffee and you’ve got yourself a holiday. My cousin Josh swoons over chocolate meringue, Kim’s is a casserole that involves cheese and carrots. I’m sure if biscuits were allowed at Thanksgiving then they would take 1st place. Everyone looks forward to my grandmother’s famous holiday dressing. No, not stuffing, dressing. I believe the difference is that it is not stuffed in the Turkey and that it is made with corn bread. All of that reminiscing and alas, I cannot attend family Thanksgiving for the second year in a row.

Due to my travel schedule, Lori and I will be spending Thanksgiving here in Moravian Falls. Last year we did the same. I had some friends and interns that spent Thanksgiving with us. I, other than the ham, cooked the Thanksgiving meal all by myself. I’m not complaining, I loved it. It took me a straight 14 hours to do so (I’m not the most efficient cook), but I did it. I think I did a pretty good job too. I had no clue that the insides of the turkey, including the neck bone, are used to cook the gravy. Anyway, this year we’re just hopping around to about three different houses. The way I’ve scheduled it, it looks like I am going to be able to eat three different times. Around Lunch, we’ll be spending some time with our friends Carol and Doug Bergeron and their family. At 3:00, we’ll move to Gary & Kathy Oates’ to hang with Bob and Bonnie Jones and some more of the Moravian Falls crew. 5:00 brings in the finale, where we trek to the other side of the mountain to eat some Charleston, SC food with Rich and Hollie Giersch. My thinking is that with three different gatherings, odds are good that I will find a pecan pie in one of the locations.

Why bring up all of these people, most of which you do not know? Because, while I adore my blood family, one of the greatest blessings in my life is the extension of family that Lori and I have surrounding us. I don’t feel like preaching much today, but I really believe the idea of family is vital to the reforming of the Church. Take this passage from the book of Acts for example:

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

The Church is more often than not seen today as more of an organization, governed by what looks like a fortune 500 company, rather than a family. I believe the early Church was onto something in their mindset. You might have a weird uncle or a black-sheep cousin, but at the end of the day they are still your family. There is no disassociating or shunning, at least there shouldn’t be. They’re your family and for some reason, you love them. The Moravian church, of whom our small town is named after, instituted a gathering which they called a “Love Feast”. They did this often and it consisted of the entire Moravian town coming together for the simple purpose of eating and loving. I like that. Seems kind of like Thanksgiving to me. I’m really grateful for my family, blood or not, I am incredibly blessed.

I will end today’s post with the two recipes that I will be preparing this Thanksgiving.

Bourbon Pecan Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, a couple of handfuls
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 ounces bourbon
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and cook 12 to 15 minutes until very tender. Drain sweet potatoes in a colander. Return pan to medium heat. Add butter to the pan. When butter melts, add nuts and toast for 2 minutes. Add sugar and let it bubble. Add bourbon and cook out alcohol, 1 minute. Add orange juice and the cooked sweet potatoes. Smash with a masher and season the sweet potatoes with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (14 crackers)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 extra-large egg yolks
• 1 package (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
• 1 ripe banana, finely mashed
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar

For the decoration:

• 1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Orange zest, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl and mix well. Pour into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press evenly into the sides and then the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes and then cool to room temperature.

For the filling, heat the half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until hot, about 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, stir some of the hot pumpkin into the egg yolks to heat them, then pour the egg-pumpkin mixture back into the double boiler and stir well. Heat the mixture over the simmering water for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly. You don’t want the eggs to scramble. Remove from the heat.

Dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin, banana, and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and pour it into the cooled tart shell. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.

For the decoration, whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream decoratively on the tart and sprinkle, if desired, with orange zest. Serve chilled.