The Bitten Word

Thanksgiving 2011: Cranberry Pomegranate Gelatin

Martha Stewart Living (November 2011)

You know how people like to make fun of Martha Stewart by saying how unnecessarily complicated her recipes can be? And you always feel the need to defend her, but your friend is all, "Oh no, it's like, 'Here's a recipe for roast chicken. First step, raise a free-range chicken from birth before killing and dressing it.' " And you're all, "Whatever, some of her recipes may involve a few steps, but it's worth it." But your friend is all, "No way, it's ridiculous and over-complicated."

This is the kind of recipe your friend is talking about.

Thanksgiving 2011: Green Bean Casserole With Crispy Shallots

Food Network Magazine (November 2011)

Most of the green bean casseroles we've encountered (99 percent of which have been at Southern potlucks) have been some variation of this:

Combine two cans green beans with one can cream of mushroom soup and a splash of milk in a casserole dish. Top it with canned fried onions. Bake it for an extended period in a casserole dish.

And you know what? It tastes pretty good.

Oh, it doesn't taste at all like actual green beans. And the beans themselves are usually overcooked to the point that they're soggy, stringy and unrecognizable. Still, it's a fine enough casserole.

That casserole? It's like the country cousin to this Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Shallots.

It's as if the classic green bean casserole got a new haircut, started working out, and high-tailed it to the city where it lives in a nice little apartment, happily ever after.

So what sets this casserole apart? 

Thanksgiving 2011: Crispy Cauliflower with Capers, Raisins, and Breadcrumbs

Bon Appétit (November 2011)

We're always up for a dose of different.

And in perusing the November issues of the food magazines, this Crispy Cauliflower with Capers, Raisins and Breadcrumbs stuck out as being very different. Capers and raisins? Plus some anchovy paste, too?

We were certain this was going to be unlike any cauliflower we've ever tried, with big, bold flavors. 

Turns out, that isn't the case. There's something amiss with this dish.

Thanksgiving 2011: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Capers, Walnuts and Anchovies

Food & Wine (November 2011)

In this life, some people leave behind great inventions.

Others leave great works of art.

Us? Well, we'll be leaving a bunch of Brussels sprouts recipes -- along with more than a few Brussels converts.

Based on what we've heard from you all over the nearly four years (!) we've been writing The Bitten Word, we've turned more people on to Brussels sprouts than any other single food. We've heard from scores of former sprouts haters who now say they're big Brussels fans.

As for us, we've pretty much never met a Brussels sprout recipe we didn't like. Which is why we were eager to try these Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Capers, Walnuts and Anchovies.

Anchovies? In Brussels sprouts? Um, okay!

Thanksgiving 2011: Spiced Wheat Berry Pilaf

Saveur (November 2011)

Picture a pilgrim.

Now picture that pilgrim going on a year-long yoga retreat in India and then moving into a vegans-only communal house in Berkeley, and she's super sweet, but also she's always lighting incense all over the house and insisting that you let her "clear your chakra," and it's like, okay, we get it, you lived in India, but she's actually really, really nice, like that one time she helped you build the rainwater-recycling system for the house when none of the other roommates could be bothered, and so you put up with all her sunrise om-shanti-shanti-ing because it turns out she actually did learn a thing or two in India, and she's actually kind of a really awesome cook.

That pilgrim is bringing this Spiced Wheat Berry Pilaf to Thanksgiving.

And you know what? It's pretty good! Several of our dinner guests said they really enjoyed it. But with its Eastern spices and exotic flavors and aromas that you don't normally find at a Thanksgiving feast (apricots, cumin, pistachios, cardamom), this Wheat Berry Pilaf is a decidedly alternative alternative. 

Thanksgiving 2011: Celery Root, Kohlrabi, and Apple Purée

Bon Appétit (November 2011)

For many people, mashed potatoes are a non-negotiable part of the Thanksgiving menu. Their place on the table isn't up for debate: No mashed potatoes, no Thanksgiving.

It's easy to understand why. Creamy, buttery mashed potatoes are a warm and welcome part of the feast.

But let's all be honest here. Let's call a spade a spade. At Thanksgiving, mashed potatoes serve one purpose, and one purpose only: Gravy-vehicle.

They don't really taste like anything, except the butter and salt and pepper you add to them. Sometimes we think they're really only there because it's considered impolite to eat gravy with a spoon, straight outta the gravy boat.

But what if you had a mash that actually brought something to the table? A root-vegetable mash that actually had flavor?

What if you had this Celery Root, Kohlrabi, and Apple Purée?

Thanksgiving 2011: Tomato-Olive Stuffing

Everyday Food (November 2011)

Because we've overdone it a bit with takes on stuffings that incorporate sausage and dried fruit, we knew we had to try at least one very different take on stuffing for our recipe auditions this year.

We wanted something that brings unique flavors to the Thanksgiving table, something unlike anything we had served before. 

And we found it with this Tomato-Olive Stuffing from Everyday Food.  

Thanksgiving 2011: Cranberry Chutney with Fennel and Golden Raisins

Cook's Illustrated (October/November 2011)

O, cranberry sauce! You may be our favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. A tart oasis amidst a desert of savory sameness. A refreshing, zesty dip into a pool of sweet-sour bliss. A cool, calming cloth on the fevered brow of Pilgrims'---

Eh, whatever. We really like cranberry sauce.

And we love this version with fennel and golden raisins!

Thanksgiving 2011: Prune and Sausage Stuffing

Martha Stewart Living (November 2011)

Let's face it. "Prune" can be kind of an ugly word.

"Stewed prunes"? Doubly ugly. 

But we unabashedly love them as a snack or thrown into dishes.

And we doubly love them in this Prune and Sausage Stuffing.

Thanksgiving 2011 Recipe Index: What the Food Magazines Are Recommending

Our Fakesgiving + Our Favorite Holiday Dishes

A little more than a week ago, we had Thanksgiving.

Or really, we had Fakesgiving, our annual tradition with friends and family where we pack as many seats as possible into our apartment, make a bunch of new dishes from November food magazines, and see what everyone likes and dislikes. This year, there were 13 of us. Zach's mom and sister came and helped cook the day before (we literally could not have done it without them), and we made 17 new Thanksgiving dishes. 

(This year's Fakesgiving crowd, minus the two of us.)

Below, you'll see the initial list of recipes we started with: more than 250 Thanksgiving recipes from 10 magazines. To be included in the index, the recipes had to be part of the magazine's Thanksgiving coverage. So this is not meant to be comprehensive -- there are many more recipes in this month's magazines. If the recipe is hyperlinked, it is available online. If not, it's not there yet. 

In preparation for this year's Thanksgiving coverage, we've also created a page of Our Favorite Holiday Recipes. There, you'll find a collection of dishes from Thanksgivings, Fakesgivings and holiday dinner parties past. We'll be updating it as we introduce new content and recipes on the site.

Enjoy the index!