The Bitten Word

Sorghum-Sweetened Chocolate Pecan Pie

Martha Stewart Living (November 2012)

Ooo, Martha, you had our number with this one. 

We probably would have made this pie, which is part of a great feature on regional Thanksgiving specialties in Martha Stewart Living, even if it were just a chocolate pecan pie.

But we swooned when we saw the sorghum.

Look Who Came to Fakesgiving! We're Profiled in Today's Washington Post.

There's a small detail we've left our so far about our recent Fakesgiving -- there were some special guests this year! 

The Washington Post sent a writer, Becky, and photographer, Katherine, to cover this year's festivities. Becky's husband Josh tagged along, too. We were incredibly excited to have them.  

We're super excited about the Post story -- called First Comes Fakesgiving -- which is up online and is in the print edition today. The feature also includes a few original recipes from us that we'll be discussing here over the next week, as well as a few photographs of our Fakesgiving party.

So check it out online, or go retro and pick up a print version. It's totally suitable for framing.

Thanksgiving 2012: Winter Squash with Spiced Butter

Bon Appetit (November 2012)

Without a doubt, this Winter Squash with Spiced Butter was the most beautiful dish we previewed for this year's Thanksgiving.

The scalloped edges of the squash, the different colors, the gorgeous little jewels of pomegranate seeds -- it's truly a work of art.

Would such a stunningly gorgeous dish translate into deliciousness? Or is beauty in the stomach of the beholder?

Thanksgiving 2012: Haricots Verts and White Beans with Shallot Vinaigrette

Food & Wine (November 2012)

There are a number of different reasons we might pick a Thanksgiving recipe.

Maybe it's a combination of flavors we'd never thought of before, or a technique we haven't tried. Maybe it sounds like such a perfect preparation of a classic Thanksgiving dish that we can't wait to dig in.

Truth be told, we made these green beans for one reason and one reason only: You don't have to cook 'em.

Listen to Us Talk Thanksgiving Trends on the Radio!

Plus a Thanksgiving Q&A

Hey, there's Clay on the radio!

Why?

Because the two of us recently chatted with the guys from The Dinner Party, an American Public Media show that's broadcast on public radio stations around the country. 

We stopped by the show to talk about all the hot trends for this year's Thanksgiving menus.

You can listen to our interview for free. But you should also check out the whole episode (also free) from The Dinner Party site. You'll hear an interview with Monty Python's Eric Idle, dinner playlist suggestions from musician Iris DeMent, and a great little essay from Adam Pally, who plays Max on "Happy Endings." (We're gigantic fans of "Happy Endings" -- and Max in particular -- so we're basically taking this as evidence that we're BFF with Adam Pally now, even though we've never met him or spoken to him or, you know, been in the same room together.)

And before we go, there's also a new interview with us available online today. We sat down recently for a quick four question Thanksgiving Q&A with West Elm's Front & Main blog where we talk weird Thanksgiving leftovers and great potluck dishes.  

Stay tuned -- we have another Thanksgiving recipe coming your way shortly!

-- Zach & Clay

 

Thanksgiving 2012: Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding

Food Network Magazine (November 2012)

We love us some Barefoot Contessa.

We like the show, the books, the house, the friends who "drop by," the barn, the contrived plot points exciting adventures -- the whole thing. We are on board. 

And we've made many of Ina's dishes (yes, we're on a first-name basis, even if we've technically never met her). They're so dependable and, as her new book says, foolproof. As two fools in the kitchen, we are grateful. 

So it was without hesitation that we picked out The Barefoot Contessa's recipe for Mushrom & Leek Bread Pudding for our Thanksgiving/Fakesgiving. 

To our surprise, though, we're a bit split on this dish.

Thanksgiving 2012: Creamed Greens with Chestnuts

Martha Stewart Living (November 2012)

Of all the dishes we served at our pre-Thanksgiving Fakesgiving, we never expected Creamed Greens with Chesnuts to be the crowd favorite.

Wilted kale, collards and chard? How could that ever compete with sweet potatoes and stuffing?

Shows what we know.

Thanksgiving 2012: Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon and Maple

Bon Appetit (November 2012)

This is our favorite kind of Thanksgiving side dish: comforting, familiar flavors with an excellent twist. Actually, it has two excellent twists, from two secret ingredients.

Let's break it down by components.

Thanksgiving 2012: Tortilla Chip Chorizo Stuffing

Food Network Magazine (November 2012)

When we had guests over for Fakesgiving, we began the meal by welcoming everyone and explaining the menu.

As we walked through all 20 of the dishes, there were many oohs and aahs, but only one dish received an enthusiastic round of applause: this Tortilla Chip Chorizo Stuffing.

You see, at Fakesgiving, we try to cook both what sounds amazing, but also dishes that seem a little out there. Dishes that firmly fall in the “out there” category from previous years? Tandoori Turkey (a hit!). Tomato and Olive Stuffing (also a hit!). Red Cabbage Gratin (a huge miss).

Food Network Magazine rose to the “out there” challenge with their feature about unusual side dishes, which includes this recipe.

Thanksgiving 2012: Simple Grill-Roasted Turkey

Cook's Illustrated (November/December 2012)

As you might have seen in our round-up of this year's hottest Thanksgiving trends, the turkey has hit the grill. At least five food magazines this year featured recipes for cooking your bird outdoors, either in a grill or a smoker.

We were more than a little intrigued.

You see, we have a small kitchen, with a regular old oven/stove ("old" being the operative word) and limited counter space. So throwing a big Thanksgiving/Fakesgiving for 20 people -- and at the same time serving 20 dishes -- is an excercise in maximizing space. The fridge, freezer, counters and oven are carefully budgeted, or else food doesn't end up on the table in time. Grillng a turkey outdoors removes a huge obstacle: A large piece of poultry that needs significant time in the oven, thereby knocking other dishes out of the oven.

Was this idea too good to be true? Could we really end up with a Thanksgiving bird that didn't hog any oven space?

To find out, we fired up the grill.