Anne's Aunt Gloria knew how to feed a crowd. Known as "Nannan" by her nieces and nephews and "Granny" by her grandkids, Gloria was quite the hostess and Thanksgiving was her responsibility. Anne remembers the counters filled with casserole dishes and both the main and garage kitchens humming along to get the meal to the table. Today, Anne is the host of Thanksgiving for her family, and each year she recalls the holiday at Nannan's and works hard to make her proud.
From Nannan's perfectly appointed table to the delicious spread of dishes to the dropped turkey...wait, what? That's right. Anne recalls a Thanksgiving when the bird hit the ground, and she dials up a few family members to see if her memory holds up. While not completely vindicated, Anne does get to reminisce and laugh with her family. Then Anne pulls in her son-in-law Ben to talk about a fiery fiasco at her very own Thanksgiving last year when the centerpiece of the meal burst into flames. Yes. The turkey was engulfed in flames.
Later in the episode. Anne takes questions from listeners and problem solves some common Thanksgiving dilemmas. She then heads to the kitchen to cook up a delicious turkey day side.
Here’s a list of the links we mentioned in the podcast:
- In the listener Q&A, Anne talks about wet brining a turkey breast. For wet brining, try our Turkey Brine. When it comes to brining a whole bird, Anne prefers dry brining or early salting, and our Dry Brine is Anne's signature combination for this method.
- Another listener asks about turkey alternatives. Anne offers several suggestions, but also consider this Crawfish Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Tasso Cream Sauce. It's a show stopper. Ham is another great alternative. Bake one up with our Ham Glaze.
- Anne & Lili cook up Cast Iron Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Cranberry Balsamic. Cranberry Maple Rub and Cranberry Balsamic play well together in this delicious dish that's sure to please.
- It's no surprise that Red Stick Spice stocks a full line of blends for all your Autumnal cooking. Check out seasonal blends here. Anne's go to favorites are Autumn Spice Blend and Pumpkin Pie Spice.
WHERE TO LISTEN TO SMIDGEN:
Listen to Smidgen on the podcast player above or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your favorite podcast app.