Roseholme Thanksgiving Dinner

     The menu was a little less elaborate than it has been in past years; we're trying to eat in a healthy manner, even on "cheat" days.  Still, Tam and I did well:

Tamara Keel photo

     A small turducken roll (3.25 pounds of turkey, duck, chicken, andouille sausage and stuffing), mashed cauliflower with bacon gravy,* small green salads (and cornbread for me). Add beverage of choice and, if desired, eggnog for dessert.  It worked out well, I think, and didn't leave us too full to move afterward.
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* Yes, bacon gravy.  Not too difficult to make, though it is easy to make too much roux and weaken the flavor if you don't watch yourself.  Bacon fat and flour to make a medium-dark roux, then you turn off the heat, stir in milk and water or (better) good stock, put the stove back to medium heat and cook until it thickens, with the heat off while the cooked bacon crumbled back in after the gravy is cooked and allowed to sit over a very low fire for at least five minutes for the flavor to "marry."  From starting the roux (sift small amounts of flour from your fingertips into the hot fat until there's enough -- remember, stirrer in the pan, not fingers!) to right before you crumble in the bacon, your stirrer never stops moving -- I use a small, plastic spatula.  Salt, pepper and so on as desired.