So somehow I am cooking for 16 people tomorrow.  The above menu is my version of easy  – or at least easy for Thanksgiving for 16 people.   I bought enough big Chinese soup bowls and already had enough chopsticks that everyone will be eating Thanksgiving this year as if they were in some sort of Chinese Communist collective.  The concept is that the veggie Pad Thai can be made in any number of variation – with or without Turkey – brussels sprouts (done with fish sauce and hot Thai peppers) roasted root vegetables, and a Kabocha/Blue Hubbard squash puree all mixed in to give this Pad Thai a distinctive and unique Autumnal touch.

I bought a 23 pound heritage Turkey at Heritage Foods ($185) which I decided to have cut up so I could cook it early and just serve the meat – easier to add to your pad Thai.  I did a dry brine this year – lemon rind, garlic, salt, black pepper and am going to cook it on a rack with hard cider in the pan to catch the juices (no gravy will be made but I will pour all pan drippings over the meat before I serve it).   

I roasted the squash yesterday and let it cool overnight then cooped it out this morning – so pretty!  Tonight I’m making the blue Hubbard pie and the chocolate cherry cookies. I’m also taking the brine off the turkey and removing it from the brine bags to dry over night in the fridge – then will remove it in the morning, let it come to room temperature (about 2 hours) and will cook it first thing.  The root vegetables will be the last thing I cook.   Good luck tomorrow with your cooking or baking or maybe you are one of the lucky ones who decided to sit this year out and are reading this while you sip a tropical cocktail overlooking the pool at your Bangkok 5 Star hotel? Wherever you are and what ever you are doing have a great holiday.

Recipes and more to follow, but now I have to get back to cooking!