Well, this year’s Thanksgiving is in the books, and there were some Thanksgiving winners and losers in the cooking department, that’s for sure.
My husband said… No more experimenting! You should just stick to the basics next year. But I say what would a Thanksgiving feast be without a few new recipes, right? I mean there’s always a new dessert recipe I’m itching to make.
The first fail was the pecan pie. Or rather the pie from Pecan Pie Recipe from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery. I’ve eaten at two different Bouchon Bakery locations and the pastries they put out are always top notch.
So I am chalking up this recipe to user error. It was probably the tart pan I used. That said… I did notice that the crust recipe called for 1 TABLESPOON of salt and ½ cup of water.
I’ve made a lot of pie crusts over the years and I have never, EVER added that much salt to a pie crust. So I used 1 teaspoon instead. Or that much water in fact.
I ended up not even needing an ounce of water. If you are an experienced pie baker, check out the recipe. And then come back and tell me what you think of it.
We had a little nibble of the crust {my version, 1 tea of salt, no water} and the crust was great.
As for the pie itself… Well, we repurposed the filling as a “caramelized pecan sauce” and enjoyed it over a scoop of ice cream.
The second fail of the night was to get this… The cranberry relish recipe from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc. Anyone see a pattern here? Hmmm.
This was another case of am I reading the ingredient list correctly? The recipe called for 2 OUNCES of minced garlic. Do you know how much 2 OUNCES of minced garlic is? It was roughly 3 HEADS {not cloves!} of garlic.
My father in law was the only one who liked it.
Recipe sabotage comes to mind when I think about both the pie and cranberry relish recipes. But what do I know, I’m just a housewife.
Finally a winner! My mother in law’s famous wild rice stuffing! She said she’s been making this for the past 50 years!!! It was stuffed full of goodness I tell you. Anyone want the recipe?
And of course, Amberlina’s Freaking Awesome Sweet Potato Casserole. You can never go wrong with that recipe.
All in all, it was a good feast. Lots of good conversation, and lots of leftovers.
Oh, and a little music too. 🙂 Seriously, what more could you ask for?
How was Thanksgiving at YOUR place? Were there any failures in the kitchen? Any recipes that we’re up to snuff with your relatives? Curious minds want to know.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone,
~Mavis
Kari says
I was visiting with a friend the other day about the baking class she took at her Greek Orthodox Church. One of the ladies told her that her MIL didn’t like to share her recipes, and if she did, she would always leave one ingredient out so that it never turned out as good as hers. I’m not sure I could do that, but I found it hilarious. Maybe that is similar to what’s happening with your recipes?
Mavis Butterfield says
That’s what I was thinking the whole time I was making both of them.
Annette says
Did the princess see Vito, the winner of the national dog show?
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes!!! Vito is such a cutie. 🙂
Beth says
One tablespoon of salt…yikes! I made the pecan pie recipe that used to be on the Karo syrup bottle (found it on Reddit) and while it was tasty it was kind of runny…but my Dad loved it and took the rest of the pie home. Everyone loved the Thanksgiving Salad and the Funeral Potatoes. I purchased a Pumpkin OH from Great Harvest and my husband thought it was just ok so I told him to take the rest to work today because people will eat anything left in a break room. I also told him to take the rest of the pumpkin pie to work…I love pumpkin pie but I’d rather finish off the bundtinis from Nothing Bundt Cake- 2 people can only eat so many leftover goodies…
Jenny says
Would LOVE to try the wild rice stuffing recipe!
eliz says
Yes to wild rice stuffing recipe
Naomi says
I agree. Yes to the wild rice stuffing recipe please!
Carol says
The best recipe for cranberry sauce I’ve ever happened upon is one can of whole berry cranberry sauce, half a jar of orange marmalade, and a handful of toasted walnuts. The toasted part is important.
Melinda says
I would love the wild rice stuffing recipe, it looks really good.
I made my sausage and cornbread dressing recipe that is a favorite every year. Also made a creamed corn recipe that I’ve made a few years, but tried a stovetop method instead of crockpot like I usually do. It didn’t come out nearly as well on the stovetop. Other than that, we went with basic sides this year. And lots of desserts.
KC says
I’d bet the salt was supposed to be the super-fluffy kosher salt which has less salt per tsp: https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/06/not-all-salts-are-created-equally/ (so, 1 tablespoon of the fluffy kosher salt is slightly less than 1.5 teaspoons of regular salt) And while shortbread crusts are *amazing* and I love them, using water in doughs adds cohesion and reduces cracking [… and filling leakage].
I got absolutely nothing on the 2oz garlic, though, aside from “maybe a typo” since it’s a transcription of the recipe? Or “relish” means it’s savory and ultra-garlicky in this case, instead of “raw cranberries” like “cranberry relish” usually means? But yeah. That should come with a warning label!
Dianna says
You’re not “just” a housewife! Being able to stay home and take care of your house, your husband, and your children is such an honor and privilege. I’m a housewife too and I couldn’t be happier.
debbie in alaska says
It always irks me when Mavis says this. I know it’s tongue in cheek but it feels so outdated and not at all empowering to women. I’m not even a housewife or stay at home mom and it still feels icky. It’s a joke I’d love to no longer see made.
Nadia says
Yes, please to the wild rice dressing recipe. I made the Amberlina’s sweet potato casserole, but baked the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them. It was a denser casserole and not as fluffy and soft looking as yours but it did taste lovely. I did add some nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon to it, and yum!!
Christa H says
I think the Yahoo article had a typo. This site shows a teaspoon of salt:
https://www.amny.com/lifestyle/eat-and-drink/pie-recipe-bouchon-bakery-s-pecan-pie-for-thanksgiving-1-11129630/
Still seems like too much water and not enough flour.
2 oz= 4 Tablespoons; but that is still WAY too much garlic. I would have only used a teaspoon of garlic in that recipe.
Stephanie in Utah says
My daughter really wanted pecan pie, and I hadn’t made it in like a decade, so I searched for a recipe online and decided this one looked good. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pecan_pie/ It was a winner for us! It did leak a little bit through the bottom crust but was contained by the pan. I always use my same pie crust recipe from The Joy of Cooking. I think it calls for 1/2 or 1 tsp salt, and that makes two pie crust. 1 Tablespoon is ridiculous! And the amount of pecans in Thomas’s recipe seems low to me as well.
Jean C says
I tried your Brussels Sprouts recipe (with balsamic and blue cheese) – it was great!
I agree that trying a couple new recipes is fun – but not without risk.
Mavis Butterfield says
Glad you liked them!!
Heather N says
My father-in-law used to like noodles and gravy over mashed potatoes. My husband now makes homemade noodles and gravy for over the mashed potatoes. We don’t have stuffing or sweet potatoes so I guess it balances out.
Judi Y. says
My daughter, her husband and all five of my grandchildren would like to say thank you to YOU for your carrot cake recipe. Every year we think of you!
Mavis Butterfield says
I LOVE that recipe!!!
Sue says
That cranberry relish sounds dreadful for how badly those poor 12 oz of cranberries are treated. THREE cups of sugars? ONE full cup of vinegar? I daresay the garlic is supposed to be 2 cloves, not 2 oz. Regardless, I wouldn’t touch that recipe with a 10-ft pole. Thomas Keller has plenty to answer for!
I found a cranberry chutney recipe that is beyond divine, and it’s been my go-to for over a decade. It’s from Diane Morgan’s book, “The Thanksgiving Table.” You can find it at:
https://www.alaskafromscratch.com/2012/11/04/cranberry-sauce-recipe/?bo-recipes-print=10863&=1
It freezes beautifully; we enjoy it all year that way. You won’t regret trying this one!
My own Thanksgiving was also a winner/loser affair. For the first time ever, I ordered Thanksgiving dinner for pickup from a local grocery.
It was a winner in that I did not have to cook another meal in addition to Thanksgiving Brunch–which was not Thanksgiving-y at all!
It was a loser that no one went back for seconds of anything. I believe in seasoning generously, but the entire dinner just had no depth of flavor. Not exactly nursing home fare, but…
But I have already transformed the turkey breast slices into a very tasty Panang curry. And the potatoes are topping a Beef (Shepherd) Cottage Pie you have featured here. Like you & your pecan pie experiment, I know how to turn a stinker into a winner. :^)
JoAnn Moran says
I would love your mother-in-law‘s wild rice stuffing recipe. Many years ago Igot Sophia Loren‘s cookbook. I wanted to make the tiramisu. I have a rule that the first time I make a recipe I try to follow it exactly. Her recipe called for a whole cup of Grand Marnier. It seemed like a lot, but what did I know? It was the booziest tiramisu you’ve ever tasted. All you could taste was Grand Marnier. It’s a good idea to question a recipe sometimes.
maureen detmer says
i’m into anything wild rice, so would love to give the stuffing a go, even made a wild rice/cranberry bread one year and it was good, who knew
HollyG says
Our supper was really delicious except for 2 truly terrible pie crusts (tough, crispy, bad). I’ve never pre-baked my crust for maple pecan or pumpkin, but Erin McD said I should so I tried – I definitely did something wrong.
Would anyone share a ‘bomb-proof’ pie crust recipe with me?
Linda says
Pillsbury’s Frozen pie crust!
Stevie says
Yes please on the wild rice stuffing recipe. Per a friend’s request I made an apple,cranberry,ginger tart for her family Thanksgiving. New recipe to me. I would not make that crust again. Very fiddly and it was very difficult to roll it 12×16 in.
The filling was easy, pretty and smelled delicious. Next time will serve with crumble topping instead of crust
Carrie Valentin says
I would LOVE this wild rice recipe now for Christmas!! PLEASE put it in here now!! Happy Thanksgiving Mavis to you and to your family!! Love the lobsters and buoys you are painting. We went to Maine on vacation every other year of my childhood through high school. I hope we can take our daughter and her family to New England someday when the youngest is older. We moved from Bonney Lake where I first heard of your blog when you lived in Gig Harbor to Spokane last year. Enjoy Maine!!!
randini says
I made a shaved Brussel sprout salad with parmesan, pomegranate, candied pecans, and honeycrisp apples. It was a hit! I’d make it with a bit less dressing next time but will be making again. bonus that I could make it all ahead of time and assemble 30 minutes before eating.
CherylV says
Might you have the recipe or a link to that salad? It sounds delicious!
Laura says
I feel a little better about my Thanksgiving fails after reading your post. First was a new green bean casserole. Recipe looked promising but after 40 minutes in the oven the beans were raw and the sauce that was supposed to have bubbled through the beans was still sitting in a lump on top. It was awful. I bought a package of sweet potato chunks to roast – less than 1/3 cooked but the rest remained raw – why???? – but they were inedible. Thank goodness everything else turned out well.
Skipped the pecan pie this tear and instead made pecan pie bars using the Land O Lakes recipe. Fantastic!! Even the pickiest kids loved them.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks says
The question of recipe sabotage reminds me of the Everybody Loves Raymond episode when the MIL does just that to Deborah, with one of the family favorites!
J in OH-IO says
Enjoyed Everybody Loves Raymond show- I cannot open a can of tuna without thinking of Ray upset saying he got “tuna juice” on his hands! HAHA!
Brianna says
I have Keller’s Bouchon Bakery Cookbook and I checked this morning and there is not a pecan pie recipe or similar in it. All of the recipes I have tried in the cookbook have been wonderful. I haven’t had a dud yet.
Mavis Butterfield says
I have that cookbook too, but haven’t made a recipe yet. Glad to hear the ones in there are wonderful.
RobininSoCal says
This is the cranberry relish recipe posted in Saveur. I think Yahoo got it wrong. https://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/apple-cranberry-relish/