First Thanksgiving and Cranberry Goodness

Below is a photo of our first Thanksgiving in the U.S. spent at my cousin Manolito's house. The lady on the left is a friend of the family. The food was absolutely wonderful - Manolito and his wife, Gladys, were known for their lavish, delicious dinners - but the meal could hardly be called a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, not with so many Cubans expecting their rice and beans. However, I do remember that roasted turkey was among the dishes served; and there was pumpkin pie.

Forty years later I'm still trying to figure out what constitutes an authentic Thanksgiving dinner. I suppose it's a little bit like trying to define what constitutes an authentic American. However, I've come to believe that cranberries must have a place somewhere on the menu. It appears very likely that those early settlers feasted on them, but, more importantly . . . I just love them.

Cranberry sauce made from scratch is simply marvelous, and, thankfully, very easy to make. I add oranges and Grand Marnier to mine, although it's doubtful the pilgrims had those ingredients at their disposal. I feel so sorry for them. And then, there's Cranberry Bread . . . This recipe, which calls for golden raisins added to the batter, balances beautifully the tart with the sweet. It is so good! But there are so many other variations to try out. Do I stop now or do I continue on this happy quest?

About treats and not expecting the unexpected

O.K. So this was a little weird . . . I brought my Thanksgiving treats to work yesterday and everyone thought I had bought them ready-made at a store. Typical exchange:

Me: Here's a little Thanksgiving treat for you.
Co-worker: Oh, this is nice. Where did you get it?

Hmm . . . Better modify my presentation . . .

Me: Hi, there, I put together these treats over the weekend. Here's one for you. Happy Thanksgiving!
Co-worker: Wow! Thank you. I've never seen these before. Where did you get them?

Hmm . . . O.K. Let's try it a little differently . . .

Me: I found this cool website and this one was one of the ideas they had for the holidays. I made a batch to celebrate the holidays. Here's one for you. Happy Thanksgiving!
Co-worker: Cool! This is nice! Thank you! So you ordered them from this website?
Me: No, I just got the idea from the website. I made them.
Co-worker: You made them?
Me: Yup.
Co-worker: Huh. (Now looking over the bag suspiciously). Where did you get the labels? (Sigh)

And on it went all day. I guess on one level I should be flattered that the bags looked nice enough to have been bought at a store. On the other hand, there was a lot of love and attention put into those little bags and I didn't want people to think that I took the easy route and just bought the darn things.

And then when I walked in the house last night I found . . . John! His classes were canceled today so he came home a day early. What an unexpected joy! I really don't feel like going to work today. I want to stay home and play with my boys. But I'll have a special treat waiting for me tonight: John has promised to cook and make his Chicken Fricasee dinner.

Thanksgiving Blessing Mix

I was inspired to make these by my always creative sister-in-law, Angela, who found the idea at Organized Christmas. I'm bringing them to work tomorrow and sharing them with my co-workers. I can't wait!

A letter to knock the socks off any woman.

Here are my parents on their wedding day, November 20, 1953. I just love the hat my mother is wearing - and she could carry it off with such panache!

This was my father's second marriage, so they were not able to marry in the Catholic Church, to my mother's everlasting sorrow. If there was ever a couple that ought to have been allowed the religious wedding of their choice, it was this one. To my mother, the sun rose and set with my father, and I think it was the same for him. They were married 32 years until her death in 1985.

Here is one of the letters he wrote to her while they were dating, I hope my translation does it justice. The letter was not dated but I think it was written in 1952:

"Dear Enriqueta:

'To tell you that I love you, that I adore you and all that you mean to me, I have sat down in front of the typewriter, hoping to be able to crystallize my feelings in words. You are the sweetest of brides, the most beloved and the one who has been able to understand me and give me ease. Aside from an immense love, I owe you a debt of gratitude, because you have returned to my spirit the tranquility that I so need."

"Sometimes, the shadow of doubt comes upon me, and then you, with your sweetness that touches me so deeply, with your beautiful words that caress me, with a look that penetrates the deepest recesses of my soul, you return my coveted calm."

"For this, and for all the good things you possess I adore you."

"I kiss your beautiful hands, "

"Alberto"

Hug O' War

I will not play at tug o' war.
I'd rather play at hug o' war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.

—Shel Silverstein

Natilla (pronounced Nah-tee-yah)

Here's the recipe for my Cuban Vanilla Custard. Thank you to my co-workers for all your kind words, but you will see how easy it is to make:

Ingredients:

5 C. milk (I use whole milk, but if you prefer, you can use 2%)
1 C. sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 T. vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
5 egg yolks
½ C. corn starch

1. In a saucepan combine 4 C. of milk, sugar, cinnamon stick, vanilla extract and salt. Cook on medium heat until it simmers, making sure the sugar is completely dissolved in the milk.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining cup of milk, egg yolks and corn starch. A small whisk is most effective for mixing the corn starch into the milk and egg mixture.
3. When the milk on the stove is simmering, add the milk/egg yolk mixture to the pot, straining it through a fine sieve to catch any undissolved corn starch.
4. Continue to cook on medium heat until the pudding thickens, usually no more than 3-4 minutes. The whisk will come in handy again to make sure that no lumps are formed.
5. Remove from heat and ladle into ramekins while still hot, as the mixture cools it gets harder to pour. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and chill.
6. Call the kids and/or husband to the kitchen and dispense spoons so they can scrape the pot clean.

Two tips:

1. Separate the egg yolks before you put the milk on the stove. You don't want to get distracted by the eggs when you should be keeping a close watch so the milk doesn't scorch.
2. Use a non-stick saucepan if possible. I use a Calphalon dutch oven and a silicone whisk so it doesn't scratch the pot.

These squash-shaped ramekins, a gift from my friend Susan, make a timeless comfort food seem a bit more seasonal. Let me know how it turns out.

This week's reading

Three very quick and uncomplicated reads:

And three very quick and uncomplicated reviews: No, yes, and YES!