It goes without saying that for foodies the most beloved and anticipated holiday of the year is Thanksgiving. No egg hunts, no gift opening, no card sending: The focus is all on the meal. Some of us celebrate the day by cooking familiar family favorites; others comb food magazines for new recipes that feature the wonderful produce of the fall season. Many honor the holiday by sharing their cooking with friends and family at home, or with strangers in homeless shelters. And some of us leave the kitchen behind for the luxury of feasting in one of the metro area’s “four diamond” hotel dining rooms.
A lavish Thanksgiving meal is both a celebration and a symbol of America’s abundance, as well as its fusion of cultures. As we eat, drink and make merry on Nov. 23, let’s not forget why we observe this joyous holiday — to appreciate how blessed we are to live in a country where most of us have plenty to eat.
And when it comes to eating, we have a lot to be thankful for here in the Triangle area. Just this past month, many of our chefs and restaurants have been in the national spotlight. Carolina CrossRoads’ Brian Stapleton was featured as guest chef in October’s Traditional Home magazine. Sarah Foster (Foster’s Markets in Chapel Hill and Durham) now appears regularly as food editor of Cottage Living. Gourmet, the mother of all food magazines, includes Durham’s Magnolia Grill and Chapel Hill’s Lantern in its list of the country’s top 50 restaurants in the recent restaurant issue.
And, according to the October issue of Saveur magazine, one of the five best food towns in America is Chapel Hill. The criteria included a population of less than 100,000 and “a thriving food culture, locally supported markets, great restaurants … and passionate producers.” The article credits the Carrboro Farmers’ Market, Allen & Son Barbecue, Lantern, Crook’s Corner and Fiesta Grill for making the town a magnet for food lovers.
With all this attention, it’s impossible not to appreciate what a special place we live in. Let’s not forget to be thankful for, and to show our appreciation to, the independent farmers, food artisans, chefs, servers and restaurateurs who make such a valuable contribution to our quality of life here in the metro area.
Nibbles
This month I dined in two new restaurants attracting plenty of local buzz. Long-awaited An New World Cuisine has just opened in a stunning building behind Cary’s Renaissance Park in the Arboretum shopping center. Chef Michael Chuong has teamed with Ann Goodnight to create a big, bold, sleek and sassy space serving a unique take on French/Vietnamese cuisine. Goodnight, owner of Prestonwood Country Club, encouraged the talented Chuong, the club’s executive chef, to envision his dream restaurant. Together they have made the dream come true. The result is one of the most fascinating and delicious dinner destinations in the state. Call for reservations: 919-677-9229.
• • • •
The North Carolina Art Museum’s Monet in Normandy exhibition has inspired several Raleigh restaurants to offer special events honoring the food-loving artist. Link to www.visitraleigh.com/monet for descriptions and dates at the Museum’s own Blue Ridge Restaurant, as well as Bloomsbury Bistro, Frazier’s, Second Empire, Enoteca Vin, and Vivace
• • • •
Hillsborough food lovers can’t stop talking about Panciuto, a tiny dining room downtown in a lovingly restored South Churton Street building. The compact menu reflects the less-is-more mindset of chef/owner Aaron Vandemark. The cuisine is Northern Italian, but the ingredients are strictly North Carolina Piedmont. In the deft hands of Vandemark, a protégée of former Il Palio Chef Gennaro Villella, the combination is pure magic. Reserve a table by calling 919-732-6261.
• • • •
For home cooks who need a little extra help this Thanksgiving, Amy Tornquist, chef of the Nasher Museum Café and Sage & Swift Gourmet Catering will have specialty items available for sale and pickup at their Durham office, or available for delivery the Wednesday prior to the holiday. Goodies, such as apple pie, chocolate-pecan pie, pumpkin pie, smoked fresh local hams with honey glaze and scalloped oysters, will be offered. To place an order, contact Sage & Swift at 919-957-7889.
• • • •
There is no shortage of holiday inspiration and instruction for cooks at A Southern Season’s Cooking School. Log on to www.southernseason.com for a list of November classes: “Beginning Thanksgiving” with Sheri Castle; “Holiday Desserts” with Phoebe Lawless; and “Elegant Holiday Parties” with Marilyn Markel. Aspiring food stylists of all ages can find guidance in gingerbread house making classes. Oenophiles will enjoy “Pair [Wine] with Your Thanksgiving Feast” or, most important of all, “Holiday Stress Relief!” (always easier with a good bottle of wine).
• • • •
If you don’t plan to cook at home this Thanksgiving, let the Fearrington chefs take care of your holiday dinner. Celebrate over an elegant dinner at The Fearrington House Restaurant or create a new tradition with a meal at Fearrington’s recent addition, The Old Granary Restaurant & Bar. Other Mobil Travel Guide “four diamond” restaurants open on the 23rd are Carolina CrossRoads, Fairview and Il Palio. All three hotel dining rooms will offer elaborate Thanksgiving buffets.
• • • •
Last month’s Metro column omitted vital statistics for our featured restaurant, Bonne Soirée. This charming eatery is located at Suite 10 in the Courtyard at 431 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. The intimate dining room holds just 10 tables, so reservations are encouraged. Bonne Soirée is open at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Phone 919-928-8388 for reservations.
Garbage Can Turkey
My husband Drake and I celebrate Thanksgiving at our house with four grown children, their spouses, significant others, in-laws and friends. With a blended family, we have different food traditions. Some of them reappear each year (my daughter-in-law’s mother’s anachronistic but crowd pleasing strawberry salad). Others are shunned by the rest of the group (Drake’s sweet potato casserole, featuring the unpopular raisin has been outlawed by majority vote).
We also like to experiment. Last year a new tradition was born, inspired by a newspaper article. Drake added a shiny metal trash can to his grilling equipment and followed instructions for — you guessed it — garbage can turkey. To my utter astonishment, the bird was as succulent, brown and delicious as the clipping promised. The can is now ready for action on the 23rd. Last Thanksgiving we became a trashy family, and there’s just no turning back now.
The recipe does present one problem. The breast cavity is now used for the contraption that suspends the bird above hot coals. But I’m not giving up my own traditional dressing, culled from a food magazine years ago, and a far cry from the squishy cornbread stuffing recipe of my childhood. This recipe is better when cooked inside the bird, but even baked separately in the oven, it’s still a keeper.
Italian Sausage Dressing
8-12 cups ciabatta or other coarse bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
4 tablespoons (or more) olive oil
2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
2 large yellow onions, chopped
5 large ribs celery, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup Marsala wine
Chicken or turkey broth
Sauté the sausage in olive oil until brown. Set the meat aside. In the fat remaining in the pan, sauté the vegetables until soft. Add herbs and salt and pepper during the last minute of cooking. Pour the vegetables into 8 cups of the bread and stir to mix. If the dressing seems too greasy, add more bread. The mixture should not be too dry.
Add Marsala to the hot pan, stir and heat two minutes. Pour wine into bread mixture, stirring to distribute evenly.
Spoon dressing into the cavity of turkey (unless it will be cooked in a garbage can) and roast the bird in your usual way. Or put the stuffing in a greased casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake for a half hour or more (depending on the thickness of the casserole dish) until thoroughly heated. Check the dressing after several minutes. To compensate for the natural juices of the turkey, you may need to add chicken broth and a little melted butter to keep it from becoming too dry.