Thanksgiving... the quick update!

In Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in early October. Which is much too early for the American in me! I miss Thanksgiving the most, as it is such an important holiday that centers around family, food and the un-official start of the Christmas season! (Which is a lot to center around.)

I didn't take pictures of each dish because I had a work emergency and had to run to the office right before our guests came, and then I was rushing to get everything finished on time, so I didn't want to delay dinner for photos. But it was a delicious meal. I made a fantastic turkey, a so-so stuffing, lovely deviled eggs, green beans, roasted golden beet salad, homemade cranberry sauce (which was amazing and the kids kept calling 'jam'), and the hit of the dinner, potato gratin with porcini mushrooms and mascarpone cheese. Oh yes. You can see them in the photo below just below the beans!


We broke out the good china that G's mother gave her recently. It's so pretty, it made everything feel like quite the celebration!

But back to the food...the potato gratin was amazing. The recipe was in the November issue of Bon Appetit magazine. I adapted it slightly and as such, am including the same below.


Potato Gratin with Porcini Mushrooms and Mascarpone Cheese
2oz dried porcini mushrooms
3-4oz cremini mushrooms
2 tblsp butter
Olive Oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1.5 cups of mascarpone cheese
3/4 cups whipping cream
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
Nutmeg
2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced

Soak the porcini mushrooms and lightly chop, along with the cremini mushrooms. Melt the butter in a skillet, add mushrooms and cook until brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk mascarpone, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, whipping cream, garlic and nutmeg.

Preheat the over to 325 degrees. Butter a large baking dish and place 1/4 potato slices in the bottom of the dish. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter some of the mushrooms over. Repeat, then spread half the cheese mixture on top and smooth. Repeat with remaining potatoes and mushrooms so that the cheese mixture is on the top. Sprinkle with more parmesan. Bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes, and let rest for 15 minutes or so. Stuff your face. (And you will.)

There was much to give thanks for this year. My stomach issues are seemingly on the mend, and at a minimum *finally* being taken seriously, my work is going well, my immediate family is healthy and whole, we had lovely friends share our Thanksgiving dinner with, and G and I are working deliriously hard on balancing work and life. We're getting there.

And Bello enjoyed his chive-y snack.


Man, he's too cute. And too loved by us!!!