Chako and I hosted our very first Thanksgiving feast on Sunday. It was crazy.
I cooked for 50 hours straight. Literally. I was one with the kitchen.
We planned the menu. We wrote the menu. I made a schedule for the whole weekend. Multiple to-do lists happened...it was crazy times. After all that, I was so thrilled with how it turned out and that fact that I got to spend a lovely evening with some of favorite people.
Our menu was extensive...
This image leaves out the Zucchini Corn Bread and the French bread, as well as the dessert...Custard Pear Pie and Pumpkin Bread.
I COOKED A TURKEY! FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! I NEVER CRIED!!!
Here are some other images from this lovely lovely night....
Our table, everyone had different plates! Virgin Mary candles and flowers from Uncle Sarah completed the table.
Same table in daylight
Uncle Sarah making a carrot ring
Chako making a cheese plate
Guests! Drinking!
Gouda! Mac! Cheese!
Definitely my absolute favorite..Creamed Spinach!
I was happy with how everything came out, and everyone pigged out. We were over full. I had to convince people to have dessert. Force feeding them pie and champagne. Very happy.
I am going to share a bunch of recipes from this feast over the next week, and we are leaving tonight for Puerto Rico to cook another Thanksgiving feast with my Puerto Rican family, so recipes and pictures from that!
To start the recipe train...Zucchini Corn Bread!!
I am obsessed with this bread and will make it year round all the time and eat it all. Seriously.
Ingredients!
Browned Butter!! What could be better? Tell me!
Mixing wet stuff...
Add the zucchini..
Add the dry stuff...
Garnish!
Ready for oven...
Eat now.
Zucchini Cornbread
I doubled the recipe to make two loaves, below is the original for one!
You'll Need...
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter plus more for pan
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup of buttermilk
1 large zucchini (about 10 ounces)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup medium-grind cornmeal
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter a loaf pan.
Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter solids at bottom of pan and turns golden brown, about three minutes. Scrape butter into a medium bowl. Set aside and let cool, whisk in eggs and buttermilk.
Trim zucchini and reserve 5 pieces for garnish. Grate the remaining zucchini into the butter mixture and fold in.
In a separate bowl, sift both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk in cornmeal. Add zucchini mixture, just fold to blend, it will be a super thick batter. Transfer batter to pan and smooth. Place reserved zucchini slices down the batter loaf.
Bake bread until golden, 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
EAT IT WARM WITH BUTTER AND BE SO HAPPY YOU ARE DOING IT!!!!
