Thanksgiving 2008

Today's scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner is a world away from the famous feast shared by the pilgrims and Native Americans almost 400 years ago in America's Plymouth Colony.

Most of you know Chez nous' Thanksgiving history, but for the newer members of our e-mail family I will quickly share it with you.

We opened our doors on September 18th, 1984 and decided that for our first Thanksgiving we would offer a dinner reflective of who we were. The turkeys were wild turkeys from a specialized farm in Wisconsin, the classical stuffing was altered to include wild mushrooms, chestnuts and polenta, the gravy was upgraded to a red wine enhanced reduction of the roasting juices, and so on.

To our surprise many guests were not impressed. They told us they missed the standard stuffed turkey and cranberry sauce. So, the following year, that is exactly what we served. This time we were told that we were not very creative! I also remember having to keep making more iced tea throughout both dinners. That was the last time we opened the restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner.

Still, Thanksgiving is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, cooking holiday in North America. Extended families converge on one hapless home, where the stress of preparing Thanksgiving dinner is almost palpable. Do you slave in your kitchen every Thanksgiving cooking all day? Does your entire family count on you to provide the food and entertainment? Would you love to spend the day having someone else do most of the work for you? If you answered yes, then put your cookbooks and old family recipes away.

This year, in response to many inquiries from our e- mail family members, Chef Stacy is offering all or parts of your Thanksgiving Feast. We'll do the shopping, the chopping, the stuffing and the roasting - you just come by and pick up your gourmet Thanksgiving meal, ready to be heated and served in your home.

The turkeys we will use will not be the kind you find in most food stores - they will be vegetarian fed, antibiotic- and hormone-free from Nature's Ranch. They will be brown sugar and sage-brined young birds stuffed in the traditional fashion. All the vegetables will be locally grown and organic.

The meal includes:

Slow-roasted Thanksgiving Turkey

Fresh Cranberries and Grand Marnier Sauce (not gravy)

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Honey-glazed Carrots

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and a touch of Cream

Individual Rolls

Your choice of Pumpkin Cheesecake or Walnut Tart - The dinner will serve 10 to 12 people; the cost is $190

Additional desserts are available at $38 each, again serving 10-12.

The deadline for ordering will be November 20th and, for obvious reasons, all sales will be final.

To order call us at 281-446-6717.

Your orders will be available for pick-up between 10 am and 5 pm on November 26th. Easy reheating and handling instructions will be provided.

Bon appetit!

*****