Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday November 24th 2011, 12:03 am
Filed under: Family,Food

Almost done. Bought the third-to-last pecan pie–no artificial additives, thank you Trader Joe’s,theirs is not only better than anyone else’s, it’s better than mine: they don’t ever end up with the filling hiding under the crust and the pecans tumbling around wondering where it disappeared to.

Family and food and pies. For me, the ultimate comfort food is tri-berry pie (raspberry boysenberry blackberry). There’s a restaurant near Tacoma, Washington that served just the best version of it, sized for one large appetite with many berries and just enough crisp crust to do the job.

My parents and my brother and I had all flown in for several days for our niece’s wedding the time I ordered that pie, hoping for the best and getting even better. I bet if you ask my dad the name of that place now, 15, 16 years later, he would know: Dad always remembers the places where we stumble across the best meals. Always. Our family’s previous trip to the area had included some exquisite clam chowder–I was three. It was the Seattle World’s Fair. So on this trip about 35 years later, he was going, I bet I can remember where…

We thought there was no way, but we were wrong, he found it: on the waterfront, with old Indian canoes and paddles on the walls for the decor and a floor that sloped up and down like hiking a small hill.

And I can hereby testify, their clam chowder was very good.

We went back later to that other place to get more of that perfect pie for breakfast before our flights home.

Oh wait–tomorrow. Almost forgot the cranberry sauce.  Can you boil water?  A cup of water and a cup of sugar going at a good roll, some say for this long, some say that long; doesn’t matter. Boiling. Then you pour in the bag of cranberries and simmer ten minutes till they burst for joy, stir if you feel like it. Easy as pie.

Pardon me while I go get that done too.

(Coming back to the computer.) Okay, sauce, done. But if you ever stop at that restaurant–what’s that name, help me out here, Dad–come on by. I’ll trade you for a chocolate torte.

(Which is what Richard’s aunt really wants us to bring for dessert tomorrow. It’s ready and waiting.)


13 Comments so far
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The cranberry sauce recipe that I’ve done for the last 7-8 years is only very slightly more complex: 1 c. sugar, juice of an orange + grated orange rind, 1/2 tsp. grated ginger. Simmer until sugar is dissolved, add 1 bag cranberries, cook until they pop. Add 1/2 c. chopped toasted pecans and dash of Grand Marnier if desired. Cool and serve.

The Boy and His Girlfriend have made a gluten-free pecan pie that’s in the oven right now, and a GF apple pie will follow that. Unfortunately, I won’t get either of them (going to her parents’ house tomorrow. However, The Hubby will make a pear-apple crisp (also GF) for dinner with the Purl Girls and family.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! I’m counting my blessings and you’re one of them.

Comment by Kathy in San Jose 11.24.11 @ 12:55 am

Happy Thanksgiving! I too jazz my cranberries up a bit with orange zest and pecans. The apple pie is waiting too.

Comment by Channon 11.24.11 @ 4:56 am

Grind 1 orange including peel and 1 bag of cranberries. Add 1 C sugar and let it sit for a day in the fridge.

I bet the Seattle restaurant was Ivar’s on the Wharf. Wish I knew the name of the one near Tacoma that serves the tri-berry pie. I may be taking a truck to Seattle next week and would check them out.

Comment by Sherry in Idaho 11.24.11 @ 8:43 am

I started preparing food on Saturday to get ahead of the game. Spinach-Parmesan balls are in the freezer, ready to be baked. Escarole Soup and cranberry/orange relish was cooked last night and popped into fridge for flavors to meld. Son made a delicious Apple Orchard Cheesecake last night and just removed it from springform pan. Beautiful! Just have to wait a bit to put the turkey and potatoes in the oven and we’re ready to roll! Literally!

Comment by Jody 11.24.11 @ 8:54 am

while I actually can’t stand cranberry sauce (not a fan of sweet with my savoury…) I make it every year for my husband. The only change is I replace some water with orange juice, grate a little orange rind in there, and add a healthy dollop of Grand Marnier. Even without the booze, the orange flavour adds a nice touch.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours – we here in Canada just get to enjoy the football, the parade and the stories of Black Friday madness…

Comment by Sandra 11.24.11 @ 9:23 am

Well, I’m not cooking; Cliff and I are invited to friends — third year in a row!

Let’s hear it for pie! The only one of which I’m not terribly fond is pumpkin. I don’t need vegetable for dessert.

Comment by Don Meyer 11.24.11 @ 11:19 am

But Don, pumpkin is a fruit, not a vegetable! Fruit contains seeds. Includes all squash… (yes, they are often treated as vegetables, but technically aren’t). Therefore pumpkin pie = fruit for dessert.

(of course, I’m the one who can justify pie for breakfast too.)

Comment by Kathy in San Jose 11.24.11 @ 12:46 pm

I agree that the clam chowder place is probably Ivar’s –it also has amazingly good alder smoked salmon.

I also make the cranberry orange relish that Sherry in Idaho describes. It was my mom’s favorite and now it’s mine too.

Comment by Phyllis in Palo Alto 11.24.11 @ 1:40 pm

The chowder would have been one of the Ivar’s full-service restaurants, we had found it when Dad was passing through Seattle and we lived there those first two years, before we ended up in Tacoma way back in 1978. The triple-berry cobbler was at Mitzell’s in Fife, they are a local chain, I’m not sure how extensive they are, but they do exist in more locations than just that one. Hope someday you can visit again! though I love the times I have been able to visit you.

Thankful today that though we had to cancel much-anticipated travel plans and I am not cooking a turkey, that our resident grandson (11 months) is now well after a very difficult few days and two hospital trips. So, pork chops with all the trimmings!

Comment by Marian 11.24.11 @ 2:35 pm

Oh, and I’m making Mom’s pear pie recipe, which I make as pear crisp by skipping the crust. Yummy.

Comment by Marian 11.24.11 @ 2:37 pm

not only did I do the cranberry relish (that’s what it’s called at our house) — oh, and I use a tangerine for the citrus part, but we also have a little something called Cranberry fluff which is quite good too (and Mr Cute LOVED it!) recipe is here: http://hattieskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/11/cranberry-fluff.html

hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving

Comment by Bev 11.24.11 @ 4:27 pm

So many ways to make cranberry sauce, but from now on, whatever else I put in the pot, my berries will “burst with joy” where previously they simply burst. 🙂

Comment by twinsetellen 11.25.11 @ 7:16 am

Ah yes, Mitzel’s in Fife for triple berry pie. Must stop by there soon and see if they still make it. Clam chowder was definitely Ivar’s, of Keep Clam fame. He’s long gone, but the memory lingers on.

Comment by Joan 11.25.11 @ 5:44 pm



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