“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.”
(I guess it’s not enough to be Tom-Fool but now I am Tom-Turkey too!!)
So says,Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin a lawyer and magistrate in France during the late 18th and early 19th century. A prolific author, he is most known for his work Physiologie du Goût (The Physiology of Taste.) This treatise of observations and meditations surrounding food and all things related had a tremendous impact on my education when I attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. His work was quoted often and shortly after graduation I was thrilled to read M.F.K. Fisher’s translation while touring France in, what was by all definition, the world’s smallest car with my best friend Dale Hill. (A story for another time.) So subtle are his observations that they easily insinuate themselves into my everyday life. My favorite quote of his is, “It is the responsibility of the host to provide for all of his guest’s needs while they are under his roof.” This is the philosophy with which I govern my household and the foundation of my culinary style.
This writing also included more than a few anecdotes, which brings me to the point of this story: The preparation of Thanksgiving dinner. Brillat-Savarin tells the tale of a man traveling the countryside in France stopping at an inn for the night. Upon entering he notices 5 large turkeys being roasted in the hearth. He asks the innkeeper for wine and turkey and in return receives this reply.
“I am sorry sir, I have no turkey to offer you.”
“I see 5 turkeys on the spit right now.” 
“Sir, these birds have been purchased by another gentleman. He is due to return shortly, perhaps he will share them with you.”
Some time later the man’s son walks into the inn and the innkeeper says, “This is the gentleman who purchased all of my turkeys.”
“Son, what do you need with 5 turkeys?”
“Father, you have always told me the most flavorful part of the turkey is the oyster. Since they are so small, I needed 5 birds to make a full meal!”
The oyster meat, for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, is located at the point where the thigh connects to the body of the turkey. I recommend removing the legs and thighs first by cutting through the joints. Flip the bird gently on to its breast and just above the point where the thighbone was connected to the body, there will be a small ‘oyster’ shaped piece of flesh that is very flavorful. My suggestion: Don’t tell any of your guests and save it for leftovers.
But Tom, you said this was An American Story!!
It is. Turkeys were known in Europe but they were a much smaller bird. It was not until the New World was discovered that American turkeys became all the rage. Brillat-Savarin became especially fond of them after he spent 3 years in Boston during the French Revolution. This is one dish the we Americans have proudly given to the world. You may remember that Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the turkey our national bird! Take that bald eagle!!
Over the course of this week I will be posting recipes for preparing Thanksgiving dinner using simple, traditional French cooking techniques I learned, the way I learned them. Please bookmark this page and keep your eyes open for how to roast a Thanksgiving turkey, prepare whipped potatoes, maple candied yams, traditional stuffing and more!!
I am looking forward to seeing you back soon.
Eat Well and Smile Often!!
tj
p.s. Gobble, gobble . . . Cluck??
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I am not a Master Chef but I am a pretty good cook with plans to open a pizza/bakery/fresh pasta establishment in the near future. To that end, I set to a recipe for homemade ravioli. To maintain a purist bent I went with a seasonal buttternut squash filling. Roasted squash, maple syrup, fresh nutmeg, a touch of cream, salt, pepper and a splash of apple cider vinegar just because. Very tasty indeed.
I tried to mix the dough in my new Cuisinart food processor which sports a dough kneading feature. In Cuisinart’s DVD it works great with baguettes and soft doughs but not so much with this pasta recipe. So I took extra time and care running the dough through the pasta rollers, on the widest settings, until I got a smooth elastic sheet to make my raviolis. I would insert the dough into the rollers and collect it as it came out. After folding it into thirds I would would reintroduce the pasta to the rollers (Rollers – Pasta, Pasta – Rollers) at a 90° angle. I spent about half and hour running sheets through the rollers to get the right consistency. Next time I’ll use my mixer with a dough hook.
My niece Colleen is an amazing woman. Not too long ago over coffee she shared an insight with me about gift giving. “Most people appreciate an experience rather than a thing.” She’s right. I remember most easily and warmly those times that I have received dinners, cocktails, gift certificates to the theater and the like from my family and friends. So when a long time friend of mine recently reached 50 I decided to help her commemorate with a feast from my kitchen! I call it Figgy Piggy.
I like the ones that have almost dried on the tree. They have that rich chewy texture with a mature fruit sweetness. My dogs even like them. Whatever falls on the ground is fair game to them. One summer I reduced a pan of them and made Burnt Fig Ice Cream. A double yum and 20 minutes on the Ms. Right workout scale.