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k c u l t Po e s s o P A dozen recipes created by food bloggers for an extraordinary Thanksgiving meal BY DEVOUR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACKELIN SLACK
we get it. It’s Thanksgiving. A meal you’ve feasted upon for __ years in a row (fill in the blank with your age, minus three: one for your infancy and two for those years you were out of the country for study abroad/a church mission/military service or stranded at an airport. Just how many ways can you spin this American feast and still serve a meal that your family and friends will recognize? Turns out there’s no shortage of fresh and scintillating ideas, especially if you’re ingenious enough to invite a dozen food bloggers to a potluck dinner, as Devour editors did in September. Being able to use the spacious teaching kitchen at Gygi Culinary Arts Center (3500 S. 300 West, South Salt Lake, 801-268-3316 , Gygi.com) gave us ample space to create such a feast, plus a place to dine. Thanks to Heather Smith and her staff for hosting our event. Starting with an appletini cocktail and a ramekin of fish pate to spread on crackers, it was obvious this would not be our Gram’s T-day spread. Taking a lead role was Aimee L. Cook (with Gather, Nosh and Savor) who roasted a fresh turkey from Utah Natural
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14 Devour Utah • november 2019
Meat & Milk on her Traeger grill. Her method resulted in a moist and succulent smoked bird and a gravy with a surprisingly smoky edge. Both were oh-so-amazing! From there, we were treated to a veritable flavor-copia of sides, dessert and wine: A curried butternut squash soup kicked off the meal in style, followed by rosemary-spiked sourdough stuffing, creamy gold potatoes (seasoned with rosemary, thyme and sage), apple-cinnamon sweet potatoes and pecans, Brussels sprouts prepared with pancetta and apple-cider vinegar, a pecan studded wild-rice pilaf (as an alternative to bread stuffing), garlicky crescent rolls served with cranberry chutney and plum butter and finally, dessert that included a slice of plum crumble pie topped with a dollop of whipped cream. The courses were nicely paired with a variety of wines suggested by Vine Lore Wine and Spirits (see p. 48). One thing became clear to the Devour editors: food bloggers rock! These cooks and bakers know how to create authentic, healthy fare at home. Thus, if you’re seeking ideas for an inspired banquet, these bloggers and Instagrammers have it dialed in. This menu is a crowd-pleasing fest of zest.