Bounty Without Opulence

For some time now, the merchandising of Christmas has reached such proportions that the monetary investment of achieving a retail-approved and -sanctioned celebration can compete with the cost of a car. Then we noticed that the collective capitalist conscience decided that Halloween was ripe for shopping exploitation, and skull-light strings, jack-o-lantern tablecloths, and skeleton slipcovers started popping up in stores everywhere. But try as they might, retailers have never successfully exploited Thanksgiving. What are you going to do? Sell turkey feathers to put in your lamps? Overspending is easy to do on this occasion, however, as anyone who has played host for the meal can attest. Chestnut soup, truffles, and exotic mushrooms in the potatoes, rare baby vegetables, six sides instead of two or three, three bottles of vintage wine, and presto! You've expended your entire monthly food budget for one feast. Hmmm, perhaps Thanksgiving has been successfully exploited after all.

Our task, therefore, was to assemble an abundant, delicious, and financially manageable meal that celebrates bounty, not opulence. A Thanksgiving dinner -- including wine -- for six people for $75 was the goal. Not included in the cost are staples that we decided (for the sake of argument and economy) any stocked kitchen would have on hand: salt, pepper, a modest assortment of spices, a bottle of oil, etc. These items are available in bulk, however, so there could be an additional cost of, say, 6 cents for cinnamon or 3 cents for a bay leaf. The Food staff of Editor Virginia B. Wood, Mick Vann, Claudia Alarcón, Rachel Feit, Barbara Chisholm, MM Pack, and Wes Marshall went at it, and here's the result. Plenty, indeed, for $73.40. -- Barbara Chisholm

Mick Vann's Cabbage and Sausage Soup (Kohlsuppe mit Wurst): $6.73

This hearty soup reflects the culinary traditions of the many German immigrants to Central Texas and could have been eaten at the time of the Texas Revolution as easily as today. Fall is the time of the first harvest of the winter root and cole crops (carrots, onions, cabbage), as well as the time that the hogs would have been slaughtered to be made into various forms of smoked pork (including sausage). In Germany this soup would be made with landjaeger or smoked knockwurst, but any smoked garlic sausage is fine. A portion of the beef stock can be substituted with dark beer (something we think everyone should have on hand). The soup can be garnished with sprinkles of a Parmesan-like cheese or a swirl of crème fraîche or sour cream. The soup is better made the day before, allowing the flavors to develop. It can be frozen and reheated.

1 pound smoked garlic sausage, thinly sliced ($2.59)

1 large onion, thinly sliced (25 cents)

4 cloves garlic, minced (20 cents)

1 small head green cabbage, thinly sliced (88 cents)

1 large carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, sliced (13 cents)

7 cups beef broth (4 cans HEB beef broth plus water) ($1.58)

2 cups diced tomatoes with juice (75 cents)

3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard (35 cents)

1 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper (not included)

1 bay leaf (not included)

In the bottom of an 8-quart stockpot over medium-high heat, sauté the sausage until browned. Add the onions and sauté until transparent. Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cabbage and carrot, and sauté until the cabbage is completely wilted. Add the stock, tomatoes, mustard, pepper, and bay leaf, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook one-to-11/2 hours over low heat.

Virginia B. Wood's Turkey, Dressing, and Giblet Gravy: $20.11

I believe I was elected to cook the turkey, dressing, and giblet gravy on the strength of a feature I wrote several years ago about my famous "Dish Rag" turkey recipe. When it came time to codify my method of preparation for the centerpieces of the traditional holiday feast, I realized it was just that, a haphazard method rather than an exact recipe such as I'd be likely to have for a pie or cake. After a fair amount of meditation and some consultation with my sisters, I managed to come up with actual recipes (for six to eight people) and stay within my allotted budget of $20!

1 12-pound turkey with giblets ($6.93)

1 pound butter, melted ($1.87)

Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning (or salt and black pepper)(not included)

1 white cotton washcloth or cheesecloth (not included)

Set giblets and neck bone aside for making stock. When turkey has thawed to room temperature, wash it thoroughly in a clean sink and pat dry. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub bird all over, inside and out, with melted butter and seasoning. Soak the washcloth in melted butter and cover the turkey breast with it. Place the bird on the rack of roasting pan and put pan in preheated oven. Immediately turn oven temperature down to 325 degrees. Every 30 minutes, use remaining melted butter and then pan drippings to soak the washcloth on the turkey breast. (Do this carefully -- I use metal tongs.) During the last 30 minutes of the cooking time, remove and discard the washcloth so turkey breast skin can brown. An unstuffed 12-pound turkey should take three-to-31/2 hours to cook. Remove from oven and let turkey rest 15-20 minutes before carving.

---

Turkey Stock

Turkey neck, turkey liver (from turkey)

4 cans Swanson chicken broth ($2)

3 ribs celery, roughly chopped (99 cents/whole bunch)

1 yellow onion, roughly chopped (25 cents)

Enough water to make 8 cups liquid

Bring liquid to a simmer in a large stock pot, add neck and liver, and simmer until liver is cooked through. Remove liver and chop fine, and set aside for giblet gravy. Strain liquid and reserve for gravy and dressing.

---

Wood Family Cornbread Dressing

1 bag Pepperidge Farm herbed bread cubes ($2.49)

1 10-inch-skillet's worth of savory cornbread, dried and crumbled (or 1 bag Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Crumbs) ($1.50)

2 tablespoons turkey pan drippings (or melted butter)

4 ribs of celery, chopped fine (from the 99-cent bunch)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine (25 cents)

4 eggs, lightly beaten (60 cents/half dozen)

3-4 cups turkey stock (or chicken broth)

Salt and pepper to taste (not included)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine bread cubes and cornbread in large mixing bowl. Using pan drippings or melted butter, sauté the celery and onions until onions are clear, and then add vegetables to bread mixture. Toss together. Pour eggs over mixture and stir together well. Add enough stock or broth to moisten mixture completely, season with salt and pepper to taste, and place in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top.

---

Nana's Giblet Gravy

Turkey pan drippings

1/2-3/4 cup flour (not included)

3-4 cups turkey stock (or chicken broth)

3-4 cups milk, warm ($1.64)

Chopped turkey livers (from turkey)

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (60 cents/half dozen)

Salt and pepper to taste (not included)

Whisk flour into about a half cup of pan drippings and cook over medium heat for a few minutes to make a golden roux. Whisk while you pour in stock or broth and cook for three to five minutes, whisking often. Whisk while you pour in warm milk and cook for another three to five minutes, whisking often. (I often thin this gravy with a little of whatever white wine we're serving with dinner, although my grandmother never did.) Adjust seasonings to taste, add livers and chopped eggs, and serve.

Rachel Feit's Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce: $2.84

1 bag fresh cranberries ($1.99)

1 cup sugar (30 cents)

1 cup water

zest of 1 orange (25 cents)

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (25 cents)

1 teaspoon salt (not included)

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (5 cents)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook on high heat until the mixture begins to boil. Then turn heat to medium-low and simmer covered for about one hour. The cranberries should be completely reduced, and the sauce should have the consistency of thick gravy. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for two hours.

Claudia Alarcón's Mashed Root Vegetable Medley: $5.93

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes ($1.99)

1 bunch turnips (about 3 medium turnips) ($1.49)

1/2 pound parsnips ($1.50)

2 carrots (25 cents)

1 stick butter (45 cents)

1 cup milk (25 cents)

Salt to taste (about 2 teaspoons)

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Peel carrots, parsnips, and turnips, and cut into 2-inch pieces. Place in a 2-quart pot with enough water to cover them well. Cover and cook on stove top for about 10 minutes. Chop the potatoes and add them to the cooking vegetables. For a creamy consistency, peel the potatoes; I like the earthy flavor and the consistency of the peel. Cook for about 15 more minutes, or until all vegetables are very soft, and drain well. Add the butter, cut in slices. Heat up the milk being careful not to scald it. Mash the vegetables with a potato masher, adding the milk slowly, to the desired consistency. Season with salt and white pepper.

Barbara Chisholm's Jalapeño Spinach Casserole: $8.16

A Texas standard that is tasty even when it's in its gloppiest, ultrapasteurized form. This rendition, courtesy of Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison, is fresher tasting than most and just gooey enough to make the veggies sinful. It's a requirement at Thanksgiving meals with my sister-in-law.

3 tablespoons fat (olive oil, vegetable oil, butter)(not included)

4 ounces sliced mushrooms (95 cents)

3 ribs celery, chopped (30 cents)

1/2 onion, chopped (25 cents/whole onion)

2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeño, plus pickling liquid to taste (53 cents for one 8-ounce can)

1 20-ounce bag fresh baby spinach, chopped ($3.99)

1 recipe not-cream-of-mushroom soup ($1.25 recipe follows)

4 ounces grated cheddar cheese (89 cents)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil, butter, or spray a medium baking dish with Pam. Heat fat in large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, and sauté mushrooms, celery, onion, and jalapeños until soft. Top vegetables with chopped spinach and stir to wilt. Add the soup substitute and the cheese and stir to blend. Add salt and additional pickling liquid to taste. Pour mixture into baking dish and bake 25 minutes until bubbly.

Not-Cream-of-Mushroom Soup

A superior substitute to the canned blob that is used ad nauseum. It's 10 minutes of your time and light-years of difference.

2 tablespoons oil or butter (not included)

4 ounces minced mushrooms (95 cents)

1/4 onion, minced (from the whole onion, 25 cents)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (not included)

6 ounces evaporated milk (or one 5-ounce can of evaporated milk plus 2 tablespoons milk) (30 cents)

White pepper and salt to taste (not included)

Heat the fat in a medium skillet, and add mushrooms and onions and cook until soft, about five minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook, stirring continuously, two minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, remove from heat, and season to taste.

Rachel Feit's Cheddar and Herb Buttermilk Biscuits: $5.31

The secret to making light, flaky biscuits is to make sure that you don't overwork the dough. Overworked dough becomes heavy and glutinous. It also helps if the butter and cheese are cold, rather than softened.

2 cups flour (80 cents)

11/2 teaspoons salt (not included)

2 teaspoons baking powder (1 cent)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda (1 cent)

1 teaspoon sugar (not included)

5 tablespoons cold butter plus 3 tablespoons melted butter (47 cents)

2/3 cup grated cheddar (80 cents)

3/4 cup buttermilk (25 cents)

1-2 tablespoons chopped herbs, any combination ($2.97, 99 cents/bunch) I like to use chives, rosemary, and sage. Rosemary and oregano grow plentifully all throughout the city. If you don't have them growing already, I recommend that rather than buying expensive packages of herbs, cut some from a neighbor, or keep an eye peeled for herbs growing in public landscaping.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a processor, combine all the dry ingredients. Add the cold butter, cheese, and herbs, and pulse until the mixture begins to look granular and slightly wet. Add the buttermilk and process until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead gently until it becomes smooth. Roll dough into 1/2-inch thickness and cut into biscuits. Place biscuits in a shallow-sided baking pan and let rest, covered with a clean cloth for about half an hour. Before baking, brush with melted butter. Bake in an oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until biscuits are lightly browned.

MM Pack's Pumpkin Custard Pie: $4.35

This recipe, which makes two 9-inch pies (you'll need two 9-inch pans), comes from my great-grandmother, Lillian Louella Van Pelt Blackwell, born in 1875. It was very amusing to us that Granny's recipe called for 21/2 eggs; we always wondered how she got half an egg. Many people who don't care for pumpkin pie like this one -- the texture and flavor is lighter and more delicate than most. If you don't want to make your own piecrust, use premade.

Piecrust

11/4 cups all-purpose flour (40 cents)

1/2 teaspoon salt (not included)

1 teaspoon sugar (not included)

1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes (72 cents)

3-5 tablespoons ice water

Filling

2 cups processed pumpkin, fresh or canned (one can is 15 ounces, which is close enough) ($1.19)

1 cup sugar (30 cents)

1 teaspoon salt (not included)

1 teaspoon cinnamon (5 cents)

1 teaspoon powdered ginger (5 cents)

1/4 teaspoon powdered cloves (5 cents)

1 teaspoon minced orange zest (10 cents)

1 cup milk (25 cents)

1 cup cream (65 cents)

1 teaspoon vanilla (17 cents)

3 eggs (42 cents)

Making the Piecrust: Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and stir. Add the cold butter cubes, and use a pastry blender or two knives to cut them into the flour mixture until they are about the size of peas. Add 3 tablespoons of water, and use the tips of your fingers to lightly rub the mixture until the dough holds together when squeezed. If needed, add another tablespoon water. Form the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least two hours. Lightly oil the pie pans, roll out the pie dough into two 10-inch rounds, and place in 9-inch pans. Crimp the edges of the dough to stand up. Chill in the refrigerator.

Making the Filling: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put pumpkin in large bowl. Add the sugar, spices, and orange zest, and set the mixture aside. In a saucepan over very low heat, warm the milk, cream, and vanilla together. Don't let the mixture boil. Break the eggs into a separate bowl, beat with a fork or whisk until frothy, and stir them into the pumpkin mixture. Add the cream mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Stir thoroughly but gently until completely mixed. Pour the filling into the crusts just before you put them in the oven. Bake the pies until the filling is firm, 50-60 minutes. (Check it around 30 minutes; if the edges of the crust begin to get too brown, make a circle of foil and lay it gently around the edges of the crusts to keep them from browning further.) Cool the pies thoroughly. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Wes Marshall's Liquid Assets

In the interest of pleasing all of the people all of the time, wine selections include one sparkling wine, one red, and one white.

The first trio can be purchased at most grocery stores, but these prices were sale prices at World Market:

Cristalino Sparkling Wine Brut ($5.99): delicious ripe fruit from Spain

Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc ($6.99): ripe grapefruit and pineapple aromas -- a great bargain from Chile

Ca' del Solo Big House Red ($6.99): From the crazy folks at Bonny Doon, it's made from all the red grapes that they need to make it taste the way they like. A wine with big fruit that still works well with food. From Santa Cruz, Calif., with a very sexy screw top, dubbed Le Screw.

This threesome came from Grape Vine Market and would be difficult to find elsewhere.

Jean Paul Trocadero Brut Tete de Cuvee Sparkling Wine ($6.99): An astonishing bargain close to the quality of the real thing (champagne). Wow!

Domaine Saint Peyre Picpoul de Pinet ($6.99): People who love acidic, fruity wines will love this wine from the Languedoc in France. Picpoul de Pinet is the grape.

Borsao ($5.99): A red blend of garnacha and tempranillo from Spain. It somehow tastes a little like a great burgundy at one-twentieth the price.