I know Fall is well underway, but the
weather in Kansas has been more like summer than autumn, so it’s been difficult
to think that Halloween has passed and Thanksgiving is around the corner. I
love to incorporate fall into the settings for my stories -- the changing colors
of the leaves, the smell of wood smoke on cooler nights as people light up the
firepits, football games and bringing out sweatshirts and sweaters.
On past holidays,
I cooked and baked for days before the kids came home from college, making all
their favorites. Now, the kids have families of their own, and my son enjoys
hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Last year, there were over thirty people at his
house – parents and in-laws and siblings and nieces and nephews from both sides
of the family. This year there will even be some new babies to cuddle. Everyone
shares in making a feast with traditional smoked turkey and dressing and all
the side dishes you could possibly imagine.
Everyone has their favorite
Thanksgiving dish, and while some are the same nationwide, others vary
according to location. You can imagine with me being from the Midwest and my
daughter-in-law being from the south, we get an extra-large variety. But until
a year or so ago, I had never heard of Macaroni & Cheese being a holiday
dish.
One Thanksgiving dinner
staple is bread, in all its many shapes and forms. Last year, my son wanted me
to make Bulgur Bread, a long time favorite at our house, so although I live in
Kansas and he’s in Tennessee, I checked the ingredients and packed what I knew
he wouldn’t have when I boarded the plane. (I didn’t make it until I got there
because there is nothing better than fresh baked bread.) For those of you who enjoy
the art of kneading dough and the smell of it fresh from the oven, I am putting
the Bulgur recipe here. It’s a coarse texture, crusty bread that I know you’ll
enjoy. (BTW, you can usually find Bulgur—cracked wheat – in the organic or
health food section of the grocery store.)
Bulgur Honey Bread
1 cup bulgur (dry)
3 cups boiling water
½ cup honey
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 Tbsp salt
2 packages dry
yeast
½ cup warm water
6 ½ -7 cups flour
Combine bulgur,
boiling water, honey, oil and salt in a large bowl. Cool to lukewarm. Add yeast
to warm water. Stir to dissolve. Add to cooled bulgur mixture. Blend in flour
in 3 parts, beating after each addition until dough leaves side of bowl. (Dough
will be soft.) Turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, elastic
and doesn’t stick when pinched with the fingers. Put in a greased bowl and let
rise until double (about 2 hours). Punch down, divide in ½ and shape into
loaves. Put in 2 loaf pans. Cover and let rise until double. Bake in 350 degree
oven 45-50minutes or until done. Brush with butter.
For those who
celebrate – Happy Thanksgiving. For those who simply enjoy good food, Bon Appetit!
Barbara Baldwin (whose story characters often have favorite foods, which
are actually mine and I sneak them into my stories.)
www.authorsden.com/barbarajbaldwin
www.amazon.com/author/barbarabaldwin
The bread sounds great. I've known about mac and chese being a holiday dish since my youngest adopted daughter began making it.
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