As Thanksgiving nears, I begin to reminisce on past Thanksgiving holidays spent while growing up in South Florida. We frequently took a road trip towards more autumnal locales, loading up our big jacked up pick up truck – we were in the South after all – with coolers of the necessary provisions. Many years we traveled to the Panhandle to spend the holiday with my mom’s sister, Suzie and her family. Suzie lived out in the country, amongst pine forests and scrubby palms. Little country roads with the occasional junky general store were where us kids would beg for Dr. Peppers and beef jerky, giggling at the unnaturally pink pickled pig’s feet in big jars on the counter. The ladies spent two days readying the Thanksgiving feast, always including Suzie’s famous double-stuffed squash, while, thank heavens, my older sister and I got to tag along with the men on their hunting excursions. Looking back, I could have cared less about the hunting. For me, it was one hundred percent about the oysters. My uncle Tommy had a cooler that seemed to magically fill itself with the freshest, briniest Apalachicola oysters. We did a whole lot more sittin’ around that cooler – camo-clad and trash talkin’ – than we did hunting truth be told. These oysters were not your fancy, mignonette dipping oysters. My best memory of those Thanksgivings was the oyster-eating ritual that went something like this: First you hovered around Dad, begging him to shuck one for you. The adults would eat four or five for every one they’d shuck for you. So not fair. When you finally scored one, you’d plop it on a Saltine, add a big squeeze of lemon, an even bigger spoonful of spicy, horseradish-laden cocktail sauce, and a generous spritz of Tabasco, shoving the whole thing happily in your mouth. It was especially entertaining to “double dog dare” Dad to eat a spoonful of straight horseradish, which to our endless amusement he would, gasping and choking and laughing. Happy times on Thanksgiving, sitting in the Florida woods with Dad and the magic cooler.

Eating Leroy

The Thanksgiving that easily stands out in the memories of my family more than any other, was the fateful, “Great North Carolina Turkey Debacle.” During one of the coldest Novembers in Western North Carolina, a big, extended group of family and friends descended on my Uncle Ron and his small mountain cabin. A local turkey farm promised the freshest of the freshest turkeys – live! – that you were to take home, either fatten up or enjoy immediately. No biggie, this family of mine, they’re a family of hunters and chefs. This should not be a big deal. Well, the first clue that this was not going to be your typical Turkey Day was when us four cousins were given the task of holding that turkey in the back of mom’s Lincoln Continental around twisty mountain roads, in fits of hilarity, feathers flying. It went downhill from there when my uncle named that turkey…his ex-wife’s new husband’s name! After more hilarity, that turkey – Leroy – got loose, and caught again endlessly before the deed was finally done. My mom is a passionate cook and a self-proclaimed turkey cooking expert. So, when our friend of the family announced she was to cook the bird – uh hum, I mean Leroy – needless to say my mom was not giving up this battle. Tears ensued and my mom relinquished the responsibilities to the friend. Hours later, the table was set with china and silver, the buffet was a thing of beauty. Leroy the golden, perfectly roasted centerpiece. The plates were piled high and the blessing said. We all dug in, many of us starting with heaping forkfuls of stuffing. The best part, right? As it turns out, that friend had not made stuffing! Our turkey got roasted with his craw intact and that stuffing was mostly insects and dried corn! Not yummy! That Thanksgiving we certainly laughed a lot, mostly ate mashed potatoes and pie and not much turkey. Poor Leroy.

On the Menu

This weekend’s annual Holiday in Carneros brings together over 20 wineries in the Carneros region to showcase their wines and the uniqueness of each. At each winery, find live music, art, wine, food pairings and wine specials with your $35 dollar passport. Check out carneroswineries.org for participating wineries and for more details. • Desperate to know what wine you’ll serve for Thanksgiving? Well, stress no more. Master Sommelier Christopher Sawyer’s weekly Grape to Glass class this week is all about pairing the perfect wines with your Thanksgiving supper. Tuesday, November 23 at 5:30 p.m. Complimentary. Held at the Carneros Bistro at the Lodge at Sonoma, 1325 Broadway. Call 935.6600 for more information. • You know I love to eat and love to eat even more when it’s for a good cause! December 2 marks the 9th Annual Dining Out For Life, benefitting Food For Thought, the Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank. On that day, sixty-nine participating Sonoma County restaurants will generously donate 25 percent or 50 percent of their sales to the organization. Saddles Steakhouse at MacArthur Place and the Vineyards Inn in Kenwood are two Valley participants. See the event’s site for a complete list of restaurants and more details at diningoutforlife.com. • Sonoma’s Best, the charming little general store on East Napa at 8th Street, has now expanded their beer and wine section, including a tasting room. A wide selection of Sonoma County – and other – wines will be available by the taste, glass, carafe, or bottle, while local beers are on draft, bottle and can and are all available to go or to enjoy in their cozy little shop. Perfect paired with typical German fare, available during their Novemberfest. The ideal time to check it out? Kill the Bottle Happy Hour where all glasses of wine from bottles opened that day are 50 percent off between 4 and 6 p.m.

Aunt Suzie’s twice baked squash

Serves 6

3 small acorn squash
2 T. olive oil
1 10 ounce package chopped, frozen spinach (thawed and well drained)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 hard cooked eggs, finely chopped
1/4 cup softened butter
4 slices best quality bacon, cooked crispy and finely chopped
2 T. thinly sliced green onion
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup soft bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut each acorn squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and place, cut side down, on a foil lined baking sheet for 35-40 minutes, until soft. Let cool. Scoop out each squash, doing your best not to tear the skin. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients, mixing well. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Evenly divide mixture back into each squash half. Top each with bread crumbs and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately.