I can’t believe Thanksgiving is on Thursday!  We’re pretty staunch traditionalists in my family.  We have to make the same dishes every year.  We can’t replace things, so we just keep adding things.  One year we had three kinds of sweet potatoes!  This year we’re getting a little wild and crazy and making Pumpkin Cheesecake!  But we’ll still have Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie….because after a huge feast there’s nothing like three desserts!

What about your family?  Same recipes year after year, or try new things?

I’m tasked with sauces and desserts.  Cranberry Sauce is great and definitely easy enough to make yourself.  I also make this Mushroom Gravy which we started making when Sister became a vegetarian.  It’s rich and goes great with mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing…you know, just drizzled on everything.  You can also make it a few days ahead of time and just reheat.

Mushroom Gravy

Makes about 2 1/2 cups (I double it for Thanksgiving to have lots of leftovers)

Adapted from Gourmet April 1996

1 pound mixed mushrooms, such as button, cremini, oyster, or shiitake (discard shiitake stems), sliced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 1/2 cups cold water
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook onion until beginning to soften.  Add garlic, stirring, until pale golden. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add sliced mushrooms and soy sauce and sauté mixture over medium high heat, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown.

Add wine and vinegar and boil until liquid is evaporated. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to skillet with sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season gravy with salt and pepper.  Use an immersion blender to reach desired consistency.

Gravy may be made ahead of time and refrigerated. When reheating gravy, add water if necessary to thin to desired consistency.