Food, Glorious Food

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Thanksgiving is almost exactly two weeks away (although, with the sudden appearance of Christmas lights and wintry décor, you might have thought it already passed). Now is the time to start collecting new recipes to mix in with your tried-and-true, traditional favorites.

Lucky for me, I’ve got lots of chefs (and eager PR peops) who are willing to share some of their best-kept secrets so that you—and me—can get our Thanksgiving on in high culinary style.

This week, it’s Thanksgiving with an Italian flair, featuring a four-course meal from self-taught kitchen whiz and Bertolini’s executive chef Leroy Sam.

The back story on Chef Leroy is that he jumped into the profession in 1979, while his brother was operating the famous Cotton House on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. One of his most illustrious experiences during that time was preparing a meal for the Queen of England when she visited the restaurant, a nice feather in his cap.

In 1982, Leroy was enticed to move to the United States to begin working in a series of restaurants in Chicago and then New York. Currently at Bertolini’s, he’s charged with creating daily specials to complement the regular menu offerings, carefully combining quality ingredients, textures, flavors and presentation to create the perfect dish. His culinary influences from France, Italy and the Caribbean are evident in the special touch he provides to everything that leaves his kitchen.

The menu below is a great option if you’re looking for something different, but not too. And accompaniments to the turkey, such as the butternut squash soup and pumpkin ravioli, can be enjoyed with other bold proteins like lamb, beef or venison for a hearty cold-weather meal anytime during the winter.

As always, I’d love to know how the recipes turn out, so please, don’t be shy.

Starting course: Antipasti freddi (cold) and antipasti caldi (hot); the freddi will include an antipasti plate of assorted Italian cheeses, olives and sliced vegetables, and the hot appetizer will include butternut squash soup (zuppe) with roasted chestnut cream.

The first course, or primo piatti: Pumpkin ravioli with hazelnut brown butter, garnished with toasted hazelnuts.

The main course, or secondi piatti: Features traditional American favorites like roasted turkey breast stuffed with fennel-scented sausage, apple chestnut stuffing, cranberry sauce and sweet potato puree.

Dessert, or dolce: Ricotta pumpkin cheesecake and biscotti.
 

Recipes on page 2 ...