It was someone from the local Whole Foods asking me if I wanted to attend a Thanksgiving Dinner Sneak Peek for food bloggers. Tonight. In three hours.
This was a bit of a conundrum for me.
I've been back on the wagon and watching every morsel that goes into my mouth over the last few days, and this dinner was not going to be diet-friendly. There was part of me that wanted to stay home and cook my salmon and cauliflower…but there was a bigger part of me that was ridiculously curious about this dinner.
Whole Foods has always been my favorite market. Before it came to my area I would go out of my way to stop at any of their stores that I came across. When visiting relatives in other states…I'd be sure to hit a Whole Foods. There's just something intoxicating about it, and I just can't pass it up!
That being said, I decided to go for it and eat mindfully. Small bites just to see what they were offering.
Little did I know it was going to be an all-out feast!
Do you see what's on that menu, dear readers? This was going to take a long ride on the recumbent bike to undo. Fortunately….it was all worth it!
There was a beautifully set table with flowers, candlesticks and not just any water. Fancy VOSS water in sparkling and still. Also, an interesting drink called 12 Beverage, an all-natural sparkling drink that is lightly sweetened with fruit juice. I tried the Pomegranate Black Currant and the Citrus Ginger. It was almost like a more evolved edition of the typical sparkling cider and perfect for the non-alcohol drinking crowd at your table. Completing the setting were plates of pumpkin bread, and I really hate to admit this…but it was better than mine. Frankly, I was shocked! I don't typically buy baked goods anywhere since I love to do it myself. Seems the tide has turned, because the Whole Foods pumpkin bread is delicious, moist, and sadly for me…kicks my pumpkin bread's butt!
Appetizers were introduced, and while I could not try two of them due to shellfish allergies I was assured my table mates that they were absolutely delicious.
There were Tornado Shrimp wrapped in crispy sweet potato, crab cakes, and brie en croute. This particular brie had apples and cranberries and was very tasty. I was more intrigued by the other flavors they offer…cherry with rosemary and fig with apricot. For $16.99 it's well worth it and will be a likely addition to one of my holiday celebrations this year.
The next part of the evening was the adorable Chef Adam, who showed us how to properly carve a turkey. It was fascinating to watch, and very informative. He explained the importance of using the right kind of knife for the job. All of you sawing away at your bird with an electric knife? That's a no-no! It lets all of the moisture out and creates a dry bird!
After our carving lesson, we got down to business. And by business, I mean dinner. Lots of it!
On the table we had not one, but two kinds of turkey! There was a Plainville Farms turkey and a Kosher turkey. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans with almonds, mashed maple sweet potatoes, and cranberry orange relish. For the vegans and vegetarians there was meat-free Gardein roast stuffed with a savory mix of vegetables, brown rice and cranberries.
In the name of science, I had to taste ALL of it:
Let's start on the far left with the vegan Gardein roast and mushroom gravy. I have actually bought this before for my husband who is a vegetarian but never bothered to try it myself. I've got to tell you…WOW. I really liked this. There is a crisp breading on the outside, the "meat" is moist and the stuffing in the middle is savory and then a bit sweet from cranberries. Honestly, I don't think that the average person could even tell that it wasn't actually turkey!
Now for the real turkey. I had initially taken a piece from one side of the platter and was somewhat underwhelmed by it. It was turkey, but nothing special. I decided to go back and take a piece from the other side of the platter and NOW we were in business! The second piece I took was moist, flavorful, and easily cut with the side of my fork. I had to stop myself from going up to get more of it! So in my humble opinion, the Kosher turkey was the clear favorite. It had been brined, Chef Adam told us…and lucky for everyone that the brine solution is sold in the store. To top off that perfect turkey was some delicious gravy that I sopped up with most everything on my plate!
The sides are usually everyone's favorite part of the meal, and these didn't disappoint. The clear favorites for me though were the green beans with almonds, the mashed maple sweet potatoes, and the cranberry orange relish. The irony in that is the fact that I never, ever touch the cranberry sauce at the Thanksgiving table. Ever. Last night was the first time I indulged in cranberry sauce and boy am I glad I did. Woah. This was amazing, and the Grand Marnier that Chef Adam adds takes it to another level.
Just when I was ready to pop, there was this….
Not one, not two, but THREE pieces of pie. Apple, pumpkin, and apple crumb pie. Fortunately I was able to take a bite of each and then bring them home for my boys to finish off. They were all very good, especially the pumpkin.
All in all, it was a lovely evening, and I am very thankful to Whole Foods for including me. All of the foods mentioned in this post are available at your local store. You can even order online at shop.wfm.com
Like I said….Thanksgiving came early this year!!
As for that salmon and cauliflower that I was supposed to eat last night? I had it this evening. Back in the saddle again!
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