Are you rushing around trying to shop for last minute ingredients for Thanksgiving? This year we are invited to a friend’s house on Thursday and I’m in charge of a salad (I’m thinking this or this) and pumpkin pie. Even if Italians generally don’t ‘get’ pumpkin pie, I love it and even if I have to eat the whole thing myself, I’m making it. Also, is there anything better than cold pumpkin pie for breakfast on Friday???
During last week’s welcome dinner for our Week in Rome Tour there were two items on the menu that people kept telling me they were going to copy for their Thanksgiving meal. One wasn’t actually part of the menu, but was still edible: my centerpiece.
Whenever possible I try to make an edible centerpiece. This time of year it’s easy. For this one I just went to the Farmer’s market and loaded up on pomegranates, clementines and oranges. Bay leaves and candles did the rest.
Here is how I put it together:
- 4 pounds of oranges
- 4 pounds of clementines
- 8 pomegranates
- 2 packages of these candles from Ikea with these bases
- 8 votive candles with these holders also from Ikea
- Bay leaves on the stem (or other types of shiny dark green leaves)
I like to use the packs of chunky candles from Ikea because they come in a pack of five and they are all different heights and widths. This makes things more varied and interesting.
Start out by placing the candles, on their glass stands, down the length of the table, being careful not to place them in a straight line. You  want them to be laid out randomly, in no special order.
Next lay some of the leaves out (don’t over do it) between the candles, directly on the table cloth.
Now arrange the fruit: I usually start with the biggest (the pomegranates) then oranges, and finally the clementines. What you are aiming for is to place the fruit right up next to the candles, covering the glass bases. My oranges and clementines were so fresh they still had leaves attached, which was nice and added more green. If yours aren’t you can add a few more leaves in between the fruit.
Now place the votive candles here and there, tucking them in between the fruit along the edge.
The other thing that people asked me for? The recipe for Amanda’s delicious dessert: Mascarpone Persimmon Cream. There aren’t very many recipes that use super ripe persimmons, so this one’s a keeper. Amanda has made this dessert for us in the past, using different types of fruit (Strawberries and raspberries for instance) but this fall version with jelly like, bright orange persimmons was the best.
You might already have your dessert planned for Thanksgiving, so you can keep this one for later. But here’s hoping my centerpiece tips come in handy. Also? After Thursday you might want to eat only fruit for the next couple of days, so that’ll come in handy too.
Mascarpone Cream & Persimmon
Yield 8
This recipe calls for super ripe Hachiya persimmons. This type cannot be eaten unless it is fully ripe and turns into a jelly like consistency. In fact, when perfectly ripe the jelly like pulp almost bursts through the skins.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, room temperature.
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 400 g mascarpone, kept cold in fridge until ready to use
- 6 super ripe persimmons.
- 4-5 biscotti, roughly crushed
- 1/3 cup chopped pistacchio nuts
Instructions
Scoop the pulp out of the persimmons, into a bowl. If there are big pieces of pulp, cut into smaller pieces with a fork or knife. The aim is to have a bowl full of bright orange jelly.
Separate the eggs, placing both in separate medium sized bowls.
Whisk egg whites until stiff.
Whisk the yolks and sugar together until pale and creamy
Whisk 1/4 cup of the cold mascarpone into the eggs and sugar mixture until smooth. Once it is mixed in, incorporate the rest of the mascarpone with a whisk.
Next fold in the egg whites, very gently, about 1/4 of the amount at a time. Be careful not to over work.
Keep in fridge until ready to serveÂ
Divide into 8 individual glasses and top with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the persimmon pulp. Sprinkle with cookie crumbs and nuts and serve.
For more ideas about cooking up your own Italian feast at home, pre-order my newest book The Italian Table: Creating Festive Meals for Families and Friends (Rizzoli March 2019).
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