When I think of Thanksgiving, I can truly smell memories. It’s a day in the year when you concentrate on those you love and those who love you; throw in some food and cocktails, and, well, it’s a blessed day!
— Candice Coleridge, director of restaurant operations for The Laszlo Hotel
I cook the same thing my grandmother cooked. She showed all of her kids and grandkids how to prepare the best meals, include everyone and cook with love.
— Danielle Ozaluk, director of sales and marketing for The Laszlo Hotel
The Laszlo Hotel opens in Parker next month, and with it arrives a new high style. Think Casablanca elegance, says Candice Coleridge, director of restaurant operations.
The 51-room boutique hotel will feature three on-site chef-driven restaurants that include Martini’s on the Half Shell, a modern speakeasy that offers signature crafted cocktails. There’s nothing else like it in town, Candice says. Here, Candice; The Laszlo executive chef, Leah Everleigh; and director of sales and marketing, Danielle Ozaluk share some of their Thanksgiving food memories and recipes.
Chef Leah
I'm from the Philippines, and I’ve lived in Colorado for more than 20 years and am married to an American, so I’ve become accustomed to celebrating a traditional Thanksgiving but with a twist. We start off with lumpia, a Filipino egg roll. That’s a must. Then I set out a soup, such as the Bacon Butternut Squash Soup. Of course, we do roasted yams with marshmallows and green bean casserole, and we always do two kinds of turkey—roasted, and my husband's, fried. And I always set out chicken and pork belly adobo—it’s the Filipino national dish.
Candice
When I think of Thanksgiving, I can truly smell memories. It’s a day in the year when you concentrate on those you love and those who love you; throw in some food and cocktails, and, well, it’s a blessed day! Oddly enough, my favorite dish for Thanksgiving is dessert crepes. Growing up, my dad only cooked crepes on my and my sister’s birthdays. Once we started having families of our own and bringing friends into the picture that may not have anyone to celebrate the holiday with, we had to revamp what Thanksgiving looked like. Thus, breakfast crepes. You can start the day together and go wherever you need to from there.
Danielle
Raised in the South, we would spend days before the holiday prepping for our holiday meal displays. All fresh from our garden, slow-cooked and loaded with lots of love. Preparing and cooking together is a tradition in our home—not just one person does all the work; we gather together and do it all together. I cook the same thing my grandmother cooked. She showed all of her kids and grandkids how to prepare the best meals, include everyone and cook with love.
Bacon Butternut Squash Soup
By Leah Eveleigh
8-10 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 medium butternut squash
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons bacon fat
- 4 cups water or chicken stock
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup chevre goat cheese, garnish
- 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, garnish
- 1/2 pound cooked bacon chopped, garnish
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and seed. Place on a baking sheet skin side up, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 60 minutes or until squash is tender and soft. Set aside and let cool. Peel the skin and cut into chunks and set aside.
2. Heat a large heavy pot, sweat the onion with the bacon fat in moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the squash chunks to the pot, cover with the lid and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the chicken stock, coconut cream, fresh ginger, chili flakes, turmeric, cinnamon and cumin and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is tender, 25 minutes. Season to taste. Let cool.
5. Using a blender, puree the squash in batches.
6. Garnish with chevre goat cheese, bacon and toasted pumpkin seeds.
7. Serve with a toasted baguette. Enjoy!
Corn Soufflé
By Danielle Ozaluk
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup creamed corn (See recipe for creamed corn below.)
1 1/2 cups kernel corn
1 package Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Kerrygold butter, melted
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. In large bowl, stir kernel corn, creamed corn, sour cream and melted butter together. Pour into greased casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with cheddar. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and serve warm.
Creamed Corn Ingredients
8 ears of corn, shucked and cut, set 1 1/2 cups aside
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Creamed Corn Instructions
Shuck ears of corn, set aside 1 1/2 cups of kernel corn for souffle recipe. Take remaining corn and juice from cob and add to skillet at medium temp with 1 to1 1/2 cup of water, let simmer to cook corn. You may need to add a little water as you go to make sure the corn softens. Add 1 tablespoon flour and mix well, adding a little water if needed. Then add 1 tablespoon sugar, dash of salt and pepper to taste, and let simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. Use in corn souffle recipe.
Dessert Crepes
By Candice Coleridge
Makes 30 5-inch or 25 6-inch crepes
For the Batter
4 eggs
1 cup light cream
1 cup club soda
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or citrus rind
Clarified butter for cooking crepes
In a blender, combine eggs and cream and mix for a few seconds. Add soda, butter, salt, sugar and flour. Blend until very smooth. Scrape down sides of blender. Mix again for a few seconds until smooth. Let stand 1 hour, covered. Add flavorings just before cooking and stir well. Brush crepe pan with a little clarified butter and heat. To test for proper temperature, drop a bit of batter into the pan. If it browns quickly the pan is hot enough. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter into pan and tilt so that the batter covers the bottom evenly. This should be just a thin film. Pour off excess. Brown lightly on one side, turn with a spatula and brown on the other side.
When the crepes come off the griddle spread butter and sprinkle with light sugar. Fill with whipped cream and your favorite berries, roll and enjoy. Great for Thanksgiving breakfast!