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In keeping with Thanksgiving's origins as a spread of indigenous ingredients, John Ash likes to give his feast West Coast flavor.
Dungeness crab, in season for the holidays, plays prominently on the chef's menus. Ash also likes to lighten and refine classic dishes, transforming pumpkin pie into pumpkin creme brulee, and turning cranberry sauce into cheesecake topping.
Don't want to cook?
Let these restaurants feed your family for the holidays
Arbor House, in Talent, will serve Thanksgiving dinner from 3 to 6 p.m. Price is $24.96 per person for a full meal; cost for children varies by age. Diners can choose from a traditional turkey dinner, fresh fish, leg of lamb and a vegetarian option with "all the fixings," including pumpkin soup, homemade biscuits and garlic bread. Arbor House is located at 103 W. Wagner St., Talent. Call 541-535-6817 for reservations. See the Web site www.arborhouserestaurant.com for more information.
Callahan's Siskiyou Lodge, near Ashland, will serve Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Prices are $26 per person, $13 for children 12 and younger. The menu features turkey, ham, apple-cranberry stuffing, maple-glazed carrots, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, Caesar or garden salads, minestrone soup or fruit salad. Callahan's is located at 7100 Old Highway 99 South, Ashland. Call 541-481-1299 for reservations. See the Web site www.callahanslodge.com for more information.
Larks Home Kitchen Cuisine, in Ashland, will serve Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners from 1 to 6:15 p.m. Prices are $32 per person for a three-course meal, children 8 and younger, $16.
The Thanksgiving menu features a starter course of Kabocha squash bisque, salad of apples, arugula, Belgian endive, blue cheese and toasted hazelnuts or shrimp fritters with caper-dill aioli celery-root slaw; entree of turkey with andouille-cornbread stuffing, buttermilk-sage mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce, Oregon cod with cauliflower puree and salad of bacon and Brussels sprouts, pork loin stuffed with apples, figs and onions with sweet-potato gratin and almond green beans or wild mushroom, onion and spinach stroganoff over fettuccini; and desserts of pumpkin pie with maple whipped cream, pecan pie with bourbon crème anglaise or chocolate-coffee gingerbread cake with pear compote and hazelnuts
The Christmas menu features a starter course of potato-leek soup with truffle croutons, pear, pecan, onion and goat cheese salad atop organic field greens or terrine of house-smoked steelhead and spinach; entrees of prime rib with horseradish-scented mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus, duck breast with sharp cheddar polenta and Brussels sprouts sauteed with house-made andouille sausage, escolar fillet with walnut-cranberry couscous and celery-root slaw or winter vegetable tourtiere with a potato crust, wild mushrooms and sautéed spinach; and desserts of pomegranate cheesecake, eggnog-bourbon pudding or orange-chocolate ganache tartlet.
Larks, at Ashland Springs Hotel, will offer six seating times. Call 541-488-5558 for reservations. See the Web site www.larksrestaurant.com for more information.
Pinehurst Inn, near Ashland, will serve Thanksgiving dinner and a New Year's Day brunch "pajama party." Prices are $25 per person, children 12 and younger, $10.
Seatings on Thanksgiving are at 1 and 5 p.m. The menu features English muffin bread, marinara bisque soup, salad with vinaigrette and blue cheese, green beans with caramelized onions and toasted almonds, baked sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry-orange sauce, turkey with sage stuffing and pumpkin pie.
New Year's Day brunch is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The menu features scrambled eggs, bacon, oven-roasted potatoes, pancakes, fresh fruit, orange-cranberry scones with white chocolate, yogurt and all-you-can-eat prime rib, as well as juice, milk, sparkling cider, coffee and tea.
Pinehurst Inn is located at 17250 Highway 66, Ashland. Call 541-488-1002 for reservations. See the Web site www.thepinehurstinn.com for more information.
Porters Dining at the Depot, in Medford, will serve Thanksgiving dinner from 2 to 7 p.m. Prices for the three-course meal to be determined, with turkey dinner for children 12 and younger half price, free for children under 5. The menu features butternut squash bisque, baby greens, Caesar salad or wilted spinach with pears, hazelnuts and blue cheese; roast turkey, pork tenderloin, prime rib, filet mignon, chicken, steelhead or vegetarian entree, all served with "traditional trimmings"; pumpkin pie, brownie or apple-cranberry cake.
Porters is located at 147 N. Front St., Medford. Call 541-857-1910 for reservations. See the Web site www.porterstrainstation.com for more information.
"It's to get people to expand their repertoire a little bit without it coming off as fancy-schmancy, too difficult to do," says Ash.
The award-winning cookbook author from Santa Rosa, Calif., will show Rogue Valley residents a few tricks of the chef's trade during a series of three November classes at The Willows Cooking School in Central Point. Meeting Willows owner Sandy Dowling about a decade ago at an event for the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Ash has taught at least two Willows classes every year since Dowling founded her cooking school in 2002. This year marks Ash's first foray into a Southern Oregon Thanksgiving.
"He feels like a member of our family," says Dowling.
Known throughout the industry as the "father of Napa Valley wine cuisine," Ash is "one of the most well-respected chefs and teachers and cookbook authors in this country," says Dowling. Luring Ash from Napa Valley's Culinary Institute of America to teach in the Rogue Valley is a bit of a culinary coup, she adds.
"He looks at food in a different way than almost anybody I know," Dowling says. "He's going to have an unusual take on the traditional Thanksgiving."
But 40 years of experience in the kitchen has taught Ash that even expert chefs must live up to guests' expectations.
"It's always a little dangerous to play with Thanksgiving because people are so traditional about it," Ash says.
Although reinventing the classics has its rewards, Ash advocates adhering to the general theme rather than getting "too crazy" with ethnic foods like Thai. Preparing turkey breasts instead of the whole bird is one way to change the presentation while preserving the holiday's essential flavors, he says. Ash also favors techniques that free up the cook for interacting with guests, not just the food.
"On the day of Thanksgiving, you're really just finishing things," Ash says. "Desserts and breads can all be made ahead of time.
"Use techniques like slow-roasting," he adds. "Timing isn't so critical."
And don't be so invested in the meal that you're stoically shouldering all the responsibility, he says, adding that for the past 35 years he's asked a group of friends who cook to each bring a dish.
"Do it as a potluck."
Yet the holidays' sheer variety of foods, not to mention the diverse offerings of a potluck, present a wine-paring challenge, Ash says. He'll reveal some strategies for successful pairings at his Willows classes.
It may sound obvious, Ash says, but choose wines that are considered "food-friendly." Whites that fall into that category are crisp, clean and straight-forward, he says, not heavily oaked. Reds should be fruit-forward with lower levels of tannins, he says. If pairing just a single wine with the entire meal, a dry rose surprisingly complements just about everything, as does sparkling wine.
"They wrap themselves around," he says. "You can throw everything at them, and they work well."
A focus on fine food and wine can create memorable holidays, but slowing down and allowing for the unexpected can make the event more enjoyable, Ash says.
"Don't worry about it too much," he says. "If you have good food and good wine, how bad can it be?"
Consider Ash's recipes for your holiday table, as well as others from local restaurant chefs.
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