Thanksgiving, Schmanksgiving

It is officially the Monday before Thanksgiving, and that means preparing my menu for dishes I am going to create this holiday. But before I begin, I have a few bones to pick with the usual specialties served in honor of the Pilgrims.

For one, my family never tries to out-do themselves when it comes to fancy meals. In fact, at times, I feel like we are more Quakers than anything, trying to stick to simplicity and convention more than celebration and flavor. One year, not too long ago in fact, my grandmother even succumbed to ordering a pre-cooked turkey, the pre-sliced kind that I am pretty sure was lobbed from a Luby's truck.

My mom and I are pretty much the only ones that cook, and since I have been away long enough to really decipher what is good Thanksgiving fare and what is meat cooked three days ago paraded around as a bird. So when my mom informed me that she was working on the holiest of holy days of gorging, I was upset. What will we do? How will we get it all cooked in time? I hate catering and pre-cooked meals, and how will we feed all of my big, rowdy cousins?

Then I remembered- I hate Thanksgiving anyway.

And is it just me, or has Thanksgiving gotten a lot less exciting over the years? Kind of the same way you now feel about Kwanzaa and re-runs of the Famiy Guy. It's been done before, and this year I'm about to turn this pie upside down.

Chocolate Pecan Pie:

Ingredients

PIE DOUGH

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
2. 1 teaspoon sugar
3. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4. 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch dice
5. 1/4 cup ice water

FILLING

1. 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
2. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3. 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
4. 1/2 cup light brown sugar
5. 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
6. 3/4 cup light corn syrup
7. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8. Pinch of kosher salt
9. Unsweetened whipped cream

Directions

1. MAKE THE DOUGH: In a food processor, combine the 2 cups of flour with the sugar and salt; process to mix. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and process until the largest pieces of butter are the size of peas. With the machine on, slowly pour in the ice water and process just until it's incorporated. Transfer the dough to a bowl and knead a few times. Pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate the dough until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Let the dough soften slightly. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a round, about 1/8 inch thick. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll it over a 9-inch glass pie plate. Press the dough into the pie plate, being careful not to stretch it. Using scissors, trim the overhang to 1 1/2 inches. Fold the dough under itself and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate the pie shell until firm, at least 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°. Prick the chilled pie shell all over with the tines of a fork. Line the shell with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Fold the foil over the weights so the side of the pie shell is exposed. Bake the shell for 25 minutes, or until the side and rim are golden. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking the shell until the bottom is beginning to brown, about 15 minutes longer. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°.
4. MAKE THE FILLING: Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, stirring once. Transfer the pecans to a plate. In a small microwave-safe glass bowl, melt the butter with the chocolate in a microwave oven. Stir until blended and smooth. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and add the brown sugar. Stir in the eggs, corn syrup, vanilla and kosher salt, then stir in the pecans.
5. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until set in the center. Let the pie cool completely. Serve with whipped cream.