Chris Morocco: You're listening to Dinner SOS, a new show from Bon Appetit, where we help our listeners solve their dinner emergencies. I'm Chris Morocco, food director of Bon Appetit and Epicurious. So here's how the show works. Each week, a listener brings us a dinner problem, and I'll work with one of our editors or someone from our amazing test kitchen to try and solve it. No problem is too big or too small. Now, here's where it gets interesting. We'll offer two solutions, but our caller can only choose one. It's sort of a competition. Brooke is hosting Thanksgiving abroad for the first time ever. She's working with a smaller European oven, plus she's having trouble finding all the ingredients she's used to. Luckily, BA food editor Shilpa Uskokovic is on the case. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs] You're just jealous I had a proper menu, all right? Move on [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Now, normally we'd each offer Brooke just one recipe to choose from, but with the biggest cooking holiday of the year just around the corner, we are going big and we're each giving her a full menu. Before we dive in though, let's talk about Thanksgiving for a sec. As we were making this year's Thanksgiving issue of the Bon Appetit print magazine, we realized that [laughs] there was a common theme emerging, anxiety and trepidation. People just feel so much pressure around Thanksgiving in a way that they don't around other holidays. I think that's for a couple of reasons. One, because most other American holidays don't really lean on food in the same way, so this meal can feel like your most stressful cooking day of the year. And two, we have such a narrow idea of what the archetypal Thanksgiving meal looks like. Turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes, maybe some green bean casserole. You get the picture. And yes, those things can be delicious, but also it doesn't have to be this way. So today, on our first episode of Dinner SOS, we're going to help Brooke think outside the turkey. That's this week on Dinner SOS. First up, let's hear from Brooke. Hey, Brooke, this is Chris. How are you? Brooke: Hi, Chris. I'm great. How are you? Chris Morocco: I'm doing okay. Um, where are you calling from? Brooke: I am calling from Amsterdam. Chris Morocco: Wow. Did- and is- is Amsterdam as fun to live in as I imagine it is? Or is it one of those places like, oh, it's like fun to visit, but like you wouldn't actually want to like make it your- your 24/7? Brooke: No, I absolutely love it, actually. There's so much nature. Like I live right next to the forest. Chris Morocco: Oh. Brooke: I go for a walk to see like duckies and ponies every day [laughs]. It's just really cute. Chris Morocco: Literally ponies, like small horses? Brooke: Yeah. Chris Morocco: Close to where you live? Brooke: Yeah [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Wow. Well, um, so Brooke, talk to me about why you called in? Brooke: I have been a huge fan of y'all forever. And so when I saw that y'all were looking for people who are having Thanksgiving challenges or crises, I was like, that's me [laughs]. Chris Morocco: [laughs]. Brooke: Because [laughs] when I moved here, there was a lot that I had to adjust to. I go to the grocery store and I'm having to use my Google Translate app to figure out what everything is. I can't find certain products that I'm used to having easy access to. And everything is measured in weight instead of volumes [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Mm-hmm. Yeah, for sure [laughs]. Brooke: So I have to do a lot of conversions. The biggest challenge I've run into is that my oven is super small. Chris Morocco: Mm-hmm. Brooke: Pretty much all the ovens here are super small, um, and so I can't fit a turkey inside of it. Really the ovens here, they're combi ovens, so it's like a microwave and an oven all in one. Chris Morocco: Okay. Like a combi oven where I come from means it's like a combination of steam and then just like dry heat. Brooke: Mm-hmm. Chris Morocco: That is not what you're talking about. Brooke: Yeah. Mine is a microwave and an oven, and you can do even like a combination of microwaving and ovening at the same time [laughs]. Chris Morocco: So it's almost like one of those like convection ovens that- Brooke: Mm-hmm. Chris Morocco: ... used to have like microwaves built into them. Brooke: Yeah. It's hard for me because not only am I used to having a big American oven- [laughs] Chris Morocco: Yeah. Brooke: ... but I, you know, usually do Thanksgiving at my mom's house in Texas, and she has two big ovens. Chris Morocco: Oh. Brooke: So, yeah, I mean like having all these sides and stuff like that be timed right to all be the right temperature- [laughs] Chris Morocco: Yeah. Yeah. Brooke: ... is important to me. Chris Morocco: Understood. So, oven is small. Brooke: Yeah. Chris Morocco: Heart is big. Brooke: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Desire is present. Can you even get a turkey in Amsterdam? Brooke: I don't even know. Chris Morocco: Be interesting to find out. Brooke: I think it would be uncommon [laughs], for sure. Chris Morocco: All right. So yeah, I'm going to touch base with a colleague. Um, we're going to hopefully, you know, set up a time to chat again in about a week or so, and then we'll make a plan. Brooke: Okay, that sounds great. Chris Morocco: All right. Talk to you soon. Brooke is used to a big American Thanksgiving, with two ovens and all the fixings. But Thanksgiving doesn't have to be holding to any one set menu or way of doing things. So I wanted to give her some non-traditional options that still hit the right festive notes. So I went looking for my colleague Shilpa Uskokovic, and I found her [laughs] in the test kitchen. It's always busy up there, and sure enough, Shilpa was making a seven layer dip. In a sense that... are you going to melt that cheese? Shilpa Uskokovic: No. Should I? Oh my God. Chris Morocco: Okay, no, just... no, no, okay, just keep going. It's okay. No, we're talking about Brooke. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: We're talking about Brooke. Shilpa's a food editor at Bon Appetit, and a fantastic recipe developer, so I knew she'd have some interesting suggestions for this Thanksgiving SOS. But when I started to give Shilpa the run down, I was surprised to find that Shilpa and Brooke had something unique in common. Shilpa Uskokovic: My parents have this old wood paneled Panasonic microwave/oven for the last 30 years. Chris Morocco: Really? Shilpa Uskokovic: Which only just died. They actually got it from America, all the way to India. Chris Morocco: Oh gosh. Shilpa Uskokovic: But that's what I grew up with. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, so Brooke has- Chris Morocco: So- Shilpa Uskokovic: ... a combi oven. Chris Morocco: She basically has a combi of not in the steamy sense- Shilpa Uskokovic: No. Chris Morocco: ... in the microwave sense. Shilpa Uskokovic: Yes. Chris Morocco: Okay. She and her husband eat everything. Shilpa Uskokovic: Okay. Chris Morocco: She's got six people coming. She loves using like a Le Creuset. She loves like stewy, you know, kind of braisey things. Shilpa Uskokovic: Okay. Chris Morocco: But, you know, in terms of like a Thanksgiving menu, here's where I'm wondering if like, could we- could we go a click past like one recipe? Shilpa Uskokovic: Yeah. Chris Morocco: Maybe is it about offering like a few things, sort of like a critical mass of recipes to underpin like a full menu. So like maybe one of us could propose more of like a traditional menu? Shilpa Uskokovic: Yeah. Chris Morocco: You know, that she could simply do maybe mostly stove top- Shilpa Uskokovic: Okay. Chris Morocco: ... but still hits like turkey, Thanksgiving vibes- Shilpa Uskokovic: Yeah. Chris Morocco: ... or at least like roasted bird- Shilpa Uskokovic: Yes. Chris Morocco: ... Thanksgiving vibes. And maybe, you know, one of us could propose something a little bit disruptive. Shilpa Uskokovic: Okay. I think I would chose the non-traditional one. Chris Morocco: Yeah. I had a feeling. Shilpa Uskokovic: Just because I didn't grow up with- Chris Morocco: Right. Shilpa Uskokovic: ... Thanksgiving. So it might make more sense- Chris Morocco: Mm-hmm. Shilpa Uskokovic: ... I think, coming from me. Chris Morocco: I feel good about that. I think, here's the thing, like Brooke seems like she wants to present kind of like at least a certain notion of Thanksgiving- Shilpa Uskokovic: Yeah. Chris Morocco: ... to a group of people who are all non-Americans. So I feel like the real question is like how much does Brooke want to come stick with like some traditional things, but executed in a way that's in line with like her kind of like resources- Shilpa Uskokovic: Yeah. Chris Morocco: ... and her kitchen. Or how much does she want to just kind of like reinvent what Thanksgiving means, you know, to this audience that's like clearly very global and, you know, isn't going to feel like ahold to any specific really narrow sort of interpretation of like tradition. Shilpa Uskokovic: Yeah, I think- I think we can present the elements of what makes Thanksgiving Thanksgiving, but going outside of how they're usually made might be a good option to offer Brooke. Chris Morocco: Love that. So be thinking about that. You and I are going to regroup. Each come up with a plan. And we're going to chat with, um, with Brooke. Okay? Shilpa Uskokovic: Okay. All right. Chris Morocco: Thanks, Shilpa. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: So Shilpa and I got to work brainstorming some ideas for Brooke's Thanksgiving menus. And I- I've got to be honest, we went a little bit overboard. What can I say, [laughs] we just get excited about food. Shilpa and I each came up with two main dishes to offer Brooke, plus a whole bunch of sides. And a few days later, we got Brooke back on the line to give her our ideas. Hi, Brooke. Welcome back. Brooke: Hi. How are you? Chris Morocco: We've been okay. How about yourself? Brooke: Doing good. Chris Morocco: So the way Shilpa and I were kind of talking about it, we figured, you know, what if she kind of offered you a slightly less traditional take on Thanksgiving, just given that Shilpa just loves to disrupt something- Brooke: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: ... um, [laughs] at least on occasion. And what if I gave you something that's a little bit more straightforward? But knowing that like within that, you know, within those like two very general frameworks, you know, there's still lots of, you know, room to experiment, and frankly lots of room for interpretation about just what even is traditional. Shilpa Uskokovic: Yeah, I... listen, yes, I'm a disrupter [laughs], but also I- Chris Morocco: [laughs]. Shilpa Uskokovic: ... didn't grow up with Thanksgiving. Chris Morocco: Yeah. Shilpa Uskokovic: So I felt like, for me, I could come in and have no preconceived notion of what I need to have on my table. Brooke: Nice. I love that. Chris Morocco: Shilpa, can I put you on the spot and have you start giving Brooke the recipes you chose for her Netherlands Thanksgiving? Shilpa Uskokovic: Oh, yeah. Um, well my approach was, I wanted to keep the essence, like some of the flavors that we associate with Thanksgiving. But, you know, taking into mind that perhaps you don't have certain ingredients accessible to you out there. Okay, so let me kick it off with the drink. Um, I chose something called a New England Express, which is made with apple cider and a little bit of pine simple syrup and rum. Chris Morocco: Shilpa, can we just talk about like what a power move it is to just open things up with a drink? Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Brooke: Yeah. Shilpa Uskokovic: High praise. Well, yeah, I mean, it's- is- is it a party without a drink? Brooke: [laughs]. Shilpa Uskokovic: Like, you know, it's just a way to ease into the party. And as for appetizers, I'm just, uh, after years of like killing myself making stuff, I'm just like, open a bag of chips, put out a bowl of olives, get everyone the slightest bit drunk. It's going to be fine. Um- Chris Morocco: Oh my God, Shilpa- Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: ... you're like off out in the weeds. I love it. Brooke: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Keep going. Shilpa Uskokovic: But- but do you agree with me or not? Like investing the effort into appetizers is... no one is paying attention anyway. Don't- don't do that to yourself. Brooke: [laughs]. Shilpa Uskokovic: Um [laughs], okay, so moving into the main stuff. I have two choices for you Brooke, um, both of which are like braised meat, and here's why. Any braised meat, it really takes the pressure off. You know, if it's something like a roast beef or even a turkey or a chicken, you have to like be concerned about temperature and timing and stuff. But with something braised, like you just cook it all the way through until it's tender. Brooke: Yeah. Shilpa Uskokovic: So it gives you a little bit of leeway. And plus, most braises are great when you make them ahead anyway. Um, so my choice for you was actually one of Chris' recipes. Um- Chris Morocco: What? Shilpa Uskokovic: ... Chris, it's your baked rice with short ribs. Chris Morocco: Oh. Shilpa Uskokovic: Um, which to me it almost resembles like a biryani kind of- Chris Morocco: Mm-hmm. Shilpa Uskokovic: ... because it had like shredded ropes of, um, spiced short rib, and then it was topped with basmati rice and speckled with like, uh, pomegranate and- Brooke: Oh. Shilpa Uskokovic: ... carrot on top. And it's just- it's just a beautiful looking dish. Um, that's one choice. Brooke: Wow. Shilpa Uskokovic: And the other main that I had was... [laughs] it was my recipe. Sorry, I had to sneak one in there [laughs]. Chris Morocco: [laughs]. Shilpa Uskokovic: Um, it was my burnt orange and coriander roast pork. Brooke: Oh my gosh. Chris Morocco: Oh. Oh, that's good. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Yeah. Shilpa Uskokovic: Which this one is similar in that it's, you know, again, braised and cooked all the way through, but it's different from the previous one in that it is an impressive hulking chunk of meat that you can put up, you know? Brooke: Mm-hmm. Shilpa Uskokovic: And it's- it's a little bit more traditional, if that's what you're looking for. Um, you know, having a centerpiece of meat and things on the side, but equally hands off, um, and with great flavors to really waken the palate [laughs]. Brooke: I'm like salivating [laughs]. Chris Morocco: No, I- Shilpa, before we move on, I- like is there an ideal like sort of side or anything else you're thinking of? Shilpa Uskokovic: I have like options. Chris Morocco: Oh my gosh. Shilpa Uskokovic: But one side that I had was sweet potatoes with tahini butter. I think sweet potatoes are very- Chris Morocco: Gosh. Shilpa Uskokovic: ... necessary for Thanksgiving. So this one is good because it's steamed on the stove top so it takes the pressure off of the oven. But, so- Brooke: Wow. I love that. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Brooke: Oh my gosh [laughs]. Shilpa Uskokovic: So Brooke, those were my options. Chris, you're up. Tell us what you've got in store for Brooke? Chris Morocco: Okay. So Brooke... [laughs]. Brooke: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: I love like I'm- I'm like- I'm looking like quite the B-student compared to Shilpa. Shilpa Uskokovic: Oh. Chris Morocco: But anywho, moving on. So [laughs] I'm looking at like my notes for you, Brooke, and like apparently I just simply decided that you were going to have duck this year- Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Brooke: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: ... and gave you two [laughs] duck options. Like- Brooke: Amazing. Chris Morocco: ... who does that? Um, the first one is a pomegranate and honey glazed whole roast duck, okay? Shilpa Uskokovic: Oh [laughs]. Brooke: Oh my gosh. Chris Morocco: And that is from our dear colleague Hana Asbrink. She just developed it this year for our Thanksgiving issue. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: And this was part of a story that was all about, you know, [laughs] basically like how to do anything other than roast a whole turkey. And this was just a delicious, um, you know, glazed duck. There's like the pomegranate molasses, there's some soy sauce. You end up with like a lot of super flavorful jus. Um, a really fun one to play with. Shilpa Uskokovic: That's- Chris Morocco: So the other duck recipe, and this one was like straight from the depths of the archives, this is Don Perry's, um, duck confit with spicy pickled raisins. Shilpa Uskokovic: Oh, very old school [laughs]. Chris Morocco: And duck confit is just so good. Shilpa Uskokovic: Mm-hmm. Chris Morocco: And it's so forgiving. And it's one of those things, it's like it's easy to pull off yourself, more than most people would know. And then to offset all that really rich braised meat, you've got these pickled golden raisins, um, that are just a wonderful counterpart to, um, you know, to the braise. So those were the mains. And then- Brooke: Oh my gosh [laughs]. Oh. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: ... for a mash potato side, our colleague Zaynab Issa, um, she did this mash potato recipe, that basically she- she reserves the skins, like the potato peel, um, and then just fries them. You know, n- nothing crazy, just like a little shallow pan-fry, and makes these kind of crispy shards of potato skin that go on top of the mash potato just for a little fun textural update. And I just thought that was just such a smart approach. Shilpa Uskokovic: And it was brilliant because a lot of the potato's flavor is in it's skin. Chris Morocco: It's in the skin. Shilpa Uskokovic: So instead of throwing it away, the fact that Zaynab just repurposed them was absolutely, yeah, truly brilliant. Chris Morocco: And- and this- anyway, moving on. Last dish. And granted, there's some other stuff that I think could be great will all this, but I just didn't want to overwhelm you, unlike Shilpa. Um- Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Brooke: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: ... and, um, [laughs] this year, uh- Shilpa Uskokovic: You're just jealous I had a proper menu, all right? Move on [laughs]. Chris Morocco: I- I was in a fight with my printer all morning trying to get these things printed, and you know what? I won. Everything's cool. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Brooke: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Um, so, cornbread biscuits. Shilpa Uskokovic: Oh. Chris Morocco: Ines Anguiano, our, um, test kitchen coordinator, you know, sort of plumed the kind of like the cornbread tradition and plumed the buttermilk biscuit tradition to kind of come up with something that, you know, sort of combines the best of both things. Like I don't know, I just was like, I, uh, I'd love to get you away from like the vegetable shortening [laughs] world, frankly- Shilpa Uskokovic: Mm-hmm. Brooke: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: ... and like put you, uh, you know, into a recipe, you know, that's like got like, you know, butter, buttermilk, just like the- the sweetest and richest, um, you know, purest expression of dairy possible. Shilpa Uskokovic: Brooke, I have to say, I tested this recipe twice and I ate it more times than I should have probably. Brooke: [laughs]. Shilpa Uskokovic: Um, but they're sensational. They're really good. Chris Morocco: You know, you can decide. And like honestly, like we're coming in basically with like a holiday special here, right? Like for the launch of this podcast. Which is like [laughs] kind of a crazy move, um- Shilpa Uskokovic: Mm-hmm. Chris Morocco: ... you know, there's no rules and there's no pressure to do like everything, you know? Brooke: Okay. Chris Morocco: But I think we'd love it if you could take an opportunity, you know, to do a dry run of like one or perhaps two of these dishes before Thanksgiving, and report back so that other people who are listening can kind of hear- Brooke: Mm-hmm. Chris Morocco: ... what guided your choices, and what experience you had. Brooke: Yeah. I cannot wait to try. I will let you guys know how it goes. Shilpa Uskokovic: We're looking forward to it. Chris Morocco: Brooke, I cannot wait. And just thank you for doing this. Brooke: Yeah. You're thanking me, I'm like, thank you. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Brooke: I- I'm like, [laughs] can we make this a yearly tradition? [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Oh my gosh, yes [laughs]. Brooke: Yeah, I've just been beaming this whole time. If only you could see my face. I cannot wait [laughs]. Chris Morocco: So we sent Brooke both menus. First, Shilpa's Thanksgiving disrupted, which included orange and coriander roast pork, sweet potatoes with tahini butter and a cocktail. We also sent my slightly more traditional duck forward Thanksgiving, with the mashed potatoes with crispy potato skins, plus cornbread buttermilk biscuits. By the way, you can find all of these recipes on bonappetit.com, or on the app from our sister brand, Epicurious. After the break, we'll get Brooke back on the line to hear how it went. And we're back with Dinner SOS, the Thanksgiving in Amsterdam edition. Now, before the break we heard all about Brooke's challenges, from her small oven to the grocery options she has in the Netherlands. So we were eager to hear if she would find what she would need to start cooking. Plus, I was dying to know if she picked my menu or Shilpa's. When we got word that Brooke did a dry run of her Thanksgiving meal, Shilpa and I headed down to the studio and listened to a voice memo from Brooke. Brooke: I am a little nervous. I hope that I do everyone proud and that everyone enjoys the meal. But I think with these recipes, I can't really go wrong. So I've decided that I'm going to cook the burnt orange coriander pork shoulder, which I chose because I think that the in- the flavors just sound really interesting. Um, I'm always a big fan of citrus with meat. And for sides, I'm going to cook the sweet potatoes with tahini butter, which I think my husband will really love- Chris Morocco: [laughs]. Brooke: ... because he's from Lebanon and they use a lot of tahini there. So hopefully he'll enjoy those. And then I'm also going to make the cornbread cheddar biscuits, because I love cheddar and [laughs] who doesn't love a good cornbread biscuit? Chris Morocco: [laughs]. Shilpa Uskokovic: I love that [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Shilpa just laughing. And she's sitting right next to me. There's like nowhere to hide. She's just like beaming. Brooke: [laughs]. Shilpa Uskokovic: This is the first time I wish we were on video, Chris [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Yeah. Oh, Brooke, that sounds amazing. Okay, so before we hear how Brooke's dinner went, Shilpa, can you quickly walk us through how to make the roast pork and sweet potatoes? Just the broad strokes. Shilpa Uskokovic: Sure. For the burnt orange and coriander roast pork, the first step is to make the marinade. You char some oranges under the broiler, and then you blend their juice with toasted spices, chillies and honey into a paste, and then you rub that paste onto boneless, skinless pork shoulder and let it sit over night. The next day, you roast it, low and slow, until it's very tender. For the sweet potatoes with tahini butter, you steam the potatoes until they're tender. Then combine butter, lime juice, tahini, soy sauce and sesame oil, and you put that delicious mixture all over the potatoes and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Chris Morocco: Wow. So the cornbread cheddar biscuits are a little bit more involved, but totally worth it. The dough uses both cornmeal and blended up corn kernels, and then there's the dairy. We've got cheddar, buttermilk, and lots of butter. Once the dough is made and kneaded, you create those delicious layers by rolling the dough out, cutting it, stacking the layers and rolling them out again. You do this four times before chilling, dividing the dough into individual biscuits and baking. And, so, okay, back up for a sec and set the scene for us. You made some of these dishes. And was it for an occasion? Did you have friends over? Brooke: Yeah, so we had, um, a few friends over. Most of our friends are expats, so it was definitely an international crowd and none of them have ever had Thanksgiving before [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Now, walk us through the recipes themselves. Like highs, lows, pain points? Brooke: Yeah. So, um, as far as these recipes went, I would say that my main concern when I got the pork shoulder was, I was like, oh my God, how is this going to fit in my Dutch oven? Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Brooke: [laughs] It just barely fit. Chris Morocco: Oh, wow. Brooke: And I- I was worried that, um, it wouldn't have enough room to kind of like breathe in there. I don't know if that's important, but... Shilpa Uskokovic: No, but that's a good thing actually, it- you know, especially when you're braising something, you know, if it just fits snugly and then you cover it and it's nice and cozy in there, it braises better. Chris Morocco: Yeah. I mean, whatever you have to do to physically fit the meat in there is- is fair game. Shilpa Uskokovic: Yeah. Brooke: I think it did cook down in size a bit. Shilpa Uskokovic: Mm-hmm. Brooke: Um, and it came out perfectly. Chris Morocco: Nice. Brooke: So, uh, yeah, I thought maybe that if I did it next time, I might not cook it open as long, um, just because the top did get like a little more burnt. But I think that once- once you shred it and get it all with the juices and stuff like that, then it just blends together, um, with some nice texture. I- I think it went really well, and it was just the flavor was incredible, and super juicy, and I'm so happy that I have some leftovers as well [laughs] that- Chris Morocco: Mm-hmm. Brooke: ... I've been snacking on [laughs]. Chris Morocco: [laughs]. Brooke: Um, yeah, I think that orange, I just- I just [laughs] loved to put- Shilpa Uskokovic: Whoa [laughs]. Brooke: ... those like bright flavors with the, you know, like rich meat flavors. So like I can't have a- a burger without a pineapple on it [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Sorry, I think- Shilpa Uskokovic: Wow [laughs]. Chris Morocco: ... something- something crazy just happened with my audio. Uh, you said something about, um- Brooke: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: ... pineapple on a burger? Brooke: Yes. That is my go to. Chris Morocco: Back- back up and just sort of wind it back and sort of set the stage for me, where did you first have this, and is this something of your own devising? And- Brooke: Yeah. Chris Morocco: ... explain. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Brooke: No, so, uh, y'all are in New York, right? Shilpa Uskokovic: Mm-hmm. Brooke: I- I'm sure you've heard of Bear Burger. Right? Shilpa Uskokovic: Yes. I love their burger. Mm-hmm. Brooke: Yeah, so Bear Burger- Chris Morocco: Oh, yeah. We- we love Bear Burger. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Brooke: Yeah. So they used to have this Hawaiian burger, that had blue cheese and barbecue sauce. Shilpa Uskokovic: I'm a little scared, [laughs] but go on. Brooke: [laughs]. Shilpa Uskokovic: Your face [laughs]. Chris Morocco: [laughs]. Brooke: And it- it was just amazing. So I- like that- that grilled pineapple just like holds this explosion of juicy bright flavor. And I- once I had that, I was like, sold. Now everywhere I go, I look for [laughs] pineapple on my burger. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: [laughs] Are you able to find that in Europe? Brooke: [laughs] No. I have to make it. Shilpa Uskokovic: Wow [laughs]. Chris Morocco: When- when you told us you liked flavors and loved cooking, I mean, you know, we- we tend to believe, you know, our callers and everything, but like the pineapple with the burger- Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: ... and you said blue cheese and- [laughs] Shilpa Uskokovic: And barbecue sauce. Chris Morocco: ... and barbecue sauce [laughs]. Like you're- Brooke: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: ... you're like- Shilpa Uskokovic: It was Hawaiian [laughs]. Chris Morocco: ... you are painting a rainbow of flavor- Brooke: I know. I know. Chris Morocco: ... and there's nothing left behind. Brooke: [laughs]. Chris Morocco: You've got sweet, you've got sour, you've got like- Shilpa Uskokovic: Funky. Chris Morocco: ... funky. You've got bitter. I mean, wow. Brooke: Yeah. Chris Morocco: Okay. And- and I think the cool thing too about like the pork and, you know, Shilpa you obviously like thought this through, I think, you know, tahini and citrus- Shilpa Uskokovic: Mm-hmm. Chris Morocco: ... works really well together. I think like shreddy rich meat, but with like the sort of sweet earthiness of like sweet potato- Shilpa Uskokovic: Yeah. Chris Morocco: ... is so good and strong. Like talk- talk to us about how the- the potatoes went? Brooke: Yeah. So the potatoes were super good. Um, I found the flavor was just so interesting, because I have never put tahini with lime before. Chris Morocco: Mm-hmm. Brooke: And obviously, combining tahini with butter was just [laughs] really nice. Um, it was just so comforting and smooth and rich, but not overly indulgent where you feel gross after eating it, you know? [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Yeah. And for folks listening, so this is like kind of a compound butter of sorts, right? Shilpa Uskokovic: It is, yeah. Chris Morocco: You've got butter, you've got toasted sesame oil, tahini, lime juice, soy sauce. But I think it works because ultimately you're like, tahini wants acidity, right? Shilpa Uskokovic: Mm-hmm. Chris Morocco: And instead of like maybe a little bit of the more common lemon, you know, it's like skewed towards lime, even a little bit more like aromatic, um, and pungent in some ways. And then it's kind of rounded out with like the toasted sesame, and then seasoned with the soy. It's a really, really interesting combination. Brooke: Yeah. I loved it. Um, that was tied for me with the cornbread cheddar biscuits. Chris Morocco: Talk to me about those biscuits. Brooke: [laughs] Wow. Chris Morocco: Is like cornmeal, is that like a thing that is readily available in Amsterdam? Brooke: Yes, I found the cornmeal. I did struggle [laughs] with the buttermilk. I was in the store and I was asking around to all the employees, you know, "Do you know what buttermilk is? Where's the buttermilk?" And nobody had any idea what I was talking about. And then another American woman came to me and she was like, "You're looking for buttermilk?" Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. Brooke: I was like, yes [laughs]. Shilpa Uskokovic: She was like, "I'm also a lost soul." [laughs]. Brooke: [laughs]. She was like, "I've been through this before. You're looking for karnemelk." Chris Morocco: Oh. Brooke: So I found it [laughs]. karnemelk. Shilpa Uskokovic: Brooke, I actually, uh, I was curious, did making a menu like this, which was not super conventional, and also having people who didn't really have like a, um, childhood context for Thanksgiving, did it like make it easier? Did it take the pressure off of cooking like this big meal for you? Brooke: It really did [laughs]. You know, I- I think I mentioned when we first started talking that, you know, I really like to cook these complex meals that take me forever in the kitchen. Shilpa Uskokovic: Mm-hmm. Brooke: And part of that is just because I like being in the kitchen and I like keeping my hands busy, and, um, I like the process. But I feel like when it comes to Thanksgiving, I do feel that pressure, and I think that part of the reason why I go for really complex recipes that are going to just be like backbreaking work, I do that because I feel like that's the only way to get the big results. You know? Chris Morocco: Mm-hmm. Brooke: Um, so [laughs] when I served everything and I was eating it, I was just like, wow, you know, this wasn't nearly as stressful as my Thanksgiving day usually is. I mean, this had that big impact without making me stressed out [laughs]. Shilpa Uskokovic: Yeah, I actually- [laughs] I love hearing that. Chris Morocco: Me too. I- I mean, like the impact but without the sacrifice. Brooke: Yeah. Shilpa Uskokovic: Mm-hmm. Chris Morocco: You know? Uh, I jus- this is a holiday in which we put so much pressure on ourselves. Shilpa Uskokovic: We really do. Chris Morocco: And then it's like you can't focus then on being a good host or visiting with your family or people you don't- might not ordinarily see. Brooke: Yeah. This felt like a different hosting experience. I was more able to be present with everyone and enjoying Thanksgiving myself. Chris Morocco: I'm so delighted that you did, and that you had this kind of opportunity to have a dry run. You're heading into Thanksgiving in like, you know, the- the best shape like psychologically and culinarily possible, I'd like to think. Brooke: Yep. Chris Morocco: And, um, you know, however, you know, actual Thanksgiving takes shape and the final dishes and the- the sort of the bigger menu put together, I hope you're able to enjoy it. Brooke: Absolutely. I'm sure I will. Chris Morocco: If I could pass along one piece of Thanksgiving advice to you all, it's basically exactly what Brooke figured out. Remember that you can have a big impact without all the stress. But I also couldn't let you go without sharing a pro tip from Brooke's mom. Brooke: Step one is put on your tennis shoes... [laughs]. Chris Morocco: [laughs]. Shilpa Uskokovic: [laughs]. She's not wrong. Brooke: Because she's like, "You're going to be in that kitchen all day long. You've got to have on supportive shoes for the whole day. If you're going to make it, you've got to have those tennis shoes on." Chris Morocco: If you have a dinner emergency on your hands, write to us at podcast at bonappetit.com. Or leave us a voice message at 212286SOS1. That's 2122867071. You can find the recipes featured on today's episode, the braised pork, the ducks, the sides, the cocktail, plus the rest of the Bon Appetit recipe archive on the new Epicurious app, brought to you by Conde Nast. Just search Epicurious in the App Store and download today. Of course, we'll also link everything in the show notes. If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a rating and review on your podcast app of choice, and hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. Dinner SOS is a Conde Nast Entertainment original podcast. I'm your host, Chris Morocco. My co-host this week is Shilpa Uskokovic. Our producer is Michelle O'Brien. Peyton Hayes is our associate producer. Jennifer Knowleson is our engineer. Special thanks to Scott Lee for engineering support. We'll be back next week with another Dinner Dilemma. Speaker 4: So, [laughs]- Chris Morocco: Oh my gosh. Speaker 4: ... now we're starting to be very concerned that we will not have a kitchen for Thanksgiving. Chris Morocco: Kind of any bitters would probably work, right? A mixologist would literally like cancel me for that, but- Speaker 4: Yeah [laughs]. Me too. Chris Morocco: ... I mean, like let's face it, like they're like all a litter sh- shade of spicy and a little bit sharp- Speaker 4: Yeah. Chris Morocco: ... and weird and medicinal and funky. Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. Speaker 5: Actually, I was going to suggest something even worse, but- Chris Morocco: Say it. Say it. Speaker 5: I was going to be like, [laughs] add a drop of like ginger juice. Speaker 4: Hmm. Chris Morocco: Oh yeah, no, you're- you're done. You're done. Speaker 5: I don't know if it's... [laughs]. Chris Morocco: Cut off from like-