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Thursday, Nov. 25, 2004
It's Thanksgiving Day, and you're ready, at last. You've followed Ina Garten's lead and made lists of things like what temperature the turkey is supposed to cook at, when to take it out and when to switch on the coffee. But, uh-oh, you totally forgot the centerpiece. Not to worry. There are lots of last-minute possibilities that at the minimum require a trip to the fridge, the maximum a stop at a nearby grocery store. And in case you forgot something else, like an hors d'oeuvre, Balducci's opens its doors Thanksgiving from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Garten, aka Barefoot Contessa, chooses her table linens, plates and centerpieces seasonally. For fall, she likes a big basket of artichokes, a big bowl of clementines or her favorite -- orange flowers. Chef Susan McCreight Lindeborg of the Majestic Cafe in Old Town Alexandria knows a thing or two about tables. She finds the combination of pomegranates and artichokes particularly visually appealing, so she combines the whole fruits and vegetables with some cut in half. (Dousing the artichokes with lemon juice will keep them from turning brown, she says.) Lindeborg also likes to layer lemons, unshelled Brazil nuts and walnuts -- "the shapes are beautiful" -- surrounded by glossy magnolia leaves, which she nestles together in a low platter or arranges right on the table. Style-savvy Beth Aberg, owner of home-furnishings store Random Harvest and RH 1300 suggests taking a beaded scarf, some glistening gold fabric or a piece of any festive-looking material and bunching it in the middle of the table. On this, arrange a few branches of evergreens and magnolia leaves from your back yard. Aberg says she likes filling a bowl with fresh lemons and accenting them with strips of silver tinsel. For a country-looking table, she mixes red and green apples. Other centerpiece tips: � Everyone has cranberries in their refrigerator this time of year. Fill a pretty bowl -- crystal or sparkling glass -- with fresh red berries. Or pile them high in a white porcelain bowl. � The soft glow of candles -- whether votive, tapers or a mix of both -- brings out the best in any table setting -- not to mention the diners. � Don't use an arrangement so tall or so wide that guests have to bob and weave to see each other. (This is one good reason to use short candles, especially votives, on the table, and keep the tall tapers to the side of the room.) � Speaking of candles, unscented are best on a dining table. Scented varieties can clash with the flavor of the food.
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