Eric Ottensmeyer, former executive chef at the now-shuttered Paper Mill Grill in Marietta, was born in Munich, Germany, to Air Force civilian parents. Back and forth across the Atlantic, the family lived in either Munich or Dayton until Ottensmeyer graduated from high school and the University of Dayton with a degree in psychology.
Ottensmeyer has fond memories of family Thanksgiving dinners that didn't vary whether served overseas or back in the States.
“Thanksgiving was just the four of us, my parents, my sister and me. Even when we were in Germany, there was the Armed Forces grocery store and so we had all the classic stuff. We had to have a turkey and jellied cranberry sauce. King’s Hawaiian rolls were always a must and my mom would make my grandmother’s zucchini-cheddar casserole. My favorite part was the late night snack my dad and I would have after everyone went to bed, a sandwich of white bread, Miracle Whip, turkey and jellied cranberries. That might be my favorite Thanksgiving memory.”
With his psychology degree, Ottensmeyer certainly didn’t set out to be a chef. His only experience with food service was during his first summer out of college when he waited on tables at a Memphis, Tenn., O’Charley’s. His goal at the time was on getting a job where he could ski and figure out what he wanted to do next. He ended up with the Armed Forces Recreational Centers working at a ski resort in Garmisch Partenkirchen, a small town on the Germany-Austria border.
“It was like the Vail of Germany and there I met the woman I would marry. She’s from Atlanta and before long we moved to Decatur where reality set in. I was looking at jobs I didn’t really want and one day I saw an ad for Le Cordon Bleu College in Tucker. I went for the tour and orientation and I never looked back. I kept my head down and started cooking.”
He graduated and spent three years at Rathbun’s, then two years at Brick Store Pub and six years at Leon’s Full Service before moving on to the Paper Mill Grill.
Thanksgiving is still an important family holiday for him although these days the Ottensmeyer Thanksgiving dinner is held in Atlanta. “I love Thanksgiving. It’s the most fun for me when I have the time to be at home and cook something for my family. We spend Thanksgiving now with my wife’s family and like a lot of people, they prefer to focus on fun dishes like cheese, souffle. But they can count on me to put together a tasty salad.”
Asked to create a few side dishes for AJC readers, Ottensmeyer thought about what’s come to be standard Thanksgiving fare. “When you hear people talk about their Thanksgiving menus, it’s nothing but starch in different forms. Rolls, cream corn, mashed potatoes. I wanted to feature mostly green and orange vegetables instead.”
For those getting ready to fix a Thanksgiving meal, he has several suggestions.
•Plan your menu with an eye toward balance. “None of those menus that are all starch. Green vegetables. Orange vegetables. They’re delicious and that’s what your guests will remember.”
•If you’re cooking a frozen turkey, start it thawing by Monday. And always brine your turkey. “Once I brined my first turkey, I never looked back. You need two days to thaw the bird and a third day for it to sit in the brine.”
•Have your shopping done by Tuesday. “You don’t want to be out there with the last-minute shoppers.”
•Think like a chef. Do as much as you can ahead of time. “Peel and cut your fall squash, grate the cheese, chop anything you can. You absolutely do anything you can ahead to make putting the meal together as easy as possible.”
•And finally, “I think the number one thing to remember is that the whole point of all the organization and prior preparation is to be able to enjoy your family and a great day together!”
Fall Squash Salad with Paprika-Maple Vinaigrette
Yes, winter squash can be eaten raw. It’s delicious and when combined with carrots, fennel and arugula as in this salad, it makes a beautiful dish for your holiday table.
A 3/4-pound butternut squash will yield about six ounces of squash for this salad. Ottensmeyer suggests using a mandolin to slice the vegetables, but if there’s no mandolin at your house, a vegetable peeler will work instead.
The vinaigrette is the creation of Robert Lupo, Ottensmeyer’s sous chef when they worked together at Leon’s Full Service in Decatur. Ottensmeyer says Lupo is particularly gifted when it comes to vegetables and vegetarian cooking.
6 ounces butternut squash, peeled, cut in half and seeded
1 large carrot, peeled
1 small fennel, cleaned, fronds discarded, core removed
4 cups baby arugula
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
Paprika-Maple Vinaigrette (see recipe)
Salt
Cut the squash into manageable pieces. Ottensmeyer cuts long 1-inch thick slabs from the neck. Then using a mandolin, shave squash, carrot and fennel into a large mixing bowl. Slices should be about 1/8-inch thick. Add arugula and scallions. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours. When ready to serve, add vinaigrette and toss to combine. Season with salt and serve immediately. Makes: 6 cups
Per 1/2-cup serving, salad only: 15 calories (percent of calories from fat, 5), trace protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, trace fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 8 milligrams sodium.
Paprika-Maple Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together maple syrup, sherry vinegar, white wine vinegar, smoked paprika and salt. When well mixed, slowly whisk in olive oil. Set aside. When ready to use, whisk again to recombine ingredients. Makes: 3/4 cup
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 93 calories, (percent of calories from fat, 83), trace protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 157 milligrams sodium.
Orzo- Apple Salad
If you’re not familiar with orzo, a small rice-shaped pasta, this cold salad will be a nice introduction. You’ll find it in small 1-pound boxes along with the spaghetti and other pastas at your grocery store. Mix up everything but the apples and parsley ahead of time so the ingredients have a chance to absorb all the flavors. Then stir in the apples and parsley at the last minute.
1 (1-pound) box orzo
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup golden raisins
4 tablespoons capers, drained
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
2 apples, preferably pink- or red-skinned
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)
Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and toss in a large bowl with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking. Cool to room temperature.
While orzo is cooking, toast sunflower seeds: In a small dry skillet, heat sunflower seeds over medium-high heat, shaking often, until they release their fragrance and begin to brown. Remove from skillet and allow to cool.
Up to 1 day ahead, combine orzo with reserved sunflower seeds, raisins, capers, lemon juice, vinegar and remaining olive oil. Season to taste. If making more than one hour ahead, cover and refrigerate. One hour before serving, remove salad from refrigerator. When ready to serve, core apples and cut into quarters. Cut each quarter into 1/4-inch half moon slices. Stir apples and parsley into salad and serve immediately. Makes: 8 cups
Per 1/2-cup serving: 248 calories (percent of calories from fat, 38), 6 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 11 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 24 milligrams sodium.
Loaded Sweet Potatoes
This recipe is perfect for those who are ready to step away from sugary sweet potato preparations. Bake big sweet potatoes (up to 12 ounces each) and this recipe will give you a vegetarian-friendly entree for your Thanksgiving meal. Smaller sweet potatoes will provide individual servings that still leave room for turkey and the rest of your side dishes.
If you have one oven and it’s occupied with your turkey, tuck the sweet potatoes on the oven rack around the turkey roasting pan. When you remove the turkey, rearrange the potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and let them finish baking while the turkey rests before serving.
You can bring these to the table already dressed with Gouda, maple sour cream, chives and nuts, or you can set those condiments out in bowls and your guests can dress their potatoes as they like.
4 sweet potatoes (from 6 to 12 ounces each each)
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup grated Gouda
1/2 cup chopped smoked almonds or sliced toasted almonds
1/2 cup minced chives
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
Wash sweet potatoes and use a fork to poke at least four sets of holes in each side of potatoes. Arrange sweet potatoes on prepared cookie sheet and bake 30 minutes. Turn potatoes over and roast until tender, 30 minutes or more depending on size.
While potatoes are baking, in a small bowl, combine sour cream and maple syrup. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Remove sweet potatoes from oven and split open. Top with Gouda, maple sour cream, smoked or toasted almonds and chives and serve immediately or present roasted potatoes on a platter and put condiments in individual bowls so guests can dress their potatoes themselves. Serves: 4
Per serving: 544 calories (percent of calories from fat, 48), 17 grams protein, 55 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 30 grams fat (14 grams saturated), 52 milligrams cholesterol, 131 milligrams sodium.
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