Josh Bradley Live

It’s the day after Thanksgiving, and you’ve returned home from risking your life at Target. Somehow, you’re hungry all of a sudden, with a fridge full of leftovers.

Whatever shall you do?

Here is a recipe for a killer Thanksgiving pie that works ideally for leftovers, or if you’re feeling lazy, the main meal. I wrote this recipe with the help of many different people in my culinary class. It was for a pie competition being held by Sonny’s BBQ, where the grand prize was $700 per person. Yeah, no way I could pass that up.

The idea was conceived by my partner Eileen’s mom, who was just throwing around ideas. Eileen gave me the motivation to do this, so for an entire month, we fiddled with the pie in so many ways. The original pie had all the ingredients used, but was very different. The potatoes were unseasoned, and stood alone, almost the whole can of corn was dumped on top, the turkey was cut into smallish pieces and drenched in just the drippings, and the cranberry sauce and stuffing topped the turkey with no style whatsoever. The top crust was also the other half of our pie crust, which is the recipe written by the Jacobson Culinary Arts Academy. (the school we’re at.)

People always asked us for a piece, or how we were doing with it, or what kind of adjustments we were making. This kind of pie is unique to this competition especially, solely because about 95% of the pies are sweet. Not to say that’s a bad thing, but there will come a point where the judges will get sick and tired of sugar, and some of the pies may even begin to taste all the same to them. My pie can be seen as sort of a relief, if that makes sense. “Finally, some salt!” they’ll exclaim!

Here is the recipe I used. Most of these ingredients came from Sprouts, and everything is 100% authentic without hormones and such. Do what you will with this. Get creative if you must, there’s always something that can be adjusted, no matter how perfect it tastes.

Thanksgiving Pie 

Crust

3 1/3 cups flour

.6 tsp salt

5 oz butter, diced

.6 cups shortening

.6 cups water

Filling

½ turkey breast, shredded and pressure cooked

½ cup flour (for gravy)

¼ cup turkey drippings (for gravy)

½ cup butter (for gravy)

4 potatoes, peeled and mashed

½ can corn

½ can cranberry sauce

½ serving stuffing (see below)

Stuffing

3 tbsp butter

10 0z chicken sausage

1 carrot, minced

1 onion, minced

1 stalk celery, minced

2 cups turkey or chicken stock

1/3 cups olive oil

2 tbsp roughly chopped sage

1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut into 1” pieces

Crust

• In mixing bowl, mix flour and salt together, set aside
• In separate bowl, using two forks, combine butter and shortening
• In a KitchenAid, whisk together both mixtures until contents resemble coarse crumbles
• Sprinkle water a little at a time over mixture and continue to mix until a dough forms.
• Form dough into disc shape and chill at least 30 minutes before serving

Ciabatta Sausage Stuffing

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in 1 12” skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, stirring and breaking up meat into medium pieces, until browned. 8-10 minutes. Transfer sausage to large bowl, set aside.
• Add remaining butter to skillet; sauté carrots, onions, and celery until soft, 5-7 minutes. When finished, move to sausage bowl. Add stock, oil, sage, bread, salt, and pepper to bowl, toss to combine.
• Spread evenly in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake until golden brown and bread is slightly crisp on top, 30-35 minutes.

Filling

• Peel and boil potatoes in boiling water. When tender enough, strain in colander. In a mixing bowl, mash and mix in corn.
• Once turkey is pureed and pressure cooked for about 16 minutes, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir constantly until lumps have disappeared. Add turkey drippings and stir in until concoction thickens. Add salt and pepper. It’s very easy to burn a roux, or even the drippings, so watch your heat!
• When gravy is finished, shred turkey breast as you would for pulled pork, and mix half the breast in with the gravy.
• Smoothly layer the pie as follows, bottom to top: Crust, potatoes and corn, turkey with gravy, dollops of cranberry sauce, stuffing.
• Throw in oven, 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

A year ago yesterday, life was different, but the good kind. Despite a shooting at a concert in Vegas, things were okay.

At 3:16 that day, one of my oldest and closest friends texted me the news that Tom Petty, a man I had just seen not five months before, was dead. Just like that, everything changed.

The first quarter of 2017, his music came into my life, and I began to dig deep into his extensive career and absolutely genius songwriting. Second quarter, I got the wonderful opportunity to attend one of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 40th Anniversary shows, the one in Tampa. That was the closest they were getting to their hometown of Gainesville, and this turned out to be their final show in their birth state. Third quarter, I began saving for his promised Wildflowers tour, where he’d play the whole album, and then some, in smaller venues. When October 2 rolled around, I had $75 saved for a ticket. All that was left was to wait for an announcement.

Tom, to me, was the definition of heartland rock. While Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, and John Mellencamp have all touched my soul in their own ways, no one changed me like he did. His music, documentary, and life story taught me the utter importance of authenticity, honesty, and standing up for what I believe in.

These days, if I ever look back and remember when I cheated my way through something major, or when I remember how uptight I was about every little thing when I was younger, I have regrets. That’s another thing Tom taught the world, just stay calm and fight through the pain, whether it’s emotional or physical.

With all that said, my heart has especially always gone out to the amazing Heartbreakers that backed him up for 40+ years. Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench III were on Tom’s side through everything. Ron Blair, Scott Thurston, Steve Ferrone, and Stan Lynch all were of breathtaking assistance in giving the band its sound. And the great thing is that even with their fearless leader no longer on this planet, they’re all still going. Mike just joined Fleetwood Mac and is about to hit the road with them. Steve Ferrone is also the drummer in the Dire Straits Legacy, which is currently on tour, and will actually roll into St. Pete this Friday. The other guys pop up many different places, for example, Benmont still plays occasional solo shows at Largo at the Coronet in California.

If only Tom had postponed that tour and gotten the help he needed in his hip. He would probably still be here today. We, his fans, would have wanted Tom to worry about himself before entertaining us. It’s understandable to hate canceling shows, but look how many artists, old and young, have to do it today, and they’re still with us. Michael Nesmith of The Monkees had to postpone his dates with Micky Dolenz so he could have quadruple bypass heart surgery. Quadruple. Had he continued on touring instead of getting help immediately, we’d almost certainly be down two Monkees now rather than one.

Tom, if you’re reading this somewhere in the great wide open, your music will be with me as long as I live, probably even after. My children will have a great idea of who you are, and so will their children. Finally, Tom, you’ve kicked off the soundtrack of my life.

And for that, I hope the last voice I ever hear is yours.

– – Josh Dezern, 10/3/2018

“Eh, he’s alright I guess. The Sound Of Silence is a good song.”

Close to everyone I have ever met have had that reaction whenever I’ve mentioned the genius of Paul Simon, one of the most overlooked, yet legendary songwriters of all time.

Hipsters, Gen-X’ers, and boomers love the other biggies. Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Joan Baez, and Bruce Springsteen, just to name a few. Don’t get me wrong, that’s great. Yet they seem to snub the fact that Paul wrote some of the most recognizable songs with some of the most touching, impeccable lyrics in music, and has a sense of creativity that no one else has. People also tend to throw aside the authentic African sounds of Graceland, and the fact that he’s been inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame twice. And let’s not forget that he technically won the Grammy for Album Of The Year three times in his life.

His retirement isn’t a total surprise, as he’s been throwing it around for a few years now. That said, it feels far too soon to be saying goodbye to such a creative mind already, who has brought so much joy into so many lives. Even if he only worked as a solo artist for the 46 years he did, rather than making music in general for 60, he still would have made it in the biz the way he did.

To me, Paul is, creatively, one in a million. Yes, there is bitterness he has about certain things, mainly the beef between himself and his former partner Art Garfunkel. But as a man who has almost always stuck to his word, worked nonstop for over 60 years, and is a recent advocate for saving the planet, (E.O Wilson’s Half-Earth Project) I think it’s more than safe to say that the man has had an extraordinary life.

Tomorrow night in Queens, NY will be the last show of his last ever tour. If you never got to see him, chew on this: Whether you were a die-hard fan, or a rapper who was being dragged to a show by a spouse or parent, Paul live would just blow you away. From the stories he tells to the new arrangements he plays, every show had so much energy and love put into it.

As for me, I’m so glad I got to experience him live not once, but twice. I’ve loved him since I was six, and have been following him since I was 13. And though this is the end of the road, I’ll never stop being a fan.

From the bottom of my heart…

Thank you, Paul Simon, times a bajillion.

Return if possible. Your fans aren’t going anywhere.

– – Josh Dezern, 9/21/2018

In the last few days, Bob Dylan, the only songwriter with a Nobel Prize, announced his first US tour dates of 2018. Last year, it felt like he covered everywhere in the US, except the southeast. But four out of the first five dates announced are in that area. The Carolinas, Oklahoma, and Georgia will get to hear Bob play a show that will most likely consist of covers, and a few of his semi-hits.

But here’s the thing:

Oklahoma is in mid-October, while the others are November 3 and 4 for the Carolinas, November 7 for Georgia, and November 9 for another North Carolina show.

The man is no stranger to Florida, especially the Tampa/Clearwater area. He’s played sold out shows at Ruth Eckerd Hall in 2016 and 2015, along with a less recent co-headlining show with Willie Nelson at Bright House Field (now Spectrum Field) in 2005. So there’s always a chance that he’ll drop by, knowing that shows on his “Never Ending Tour” are practically back-to-back. No venues in Florida have confirmed him showing up, but at the beginning of each week, Ruth Eckerd announces a handful of new shows.

Maybe this week, Dylan will make the list.