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it sounds as if the problem is as much how his pickiness presents itself Vs the actual fact of the pickiness.
you need to negotiate how he goes about tasting and reacting. instead of filling his plate hiding the uneaten, he should take a bite only, then only take more of what he will actually eat. He also must accept that if he rejects what's for dinner, he makes his own substitute.

You, OTOH, have to deal with adjusting your daily cooking to reflect some of his opinions. Cooking can be fun, but the day in day out feeding of your partner & family isn't so much about the fun for you as about the fact that people need to eat. Plus, if he rejects your food in favor or cornflakes or PBJ for days on end, you can't be hurt.

if you someday are having kids, he needs to have learned to reject in a low-key fashion so as not to 'teach' his pickiness to them. I won't go so far as to expect him to sometimes noticeable eat something he is known to dislike, to model polite behaviour. But it would be handy.

PS I was in a relationship in which we had very different food cultures. our inability to appreciate each others standards was but one of many problems. But 3 times a day one or both of of us being annoyed or mad or disappointed sure didn't help. If you cant fine some way to enjoy meals together, some compromises, then hang it up now.

I have made delicious gravy all my life and my mother and grandmother before me and my daughters and granddaughters too! We don't sweat the small stuff. We use a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet to darken it. I always make a cream gravy rather than the gravy from stock or broth. We add the giblets to the gravy and the neck meat to the dressing.

salpico, yes! In my personal handwritten cookbook, I've got menus, timelines and checklists going back to 1970, the year I got married. You'd think after all this experience, I'd be able to do Thanksgiving blindfolded and one-handed. We've had many meals when no one's noticed for 20 minutes that the sweet potatoes are still in the oven, the rolls haven't been put into the breadbasket, the salad's still in the fridge, the Jello hasn't been unmolded, etc.

We all have our food preferences. I don't like fruit mixed with foods that are supposed to be savory, savory stuff with raisins, or chocolate mixed with fruit (though separately, I love them both). Other than that, I'll eat anything at least once, maybe twice (I believe it second chances for everyone and everything). I think the thing that bothers you the most is that he doesn't share your passion for food and he doesn't want to even try. The point is: can you live with this? or will it be a thorn in your side that digs deeper with time? If you can't make peace with yourself on this, then walk away. If you can deal with it and have it not affect your dignity and self-worth, then I don't see that it's a real problem.

At our pizzeria we have red pepper flakes and parmesan on every table. We also have Tabasco and similar sauces and we have two homemade sauces: creamy chipotle and chimuchurri. This last one is intended to go with "empanadas" but a lot of clients request it to have it with their pizza, it has a strong lemony/parsley taste. They some times ask for our (also) homemade Italian dressing, but creamy chipotle is the most requested of all.

"THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE RECIPE: Immediately put half the gravy into a storage container, let it cool down, then hide it in the refrigerator so that you'll have enough for pot pie or hot turkey sandwiches on Saturday."

betteirene- love that piece of advice. *L*

This is wonderful!! I think I can put together a good schedule for cooking and just pray that everything goes according to plan and nothing surprises me. Thank you all for your help and advice! =]

Well, I must say @maryannm (and echoers) and @betteirene gave some great answers.

Me, I have so much pre-cooking going on, I usually don't get to the stock beforehand. Plus, I like the way the aroma of gravy fills the house as you make it on T-day.

So, I just throw the neck and gizzards in a sauce pot on the stove first thing in the a.m., with all the celery and onion end bits from making the stuffing, a half carrot, and some peppercorns, bay leaf and a pinch of sea salt. (Note: DO NOT include the liver, as it will make the stock bitter.) I let that simmer gently all day, and add more water as necessary.

If you go this route, the key is scoring numerous cross-hatch slices into the neck and gizzards to extract as much flavor as possible. In the last hour of cooking, I scoop pan drippings with a ladle (and strain for fat), and add that to the stock - a little at a time - stirring and tasting as I go. Once the gravy is rich enough, I add white white wine (or sometimes, vodka) to add depth of flavor and cut through the fat.

Then I add fresh herbs to the pot (like sage and thyme - you can add other herbs or spices to your liking, of course)). From there I simmer and let the fat and alcohol mingle and cook off together for another 20-30 minutes. Stirring and tasting, and adding more drippings, herbs, seasoning or booze, as necessary for balance.

When the flavor is perfect, thicken with a golden roux of butter and flour, that has been diluted with gravy until smooth. Simmer and stir for 5-10 minutes longer, adding more roux, if necessary.

Important Tip: I always have at least 32 oz. of boxed or canned chicken stock on hand (turkey would be better of course), in the event that the gravy is to rich and needs diluting, or when more liquid is needed. This has saved me more than once. Also, it can make extra gravy in a pinch for leftovers, in the event some crazy fool tossed the extra gravy down the drain while doing dishes, which happens more often than you would imagine. Just add saved drippings, a turkey wing and/or bones and some skin from the carcass, and aromatics (onion, garlic, celery, carrot, herbs, spices). Simmer 20-30 minutes (or more, if you have time), thicken w/ roux, season to taste, and you're all set.

Hope this helps. Happy Thanksgiving!!

The key to terrific turkey gravy is drippings, drippings and more drippings! It is essential that you use drippings from the turkey for the best taste.

Canned gravy is NOT the way to go; if you can cook a turkey then homemade gravy shouldn't be too hard.

I've started eating pizza by choice recently. The place near our house serves their pizza with honey packed on the side.

On my pizzas, I add a lot of crushed red pepper flakes and dip the pizza in honey, even the chicken ranch pizza.

BEER!

High quality extra virgin olive oil (I like Colavita) for dousing and also chili pepper oil made with red pepper flake and olive oil.

All other condiments IMO just mask of the true flavor which is fine if you're not paying a premium for the pizza you're slathering in hot sauce, ranch, bacon, mayo, ketchup, etc.....