Last week in the Press Democrat, we collected some of our readers’ favorite recipes for Thanksgiving and ran them as part of our turkey day coverage.

 The torn and tattered recipes inspired Bob Bergman of Santa Rosa to send in an original  poem, “Leftovers,” as a tribute to all the creative cooks out there. The poem suggests all kinds of dishes – from pot pies and  potatoes Lyonnaise to tetrazzini and savory soufflés – and ends with this tribute: “Ah Tom, I salute you and sing to your praise;  For lunch, for dinner, for the next seven days.” (If you have any great leftover recipes,  please share them with other  KitchenTalk readers)

 Meanwhile,   a former colleague of mine from the old days at the Press Democrat  has written a desperate plea on my Facebook Wall that she needs my mother’s recipe for Scalloped Oysters, because her husband has requested it for Thanksgiving.   

I found Priscilla Peterson’s Scalloped Oysters on a yellowed index card, tucked into my favorite Christmas cookbook.  A died-in-the-wool New Englander who loves seafood but hates to cook, my mother has never gone to a holiday feast without this trusty casserole dish. Since oysters were probably served at the very first Thanksgiving, you might want to include it in your feast as well.

“I double this recipe and cook in a shallow, square Corning casserole, uncovered,” Mom writes.  “When it’s bubbling and brown, it’s done. You can cook this ahead and reheat in a microwave.”

Scalloped Oysters

Serves 4

1 pint oysters

½ cup breadcrumbs

1 cup cracker crumbs (preferably Ritz)

½ cup melted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons oyster liquid

2 tablespoons milk or cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix bread and cracker crumbs and stir in butter. Put a thin layer in bottom of shallow, buttered baking dish. Cover with oysters and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons oyster liquid and 1 tablespoon milk or cream. Repeat. Cover top with remaining crumbs. Bake about 30 minutes. Note: Have only 2 layers of oysters. If you have 3 layers, the middle layer will be underdone.