Rant Thanksgiving - Page 4

KatieFrank · #46 10-13-2009, 02:22 PM

I don't mess with my Thanksgiving meal either. I have considered mixing up my desert though.

Tangy · #47 10-16-2009, 03:27 PM

I got 5 words for you to put a twist on your thanksgiving:
apple zucchini pumpkin muffin stuffin'
enough said!

BillRchef · #48 10-18-2009, 05:19 PM

I agree with those who enjoy the traditional turkey dinners, my "twist" is more on display than ingredence or technique.
First I remove the breasts from my roasted turkey by running my knife down the breats bone and follow the ribs on both sides to get out the whole meat breasts. Then place the bird on a large serving platter( larger than the turkey by about 1/3rd or more). Next fill one cavity with mashed potatoes(Reserve some potatoes to finish the display),the other side with stuffing, to create the shape of a whole turkey.
Then slice the breasts and shingle them down over the potatoes and stuffing and continue to fan them out in front of the turkey on the platter.with my reserved potatoes in a pipeing bag, pipe them down over the breast bone, then set scallion poms and/or steamed carrots, and mabey some herb stems to finish it off.
the reast of the platter can be filled in withyour cooked vegetables, crudite, or grapes and strawberries. The presentation is both beautiful and functional as a one dishe family style service.

Koukouvagia · #49 10-18-2009, 07:10 PM

Just found a flavor combo that's freakin me out it's so good... this year's turkey will be rubbed with smashed coriander and cumin.

KYHeirloomer · #50 10-18-2009, 10:12 PM

A winning combination, Koukouvagia. Don't forget to dry-roast the seeds before crushing them.

You might want to consider addition some crushed allspice berries to the mixture as well.

Koukouvagia · #51 10-19-2009, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

A winning combination, Koukouvagia. Don't forget to dry-roast the seeds before crushing them.

You might want to consider addition some crushed allspice berries to the mixture as well.

Do I need to toast them if they are already going to be roasting?

Allspice sounds perfect, in it goes.

KYHeirloomer · #52 10-19-2009, 09:37 AM

You don't have to roast the seeds, ever. But it intensifies their flavors when you do.

People seem to have trouble roasting spices, and tend to burn them (same with pine nuts, btw). My solution: Use a small, dry frypan heated until very hot.

Pour inthe seeds and remove from the heat, stirring or flipping the seeds while the residual heat of the pan does the job.

oldschool1982 · #53 10-20-2009, 08:24 AM

Not to sound too corney but..........Tradition is as tradition does.

For my tradition...... I've either celebrated the day with family at my Aunt's home (funny how that occurred in two different states with two different Aunts), with friends at our home or at theirs or with family (extended or otherwise) at our home. Being Italian, the ironic thing is and was......there have never been any of the typical family Italian dishes served. Never any pasta, never any seafoods (other than the raw oysters, clams and shrimp cocktail for appetizers. This was the only Holiday meal where we served what was suggested as "traditional" Thanksgiving day foods.

Since we arrived in Virginia, it's been just my Cousins family but this year we add 2-10 ppl from another family/friend celebration that has gone array.

As far as the food goes, since probably the 90's I started doing the turkey like Suzanne mentions. Always a hit! Best thing too is that the stuffing doesn't become toxic after the meal and can be saved. Bird seems to be much juicier too. Also this year...... we add a smoked country cured ham from Adams Peanuts and smoke house. It's a tradition here in VA (and I'm sure other areas too) and is the tradition of the added guests.

Anyhow, I was the only one to ever "tweak" the foods but never found myself straying too far from the original dish. It was easy because things were never served to the family that the traditions were started with. We're scattered all over from Virginia to Chicago to Atlanta to Denver to Tucson

For the Turkey......other than deboning the bird, I like to take a compound butter and stuff it under the skin (between the meat and skin everywhere except the back) whereas my family and friends always just basted it with butter pan drippings. I still use the pan drippings to baste.

Stuffing was always a sage/gizzards and breakfast sausage where I've made it into a melange of fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme), chestnuts, morels and low country sausage (although this year I'll be using Surry sausage. This is a smoked country sausage from Surry Virginia.) By the way, I've removed the gizzards and they go into the stock with all the rest of the gibblets.

Cranberry relish was always of the canned variety but I never liked that so I opted for fresh made. I started to add real maple syrup instead of all the sugar as well as cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, lemon and orange zest as well as some orange segments from the fresh oranges. Since I made those changes......we never have any left over. Hehehe

Green bean casserole is hard to leave off and....... as yuk as it can be.........we just like it. Plus it wouldn't be the same without it. Most of the time..this is brought by a guest although.......... I have made this entirely from scratch (non Campbell's soup/Durkee fried onion recipe and it does improve it to the point where everyone has some.......

Sweets (Yams) rotate from a candied pecan casserole type (yes....with marshmallows and all) to a Makers Mark roasted and mashed variety. Both have their niche and the funny thing is those that eat one won't touch the other. Have thought of just serving baked sweets and have butter, cinnamon and sugar available .....we'll see this year.

I quit doing a salad because of all the other foods. We have one person (one of my Cousins kids) request just some lettuce with french dressing so we always have that available. Corn is fresh sweet (when we can get it) cut off the cob and just buttered. Have thought of leaving it on the cob.....we'll see. Sure would save a step.

This year we may add Greens too.

Breads are home-made white bread and biscuits. We had yeast rolls on the menu but since we left KC (BIL made these) we have just used the bread and biscuits. Made Croissants first year out of culinary school.....funny....haven't had them since.

Pies are homemade and typical of the season. The pumpkin is as basic as possible but with fresh, roasted pumpkin instead of canned. We also have apple pie but usually a Caramel apple variety. Home-made ice creams' usually accompany these. Last year the choices were Vanilla bean or Spiced Jack Daniels/Cinnamon. This year I'm not sure.

Then there is the late evening snack of leftover turkey. This is served either on the bread (as a sandwich wth lettuce and mayo) or biscuits (hot browns style with the biscuits) or pulled and dipped in a bowl of just mayo.

That's our day of celebration in a nutshell. As with all....waayyy too much food. Good thing we have a month before Christmas to recuperate.

P.S. I shared a lesser known factoid about the day in last years discussion. Here is a link to info on it. (Not the discussion)
Virginia Fall 2009: First Thanksgiving

kuan · #54 10-20-2009, 09:07 AM

I like making a galantine. That way there is no bickering over who got more dark meat.

mattie405 · #55 10-29-2009, 12:45 AM

Our meal has evolved over the years too. Hubbys family consisted of his parents and 15 kids and had the smallest of meals ever, usually a 15 pound turkey, instant mashed potatoes, canned green beans and canned cranberry sauce....and never any kind of gravy for the overcooked dry bird. My dinner was always spent at my aunts, she had a nice traditional meal. Once we married and I started making our meal I changed some things, I make gallons of turkey stock in the weeks before the holiday to be used for stuffing and gravy, I bake herb breads to dry and use for stuffing and make lots of side veggies all fresh. I also make usually a lasagna and a ham too. Over the years attendance at home has steadily increased to numbers up to 50 with people coming in at all times during the day and evening and included our 3 kids friends as well. Now with all the kids grown and married off they usually go spend the day with their wives parents and then come by here to pick up the dinner they are used to from their youth for the next day.....yes, I roast them each a smaller turkey and they take the leftover lasagna and ham too, the grandchildren love it all and I normally babysit them the next day while their parents do the madness of black Friday shopping. I love spending my time in my kitchen and it's all worth it just to hear the 8 year old grandson say "my nana loves me cause she cooks me such good stuff". I picked up 2 turkey breasts during this weeks grocery shopping to get a start on the day, the prices are dropping here on them so I stock up because we eat turkey all year long, I roast them just for sandwiches too when the prices drop down so low.

MikeLM · #56 10-29-2009, 05:27 AM

Mattie-
What a lovely tradition. We're about the same stage of life as you, but only one of our three kids is nearby. We do something of the same, with a couple grandkids - on a smaller scale - plus a cousin and his daughter every year.

Hope you have a warm and busy T-day this year!

Mike

Koukouvagia · #57 10-29-2009, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattie405

Our meal has evolved over the years too. Hubbys family consisted of his parents and 15 kids and had the smallest of meals ever, usually a 15 pound turkey, instant mashed potatoes, canned green beans and canned cranberry sauce....and never any kind of gravy for the overcooked dry bird. My dinner was always spent at my aunts, she had a nice traditional meal. Once we married and I started making our meal I changed some things, I make gallons of turkey stock in the weeks before the holiday to be used for stuffing and gravy, I bake herb breads to dry and use for stuffing and make lots of side veggies all fresh. I also make usually a lasagna and a ham too. Over the years attendance at home has steadily increased to numbers up to 50 with people coming in at all times during the day and evening and included our 3 kids friends as well. Now with all the kids grown and married off they usually go spend the day with their wives parents and then come by here to pick up the dinner they are used to from their youth for the next day.....yes, I roast them each a smaller turkey and they take the leftover lasagna and ham too, the grandchildren love it all and I normally babysit them the next day while their parents do the madness of black Friday shopping. I love spending my time in my kitchen and it's all worth it just to hear the 8 year old grandson say "my nana loves me cause she cooks me such good stuff". I picked up 2 turkey breasts during this weeks grocery shopping to get a start on the day, the prices are dropping here on them so I stock up because we eat turkey all year long, I roast them just for sandwiches too when the prices drop down so low.

What a great Grandma you are to lovingly prepare such a feast for your family, starting weeks in advance. I'm floored that you bake each family a little turkey to take home with them, how ever do you manage that in a home kitchen?! I wish my family was close by to share this holiday with them.

mattie405 · #58 10-29-2009, 11:53 PM

I love doing it or else I sure wouldn't so that helps immensely! The grandkids love to cook and they are hungry to learn everything, their mother (our DIL) was not allowed near the stove when she lived in her parents home so consequently she never learned to put even basic meals together, I find that to be a horrid situation and she is embarassed by it, her mother loved to cook and wouldn't let her children take away from her own pleasure by being in her kitchen when meals were prepared........the kids were, however allowed to do all the clean up, our DIL always calls me for suggestions of things to try and she has come a really long way and also now enjoys being in her kitchen. Our kids on the other hand (3 boys) were all constantly in the kitchen with me, also in my sewing room, they can all run a house better than most young people of today, they cook almost anything and can sew clothing and drapes too, they are in other words pretty self sufficient, on several occasions their wives/girlfriends have thanked us for their having to do everything during their years at home with us.

Back to the dinners, I do a large 20-25 pound bird for us here at home and usually 2 12-15 pounders for the boys that live here in town, I make lots of extras of all the side veggies so it's just a matter of packaging up some for them. I roast our turkey overnight and when it is done I put the other two in to roast, my stove has 2 ovens and I also have a countertop convection oven so it all gets used all day. I do a lot of preprep of the veggies and such, sometimes I blanch them a week or two in advance, season them and then bag them with a Foodsaver and freeze, then they can just be heated in the bags in a large vessel of boiling water on the day. All the bread for the dressing gets baked weeks in advance and left to dry out, stock is made and containered and frozen. The only item that gets no prep done until the big day is the fresh mashed potatoes. The kitchen here is actually as small as my old apartment in NYC but my stove is bigger and I have some counter space and a spare room to store all the equiptment needed to cook for a crowd, if you have the right equiptment it's not such a big job, although if I tried to do it all in one day I would probably hang myself.

The kids really appreciate it and it keeps this old lady busy and happy, I hate to think of the day when I might not be able to do it, but the best of all is watching those grandchildrens eyes light up around the table and they are really a joy to cook for, they will literally eat anything I prepare and at their ages I find that wonderful, they are 8, 4, 3, 2.

If there is any part of the meal that is lacking it is the desert area, I'm not big on sweets so I usually only make one or two simple cheesecakes and hubby makes a pumpkin and an apple pie and depending on how many we think are going to show up for the meal and how much prep I have done, there have been years when I didn't even make the cheesecakes, it all works out because everybody always asks what they can bring and I tell them something for desert if they insist.
All this just brought back a memory of my apartment in NYC when in 1991 I made dinner for the crew I was working with and when they all arrived we realized how really small my apartment was, they all made plates and proceeded to eat on the stairs in my walk up building, pretty soon all the tenants wandered in too and started to eat, I got to meet all my neighbors that day, it was one of the best days ever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koukouvagia

What a great Grandma you are to lovingly prepare such a feast for your family, starting weeks in advance. I'm floored that you bake each family a little turkey to take home with them, how ever do you manage that in a home kitchen?! I wish my family was close by to share this holiday with them.

oldschool1982 · #59 10-30-2009, 12:06 AM

Mattie.....Heart and soul is definitely what you've got!!!!!! Personally those are the to most important ingredients to any menu/meal prep. Nice to see the effort to make it special for the family in attendance and those not. I'm sure the boy's that you have in town are happy campers!

By the way........still have that sheet of Teflon you sent me. Haven't had to replace the first repair as of yet but it hasn't seen the same usage as in years past. That was really a great thing and I can't thank you enough. So I can say from my own personal experience that the Hear and Soul comment is the real thing.

mattie405 · #60 10-30-2009, 12:41 AM

Thank you, OldSchool!!! I am so happy that the teflon worked out for you, was thinking about it the other day when I got out the 2 Foodsavers here and dusted them off to start getting ready for the holidays.

I love to feed those I love and even sometimes those I don't. I hate the thought of people being hungry or alone so our door is just about open to all who need a meal. Our oldest son lives back east with his wife and kids so he misses out on the free for all here with his brothers and us and we miss him terribly but they all do a conference call from here on the day just to harrass him so we always have lots of laughs with the ribbing that goes on among them.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday and may your table be full with good food and family and friends!

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldschool1982

Mattie.....Heart and soul is definitely what you've got!!!!!! Personally those are the to most important ingredients to any menu/meal prep. Nice to see the effort to make it special for the family in attendance and those not. I'm sure the boy's that you have in town are happy campers!

By the way........still have that sheet of Teflon you sent me. Haven't had to replace the first repair as of yet but it hasn't seen the same usage as in years past. That was really a great thing and I can't thank you enough. So I can say from my own personal experience that the Hear and Soul comment is the real thing.