Harvest And Thanksgiving

[CookinErnie]

Hey yall have a happy thanksgiving and a good harvest

[foodnfoto]

Happy Thanksgiving harvest Celebration to all you Canadians!

I think it' great that you folks from the northern country get an early jump on the holiday season.
Man, sometimes the way Christmas follows so close to Thanksgiving here is the US can be a little hard to take.

What are some traditional Canadian Thanksgiving dishes? Are menues similar to those served here in the States? Or is there more of a French flair?

[Kimmie]

A typical menu may include

Home baked bread
Roast Turkey with Gravy and Sage Stuffing, or
Roast Capon with Apple and Cranberry stuffing
Wild mushrooms
Mashed Potatoes with celery root (celeriac)
Turnips
Squash (any kind)
Zucchini
Cranberry Sauce
Candied Yams
Spiced Pickles
Creamed Onions
Brussel sprouts
Pies: Pumpkin, Pecan, Apple, Raisin and/or Maple Sugar Pie are typical.

In passing, here's a bit about Canada

[coolJ]

I've been in the habit, the last few years, of doing something different on thanksgiving, instead of the traditional turkey dinner. One time we did ham, and last year, what we did was cooked up the turkey and stuffing, along with the brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes, but instead of serving a "dinner", we took the turkey and stuffing and cranberry and wrapped them in flour tortillas, served with the potatoes and sprouts.

[Jock]

The only native born American in our house is my daughter. She has grown up with the Thanksgiving tradition but my wife and I had to grow into it.
It is without doubt my favorite holiday because I get to go hog wild in the kitchen for days. The only tradition in my house is that it is never the same from one year to the next. The basic components are all there (like the turkey, sprouts, yams etc.) but they are prepared differently every time. That is, except for the pumkin pie!!
I have this recipe for a 3 layer pumpkin pie with pumkin custard, a layer of whipped cream and a pumkin chiffon on top (which is visually quite appealing and it doesn't taste bad either ) If I didn't make the pie, nobody would come (or so they tell me.)
I want to break from even that tradition and do like Jeff does - something completely different. I think I'd be lynched if I tried it though.

Jock

[Isa]

I know the feeling Jock, if certain dishes aren't on the table I think my dad would just walk out on me.

[alexia]

I know the feeling, Isa. I made TD dinner at my son's last year. I thought it might be nice to have a goose, rib roast, ham, etc. You'd 'a thought I was going to roast one of the kiddies! (And though they may talk about cooking the stuffing outside the bird, just try it with my family. Christmas has a little more slack on the menu, fortunately.)

Well, one of the guests had to catch a bus back to NYC by 5 so dinner had to start by 2 at the latest (they'd wanted it even earlier!) Frankly I'm tired of the elaborate timing one has to engineer to make the stuffing, stuff the bird, then cook it for hours -- without either staying up til 2AM or getting up at 4AM.

I confess that some day I intend to make a ballantine (the hot one, no?) Has anyone here done turkey that way? Is it worth the effort? Any special considerations? Specially good stuffing?

[chiffonade]

Originally posted by Isa
I know the feeling Jock, if certain dishes aren't on the table I think my dad would just walk out on me.

You could have sixteen splendid-but-newfangled dishes on the table and everyone would think the fare was lacking without that big tray of sweet potatoes! God forbid you forget the stuffing - whichever kind is omnipresent at your T-Giving. We always have bread stuffing - and depending on how big a crowd we're expecting, we do a spinach, rice and sausage stuffing.

I think T-Giving is the hardest menu in which to incorporate something new. The last "new addition" we made was corn pudding - about 10 years ago.

[firepatrolchef]

Oh man....*our* Thanksgiving is coming....and we're working. I got a feeling Im gonna be head cook for the meal. Decisions decisions....hope theres time to knock out a bread pudding. Yknow how stressful a holiday meal at work can be...you want perfection....which isnt easy if youre waiting for the bells to go off.
And if I said I didnt love the challenge....Id be lying like a rug

[Isa]

And that is what we call tradition.

[sparrowgrass]

My plan for next thanksgiving is to buy some turkey poults in the spring, and raise them up myself. I am sure my brother would love one for his Christmas present. (Plucked and in a plastic bag, of course, or it would become a pet.)