656211 Wed Sep 30 22:34:45 -0700 2009 239 31 Home Cooking 0 5071316 I am *wild* with joy at finally being able to host Thanksgiving. I am *giddy* with the possibility. I have endured too much by too many and this year, this year I will rise above it all. I can't wait. I am not even at the menu planning stage yet. I am at the menu dreaming stage. Please help me prolong to the dream a bit and tell me your single favorite Thanksgiving dish. Wed Sep 30 22:34:45 -0700 2009 10099 JudiAU 1 5071349 There is no single item. I love so many dishes: giblet gravy, corn pudding, cheese grits souffle, soft dressing and hard dressing, chess pie, cranberry salad, homemade parker house rolls. That is just a few items. It is a food orgy. Wed Sep 30 23:10:27 -0700 2009 5071316 10921 Janet 2 5071713 we must be at the same Thanksgiving...yum Thu Oct 01 06:32:25 -0700 2009 5071349 11854 LaLa 3 5085925 What are hard and soft dressing? Never heard of that before . . . Wed Oct 07 11:45:25 -0700 2009 5071713 15507 Rick 1 5071359 Um ... not to rain on your parade but ... it's Thanksgiving. That means you really, really .... really need to include the dishes that define Thanksgiving to your group. That means if everyone loves canned Oceanspray cut along the can marks ... if you only provide that delicious-sounding cranberry sauce recipe you have been drooling over ... you will have a lot of unhappy guests. So if you get creative, be sure there are two versions of the dish. Yes, I know it sucks, but if jarred gravy is what everyone has been eating since jars were invented, there had better be a dish of that on the table along with your own house-made super gravy. It's a weird holiday. Too many people don't like messing with tradition. Maybe you lucked out and your guests are all open to the brave new world of wonderful food. Maybe no one will care if you replace the turkey with trout. However, I'd talk to your guests and be very sure how much they will tolerate. You want people to talk about your Thanksgiving dinner for years ... and they will .. but hopefully it is in a good way so people are begging you to host again. Wed Sep 30 23:31:15 -0700 2009 5071316 10264 rworange 2 5072068 Very important point. I've learnt the hard way that no matter how exciting a menu is to me, it has to please the people I'm serving it too. Because them being unhappy will make the meal feel like a failure, even if the food is amazing. I've been planning my wedding menu, and similarly, I've realised that I need to please others. I'm thinking of offering a small post-wedding dinner for my nearest and dearest foodies, where I can cook my own dream wedding feast, rather than please the palates of 120 disparate people. For this reason, I'd personally rather cook the meal before thanksgiving, and cook what I want, rather than trying to please everyone else's expectations and nostalgia. Thu Oct 01 08:38:34 -0700 2009 5071359 10431 Gooseberry 3 5072103 In my experience, it is ok to be creative and have stuff that pleases you as long as there are the expected dishes. Have the trout, but also have the turkey. The one thing that it is too darn bad if you don't like it is stuffing. I'm not having fifty different types of stuffings. If you must have your great, great, great grandma's then make it for yourself at home. Or bring it along and I'll put it on the table. Thu Oct 01 08:52:37 -0700 2009 5072068 10264 rworange 3 5127998 Who are you eating with????? Isn't Thanksgiving a day to give thanks and also bless the hands that prepared this wonderful meal for us all so we can share it together???? Who is raining on your parade. I would only stoop so low as to make one special dish for a much older guest if that's possible. Otherwise, everybody has the ONE TRUE WAY to roast a bird and some of them still put it in at 200 the night before. When I host Thanksgiving I do it MY ONE TRUE WAY and don't compromise! I've also learned that it's only gracious to ask a certain few to bring their own special 'best' dishes. Keeps everyone participating and makes it a whole lot easier!! Sat Oct 24 14:20:37 -0700 2009 5072068 1101903 lil magill 2 5075551 No....canned...gravy. I am flexible on other things. Actually, my family's meal is scheduled on an easier date so I don't have to worry about them. Fri Oct 02 17:21:59 -0700 2009 5071359 10099 JudiAU 2 5077441 If someone has an allergy, a dietary condition, or a sincere aversion to a dish, or is a vegetarian, I will make sure there are alternatives that they can eat. To me, that's part of being a caring hostess and a kind person. Other than that, if I cook the meal, I set the menu. Just as when I'm invited to go to someone else's house, I wouldn't dream of either dictating to them or even subtly pressuring them to tailor their menu to me. I know the type you're talking about though :-). I unknowingly started a six-year-long-now crisis the first year I was married when I planned to serve rack of lamb for Christmas dinner, which all my guests ate except, unknown to me, one BIL and his wife. I now know lamb makes them...well, per them, "gag". (Please, everyone, excuse the graphics.) For some reason they didn't think to address the issue directly (which is my way), but instead decided to call everybody else in the extended family (without my knowledge) to agonize over how I was insulting them by serving lamb and fret over how to survive Christmas at Normandie's. :-) Apparently, they were angry at my hubby, too (and have since then remained so), for not telling me his brother and the wife considered eating lamb to be akin to eating rotten vegetables baked in mudpies, and they wouldn't believe afterwards that he had never taken copious notes on what they like to eat and what they don't. Not only had he never taken copious notes, he had never even noticed. If *someone*--anyone in the phone chain of dozens--had had the brains and honesty to tell me BIL & SIL couldn't abide lamb, it would have taken me all of about 15 minutes to whip up a chicken dish to stick in the oven, something that they would have found palatable. But instead nobody told me, and BIL & SIL have continued to dislike, resent and distrust me, as a result of the holiday on which I tried to murder them, or at least cause permanent and deep psychological trauma, with mustard and herb encrusted rack of lamb, even though I KNEW (which I did not, having been married into the family for all of three months) they couldn't stand lamb. (The lamb was sublime, btw, and everyone else ate every bit of it.) So...what did I learn? I learned that you can't please all of the people all of the time, not even on our most evocative holidays. And so I don't drive myself crazy trying to do it, beyond the usual common-sense practices of hosting and serving a meal. To whit, I'll ask guests if they have an allergies or anything they dislike, and then I will accommodate that. I'll use my knowledge of food and menus to draw up a food plan that includes a good variety of offerings. For example, desserts at my house will always include a chocolate item, for those who love chocolate; a non-chocolate item for those who don't love chocolate (freaks!--no, just kidding); and a fresh fruit item. If the guest list is very small, and by that I mean just a single friend joining us, or at most a couple, I'll often ask if there's something special they'd like to have. Beyond that, and especially if it's a larger group, I don't ask that and, frankly, I don't care. It won't kill them to be polite for two hours and treat their hosts the way most of us were brought up to treat ours. I KNOW I'll always have enough diversity on the menu so that they should be able to find something that protects them from starvation for the afternoon. Sat Oct 03 21:13:16 -0700 2009 5071359 1104013 Normandie 3 5077743 holy @#$! that is freaking ridiculous. i am sorry for your experience. but more than that, i am sorry for their rudeness. lollya Sun Oct 04 05:58:37 -0700 2009 5077441 57801 lollya 4 5077792 Thank you for your empathy, lollya. It's a secret source of amusement between my husband and me now, but it was an upsetting "welcome to the family" at the time. And yes, LOL, it is freaking ridiculous, but...you know...some people just can't roll with life's cruel (lamb-for-dinner) punches and you have to forgive them their human frailties...and then fight like heck against your own frail-human urges to sneak ground lamb into everything you serve them! He he >:-) Sun Oct 04 06:34:32 -0700 2009 5077743 1104013 Normandie 5 5077799 darling, i say next time make them some ramen and keep on keeping on with your meals. >.< Sun Oct 04 06:42:08 -0700 2009 5077792 57801 lollya 6 5077805 Ahaha! Will do; it will be fun to find out what deep-seated, neurotic fear noodles invoke in them. :-D Seriously, though, lollya, I didn't want to hijack the thread or anything like that with tales from the Dark Side here. I just want to encourage Judy to plan what she feels enthusiastic about cooking this Thanksgiving. She sounds like a very nice, very positive person, who is understandably excited about finally being able to have Thanksgiving in her home. It's clear she's going to go out of her way to give everybody a loving welcome, and that's what matters. Go for it, Judy! Sun Oct 04 06:46:51 -0700 2009 5077799 1104013 Normandie 3 5083684 I love lamb, but would never serve it to guests without asking first if they ate it. Many Americans and Asians, in particular, loathe it. Tue Oct 06 14:47:46 -0700 2009 5077441 11995 pikawicca 4 5084633 I don't know about Asians, pikawicca. I've never known it to be regarded in the areas I've lived in any differently than other meats. Spring lamb, for example, is a tradition in New England. I don't know whether or not we live in the same region, though. May just be the people I've known. Wed Oct 07 00:07:17 -0700 2009 5083684 1104013 Normandie 5 5084927 I love lamb but most of my Southeast Asian family finds the smell and flavor off-putting. Of course when it comes to shrimp paste they adore the complex bouquet and flavor! Wed Oct 07 06:17:54 -0700 2009 5084633 68363 JungMann 6 5085005 It's interesting, to wonder where cultural imprints may have come from originally. It seems like most societies have something or other they consider...I don't know, almost dirty...but in other places they might be even delicacies. Lamb is traditional here in New England because from the first half of the Nineteenth Century, it was here, and plentiful--in many places, much more so than cattle. Lamb were raised and kept for the wool, so it was a convenient food source, too, in an environment that wasn't always friendly to agriculture. So if we look at any region, necessity may have played a part, too. (Thinking of the access to marine sources of food in SE Asia and the shrimp.) Wed Oct 07 06:45:24 -0700 2009 5084927 1104013 Normandie 7 5157296 It is very cultural. When I lived in the States, I missed lamb a lot. Aside from a brief stint in California, I only saw imported lamb in the supermarkets. Here in South Africa, lamb is extremely popular. Interestingly, we don't export it though because most lamb feed off indigenous shrubs and grasses, which gives the meat a very distinctive spicy flavour. Which our export markets don't like! More for us, I say. Thu Nov 05 00:26:05 -0800 2009 5085005 10431 Gooseberry 6 5085016 I love lamb but don't serve it to company very often, because I know a lot of people that hate it. My one friend tells the story of flying to Minnesota to see an old friend, who told him his wife was making a very special dinner for him because they were so happy to see him. When he found out at the dinner table that it was lamb, he was nauseated, didn't eat any although I don't think he said anything either. But he still talks about it to everyone else to this day, like he was in a horror movie. So I never want to make that mistake. On the other hand, my nieces and a boyfriend visited from California last year, they stayed for several days so I wanted to make something different every night. When I told my sister my plan, she said well I don't think they've ever really eaten lamb and it may not go over, but go ahead. So I roasted a whole leg marinaded like a gyro and served with pita and dressings, and they went back to California telling everyone how much they love lamb. Wed Oct 07 06:47:51 -0700 2009 5084927 11097 coll 7 5085143 Coll, me too. Lamb or pork is our most often eaten meat. I prosletize lamb. I often serve like you do , just to win converts. I just wish I could find mutton up here! Wed Oct 07 07:40:59 -0700 2009 5085016 93538 Passadumkeg 8 5086685 I don't like lamb at all so would never ever serve to guests. I have foodie *friends* who are convinced I will like lamb when they fix it ~~ and they do and have ~~ and I absolutely do NOT Wed Oct 07 15:35:29 -0700 2009 5085143 109905 laliz 5 5092281 When we moved to the midwest 30 years ago, virtually no one ate lamb. Fri Oct 09 16:27:49 -0700 2009 5084633 11995 pikawicca 4 5124486 I absolutely love lamb, and have greatly enjoyed every experience in which I've had it. My husband absolutely hates it, so I never get to cook it, and only get to order it at Indian restaurants when we go with other couples who like it and we order many dishes. This from the guy who happily eats just about everything under the sun and loves all sorts of game. I don't understand it, but lamb does certainly seem to be very polarizing. Thu Oct 22 23:00:00 -0700 2009 5083684 155583 modthyrth 5 5128043 A British friend once pointed out, correctly, to me that here we have mutton, not lamb. But i've served it several times, the first two not realizing that one guest with a standing invitations was feeding his to my dog under the table! He told me years later. And when I serve it now it comes with sherried Brussels sprouts and roasted beets! Best to just get it all out of the way at once, and offer fair warnig! Sat Oct 24 14:42:40 -0700 2009 5124486 1101903 lil magill 6 5131900 You really mean that? A British friend of mine pointed out that here we have lamb, not mutton, which fact he lamented greatly. I live in Toronto, and I've always found what is sold as "lamb" here to be pretty mild-tasting and small-boned. Mon Oct 26 10:42:47 -0700 2009 5128043 19782 Full tummy 7 5150183 What's sold as lamb in the US is sort of inbetween true lamb and mutton. I don't think I ever realized it until I had real spring lamb on a recent trip to Argentina: I saw the whole lambs cooking over the fire, and they were tiny -- no more than 10-20 pounds, dressed. Maybe 20-40 pounds on the hoof. Here's the definitions from wikipedia: Lamb — a young sheep that is less than one year old Baby lamb — a milk-fed lamb between six and eight weeks old Spring lamb — a milk-fed lamb, usually three to five months old, born in late winter or early spring and sold usually before July 1 Yearling lamb — a young sheep between 12 and 24 months old. Milk-fed lamb — meat from an unweaned lamb, typically 4 to 6 weeks old and weighing 5.5 to 8 kg; this is almost unavailable in countries such as the USA and the UK, where it is considered uneconomic. The flavour and texture of milk-fed lamb when grilled (such as the tiny lamb chops known as chuletillas in Spain) or roasted (lechazo asado or cordero lechal asado) is generally thought to be finer than that of older lamb. The areas in northern Spain where this can be found include Asturias, Cantabria, Castile and León, and La Rioja. Milk-fed lambs (and kids) are especially prized for Easter in Greece, when they are roasted on a spit. I think most lamb in the U.S. is around a year old. Mon Nov 02 14:20:35 -0800 2009 5131900 10159 Ruth Lafler 8 5153699 Thanks! According to that Wikipedia page, lamb, mutton, etc. have different definitions in different countries. Important to remember that in Indian restaurants, mutton often refers to goat!!! I grew up on a farm just outside of Ottawa, Canada, and our sheep definitely went off to the butcher well under a year old. I now live in Toronto, and much of the lamb we get in stores here is actually from New Zealand and labelled as "New Zealand spring lamb", so would fall under the NZ definition of spring lamb--definitely not anywhere near mutton. According to a local butcher shop, "the term "spring lamb" refers to a lamb between 3 and 5 months...over 1 year...is referred to as a yearling. Over 2 years...is called mutton." http://www.thehealthybutcher.com/livetoeat/volume10/LiveToEat-Volume10-BreakingDownTheLamb.html A 20 - 40 pound lamb would be very young, indeed, since when they're born, they're usually around 10 pounds already. I would suspect those lambs were no more than a month or two old, as by three months, a lamb could easily weigh 70+ pounds, which is closer to what ours were when they went to slaughter. Again, though, they weren't even yearlings, so nowhere near mutton. By the Wikipedia definitions, I suspect the lambs you had in Argentina were actually baby lambs, not spring lamb, though they might have called them spring lamb in Argentina -- is that the case? That said, I have no idea what kind of "lamb" is commonplace in the U.S., and I suspect there is some regional variation, as well. Tue Nov 03 17:47:34 -0800 2009 5150183 19782 Full tummy 7 5153719 For more information, see: http://www.articlealley.com/article_872091_26.html Tue Nov 03 17:56:51 -0800 2009 5131900 19782 Full tummy 6 5136411 Really depends where you get it. I have a couple of butchers who can get good lamb that bears about as much resemblance to mutton as a tom turkey does to squab. Tue Oct 27 21:46:20 -0700 2009 5128043 130151 dmd_kc 3 5091350 I like to put food on the table that I know that people will eat. I usually provide a variety as most of my family (including me) are foreign and things like pumpkin pie don't appeal to them but I enjoy it. So, we put out a big spread to try and please all. I have had wonderful holiday guests and the guests from h*ll. My wonderful guests try something and if they don't like it they put it aside as there is plenty of other things to munch on. My guests from h*ll want to know where I have bought the meat or turkey, is it halaal or kosher or organic? Did the mac & chs come out of a box and if so which brand? That was someone else's little brat, not mine. His mother thought it was cute. I didn't, I thought it was bad breeding. Then he begged his mom to take him out for fast food. I would never dare go into someone else's home and demand to know if the meat is organic which is my preference, or where it was purchased. I take a small piece, eat it, and if it's good go back for more. I have gotten to a point where this lot are simply not welcome over for a holiday meal as their attitudes are insulting to say the least. Fri Oct 09 10:58:37 -0700 2009 5077441 1108367 MRich33392 4 5111589 I hadn't been here in a week or so, M, so I just now saw your post. His mother thought it was cute? You know...little kids and puppies can do naughty things that may seem cute if they happen once, but we know they need to be corrected before they become a bad habit...so even if we have to turn our heads away for a minute to stifle a smile or laugh, we then usually correct them. Nothing like that, eh? I'm really pretty lucky because, other than the two I described, we generally have the wonderful-type holiday guests you speak of having. But I've also gotten to the point generally where I don't put up with rudeness much anymore, as you mention in your last sentence. Life is too short not to spend it with happy people, and, I don't know, maybe it's me, but I usually find that happy people have manners. Sat Oct 17 22:58:19 -0700 2009 5091350 1104013 Normandie 2 5078421 ABSOLUTELY. People like what they are used too. I tried some years ago to upgrade Thanksgiving dinner and on reflection accepted that our guests EXPECTED what they were primed for. Express yourself but resist deviating too much from the familiar. Best. dick dick Sun Oct 04 13:05:27 -0700 2009 5071359 148516 mr jig 3 5128098 My experience with my mid-west family -- and a friend's with her Alabama family as well -- is that dressing up a meal will provoke them into thinking you're trying to be uppity. Sorry, "aw uppity" in the proper vernacular. I've learned to sidestep holidays with those folks or try to let it run off like water on a duck's back. If it'smy meal they came to eat, they'll get the famous greenbean casserole and they can bring along a can of sauce. I'll dump it on a plate and put it on the sideboard.... But ain't nobody bringing a jar of gravy into my house..... Sat Oct 24 15:07:53 -0700 2009 5078421 1101903 lil magill 1 5071376 I think rworange has a good point about thanksgiving being about the classics. Fortunately for me, I have family and friends who love my interpretations of the classics and the extra goodies we throw in for fun. I say go nuts! I can't narrow down my favorite dish. Last year, I hosted a party with these dishes and it was talked about for months afterwards. I never felt more appreciated as a cook. My thanksgiving spread would not be complete wihout my deep-fried, wine/herb citrus brined turkey. Last year, I made a delicious roast of heirloom tomatoes with cippolini onions and stonehouse blood orange olive oil, maldon sea saltm fresh thyme and pepper. It vanished. I also decided to make Lee Ann Wong's turducken roulade. This was so delicious, but I was very nervous about the chicken mouse. Let me tell you, it rocked! http://www.hulu.com/watch/3861/top-chef-turducken Last year, I ran out of time before going to Panera Bread for stuffing bread. All they had left was a classic white loaf as well as a sun dried tomato loaf. Well, I bought both loaves. I took a dare with the sun dried tomato loaf in the stuffing. I threw in a pound of mild jalapeno/bacon duck sausage, sage, onions, carrots, celery and butter. I cut the different breads in slightly uneven dice for a rustic quality. It was extremely well recieved and I look foward to making it again this year. The stuffing had a subdued, yet bright flavor that was a nice complement to the richness of all the other offerings. It paired very well with the tomatoes. One of these days, I will start writing down recipes. This year, I will make savory onion marmalade in addition to delicious home made gravy. Home made gravy is a tough feat when you deep fry a turkey. For my gravy, I used trader joes organic chicken broth reduced by about one half along with roasted chcken bones, turkey giblets and scraps from the turducken roulade to make a savory stock which was thickened with a little cornstarch, fresh herbs, minced onions and garlic. It was very good. Anyone who prefers canned gravy at my party can lay an egg. =) Jellied cranberry sauce cut along the tin lines is always welcome! I tried making a fancy cranberry sauce a few years back and it solidified on the table. It wasn't pretty. Green bean casserole is about the only thing I make where tradition rings true every year. My piece de resistance is my own potato dish. I make a truffled potato risotto with shitake mushrooms and loads of cream and parmesan reggiano that my friends go ape over. Its basically a gratin, but the potatos are cut in a ultra small dice and cooked "al dente." I remove the potatoes when they are still somewhat raw and make a sofrito of minced onions, garlic, rosemary, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Then I add the cream and parmesan cheese (by the cupful!) until combined and throw the potatoes back in for a few minutes. The potatos soak in the cream and cheese mixture and it gets nice and thick (reverse order of the true risotto technique). I pour them into a large casserole dish and top it with a layer of sauted shitake and crimini mushrooms right down the center of the dish lengthwise (truffle oil is added if its around). I love the reaction to this dish. Its probably 1000 calories a cup, but it tastes so good. I do have the recipe typed out for this one! =) I am glad that I am not the only one who is looking forward to thanksgiving as much as you! I keep it classic, but the foodie in me always twists things up a bit. Its never too early for feeling greatful of your friends and family! Thu Oct 01 00:06:39 -0700 2009 5071316 107040 zendrive 2 5071736 I would love to have your recipe for your potato dish. It sounds fantastic. Your onion marmalade also sounds great. It would work well because we have a deep fried turkey to. Thu Oct 01 06:41:55 -0700 2009 5071376 95843 Living4fun 2 5081844 "Last year, I made a delicious roast of heirloom tomatoes with cippolini onions and stonehouse blood orange olive oil, maldon sea saltm fresh thyme and pepper" What! OMG...that will not wait for Thanksgiving....do you still get fresh heirloom tomatoes late November where you are, or would this, by some act of God, be something you can prepare ahead and freeze? Mon Oct 05 23:15:09 -0700 2009 5071376 39504 Shrinkrap 3 5092306 that really does sound phenomenal.... please share! Fri Oct 09 16:38:47 -0700 2009 5081844 264146 kubasd 1 5071502 RW Has a point, but I think if you've suffered all these years, it's your turn. It's only fair :) Thu Oct 01 04:44:28 -0700 2009 5071316 180623 Soop 1 5071506 Gazed chestnuts with haricots verts--the biggest problem is that I almost have to double the glazed chestnuts because I can't stop eating them. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Glazed-Chestnuts-with-Haricots-Verts-108894 Sweet potato casserole--I know this is more like dessert than a side and I would never have tried this recipe, but someone brought it to a dinner once and it was so good. It's the one dish that people always ask for the recipe: http://whatdidyoueat.typepad.com/what_did_you_eat/2006/11/ruths_chris_swe.html Thu Oct 01 04:50:38 -0700 2009 5071316 39874 chowser 2 5072090 Oh my gosh how'd I miss a dish that involves Sortilège?? I definitely have to make this for thanksgiving! (which for me means next weekend!) Thu Oct 01 08:47:19 -0700 2009 5071506 138472 maplesugar 2 5073969 Thank you! The one thing I was up in the air about was a green bean dish, this will do very nicely! Fri Oct 02 02:03:57 -0700 2009 5071506 11097 coll 2 5075708 oooohhh those chestnut/beans look sooo good. One Christmas I spent far too long making a Joel Robouchon recipe involving chestnuts, fennel, little onions ... forget what else. It took longer than I expected, and my thumbs were sore and discolored from the chestnuts, but it was the perfect addition to the turkey dinner. Sadly the yield was small for all that hard work. I think these beans will be the new replacement! Fri Oct 02 19:50:32 -0700 2009 5071506 1093156 cinnamon girl 2 5077463 Oh, chowser, those chestnuts sound SO good. I think they're going to have to find their way onto one of my holiday menus this year. TY for posting the link. Sat Oct 03 21:32:52 -0700 2009 5071506 1104013 Normandie 1 5071535 I love hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Last year I decided to use only organic food items, everything from the turkey to the cornstarch in the chocolate cream pie. It was really, really expensive. I will still incorporate some of these items, though not all. I learned to compromise. Like RW, I had family members who love the canned cranberry sauce, so now I have learned to serve it along with my own homemade cranberry applesauce which I really love. As it turns out both kinds disappear. Sausage stuffing is a must in our home, and we cook some inside the turkey and some out. I have a niece who is wild about fruit so I make a fresh fruit cup every year, which can also get expensive because I use blackberries, raspberries and blueberries which aren't in season, but taste so good. Sometimes I serve the fruit cup in antique glassware, once I served it in hollowed out orange shells, I like to vary the presentation. Dessert is all about pies, pies, pies. My mother in law is the Queen of apple pie, so she makes a few of those. She also makes pumpkin pie. I like to make blueberry pie, sometimes a cherry pie if I can find good cherries, and always a chocolate cream pie. It's a huge favorite. Vanilla ice cream and fresh whipped cream on the side. Thu Oct 01 05:14:45 -0700 2009 5071316 10726 TrishUntrapped 1 5071581 Over the last few years, I have fallen in love with three recipes for thanksgiving: 1) mush/fennel bread pudding 2) ginger cream lemon scalloped sweet potato 3) 4 onion gratin All to die for: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Four-Onion-Gratin-2558 http://www.chow.com/recipes/11145 http://noblepig.com/2008/08/09/the-ugly-stepsista.aspx Have fun!!! Thu Oct 01 05:42:41 -0700 2009 5071316 49588 lexpatti 1 5071657 not traditional anywhere but in my family, but we have potato dumplings as the main starch on thanksgiving. yum Thu Oct 01 06:16:40 -0700 2009 5071316 135229 thew 1 5071924 I like making a small bowl of cold chopped cranberry salad (there is one on the back of some frozen ocean spray bags that calls for orange zest and a TON of sugar, but you can do better than that). For those times when you're temporarily too full of rich/warm/solid foods to keep going, but you can't...stop...eating... Thu Oct 01 07:55:35 -0700 2009 5071316 1112998 clacidic 1 5071961 We had a pretty fobby Asian interpretation of Thanksgiving until I was 12 and offered to make the entire Thanksgiving dinner myself. With some help from American relatives I learned the basics. Now our traditional meal always includes whipped sweet potatoes with maple topping, ginger cranberry relish, turkey with prosciutto-hazelnut butter, mashed potatoes, dressing with Italian sausage, chicken and crab gumbo and, of course, giblet gravy. Thu Oct 01 08:06:47 -0700 2009 5071316 68363 JungMann 2 5086092 That's funny. I've *had* "pretty fobby Asian interpretations" of Thanksgiving. However, the Chinese "dry sauteed string beans" (if done authentically) are a fine substitute for the worn-out, frizzled-onion-topped green bean casserole. I also have a great recipe for pumpkin pie which calls for Five Spice Powder instead of the usual spice culprits. It's absolutely delicious, and not too sweet. Wed Oct 07 12:40:14 -0700 2009 5071961 270888 shaogo 3 5087407 "However, the Chinese "dry sauteed string beans" (if done authentically) are a fine substitute for the worn-out, frizzled-onion-topped green bean casserole." Lies. All lies (though I would still love your recipe). I grew up on Asian long beans, though I suppose it was regular green beans in November. But when I went to my first Thanksgiving away from home, the mother sheepishly offered me green bean casserole (replete with Campbell's and French's) and it was the most amazingly exotic dish I had ever eaten. I raved about it for days until she introduced me to "Frito casserole." Then we had a new exotic winner. Wed Oct 07 20:55:19 -0700 2009 5086092 68363 JungMann 4 5088007 JungMann, you and I are opposites. The first time you had green been casserole is like the first time I ever had wu cai gee ("rainbow" chicken with five colored vegetables) in a *real* Chinese restaurant. I'd never order chow mein again! About green beans: we *never* make dry sauteed string beans with long beans (I call long beans "cow beans"). We braise long beans in stock. Dry-sauteed are as follows: 4 tbs. Cooking oil (peatnut or soy are best) 1 lb. String beans, stringed, with ends removed but left whole otherwise 3 tbs. Yibin ya cai (preserved bean sprouts from Yibin in Sichuan province) 1 tsp. very finely minced garlic Salt, pepper and MSG (optional) to taste Get a wok smoking hot. Add the oil and the beans and stir fry very rapidly and vigorously until the beans start to get scorched (whitish lines) on the outside. Add the Yibin ya cai and garlic and stir fry some more. Reduce the heat and season with salt, pepper (and, if you wish, MSG). That's it. They're just great with all sorts of "meat and potatoes" dishes. Thu Oct 08 07:33:55 -0700 2009 5087407 270888 shaogo 2 5095088 JungMann, our experiences sound similar. I also initiated the coup at 12, the same year I started cooking basics, and have done the meal every year since then. Since my family still eats Cantonese homecooking nearly every day of the year, and (fortunately) are very adventurous eaters, I'm given a lot of room to do whatever I want. Last year it was turkey with a chili lime glaze, giblet gravy, orange cranberry relish, jalapeno cornbread, green beans sauteed with dried shrimp and ginger (the green bean casserole, which I'd had at my classmates' houses and adored, was vetoed the first time I made it), roasted garlic mashed potatoes, avocado salad with cilantro and lime, and chicken corn chowder. Pumpkin flan for dessert. A bonus of serving exotic/foreign foods, I've found, is that they're received with very few expectations -- little to no pressure! Sun Oct 11 10:50:06 -0700 2009 5071961 14388 theannerska 2 5095139 Forgot a few things -- traumatic amnesia...we also had elote (with crumbled cotija, homemade mayo, cayenne, and lime), sweet potato fries with homemade aioli, and chorizo stuffing. And, while guests were filtering in, some (much-needed) margaritas, goodhealthgourmet's black bean dip, and Tostitos lime chips -- by that point, I really wasn't up for making those from scratch. Sun Oct 11 11:25:38 -0700 2009 5071961 14388 theannerska 1 5071982 <enter Thanksgiving Scrooge>. I am thrilled you are thrilled about hosting Thanksgiving. I've hosted Thankgiving for 20+ years and will be thrilled the day I get to turn it over to my daughter and I get to watch football, drink wine, and not have a care in the world :-) Having said that my three favorite dishes are pumpkin pie (I make the recipe from LIbby's and double the spices...it's my traditional Fri morning breakfast after T'giving Day), my brother's sweet potatoes with fresh pineapple and rum and his Oystew Stew Florentine. If you want the potato or stew recipe, just let me know :-) Thu Oct 01 08:11:23 -0700 2009 5071316 11990 Janet from Richmond 2 5073251 I would like the sweet potato recipe please! Thu Oct 01 16:17:36 -0700 2009 5071982 173425 Jen76 2 5073636 I would love the oyster stew recipe! I live in oyster central, Washington, but that's not the sort of recipe you see much out here. Thu Oct 01 19:33:24 -0700 2009 5071982 64882 Vetter 2 5192307 I would love the oyster stew recipe please! Wed Nov 18 13:35:29 -0800 2009 5071982 28254 sagestrat 1 5072014 Ours is usually pretty simple, with only a few people over. My favourite thing though is the gravy. I generally have dinner with the in-laws who before only had powdered gravy. We now do both kinds, and both disappear, usually with everybody taking a little of each for various dishes :) My mom always took the turkey gizzards, and fried the liver (do not clean the pan afterward), and boil the neck and other parts to make a broth in about 2-4 ish cups of well salted water (sometimes we use chicken or turkey stock). Puree the liver with a bit of the broth. Melt some butter in the pan you used to cook the liver in, and add some flour. brown slightly, then add the liquid, and boil until done. As to the mashed potatoes, I personally like them a little chunky, but that seems to be unique in my circle, so I just suck it up and enjoy the whipped potatoes, remembering to make chunky potatoes to go with the leftovers I'll take home. My grandma always made fruit salad too as an appetizer/dessert (made early in the day and snacked upon throughout), usually using apples, strawberries, grapes, canned peaches and canned pears. Just slice, and mix with home-made, full-fat, luscious vanilla whipped cream. Thu Oct 01 08:22:20 -0700 2009 5071316 285186 Popkin 1 5072149 Mashed potatoes with clarified butter, and a good sprinkling of sea salt and parsely. Save the gravy for the turkey breast meat ... Thu Oct 01 09:08:55 -0700 2009 5071316 11583 ipsedixit 2 5075608 I've never heard of clarifying butter for mashed potatoes. Why do you do it? Fri Oct 02 18:14:28 -0700 2009 5072149 11995 pikawicca 2 5075709 yes to the gravy for the breast meat and don't forget the hot turkey sandwich the next day. I'm curious abt the advantage of clarified butter in the spuds too. Fri Oct 02 19:52:02 -0700 2009 5072149 1093156 cinnamon girl 1 5072151 JudiAU, I applaud your enthusiasm and CH spirit! Here's wishing you a very delicious Thanksgiving dinner! A holiday favorite of ours is to start off with this hearty soup: Apple Butternut Squash Soup Saute 3 c chopped onion, 1/2 tsp mace, 1 tsp ginger in 4 Tbs butter til soft. Add 3 medium butternut squash, chopped, 3 granny smiths, peeled and chopped, 5 c chicken broth. Bring to boil then simmer til squash soft ( ~ 25 minutes) Drain the squash and save the broth. In batches puree squash with 1 c broth. Return to pot , add the rest of the broth and 2 cups of apple juice. Season with salt & pepper and a dash of freshly ground nutmeg. Thu Oct 01 09:09:55 -0700 2009 5071316 36312 HillJ 1 5072254 can I just say, as someone who makes good gravy and has made many a TDay Dinner, keep a jar or two of gravy in the pantry "just in case". Things happen. Tha's all I'm sayin' my personal favorite thangsgiving dish is the day after sandwich with turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce (Ocean Spray), lettuce and mayo on whole wheat toast. We serve vegetarians, low carbers, diabetics, small children, and those who indulge at our table, so everything is fair game and on the table. Thu Oct 01 09:36:11 -0700 2009 5071316 109905 laliz 2 5072283 I buy a container of gravy from a local market's prepared food section and if my gravy happens to go awry or we run out, there is a reasonable Plan B easy enough to execute. Thu Oct 01 09:46:02 -0700 2009 5072254 11990 Janet from Richmond 3 5073508 What a great idea!!! I remember one Thanksgiving when the gravy just tasted disgusting and it required a great amount of sweat, stress, and fixing to get it to edible. Thu Oct 01 18:24:51 -0700 2009 5072283 19782 Full tummy 4 5073593 Williams Sonoma sells a great jar of gravy that works in a pinch. It always seems to sell out so buy early. Flavour is good. Thu Oct 01 19:08:36 -0700 2009 5073508 173282 beggsy 5 5075401 I have to disagree. This is the stuff that has been terrorizing me for years. Fri Oct 02 15:44:04 -0700 2009 5073593 10099 JudiAU 6 5075726 Too funny. As is the title of your post. However, I had Wm Sonoma gravy for the first time last year - first time i'd ever had any pre-fab gravy and it was pretty good. And it was at a friend's who makes everything herself . . . like, the bread for bread pudding. So I was pretty surprised. That said, she didn't just heat it up and serve ... she put it in the roasting pan with all the drippings. I think she deglazed w something first. FYI only . . . I"m just sayin' . . . Fri Oct 02 20:02:45 -0700 2009 5075401 1093156 cinnamon girl 6 5077016 Our family had Thanksgiving for many years at the restaurant of relatives-in-laws. They closed the restaurant, everyone brought their special side dish or dessert and they did the turkeys. One year I found out they had bought commercial prepared gravy and I was scandalized. The gravy is the best part! Lately my SO has been brining turkeys and we thought the drippings would probably be too salty. So my contribution to the meals has been gravy. I buy fresh turkey wings and other parts at Whole Foods (had trouble finding the fresh parts elsewhere) and made gravy from that. At last. Good gravy again. Sat Oct 03 15:57:26 -0700 2009 5075401 123744 karykat 7 5077386 Did you try turning the drippings into gravy? Just curious. I've made brined poultry gravy and it's turned out great. I do deglaze with a little white wine though figuring the acid will help mitigate against the salt. Also, I make a light chicken/turkey stock with the neck and giblets and don't add salt. (Which feels weird at the time.) Sat Oct 03 20:36:00 -0700 2009 5077016 1093156 cinnamon girl 8 5077873 This is easy gravy and it makes a lot. Simmer the giblets and neck with onions, parsley, celery, a clove of garlic, salt and pepper in water for an hour or two. IN another pot, brown a bunch of sliced mushrooms in butter. Strain the giblet broth into the mushrooms, add a shot of sherry, and the brown bits from the turkey pan after you remove the turkey and fat from it. Shake up some flour with cream or whole milk in a jar, with a bit of paprika, and add it to the gravy to thicken. Make sure it simmers for a while to cook the flour. Fabulous gravy, and there's always enough. Sun Oct 04 07:28:10 -0700 2009 5077386 45208 somervilleoldtimer 8 5077987 The drippings from a brined bird can be turned into gravy, but other, unsalted, liquids will need to be added to the drippings, in my experience. Sun Oct 04 08:34:24 -0700 2009 5077386 19782 Full tummy 9 5078231 I have heard of good experiences with brined turkey drippings since last Thanksgiving. Maybe I will give that a try this year. I like to be sure I have lots of gravy though. For the potatoes, the stuffing, all the leftovers . . . . . Sun Oct 04 11:13:45 -0700 2009 5077987 123744 karykat 10 5111313 The drippings have never been salty in my experience, you can use it as you would any pan drippings for gravy, etc. Doesn't end up making the stuffing salty, either. Sat Oct 17 18:59:52 -0700 2009 5078231 133381 mcf 11 5119475 Oh, we're very light salt users, in general, but I know everybody has different standards/preferences. I do find the drippings from a brined bird to be somewhat saltier than from a non-brined bird, and also the meat is slightly saltier, too, so it's something people may just want to be aware of. Our brined bird was rinsed this year and the gravy was still the saltiest part of the meal, even though I didn't add any salt to it... Wed Oct 21 07:41:26 -0700 2009 5111313 19782 Full tummy 8 5128063 I agree. I always thaw in brine -- sugar and salt both -- and the brine does not adversely affect anything. I also baste 3 x per hour with stock fortfied with a dab of boullion, celery, carrot, bay and balsamic to produce a gloriously chestnut-colored, shiny crisp skin! All vinegar acid cooks out and it has a fabulous flavor. Adding the liver to your gravy can make it cloud, but I always do it anyway. Sat Oct 24 14:54:49 -0700 2009 5077386 1101903 lil magill 9 5163272 what if you're planning on smoking your brined bird on a grill? how can i make gravy if i can't collect drippings? Sat Nov 07 09:10:08 -0800 2009 5128063 13592 isadorasmama 10 5163660 You might want to buy some turkey wings, and use them, along with the heart, neck, etc., that's found in the cavity of the bird, to make a stock with some onions (you can leave the skins on to add more brown colour), carrots, celery, herbs, bay leaves, etc. Then, thicken as you would normally. If worst comes to worst, use chicken stock, as I did. Oh, and you will want to reduce your stock till you have the right flavour for a gravy. Sat Nov 07 13:14:03 -0800 2009 5163272 19782 Full tummy 1 5072273 some of the things that are always on the table at thanksgiving cranberry sauce with apples/pears/oranges/grandmarnier parker house rolls mashed potatoes with cream fraiche and lots of butter (mountains of this!!) roasted root veggies dressed up various ways (marjoram and balsamic) fennel salad with citrus, sauteed fennel or fennel gratin green bean almondine or brussel sprout and bacon warm rum raisin apple pie and brown sugar rum ice cream lots and lots of cookies and marshmallows next to the fire. Thu Oct 01 09:42:10 -0700 2009 5071316 133265 jeniyo 2 5073801 This isn't real right? This is the fantasy Thanksgiving! lol Do you make your own parker house rolls, Jeniyo? I've yet to make them and am thinking of giving it a go so . . . anything you'd like to share would be welcome. Oh - and what time's dinner?????????? :-) Thu Oct 01 21:37:22 -0700 2009 5072273 1093156 cinnamon girl 3 5075434 it's true! this my cooking week of the year. I love making a mess and a house that smells like sausages and butter.... mmm i make my own parker house rolls. these make great vessel for leftover turkey sandwiches. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Parker-House-Rolls-102605 oh yeah, it sound disturbing to my friends but (!) - my sister raised 4 turkeys for the holidays for such an occasion. the real test of zacky farms, the expensive organic turkey in fancy stores and sister's free range, organic, turkey that has places to roam around in the backyard! every year, it is hosted at my mom's house. i'd lug half my kitchen to her house =) luckily, my husband understand... =) cuz he gets fed, in a very big way.... Fri Oct 02 16:07:15 -0700 2009 5073801 133265 jeniyo 4 5075719 Gosh - you're like the purest food expression of thanksgiving. You should write an article about it all. Who wouldn't want to read about the home-raised turkeys and all this good food?! Thanks for the link. Am going to give the rolls a go now that it's starting to really feel like fall. Fri Oct 02 19:57:55 -0700 2009 5075434 1093156 cinnamon girl 4 5077707 What do you use the sausages for? I cook Thanksgiving at my mother's too. How far away is your mother? My brother used to raise the turkeys which were wonderful. But the kids grew up and he got a job outside the home and can't any more. Sun Oct 04 05:28:36 -0700 2009 5075434 11076 AGM_Cape_Cod 2 5077953 Oh, my word, does that all sound good, jeniyo! I think you just planned my Thanksgiving menu for me. I'm not kidding. I'll add my favorite squash pie and something chocolate for the addicts (including me), but otherwise...that sounds perfect. Well done. Sun Oct 04 08:16:15 -0700 2009 5072273 1104013 Normandie 2 5086818 Oh my! Brown sugar rum ice cream! Homemade? Wed Oct 07 16:36:30 -0700 2009 5072273 11962 Athena 3 5091159 it's crazy but yes, it is homemade. luckily i get to make this days ahead, so it wasn't much trouble at all. it is simply awesome... last year, we auctioned off the ice cream container to take home, mom won, of course =) while we are on the subject - how do you guys feel about making your own pumpkin puree vs. libby's canned stuff? is it worth the steaming, peeling, pureeing, and pushing it through a fine mesh??? Fri Oct 09 09:59:22 -0700 2009 5086818 133265 jeniyo 4 5091257 >>> how do you guys feel about making your own pumpkin puree vs. libby's canned stuff My vote is don't do it. Even though I'm not much of a cook it is rare ... really, really rare that even in a good restaurant that I am served a decent pumpkin pie starting from pumpkin. First, you have to find the right pumpkin. Don't use a jack o lantern ... too watery. Even when using the right sort of cooking pumpkin the taste and texture is off. Then again, make one once for the experience ... but have a backup using canned 'pumpkin' (its really squash). Does anyone see a pattern here with me about experiment all you want but do the regular version as well as a backup? Fri Oct 09 10:24:50 -0700 2009 5091159 10264 rworange 4 5091303 I believe CI felt canned was better. Fri Oct 09 10:38:07 -0700 2009 5091159 39504 Shrinkrap 4 5092163 No, no, no, it's not worth it. Fri Oct 09 15:44:05 -0700 2009 5091159 19782 Full tummy 5 5092297 Sorry, from the garden to the pie shell. There is a diff in flavor, fresh and subtle. Cans should be banned from T-day. Fri Oct 09 16:32:43 -0700 2009 5092163 93538 Passadumkeg 6 5092360 I didn't say there's no difference, just that it's not worth it, to me, and others, apparently. Fri Oct 09 17:11:22 -0700 2009 5092297 19782 Full tummy 7 5092373 Lack of experience. Taste is not democratic or we'd all be eating Turkey at Mikkey Dee's. Sorry. Buy a pie at the supermercado. I despise canned pumpkin pie, all allspice, but home made "punkin" is a fave. There is something esoteric about the garden to table experience. Sorry again. Same w/ a hunted, shot, plucked and baked turkey. Grizzly Dumukeg Fri Oct 09 17:21:32 -0700 2009 5092360 93538 Passadumkeg 8 5092390 No doubt... I grow a number of "crops" in my yard, but I'd have to wrangle a pumpkin away from the raccoons before wrangling with it in the kitchen. So, alas, this experience is not to be gained in my city plot. Fri Oct 09 17:32:19 -0700 2009 5092373 19782 Full tummy 9 5092407 Great. Raccon is also a traditional T-day meal. My problem was your "there's no difference...to me and others, apparently." this typical advertising "band wagon" and not for Chowhound. Truth is beauty and beauty is truth. Give thanks for all we have. Fri Oct 09 17:41:01 -0700 2009 5092390 93538 Passadumkeg 10 5092572 No, no, no, I didn't say there's no difference!!! I said it's not worth it. Just my opinion, admittedly, but very different than saying there's no difference. Oh, and I meant to add a link to this other thread about just this topic: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/658203 Fri Oct 09 19:21:38 -0700 2009 5092407 19782 Full tummy 9 5092493 I want to roast some pumpkin stuffed raccoon guts! Thatta'd be some fine Thanksgivin vittles! Fri Oct 09 18:19:38 -0700 2009 5092390 137946 Scargod 8 5092717 Wanna explain how canned pumpkin has allspice in it? Fri Oct 09 20:54:39 -0700 2009 5092373 17548 BarmyFotheringayPhipps 8 5092910 I think we are talking about canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix. The canned pumpkin is great for so many things besides pie and is 100% pumpkin (not winter squash) as long as you get Libbys. Nothing added,including spices. Now as far as the pumpkin mix, I don't let anyone mess with my spices, and would never use for anything. Sat Oct 10 02:24:22 -0700 2009 5092373 11097 coll 9 5124035 I agree. I would never bother with fresh pumpkin when canned pumpkin is so good. Not pumpkin pie filling; canned pumpkin Thu Oct 22 18:01:42 -0700 2009 5092910 109905 laliz 10 5124365 That is exactly what I used, and my pie turned out great. Apparently, however, some of us like hunting fresh, live pumpkins in the wilds of their gardens!!! Thu Oct 22 20:55:55 -0700 2009 5124035 19782 Full tummy 4 5092757 Here is what cooks illustrated ays http://www.cooksillustrated.com/howto/detail.asp?docid=1302 Fri Oct 09 21:33:33 -0700 2009 5091159 39504 Shrinkrap 4 5153214 See, I was all for the Libby's variety until I got my first true pie pumpkin this Halloween (Cub scout project) and did the whole roast and rice thing. I found the flavor to be much better. And, if you've got a ricer, the whole prep was relatively simple. Slice, seed/de-junk and roast on tinfoil - 1 hour at 350. Tent the the foil to let it steam as it cools. Once cool, scrape flesh into ricer. I found the stuff just fell off the peel into the ricer basket. Squish contents directly into measuring cup. The pumpkin even came with a pie recipe-produce code sticker that is in my cookbook notiebook. Super-super easy. Especially if you make up the pumpkin mash the week before and freeze it to use later. The key to this is the ricer. it made life so much easier for so many reasons. like potatos, sweet potatos, spatzle,.. I just realized how much I use the thing. Anyway, the pie just seemed to have a deeper richer flavor and was less sweet and more robust that my ordinary p-pie. Your milage may vary. Tue Nov 03 14:46:45 -0800 2009 5091159 1092553 aggiecat 5 5191554 I'm in complete agreement with you here. Using a fresh sugar pumpkin makes all the difference in the world, and honestly, it's no harder than roasting a butternut squash for a soup. Roasting a pumpkin in the flesh is way less time-consuming than peeling it, cubing it and steaming it. I don't get it. I'm really surprised at the number of Libby's canned pumpkin lovers there are here... on a foodie site. The color from a fresh pumpkin is nicer too, I've found. It freezes well too. I have enough puree in the freezer to make me 2 more pies. I haven't bought canned pumpkin puree in over 10 years. Now? I am seriously craving some pumpkin pie. I think that a bake-off between fresh and canned would be interesting! Wed Nov 18 09:31:02 -0800 2009 5153214 1125474 BabsW 6 5191645 Actually we're Chowhounds, not foodies. That could be why some of us like canned, and aren't afraid to say it ;-) Wed Nov 18 09:56:25 -0800 2009 5191554 11097 coll 7 5192114 im a foodie. the CH manifesto is not an infallible unquestionable document Wed Nov 18 12:23:02 -0800 2009 5191645 135229 thew 8 5192236 No, it's more of a suggestion. Wed Nov 18 13:08:22 -0800 2009 5192114 11097 coll 8 5193470 lol. it's like the US Constitution: a living document, responsive to the times...as long as your name isn't Scalia. ;) Thu Nov 19 02:15:43 -0800 2009 5192114 150094 ChristinaMason 9 5193542 who i suspect is neither a foodie nor a chowhound Thu Nov 19 04:37:51 -0800 2009 5193470 135229 thew 1 5072469 Wow, and here's me just waiting for the day someone else takes over our Thanksgiving feast! Congratulations JudiAU, you're in for a fun, AND super busy "oh my god!! theres sooo much to do dinner!! Thanksgiving in my home theres a favorite made for almost everyone. My two youngest grandchildren excluded as they're in their "ewww, yuk, I don't like everything stage right now. Must haves on my table are, homemade cranberry sauce, giblet gravy minus the giblet bits when served, old fashioned bread stuffing with sausage and, sometimes without sausage if I forget, creamed onions, steamed squash with butter and honey, mashed rutabaga with butter, brussel sprouts with butter & bacon & parmesan, a vegi casserole containing a mixture of cauliflower, carrots, snap peas and broccoli covered with cheese sauce & sprinkled with toasted slivered almonds, cream cheese, cheddar, & sour cream make ahead mashed pototo casserole, a small dish of corn, a small dish of baked yams with butter and brown sugar, and, the most important have to have no matter what, 36 to 48 individual yorkshire puddings. Dessert is always a cake or cheesecake pie, a pumpkin pie with the manditory splash of molasses, an apple pie with whipped cream and pastry cut-outs, plus a plate of shortbread fingers on the side. Oh, I amost forgot, theres always an assortment of pickles on the table too. Have fun with your dinner JudiAU! Thu Oct 01 10:47:53 -0700 2009 5071316 65032 Joyfull 1 5072558 Awesome, Judi, very excited for you! Last year was my first year and I had a blast. I struggled for awhile trying to come up with a second "root" side (in addition to the mashed potatoes), and just knew I wanted to incorporate sweet potatoes but not much else. Did a search on chow and found a recipe for a potato, onion, panko and thyme-walnut gratin. I made it w/ half reg potatoes and half sweet potatoes and it was incredible! Very easy to make, and easy to get right. I think the timing and oven temp of it worked really well as well. I'm sure a quick search would turn it up, I'm sorry I'm not better at adding links. Good luck and have fun, you've got a great attitude to make the day a lot of fun! Thu Oct 01 11:18:56 -0700 2009 5071316 220645 mjhals 1 5072621 When I was doing a big Thanksgiving dinner I loved it! It became my favorite holiday. It was tons of work, but I enjoyed it. I miss it now a lot. So, I hope you have a really good day. My favorite dish was the turkey stuffing, which I made roughly according to my mother's concept of sagey, savory cornbread stuffing. I had a plan for making that stuffing! I made my own cornbread the day before. I incorporated seasonings into the cornbread. When it was baked, I cut it and split it and laid it out to dry overnight. I added more seasonings as I mixed it with cooked brown or wild rice, broth, onion, celery, apple, caraway seeds, salt and pepper.. It was quite a production. I say, make your own gravy, but you may have to give way on the cranberry sauce. And don't be afraid to buy rolls from a good bakery. Making your own might be too much. Have fun! Thu Oct 01 11:38:34 -0700 2009 5071316 134265 sueatmo 1 5072655 OHMIGOSH!! i'm so excited. but still, co-workers think i'm crazy cuz we still have 2 months!! it's true, it's dreaming stage... my dad likes a wild rice stuffing with lots of mushrooms and truffle oil. yum! Thu Oct 01 11:47:58 -0700 2009 5071316 133265 jeniyo 1 5073470 You will do just fine!! If all else fails to hell with the turkey and hook up some great steaks - yes, we did that one year...threw the turkey out the window and make a 6 rib in Ribeye roast! Amazing... I miss a big family Thanksgiving Dinner, here in Bermuda we do not celebrate Thanksgiving but if it falls in a weekend I will do a small Thanksgiving dinner. One year we did stuffed rolled Turkey breast, truffled gravy, parsley garlic smashed fried potatoes sautéed green beans with almonds and parmesan cheese and a wonder Tropical Trifle My favorite was Cornish hens; one for each person, stuffed with sausage stuffing under the skin of the hens was rosemary butter, bacon cornbread muffins, herbed potato au gratin and roasted acorn squash and a carmel cheesecake Thu Oct 01 18:09:28 -0700 2009 5071316 237148 bermudagourmetgoddess 1 5073514 I know you said "single" favourite dish, but there are a few must-haves in my home. 1) The turkey must be brined!!! You will never eat a more tender turkey, and once I did it, I just couldn't go back to old-style. 2) Enough with the mashed turnip, mashed squash, mashed potatoes. Well, keep the mashed potatoes, and make these Moroccan spiced roast vegetables. They are exceptional. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Morrocan-Spiced-Roasted-Vegetables-103071 3) Homemade cranberry sauce. For wow factor, there's nothing easier. I love this recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spiced-Cranberry-Sauce-13348 Last tip: There are so many delicious stuffing recipes out there; stay away from the packaged stuff!! And have fun!! Thu Oct 01 18:30:17 -0700 2009 5071316 19782 Full tummy 1 5073632 I envy you. I have a small family and they are EXTREMELY picky. If my sister isn't going to be around, I can make this fabulous wild mushroom stuffing. Otherwise, it's bread stuffing, turkey, corn and mashed potatoes. I do make these wonderful soft dinner rolls using my bread machine to make the dough. It is a King Arthur Flour recipe. Every time I make them, they disappear. The other thing I make is gravy. Forget the jar. Somehow last year I instinctively knew how to make a simple roux and added it to the drippings (and a bit of broth because I made too much roux!) Everyone raved about the gravy. Mom had always thickened hers with flour and water shook in a jar and added to the drippings. Even if you don't get to execute your dream Thanksgiving, enjoy imagining it! Thu Oct 01 19:31:12 -0700 2009 5071316 29800 aekbooth 2 5073975 Something I learned about here, if I remember and have the time, is to brown the flour first like you would for dark roux, before adding to the gravy pan. Worth the effort! Fri Oct 02 02:14:51 -0700 2009 5073632 11097 coll 2 5078213 What kind of rolls? I'm on a bread machine kick right now and most of the breads become sandwich rolls in our house. I need a new recipe to add to the rotation. Sun Oct 04 11:04:22 -0700 2009 5073632 152043 TampaAurora 3 5084047 Sorry I didn't see this earlier. Here is the link to the soft dinner rolls. King Arthur Flour has the most amazing website. I love their blog. Check out the other recipes, too. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/soft-white-dinner-rolls-recipe Tue Oct 06 17:29:31 -0700 2009 5078213 29800 aekbooth 3 5084050 OOPS. This is the one I use because I never have nonfat dried milk. Either one should be good, though. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/soft-dinner-rolls-recipe Tue Oct 06 17:31:30 -0700 2009 5078213 29800 aekbooth 4 5084177 Thanks! I'll have to try them, but unfortunately I have to find a way to make them non-dairy for my purposes. Any ideas? Tue Oct 06 18:25:41 -0700 2009 5084050 152043 TampaAurora 5 5086513 I contacted the bakers at King Arthur Flour and they assure me that you can replace the butter with oil and just leave the dried milk out of the first recipe. I'm guessing in the other recipe you would just use water instead of the milk. good luck. Wed Oct 07 14:37:18 -0700 2009 5084177 29800 aekbooth 6 5087020 Wow! I can't wait to try it out. Wed Oct 07 17:59:18 -0700 2009 5086513 152043 TampaAurora 1 5074302 Must- haves: Bruce Aidell's Sausage and Artichoke Stuffing http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Artichoke-Sausage-and-Parmesan-Cheese-Stuffing-107289 Cazuela Pie from Regan Daley's "In the Sweet Kitchen" Cranberry Kumquat Sauce http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cranberry-Kumquat-Sauce-240550 but I'll have to find a new sauce since my kumquat seller has disappeared. Fri Oct 02 07:18:58 -0700 2009 5071316 25244 rockycat 1 5074719 I felt the same way when I started hosting! Congrats! Like any large meal, being organized is key. I think you should make whatever you want. Some of my favorites are- soup- I always start the meal with a squash or pumpkin soup and Balsalmic glazed cioppoline onions. Dont be afraid to try something new an start your own traditions. Fri Oct 02 10:20:57 -0700 2009 5071316 158016 cassoulady 1 5075481 Even when I'm at someone else's Thanksgiving or Christmas feast, I always volunteer to do the mashed potatoes (if that's what they're serving). I've had too many lumpy, bland, stodgy, loose, goopy, sticky, gummy versions... I eat mashed potatoes too rarely to waste a single opportunity!!! To avoid the finicky gravy problem, unless you're some sort of gravy wiz, I would suggest buying a bunch of chicken wings and giblets a few days before and preparing a base gravy, ahead of time, to which you can just add the drippings at the last minute. Fri Oct 02 16:40:23 -0700 2009 5071316 19782 Full tummy 2 5075607 My fave holiday, cuz it's all about the food. I like to host it, and serve traditional dishes, but sides that my family demands. Best part about this, my house is spanking clean and I get all of the leftovers!! I make a puree of steamed cauliflower, (well drained) add roasted garlic cloves, fresh heavy cream and cream cheese and buzz it with an immersion blender. Who needs the potato-a low carber's dream. I also do some roasted root veggies with fresh thyme, sea salt, garlic and rosemary, usually rutabagas, red onions, carrots, and delicata or butternut squash. I break into a cold sweat just thinking about the turkey carving, though, have watched many videos, have not quite gotten the hang of it, but skills have improved somewhat. Due to budget, I will get a frozen turkey, but it will be brined, and wouldn't do it any other way, I like Alton B's method the best. Fri Oct 02 18:10:25 -0700 2009 5075481 63153 MNLisaB 1 5075722 My grandmother always cooked the same delicious meal every year. Since we stopped with the large family gatherings, my mom and I like to get all the holiday issues (Gourmet, BA, CI, etc.) and pick out new recipes to try every year. It's easy to do because there are only 6 of us. And since I don't like turkey and my SIL is a vegetarian we tend to go heavy on sides and dessert. My favorite recipe so far as been a goat cheese roasted eggplant lasagna from a WS cookbook. If we do Thanksgiving with my SIL and her large Italian family my mom and bring a pumpkin cheesecake and what ever pie catches out interest that year. Last year I made a cranberry sauce w/wine that I got off a thread. Fri Oct 02 20:01:52 -0700 2009 5071316 14495 viperlush 2 5076022 Goat cheese roasted eggplant lasagna sounds great for any meal. Can you share the recipe? Thanks! Sat Oct 03 05:07:02 -0700 2009 5075722 39874 chowser 3 5077815 I would if I could but I can't because the cookbook is down in NoVa w/my mother. It's in the The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Pasta (Hardcover) by Erica De Mane (Author), Chuck Williams (Editor) cookbook. Sun Oct 04 06:55:28 -0700 2009 5076022 14495 viperlush 1 5075905 The only thing I really need at Thanksgiving is perfect turkey and moist, simple oyster dressing. Those two dishes alone make the holiday for me. It's really only me, my sister and mom who like the dressing, so we always make a much larger dish of traditional cornbread dressing for everyone else. More of the oyster variety for us! Fri Oct 02 22:42:18 -0700 2009 5071316 130151 dmd_kc 1 5075933 Scallop cerviche as an app is my favorite. If a commercial bird, I love a red chile gravy to add flavor. Try to find a free range turkey or even one from a local organic farm if you really want to impress. When I hunt and bag a wild turkey (No Scargod, not the Wild Turkey from the bottle!) it is so very special. Our native fowl from a very native setting. It seems so natural and right. Butterball pails by comparison. Fri Oct 02 23:48:05 -0700 2009 5071316 93538 Passadumkeg 1 5076747 I love love LOVE cooking & hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Almost every year I take a bit of a different route, as my family is pretty open & receptive of new flavors & dishes (to a point, of course...) First off, the bird. May I suggest something other than turkey? Partridge? Pheasant? Individual guinea hens? Very fun. My other great success has been with different takes on a very old recipe from Cooking Light, of all places. Cider Scalloped Potatoes - I ignore their suggestions for low fat cheeses (please!!!), don't peel the potatoes (personally, I like the peels) and sometimes do a mix of sweet & regular potatoes. As others have said, sometimes 'tradition' needs to trump all, but you certainly know your family better than we do, so take the room you DO have to play around and go for it! Sat Oct 03 13:02:09 -0700 2009 5071316 16724 jdubboston 1 5077373 I know you're really excited about making Thanksgiving dinner but do yourself a big favor and make your gravy ahead of time using turkey wings. There are several recipes out there or I will post my own if you wish. You will have so much stuff going on between the time you take the bird out of the oven and serving that the last thing you need is to make a bunch of gravy! It's a HUGE relief to have the gravy already made and warming on the stove. I guess that's why it's my favorite dish. Bob Sat Oct 03 20:24:26 -0700 2009 5071316 107452 SonyBob 2 5077399 What do you do with all the good drippings in the roasting pan? I guess you could pour your pre-made gravy in there capturing all those good flavours. But then you'd have the bother of degreasing . . . which would negate your earlier work . . . 'k, never mind . . . I have a scary, pathological really, compulsion not to waste so I'd have to go into therapy if I tried this :-0 Sat Oct 03 20:42:24 -0700 2009 5077373 1093156 cinnamon girl 3 5077403 My turkey is smoked outside using Cherry wood harvested from the North Country forest blowdowns. No drippings to be had, so I use parts to make the gravy. If I had drippings, I would save them to add to the turkey tetrazzini white sauce or the turkey stock that is made from the carcass. Sat Oct 03 20:44:19 -0700 2009 5077399 59258 smtucker 4 5077407 Wow! I'm wondering if I could swing by your place after Jeniyo's? :-) Sat Oct 03 20:48:36 -0700 2009 5077403 1093156 cinnamon girl 5 5077427 i always have an extra place..... and an extra turkey plate. Sat Oct 03 21:03:09 -0700 2009 5077407 59258 smtucker 4 5163275 i posted a question about smoking upthread. we're planning on smoking ours. do you brine yours first? and about the gravy...can you tell me your method? thanks! Sat Nov 07 09:13:34 -0800 2009 5077403 13592 isadorasmama 5 5164505 Yes- Brine the turkey before smoking. Keep your smoker a little higher than you would for brisket or pork- about 260, 275. You have to watch the thigh temp if you do it dry- half an hour too long and it starts to dry out. Bigger the bird, the longer the smoke. I did a 12 lb hen in 3:50 earllier this year, resting 20 mins or so and it was perfect. A water bath will keep it moist,but it will take longer. It's a long smoke, and you want to eat the skin so use fruit wood. No hickory and please no mesquite or oak, ever on a bird. Sat Nov 07 22:40:32 -0800 2009 5163275 274513 wallyz 1 5077392 Judi, My Mother gave me Thanksgiving about 8 years ago. After two years had passed, the turkey plates [really] were passed to me. Whatever test there was, I had passed. Turns out, like Janet, my Mother was thrilled to give away this cooking-intensive holiday. But I love hosting. I love cooking the food, hosting the family, and creating the perfect day. You don't say how many folks you will be feeding, but generally, I have between 16-24 people around my table. This takes planning. I have a timeline that begins on Tuesday. Yes, it is written down and on grid paper. It includes every task that must be accomplished starting with baking the bread for the stuffing all the way to when I should polish the silver. Every year, I revise the timeline based on what actually happened. I have all the recipes in a folder, along with a shopping list by market. This prevents the purchase of 24 lbs of squash, when I only need 12. I wish I had been more organized the first year. I would have gotten more sleep on Wednesday night if I had been. So that is my only advise. Whatever the menu, spend some time mapping out your burners, ovens and sequence so that you get to enjoy the day along with your guests. [p.s. make the gravy early with parts. Saves a ton of stress.... and gives you time to defat the gravy.] Sat Oct 03 20:38:27 -0700 2009 5071316 59258 smtucker 2 5077665 Wow - I wish I was half as organized as you. Your meal must be awesome. Polish the silver???? Didn't know people did that anymore. I'm lucky if the table gets set beforehand. We usually host Christmas instead of Thanksgiving and this year will be in Curacao for the holiday. Next year, can we come to your house? Sun Oct 04 04:43:21 -0700 2009 5077392 1113298 curly girl 3 5077719 << I'm lucky if the table gets set beforehand.>> LOL, curly. Sounds like my house on weeknights. :-) Sun Oct 04 05:37:48 -0700 2009 5077665 1104013 Normandie 3 5078357 I only polish my silver when it looks black. I usually find out shortly before dinner. Sun Oct 04 12:30:45 -0700 2009 5077665 11097 coll 2 5087595 Yours only starts on Tuesday? Slacker. Thu Oct 08 00:46:41 -0700 2009 5077392 17548 BarmyFotheringayPhipps 3 5096187 Yes..... only from Tuesday. I like to think that I am smart AND lazy which translates to efficient. Though I have to admit, I harvested all the green tomatoes from the garden yesterday and made the green tomato relish today, It is one of the most loved dishes on the T-day table since it just like Grandmother Tucker's. Does that mean I need to create a timeline from Columbus Day weekend? And yea, I get that you are being just a tad facetious. :-) Sun Oct 11 21:05:33 -0700 2009 5087595 59258 smtucker 1 5077459 Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year, and I do enjoy "the classics". But since you asked for our one single favorite Thanksgiving dish, mine is squash pie. Essentially, the same as pumpkin, but slightly more delicate. Sat Oct 03 21:31:02 -0700 2009 5071316 1104013 Normandie 2 5077630 My favorite is the turkey sandwich the next day, with lots of stuffing and cranberry sauce in it. And as someone mentioned, the sparkling clean house and fridge full of all kinds of delicious foods to last the weekend. I just make a fire, read a book and finish off the wine. I deserve it! Sun Oct 04 03:22:00 -0700 2009 5077459 11097 coll 3 5077634 Coll, try adding whole roasted green chile to your turk sand. I'm not a big fan of gene super turk, but that sandwich is among my faves. Sun Oct 04 03:34:40 -0700 2009 5077630 93538 Passadumkeg 4 5077646 I have some serranos in the freezer I roasted a couple of months ago, I'll give it a try.....probably the second sandwich though. Sun Oct 04 03:57:20 -0700 2009 5077634 11097 coll 3 5077718 You're not kidding, coll. That is one great sandwich...and with the fireplace going? Heaven. I like Passa's idea re the chili, too--and I had no idea that you could freeze chilis. Just roast them and wrap them up? Do you have to peel them? Sun Oct 04 05:36:03 -0700 2009 5077630 1104013 Normandie 4 5078378 I started doing it because the only red bell peppers I can tolerate are the roasted type, and I used to roast them and put in oil and garlic, and have to throw out what was left a week or two later when it started going bad. So I heard you could just roast them and freeze them, and it works great. Then I was at a Spanish market and did it with all kinds of hot peppers too, since it worked so good, with scotch bonnet, long green (they swore that was the real name), serranos, chiles, I don't remember all. Lasted me months. Here's all you do: Roast under broiler til blackened. Take off as much skin as possible. Put in brown paper bag to cool and dry. Lay on wax paper, and put in Ziploc. You can make as many layers as fit. When needed, you can break hunks off and throw right in the pot. This works especially well with red peppers, because you can buy them at 79 cents now and store for the holidays when they'll charge $3.99. With the red peppers, I thaw and then put in oil and garlic as usual, and you can't tell they're not fresh. No waste, I love it. Sun Oct 04 12:44:25 -0700 2009 5077718 11097 coll 5 5153245 Coll: try putting the just roasted peppers in to or wrapping with plastic. The moist steamy heat actually makes the skins of most peppers come off easier. Then layer in wax paper and freeze as recommended. Yum. Roasted peppers are good stuff no matter how they get there. Tue Nov 03 14:58:57 -0800 2009 5078378 1092553 aggiecat 6 5153453 Thanks for the heads up, the brown paper bag trick does the same thing but I posted in the wrong order, so silly of me. Anyway that's why and how my MIL told me to do it when she passed on the legacy. She also told me to rinse off the oil after roasting, it freaks people out when I tell them but I think that is why mine don't give anyone indigestion! You definitely have to somehow let them cool and also steam at the same time. If she was still around, she would have loved the freezer trick. I love buying peppers on sale and then having them available roasted whenever I want. I used to wait until a week or two before a big holiday and then pay top dollar because I had to have them. Tue Nov 03 16:09:48 -0800 2009 5153245 11097 coll 1 5077662 I agree - Thanksgiving isn't about just one "dish". It's the whole once-a-year Food Fest experience. If I had to pick just one, I would pick the corn pudding. That's definitely something you only have at Thanksgiving. And as far as gravy, my favorite is our family "recipe" of adding cream of chicken soup, and milk depending on thickness you want, to the turkey drippings (once you've skimmed off the fat of course) Throw in a dash of the Poultry seasoning and you're set. Yum!! Good luck on your meal. Have your guests bring a side dish, appy or dessert and it will make it much easier on you. Sun Oct 04 04:39:43 -0700 2009 5071316 1113298 curly girl 1 5077733 I would love to host Thanksgiving but that has always been my mother's holiday. Now that she is 84 it is too much for her so I do the cooking at her place. Everyone else in the family (except my sister who stays with me) stays at my parent's for most of the weekend so it is a very special time for our family. Usually there are 20 plus at the table. One dish that has been traditional for years is the Craig Claiborne Sausage & Chestnut Stuffing. It is mostly meat - no bread. I make my husband Brussel Sprouts braised in Red Wine with garlic & shallots out of an old Fine Cooking. I hate brussels sprouts but it smells wonderful. For gravy I make a turkey stock from a turkey carcass earlier in the year. I then reduce the turkey stock over roasted turkey wings & thighs until I get what my brother calls "Turkey Jello" which I freeze. I use that to make the gravy. Have fun and smtucker's idea of the timeline is a great one. Being organized is the secret to success. Success being you having had fun doing this without stressing out. Sun Oct 04 05:49:49 -0700 2009 5071316 11076 AGM_Cape_Cod 2 5078382 Turkey jello, I love it! I've been doing Thanksgiving for many moons, and the first time I did it, as a newlywed, my parents told me afterwards that the fact that I was so calm about the whole dinner (for around 30) was the key. I always think about that the morning of, no matter what happens if you are in a good mood that's all that matters. Sun Oct 04 12:46:04 -0700 2009 5077733 11097 coll 1 5077748 i too totally dorked out when i hosted my first Thanksgiving last year - check out the recipes and event here: http://lollya.blogspot.com/2008/11/bourbon-thanksgiving-to-give-thanks-for.html good luck judiau, it will be so much fun! Sun Oct 04 06:02:34 -0700 2009 5071316 57801 lollya 1 5077889 I think green beans need to be on the table in some form, but I also think we need a break from all the warm/mushy foods. So I use a friend's recipe, which is welcome on the table as a sort of salad. I blanch whole greens beans. When they're cool and still crisp, I toss them with a lot of minced red onion, lots of tiny cubes of extra sharp cheddar (really cut them small), a good vinaigrette with olice oil and white balsamic vinegar, and a bit of mustard. Sometimes salt and pepper. Everyone loves the contrast with all the warm/mushies. Sun Oct 04 07:35:44 -0700 2009 5071316 45208 somervilleoldtimer 1 5078234 and brining the turkey makes all the difference! BRINE, baby, brine! Sun Oct 04 11:15:26 -0700 2009 5071316 36312 HillJ 2 5078415 For us who live in Paris, my Iowa-born husband also insists on doing Thanxgiving the classic way. The tastiest and juiciest turkey recipe has been a brining recipe. In SF my Chinese grandmother liked to make fried rice stuffing, but my hubby poo thinks it's herecy. We also like oyster stuffing, but the oysters seem to get lost in the final result... Btw, our French friends love the whole dinner (but some do consider the cranberry sauce a real perversion).It is always a great fun evening here. Our French friends think it is très exotique, while our American friends appreciate the warmth and the nostalgia. No b*tchy relatives. Just good vibes. Sun Oct 04 13:02:41 -0700 2009 5078234 1106797 Parigi 3 5078424 Sounds like a yummy, generous way to spend the holiday, Parigi! There is nothing like brined poultry and a holiday turkey brined overnight is magical! Sun Oct 04 13:07:28 -0700 2009 5078415 36312 HillJ 4 5078856 You got it. We are serious about giving thanks ! Sun Oct 04 17:39:57 -0700 2009 5078424 1106797 Parigi 1 5079074 Single favorite: Onion pie. From a small recipe book "Foods and Wine from Alsace." I make a double crust version. Sun Oct 04 19:25:19 -0700 2009 5071316 10156 Steve 2 5079618 My father would probably love that. He says onions are his favorite vegetable. Could you paraphrase it? Thanks. Mon Oct 05 07:01:01 -0700 2009 5079074 11076 AGM_Cape_Cod 3 5079647 you father must be the bizarro my my father. onions are the food he will not touch Mon Oct 05 07:13:36 -0700 2009 5079618 135229 thew 3 5080296 6 slices bacon 1tbsp butter 6 large onions, thickly sliced (I use yellow) 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 1 tbsp flour 4 whole eggs 1/ tsp nutmeg your favorite savory PIE CRUST RECIPE cook bacon, discard almost all of fat, crumble, add butter, add onion,cook until slightly soft, season with s and p, sprinkle flour, add eggs one at a time, mix, pour into pie shell, sprinkle nutmeg, cover with second crust, bake in 400 degree oven for 35-40 mins. Mon Oct 05 11:32:14 -0700 2009 5079618 10156 Steve 1 5079683 http://www.chow.com/recipes/13708 Here is my recipe for cornbread stuffing, everyone loves it. I usually make it the day ahead and bake it in the dutch oven i cooked it in. Here is the roasted sweet potatoes that I adore. http://www.chow.com/recipes/13666 Thanksgiving is my favorite cooking holliday andf I look forward to all of the yummieness that will be created in my kitchen. Like others I do some of the traditional foods, just in MY way. The cranberry relish on the back of the package is a MUST for my daughter. I also make a cranberry chutney that has a little kick to it. Mon Oct 05 07:26:53 -0700 2009 5071316 166707 JEN10 1 5079760 Lucky you!! I hosted last year but now that we live in NYC, there is no way we have space. :( I love hosting TG!! This is my favorite thing to make. I make it early in the day, then stick it in the crock pot to keep it warm until we eat! http://www.kartme.com/recipe/winter-squash-soup-gruy%C3%A8re-croutons-recipe-epicuriouscom-0 Mon Oct 05 07:53:24 -0700 2009 5071316 1112845 saj1139 2 5081582 no recipe following the link though... Mon Oct 05 20:13:50 -0700 2009 5079760 73756 enbell 1 5080409 Thanksgiving without a doubt is my favorite holiday. A day devoted to eating and spending time with family (and giving thanks). The thead has cover the specific dishes that I also love (minus the korean speciality items we prepare at our house hold). However, my contribution to the thread would be in the way of libation. A Tday with out lot of libation would be only half as good. I find that it has a way of extending and pacing the meal to a very relax comfortable rate and also making for a more festive and interesting conversation. We do beer, wine, hot apple cider, tea, coffee, and port. Mon Oct 05 12:08:18 -0700 2009 5071316 10639 Soup 2 5084956 My sisters and I drink champagne. My younger sister doesn't cook so that is her contribution to the day. Nice contribution? Wed Oct 07 06:28:23 -0700 2009 5080409 11076 AGM_Cape_Cod 1 5081568 My favourites: Gravy - made from pan drippings, some giblet stock, and thickened with Beurre Manié (butter and flour). Absolutely no jarred gravy or gravy mix. If you want it, I'll serve it on the side, but anyone who tries to adulterate my gravy will pull back a bloody stump. Stuffing - a simple stuffing with diced onion and celery, cubed white bread, and sage. Cranberry Relish - One package fresh cranberries. Two oranges, seeded, with peel. Toss the cranberries and chopped oranges into a food processor and blend. Add sugar to taste (1/2 to 1 cup). Be sure to make the day ahead. This keeps extraordinarily well, as one year we used the same batch for *Canadian* Thanksgiving and Christmas. What I've found with holiday meals is that it's hard to get around people's expectations. Most people don't want fantastic food, they want familiar food, reminding them of previous holidays. So experimenting too much is going to give unhappy guests. But upgrading some of the dishes is usually okay although you can have gummy tasteless jarred gravy, mushy boxed stuffing and that horrible tube-o-cranberry jelly on the side if your guests are particularly fond of their pre-made atrocities. Mon Oct 05 20:05:53 -0700 2009 5071316 27525 tastesgoodwhatisit 1 5081875 Corn bread stuffing from Fine Cooking ( recipe involves cornbread with lady miller, cooked two days ahead, dried, and soaked in the custard one day ahead), gravy ( with brown turkey stock made from roasted wings, from Gourmet, usually the weekend before), sweet potatoes ( with a oatmeal cookie/orange marmalade/ginger streusal from Gourmet), cranberry "sauce" ( some simple version with ginger, orange zest and chili flake...made ahead), and a brined turkey, dried overnight before roasting Do aheads have been a key tradition. I usually give thanks with my husbands Jamaican family, so saltfish and ackee, plantains, and rice and peas are usually my MIL's must haves. A few years ago they insisted I try some Manechevitz (sp)....t..and we live a stones throw from Napa...they felt I was grown up enough. Mon Oct 05 23:53:52 -0700 2009 5071316 39504 Shrinkrap 2 5081894 I have to know how you make those sweet potatoes, I love my recipes but that sounds so intriguing. By the way, heard yesterday that Gourmet was going out of business, what a shame! Oh never mind, their website is still up and I found it. I think I'll make this and the creamy chipotle version too, been working on getting my in-laws to like sweet potatoes for over 30 years but it's been a long, hard battle! They are mad I refuse to make them with marshmallow, but at least they stopped asking where's the marshmallow. Tue Oct 06 00:21:37 -0700 2009 5081875 11097 coll 3 5083549 Glad you could find it...the marmalade is in the potatoes, not the streusal.. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ORANGE-FLAVORED-SWEET-POTATOES-WITH-OATMEAL-COOKIE-TOPPING-10850 "By the way, heard yesterday that Gourmet was going out of business, what a shame!" What! Is there a source? I KNEW it! Right after I got rid of my 20+ year collection, trusting epicurious,,,, Here's a link to a Gourmet story...glad they will still do November. I think I've kept most of the Thansgiving magazines...Hoping this is not TOO off topic? http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1928274,00.html Tue Oct 06 14:03:46 -0700 2009 5081894 39504 Shrinkrap 4 5083982 i heard the news on NPR yesterday afternoon. i'm a bit shocked and very sad... i was just beginning to organize my magazines since college!!! Tue Oct 06 16:52:44 -0700 2009 5083549 133265 jeniyo 4 5095129 Just a heads up. The "oatmeal cookies" get harder to find even year. The epicurious review of this recipe says "Mothers" went out of business. Any thoughts about "deconstructing" the cookies in this recipe? The epicurious thread mentioned gingersnaps. Sun Oct 11 11:15:38 -0700 2009 5083549 39504 Shrinkrap 1 5084120 I love my mom more than anything, but a great cook she is not. Really. Horrific. So....I've been cooking Thanksgiving since I was 16. Over the years I've come up with some really great turkey recipes, but my all-time favorite Thanksgiving recipe is my late-grandfather's candied yams. Very retro, very simple, very yummy. Peeled yams cut into around two inch squares, enough to cover a 9x12 with a single layer. Take a stick of cold salted butter and squish it through your fingers. Take all the little pats, break them up and sprinkle throughout. Then sprinkle dark brown sugar over, allowing it to form clumps every now and then. Pour on real maple syrup grade B until all the yams are coated. Season with salt. Bake at 350 until the yams are tender. Yum. Tue Oct 06 18:02:37 -0700 2009 5071316 1114411 minxypinx 2 5112684 I've done something similar with butter, a little brown sugar, honey, and cinnamon. Definitely a hit, and very simple. Sun Oct 18 14:11:04 -0700 2009 5084120 150094 ChristinaMason 1 5084729 Two words: Cranberry Jezebel. Recipe all over the net. A new tradition that is asked for and inhaled at every Thangsgiving! Wed Oct 07 04:01:03 -0700 2009 5071316 114951 leetmom7 2 5085756 Seems like there are a million different takes on Cranbery Jezebel. This has horseradish http://ferfood.blogspot.com/2006/11/cranberry-jezebel-sauce.html This has jalepenos http://homecooking.about.com/od/condimentrecipes/r/blsauce31.htm Sooo ... cranberries, white sugar, brown sugar and something to give it a kick? I saw my first bag of fresh cranberries yesterday. Wed Oct 07 10:54:52 -0700 2009 5084729 10264 rworange 3 5086060 I do one with chili flakes and vinegar, uMMMMMMMM Wed Oct 07 12:26:56 -0700 2009 5085756 166707 JEN10 1 5086186 Nobody hereinabove mentioned peas with little tiny pearl onions. I've tried a recipe that calls for "brining" the turkey in water, soy sauce, a little vinegar, garlic, scallions and ginger. I set it up overnight and then cook the bird as usual. I've been known to make rosettes of mashed potatoes with a piping bag, and broil just to brown the ridges. It's a really elegant way to serve 'em. Wed Oct 07 13:06:17 -0700 2009 5071316 270888 shaogo 2 5087969 I'm not into elegant-looking mashed potatoes. Whenever I have them in a restaurant, I am always disheartened that they have been pureed to death so they will squeeze out of that piping bag. Not as good as my homemade, lumpy, skin-on pile of mess... with gravy for thems that like it. Thu Oct 08 07:20:40 -0700 2009 5086186 10156 Steve 3 5088017 And skin on mashed potatoes topped w/ red chile "gravy"! White, bland turkey breast too. Red chile rules! (Good to give flavor for to bad stuffing too.) You should have seen the look on my, related to 1/2 the Mayflower (I thought she was joking!), Boston Brahmin, Yankee Blue Blood, MIL's face, the first time I made it here in Maine. Makes me smile. Thu Oct 08 07:37:11 -0700 2009 5087969 93538 Passadumkeg 4 5088918 That's a great idea! ...My husband is always asking for gravy, but tends to buy/prefer boneless, skinless chicken breasts. How am i suppose to get "gravy" out of those? And I mean gravy, as in 1/2 cup portions, NOT sauce!......Hmmmmm... http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Adobo-Turkey-with-Red-Chile-Gravy-350577. Thu Oct 08 12:24:14 -0700 2009 5088017 39504 Shrinkrap 5 5089963 Buy some cheap chicken parts - bones+meat for soup if possible, or thighs and wings, plus some gibblets (hearts, gizzards, liver, etc). Roast the meat with no seasonings, cool it, and make a stock with the gibblets, cooked meat (including all the fat and drippings), a little bit of onion and celery, and bay leaf. Don't add any salt or pepper at this point. Then reduce the stock until it is extra strength and tastes more like gravy than like soup. At this point, you can strain it, cool it, and skim off the fat if you want. Thicken with a mix of butter and flour (or flour and water), and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. It's not quite as good as pan dripping gravy from a roast bird, but it sure beats anything pre packaged. If you want to do this frequently, make up the stock and freeze in single meal portions. Thaw and thicken when you want it. Thu Oct 08 19:36:57 -0700 2009 5088918 27525 tastesgoodwhatisit 6 5091311 That's a good idea too. In fact I did that the other day ( with cornstarch to thicken), as I always make stock when I cut up a chicken. "We" are usually thinking of a darker gravy, but it was good! Fri Oct 09 10:40:19 -0700 2009 5089963 39504 Shrinkrap 1 5089559 Several years ago, my mom broke from the traditional sweet potato recipe and made Maple-Glazed Yams with Pecan Topping. We had already left the marshmallow sweet potatoes in the dust for the cornflake, pecan, brown sugar version, but these are so delicious! We also have two unusual stuffings...a meat-based one with ground beef, pork, onion, bread, poultry seasoning, etc and scalloped oyster stuffing. When we were young, we would have been happy to skip the turkey and just have stuffing. :-) Most people find it too odd. Oatmeal rolls! Mmmmm! Pies are usually apple and chocolate pecan. If we have a large group, we pile on more desserts. Thu Oct 08 16:27:51 -0700 2009 5071316 1114842 joscelynb 1 5090920 Thank heavens my husband and I are always asked to our next door neighbors' house for Thanksgiving. I'm not a fan of any of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes (I agree with whoever it was who called the turkey "that great feathered swindle") and even the simplest Thanksgiving dinner is a lot of work. My contribution is several loaves of bread still warm from the oven and then I feast on the home-smoked ham they always serve in addition to Mr. Tom. Having said that, the one year that I did host a small T-Day dinner my favorite part was a Pear Salad from Nick Stellino's Mediterranean Flavors cookbook. Toss peeled and cored pear slices with honey, melted butter and cinnamon then roast in a 500 degree oven about 20 minutes, turning halfway through. Coat the roasted pear slices with a dry sherry vinaigrette dressing. Serve over baby salad greens and top with toasted walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese and prosciutto cut into matchsticks. You can roast the pears and combine with the vinaigrette the day before and remove from the fridge 2-3 hours before dinner on the day to come back to room temp. I've since made this with apples instead of pears and liked the way the apples kept their shape better than pears generally do. Fri Oct 09 08:34:19 -0700 2009 5071316 1102097 mandycat 2 5111590 That sounds delicious, mandycat. Easy and fresh, too. Thank you for posting it. Sat Oct 17 23:02:32 -0700 2009 5090920 1104013 Normandie 1 5095914 Creamed onions (start with a roux...then make a dilled cream sauce with or without cheese pearl onions and bake...add grueyere if you like a nutty texture). Stuffing had to be made using my grandma's hand grinder for apples, celery, onions, and sausage to give it appropriate moisture and spice with a more uniform texture. Tomato Aspic was the "must have" gross out side dish that we would dare each other to try, and my grandmother always used crazy brass jello molds...most unique was the giggling tomato jello in the shape of a fish with chopped celery inside!! Oh, but I did go to the in-laws for my first "Italian" Thanksgiving...and they had a rice and mushroom stuffing that was unreal!!! Creamy and cheesy...but I think I'd prefer it as a side for a roast chicken...or fried up as arancini!!! Sun Oct 11 18:06:11 -0700 2009 5071316 248203 winecafe95 1 5104881 http://www.recipezaar.com/sausage-dried-cranberry-and-apple-stuffing-392582 This is my all time favorite dish. (I can't wait) Thu Oct 15 07:08:03 -0700 2009 5071316 1112942 aronsinvest 1 5109661 So, JudiAU, what happened? What did you make? Was your meal full of glory and wonder? Please share!!! Fri Oct 16 20:44:59 -0700 2009 5071316 19782 Full tummy 2 5109742 Unless the OP has Canadian family, she appears to be in the LA area so will have to remain giddy a little longer - Thanksgiving in the US is celebrated the 4th thursday in November, this year that's Nov 26. Fri Oct 16 22:28:18 -0700 2009 5109661 138472 maplesugar 3 5109891 Oh, I forgot!!! Our Canadian Thanksgiving is long over; only a few leftovers remain!!! Sat Oct 17 05:12:25 -0700 2009 5109742 19782 Full tummy 4 5113473 Yep, still in the planning/salivating stages here.... Sun Oct 18 20:54:13 -0700 2009 5109891 10099 JudiAU 1 5112624 My dad's stuffing/dressing. He finally gave me the recipe this year. It's crazy good. Please make it. These are estimates of the quantity of ingredients to make enough to stuff a medium bird as well as make a large bowl of stuffing... 1 large onion, diced large 3 stalks celery (leaves and all), diced large 3-4 medium to large apples, stemmed, cored and diced large (not peeled) 1 loaf of bread, toasted and cubed and seasoned with poultry seasoning to taste [Poultry seasoning is an equal mix of powdered sage , rosemary and thyme if you can't find it mixed) 2-3 tablespoons of finely minced garlic Salt and pepper to taste 1 to 2 quarts or more of Chicken broth (if you use chicken boullion, omit all other salt) 2 cups milk with 3 eggs beaten added to the milk (this acts as a binder for all the ingredients) 1 pound of spicy hot country sausage, fully cooked but not drained (drippings help season the mix) Combine all dry ingredients and sausage with drippings, in a very large bowl. Slowly add broth to the mixture while stirring, until the bread cubes are wet but not soggy and there is no liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Mix thoroughly. Let mixture sit for five minutes. Finally, add egg-milk mixture and mix thoroughly. Now you have stuffing mix for the bird and for a large side dish. I bake, covered with foil at 375 degrees for 30-45 minuted depending on the depth of the baking dish. I uncover the dish the last few minutes until the top is crusty but not burned. Sun Oct 18 13:40:04 -0700 2009 5071316 150094 ChristinaMason 1 5112703 Two more can't-miss sides: 1) Homemade cranberry sauce. Not too much work, and worth the (little bit of extra) effort. Take a bag of Ocean Spray fresh cranberries and boil as directed on the back of the bag just until tender, reducing the sugar somewhat. Toast 3/4 c. of walnut pieces. If you're talented, cut the peel and pith off an orange and cut it into segments. If you're not, drain a can of mandarin oranges (this is what I do). Cut a few curls of orange zest from an orange. Combine the cranberries, toasted walnuts, orange segments, and zest. Squeeze in a bit of fresh orange juice to taste. 2) Corn pudding/souffle. Maybe it's lowbrow, but it's damn delicious. http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1850,145179-240200,00.html Sun Oct 18 14:19:28 -0700 2009 5071316 150094 ChristinaMason 1 5117837 Homemade cranberry sauce. I was never really a fan until I had some homemade stuff (at a friend's home in London of all places!). Also I love a well roasted turkey... where the meat is still moist (my mom's were always dry). And I am a fan of classic mashed potatoes, especially with roasted garlic. I guess you could say I'm traditional. Well... there was that year in high school when I decided we would have lasagna at thanksgiving... Tue Oct 20 12:58:26 -0700 2009 5071316 165770 k80k 2 5117988 I had a very nice lasagna dinner for Thanksgiving one year at a fellow college classmate's house. His family was vegetarian. Although it was delicious, bruschetta and pasta just made for a really odd Turkey Day meal. Fortunately, there was enough warmth and hospitality to go around so that we didn't notice so much. :-) Tue Oct 20 13:48:54 -0700 2009 5117837 150094 ChristinaMason 3 5122691 This is also going to be my first opportunity to make Thanksgiving for my family, and I am thrilled. I have coveted this holiday for so long, I feel like I owe it to myself and everyone else to make it really special. Like alot of other people who wrote in, I too have family members who want to see the same old same ol' so I am going to have to factor that into my decision making. But I am not going to let that get me down. I am still in the planning stages, but this is what I am thinking so far (Recipe sources are referenced, where available): Drinks: Kir Royal to start Merlot to serve with the meal Apps: Panela con oregano with hot, crusty bread (Chowhound) - easy Caramelized bacon dip with potato chips (Chowhound) - make day before Shrimp cocktail with habanero lime aioli and cilantro almond dip (Chowhound) - make dips day before, shrimp morning of Salad: Apple, Frisee and Cabrales Salad (Ciudad recipe) - make morning of, assemble last minute Main: Turkey roasted in a bag (Tom P's recipe, Chowhound) Make Ahead gravy (Chowhound) - make ahead Honey Baked Ham (Store bought, my cousin's are bringing this) Sides: Cranberry Citrus Dressing (MIchael Chiarello) - make 3 days prior Prune, Pear and Saffron compote (Chowhound) make 3 days prior Cranberry Parker House Rolls (NYT) make day before My Sister's Mashed Potatoes Panettone Stuffing (MIchael Chiarello) - can do 3 steps ahead, finish day of - or Bon Appetit 11/02 Leek and Wild Mushroom Stuffing Rabbi Jeff's Cannelloni Beans and Brussels Sprouts - make morning of and reheat -or Tyler Florence's Green Beans and Bacon Salad - morning of -or Chard Gratin (Chowhound) - morning of Desserts: Ginger Cake (Chowhound) - made day before Pumpkin PIe (Better Homes and Gardens) made day before or can be made and frozen Chocolate bread Pudding - easy, day of Chocolate Lady Finger Mousse - day before - show-stopper Berries and Creme Fraiche -easy Fresh Whipped Cream to accompany it all This sounds like a lot but I am expecting anywhere from 13 to 26!!!! Can't wait to start!!! Thu Oct 22 10:01:07 -0700 2009 5117988 185144 dkennedy 4 5123755 Please, please invite me. I'll eat at the kids table. My only comment is that potato chips sound salty with the bacon dip. Maybe pita chips....... Everything else sounds amazing. Thu Oct 22 16:18:39 -0700 2009 5122691 10156 Steve 5 5123795 I tried to find the bacon dip at chow, no luck. Could you share the recipe please? Thu Oct 22 16:38:39 -0700 2009 5123755 166707 JEN10 4 5124292 dk do you have the recipe for chocolate lady finger mousse? Thu Oct 22 20:12:05 -0700 2009 5122691 63433 drewb123 4 5124368 Wowie! That is ambitious. A lot of different dishes. How will you top that next time??? Thu Oct 22 20:57:37 -0700 2009 5122691 19782 Full tummy 4 5192079 That sounds like a fabulous meal - and reminds me that maybe I'll make some of that compote again. You served it with turkey before, right? Wed Nov 18 12:13:55 -0800 2009 5122691 10985 MMRuth 1 5122377 Man, reading all this mess about rice and oysters (what are these things you speak of?) and sausage and tomatoes (tomatoes? At Tgiving? Where do you get them?) and parmesan (cheese? other than cheddar? At tgiving?) makes me glad to be from the south, where thanksgiving is blissfully consistent! There's no varying from the tried and true 'round here. My faves: Cornbread dressing-- with a whole chicken and a gallon of stock inside, its a meal in and of itself. The mushier the better. I have to rely on my mother-in-law for this....my family is more of the dry, bready, stovetoppy variety. Terrible. They're always trying to add something stupid, like apples. NO. Ridiculous. Not dressing at all. Sweet potato souffle-- There is nothing sophisticated or sensible about this, and if there were, it would be terrible. No hint of chipotle or any other flavor profile other than gratuitous, offensive SWEET. Just sweet potatoes mashed up with all sort of butter and pumpkin pie spices, put in a casserole and baked with marshmallows and pecans on top. I've seen this "sweet potato pie" so many speak of, and I understand it to be a tried and true tradition for my other Southern bretheren, but I'm not convinced that sweet potatoes can reveal their true potential without the addition of pecans. Pecan Pie. Am I the first to mention this? Green bean casserole. I'll admit. I'm a sucker for the condensed soup style and that's what my family makes. BUT I hosted my family dinner last year and made Alton Brown's trumped up casserole and it was absolute heaven. My mother-in-law, patron saint of all food tradition, ate about half of the dish by herself. Macaroni and Cheese-- Delish. Its the only application of cheese that I'll accept for Tgiving. YES THIS MEANS YOU ASPARAGUS CASSEROLE-- ick. Hashbrown casserole, you get a bye because you're just so cute. AND A HAM. Dang, y'all-- it simply isn't thanksgiving without a ham to steal the spotlight from the dry turkey! We need some respite from the bird! For the love of thanksgiving, please get yourself one. Thu Oct 22 07:27:21 -0700 2009 5071316 344238 cpilgrim84 2 5124064 just say no to cornbread in any form just say no to mushy stuffing or dressing. I have watched Paula Deen, she can POUR her dressing into the baking dish. no No NO and lastly no No NO to marshmallows anywhere on anything Thu Oct 22 18:13:39 -0700 2009 5122377 109905 laliz 3 5124255 Laliz, you must just not be a GRITS woman. Cornbread is a MUST for the dressing. And, mine looks like soup before it goes in the oven, but it bakes a LONG time (1.5 hours). I wouldn't call it mushy, but you probably would. I'll agree on the marshmalls, except for Co-Cola cake (but I don't make that for Thanksgiving). Thu Oct 22 19:52:07 -0700 2009 5124064 14457 onrushpam 1 5122821 For something with a traditional flavor but slighly different, we all liked this pumpkin creme brulee recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-and-Brown-Sugar-Creme-Brulee-350456 I served it with gingersnaps and all the pumpkin pie lovers want it for Thanksgiving. Thu Oct 22 10:47:57 -0700 2009 5071316 12813 Katie Nell 2 5124239 Hi JEN10 - I will find the bacon dip recipe and post it later tonight. Thu Oct 22 19:44:31 -0700 2009 5122821 185144 dkennedy 3 5124865 Thank you dkennedy! Fri Oct 23 06:56:11 -0700 2009 5124239 166707 JEN10 4 5126002 So here is the Bacon, Scallion and Caramelized Onion Dip recipe which I got off another thread: chowhound.chow.com/topics/575324 This thread has a lot of really helpful information about Thanksgiving so I would encourage everyone to check it out. Here is the link for the recipe, I think it was originally published through Cook's Illustrated Magazine http://www.mealsmatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/32341 Re the chocolate lady finger torte ( or mousse) requested by Drew, I will have to pull it and input it, so it will take me a few days. BTW, how do you get your response to reference a specific person, like JEN10 above did for me? I'd love to know how to do that. Oh one more tid-bit. I just bought the best reference guide on Thanksgiving. It is called the new Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan. Some of you new to Thanksgiving (like me), might want to check it out. Fri Oct 23 13:45:42 -0700 2009 5124865 185144 dkennedy 5 5126172 Your first post in this thread actually came up as a reply to Christina Mason's - which happens when you select "reply" in that post's window rather than selecting "reply to original post" at the bottom of the thread or in the OP. In order to reference a particular post in a thread select the permalink in that post and you'll see the post's "address" in your browser's address bar which you can then copy and paste - like I did with this one: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/656211#5122691 For more info check out the Techinical Help Board: http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/40 :) Fri Oct 23 14:55:49 -0700 2009 5126002 138472 maplesugar 5 5126813 The dip sounds delicious. Have you ever used the bacon drippings in place of the butter and oil? Fri Oct 23 21:19:48 -0700 2009 5126002 279577 just_M 5 5127166 Thanks again I will be giving this a try. BACON!!!!!!!!! Sat Oct 24 06:54:01 -0700 2009 5126002 166707 JEN10 6 5131550 As promised, here is the recipe for the lady finger torte. It is the height of decadence!!! Chocolate Ladyfinger Torte Ingredients: 1 spring form pan 3 packages store bought lady fingers 1/2 lb. butter, brought to room temperature 2 c. powdered sugar 2 t. vanilla 4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted 6 eggs 3 pints heavy cream Line the sides and bottom of a spring form pan with lady fingers. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and powdered sugar until creamy. Add vanilla and melted chocolate, beat until creamy. Add eggs, two at a time. Beat for four minutes per each set of eggs, for a total of 12 minutes. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to a fairly firm consistency. To assemble: Start with a layer of chocolate, then a layer of whip cream, then a layer of lady fingers, then a second layer of chocolate. Top with a splash of whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Serve more whipped cream on the side. Serves 12-16. Mon Oct 26 09:00:45 -0700 2009 5127166 185144 dkennedy 7 5133854 this was a classic in my house growing up. man, is it ever rich and delicious! Tue Oct 27 05:06:55 -0700 2009 5131550 150094 ChristinaMason 7 5146031 I do appreciate a recipe that calls for three pints of heavy cream. Sat Oct 31 19:33:57 -0700 2009 5131550 10099 JudiAU 7 5146841 thx! I will have to try for the holidays Sun Nov 01 09:43:55 -0800 2009 5131550 63433 drewb123 1 5126859 Because I always crave something fresh and green: I make a salad with mixed greens, sliced Fuyu persimmons (the hard ones), pomegranate seeds and goat cheese with a raspberry vinaigrette. Fri Oct 23 22:06:19 -0700 2009 5071316 147113 ola 2 5127151 wow, this sounds delicious. i've never had a persimmon. is it the orangey fruit that kind of looks like an elongated tomato? what does it taste similar to? Sat Oct 24 06:47:06 -0700 2009 5126859 150094 ChristinaMason 3 5134735 Flat-bottomed Fuyu Persimmons, crisp like an apple and sweet like a pear, can be eaten out of hand, sliced into salads or stir-fries, or tossed into pies, crisps and cobblers. You don’t even have to peel a Fuyu. Stores at room temperature for up to three weeks. The brilliant orange flesh, packed with good stuff like fiber, beta-carotene and Vitamin C, does not turn brown when sliced, making it the perfect for holiday fruit trays, salads, etc. Tue Oct 27 10:38:54 -0700 2009 5127151 1092491 watercolor 4 5136615 Sounds like the perfect fruit! Thanks! Wed Oct 28 03:00:15 -0700 2009 5134735 150094 ChristinaMason 1 5128024 I am so happy for you! It's always a letdown to not cook that day. My 'tradition' starts with getting up at 5:00 a.m. to get the neck and giblets into a pot of water with lid firmly atop, dating back to my first Big Day dinner party when I couldn't handle the innards without retching!!! And I still get up quite early because we eat at 2:00 so l don't have to feed people twice! The one thing I must just be truly awful about is the 'wings akimbo' from Julia Child. I don't want to see the little wing-tips sticking up in the air all dry and over-cooked. I want to see them tucked back under the bird before roasting. I even do this with little quai! Isn't that just being polite? Is it just me? Sat Oct 24 14:32:27 -0700 2009 5071316 1101903 lil magill 1 5147123 Hi Judi! I have a crowd-pleasing recipe to share. I always make green bean bundles. It's so easy. Blanch some grean beens, wrap a piece of raw bacon around the bundles. Put all bundles on a baking sheet, drizzle melted butter and real maple syrup on them. Bake till bacon is crispy. They make a great presentation and most folks love them! I hope your holiday is *wonderful*!! Sun Nov 01 11:58:48 -0800 2009 5071316 1120860 meritage101 2 5169950 Yes, these are fabulous!! I use brown sugar instead of maple syrup. And for diabetics and others who don't want the butter and brown sugar, you can sprinkle the bundles with fresh oregano and drizzle with olive oil--those are great too. Tue Nov 10 08:32:59 -0800 2009 5147123 10550 zorra 1 5150254 I have been cooking Thanksgiving Dinner and I always make the turkey, the Gravy, the Sweet Potatoes, and a pie or two. I also make a smaller turkey for me and my grandmother whom I live with and she cannot get out to the big dinner. Plus I get leftover of turkey for sandwiches all to my self. I always brine the turkey the night before using Alton Brown's method but sometimes add other herbs or seasoning or citrus fruits in the brine. My turkey always comes out moist in the breast and I am convinced it is because of the brine. I always make a compound garlic and herb butter to place under the skin of the breast. I stuff the bird with a large onion and several garlic cloves along with a orange. I don't like to much of a citrus flavor like a lemon. Then I coat the skin with a bit of vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper I also S&P the inside before stuffing also. I roast at 375 till done using a meat thermometer. After its done cooking I make the gravy and I do like to try different gravy's each year but all are so wonderful and the best part of the meal I think. I also make sweet potatoes, usually I like to make the roasted sweet potatoes a day ahead and mash them up after cooled and then the day of I add butter and brown sugar and place in a casserole dish and top with a crunchy oat, brown sugar and coconut crisp like topping. But last year I was asked just to make plain mashed sweet potatoes and I gladly did but I also toasted some coconut and added that to the table for a optional topping. As far as the pies I do pumpkin from the Libby's label as its tradition in my family. I also make a Oatmeal Pie my Grandmother used to make for her monthly Sunday big meal when I was younger and she was able. So she has a recipe placed in between two pages in a old cookbook that I use. I have a lot on my plate enough for Thanksgiving so my mom and aunt help out and help make stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and my aunt make a chocolate silk pie sometimes. I do plan on finding a mouthwatering gravy recipe and trying that and I will try a rosemary rolls found on Pioneer Woman's website. No they are not from scratch but Thanksgiving being as busy as it is I don't have time to make bread from scratch. So to answer your question my single favorite dish is my Turkey dark meat please with a great gravy. Mon Nov 02 14:42:53 -0800 2009 5071316 229297 LEsherick2008 2 5150752 I love the traditions of Thanksgiving dinner, so I am so happy to read your post and how it all works for you and your family. Now tell me more about that oatmeal pie...... Mon Nov 02 17:52:38 -0800 2009 5150254 10156 Steve 3 5157178 Oh the Oatmeal Pie is so good. Its like Pecan Pie but with Oatmeal and Angel Flake Coconut with a very similar syrupy filling like in the Pecan Pie. I can't eat large pieces of nuts so pecan pie is out for me and my grandmother cannot eat nuts either. But I suppose you could put some walnuts or pecans chopped up in the pie also. I don't have the recipe offhand but I should be able to get it by Monday if you would like it. Wed Nov 04 21:13:58 -0800 2009 5150752 229297 LEsherick2008 4 5157189 Yes, please, do post the recipe!!! Wed Nov 04 21:17:41 -0800 2009 5157178 19782 Full tummy 1 5153792 Hi Judi, Whatever your feelings about serving what you like vs. what other folks like, I can tell you that the Barefoot Contessa's Parmesan Mashed Potatoes has ALWAYS been a hit with a wide variety of people. I always serve it without telling people about the Parmesan and everyone comments that there's something "special" about them. I like to play a guessing game to see if anyone can tell what the secret ingredient is, but they never can :-) The Parmesan adds a really creamy nuttiness to the potatoes - subtle, but amazing! Tue Nov 03 18:36:59 -0800 2009 5071316 1121252 BesottedGourmet 2 5161425 That recipe is so rich and delicious. I took it to Thanksgiving dinner last year, along with two other mashed potato versions (plain and garlic), and the Barefoot Contessa's parmesan smashed was devoured. Fri Nov 06 11:39:00 -0800 2009 5153792 48187 trixel 1 5164362 Brussel sprouts with chestnuts. I steam the sprouts, roast the chestnuts; when they're ready and hot, toss with melted butter, a good dash of powdered ginger and freshly fine ground black pepper. Be generous with the butter and pepper. I use salted butter, so I don't add more to the dish. But I recognize that I'm a light salter, so I always have salt on the table. Love, love, LOVE bs&c. Freshness of the sprouts + richness of the butter + sweetness of the chestnuts + taste treat of the spices. The mix of textures is amazing. Love, love, LOVE! Trimming the sprouts is a little tedious, but peeling the chestnuts is a burnt finger tip horror. So, it's definitely a celebration dish. But it's so pretty in the serving dish and delish in the mouth, it's always worth it. Sat Nov 07 20:10:25 -0800 2009 5071316 287097 meowzebub 1 5180956 Good luck with the dinner. While most people who attend our dinner are foodies and have eclectic palates, we always have the canned jelly type cranberries for a BIL, and then two other types of homemade cranberry for the rest of us. Re: people who are vegetarian/vegan and what they do on Thanksgiving, that would be me. Since I love to cook and find the only way to survive being a vegan is to cook great food myself, I make a killer artisan bread stuffing w/ no dairy or chicken broth, it's like a savory bread pudding with a mushroom sauce. I can usually eat a few other things, cranberries, sweet potatoes (roasted in olive oil), pickles. I bring a pre-baked potato sometimes and heat it in the microwave. Then I make applesauce with whole vanilla bean and bring that for dessert (I don't eat sweets either). People consider my stuff equal to anything else on the table. Sat Nov 14 07:17:28 -0800 2009 5071316 1124466 exminnesotan 2 5197119 I would LOVE your recipe for mushroom bread stuffing. Please? Fri Nov 20 14:43:20 -0800 2009 5180956 13416 ElissaInPlaya 1 5192061 The first thing that struck me when I saw your title was the line from the Jabberwocky: "O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" lol I got to host Thanksgiving a few years ago, and got great joy from cooking what I wanted. I did have to provide the canned cranberry sauce for those infidels who wouldn't eat homemade; plus, the faction that absolutely HAD to have oyster stuffing said that they would be glad ton bring some along. Fine by me. I made my must-have sausage-apple stuffing. I was told that I HAD to supply the green bean casserole, and I did, but I made my own version of the creamy mushroom sauce because I can't stand the canned stuff. I also brined a turkey and swear by it. I made my maple-wheat dinner rolls and should have made a double batch. They disappeared quickly! This year I'll be at my parents, but my mom said that she's looking forward to having me do the cooking, so it works out for everyone. :) I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with all of your favorite foods! Wed Nov 18 12:07:02 -0800 2009 5071316 1125474 BabsW 2 5193348 One thing I haven't seen on all these posts is soup. I've been hosting TG for a mix of traditionalists and foodies for over 10 years (16-25 people) and have found that starting with soup frankly gives me time to get things together in the kitchen (and get everyone out of the kitchen and sitting at the table). Obviously something on the lighter side (made a killer corn chowder early on--great soup but no one ate anything else!). Have done pumpkin/squash soups, mushroom, etc, all with positive results. Its not "traditional" but makes for a different start to the meal. Wed Nov 18 22:56:57 -0800 2009 5192061 269584 johnmdjr