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Thought this might be a good time to share ideas on Thanksgiving menu's. Old family winners, flops, stuffings, cranberry sauces, recipie

psychchef

Our family has started a few recent traditions for Thanksgiving. This make the menu something like:

Crab Bisque

Turducken w/ andouille cornbread dressing - Roasted all day by the father gravy made by me

Cranberry-Orange-Apple Relish - Made 2 days prior by me

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE - my sister now makes this with Fat Free cream
of mushroom --- Blech

Whipped Potatoes - truly one of my specialties

Sweet potatoes roasted with peaches - We've made this for 20 some years

Also, my father like to bake at least one pie and a cheesecake for dessert. (I prefer the homemade Kolachy from Grandma)

Flip

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"Beer is proof God loves us, and wants us to be Happy"
-Ben Franklin-

I love turkey. I like it all ways and appear to be one of the few who actually looks forward to turkey leftovers: meat for turkey sandwiches (simple prep of salt/pepper and mayo/miracle whip), turkey carcass for turkey soup with plenty of barley, etc.

I like my turkey both the old "traditional" way, oven-roasted, as well as deep-fried. T-day and Christmas down in Georgia at my sister's isn't complete without a couple of deep-fried turkeys. It's an amazing simple process that takes so much less time than roasting and consistently produces juicy turkey with crispy skin - no deflating dried-out bird a la "A Christmas Story". It also has the added benefit of freeing up kitchen and oven space for other things and people. While there are specific risks introduced by having a large vat of oil over an open flame, they are very manageable but those with small children or rambunctious pets may have legitimate concerns. A 'worse-case' scenario that is more humorous than anything to me can be found in this QT movie from Underwriters Labs (they aren't fans of turkey fryers):
http://www.ul.com/turkeyfryers/

Must have sides for any home-made turkey dinner are:

Gravy, of course

Mashed potatoes with horseradish and roasted garlic. Oh so savory, the bite of the horseradish and the sweetness of the roasted garlic.

Baby peas with pearl onion

Oyster dressing (though the other side of the family must have their cornbread dressing, as well). A rich, complex, dressing that's very simple to prepare (assuming easy access to quality fresh oysters).

Cranberry w/citrus (typically orange)

Desserts of pecan pie and sweet potato pie with marshmallow topping

Damn, now I'm hungry - Don't know if I can wait a month for all that.

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Objects in mirror appear to be losing.

Kman,
I'm with you, I love turkey! I always order a fresh Ho Ka turkey from the butcher. But this year I need one 2 1/2 weeks before Thanksgiving. (brother is comming home from Kuwait)
I called many places to see if I can order one and everyone said not until one week before Thanksgiving. I called the Kauffman Turkey Farm and was told to come in anytime after Nov 5th to get your fresh turkey. The farm is 60 miles from Chicago. How fresh is that?

Kauffman Turkey Farm
8519 Leland Road
Waterman ILL 60556
815-264-3470
www.hokaturkeys.com

I've made this with turkey and stuffing for the last ten years and it is always a hit.

http://christmas.allrecipes.com/AZ/GlazedPearlOnsRsnsAlmnds.asp

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Reading is a right. Censorship is not.

Enjoying thanksgiving meals with the family since I was born. Took a while to figure out what was going on. Over the years have developed a basic drill for the holiday:

1. Get a fresh turkey and brine it, I like the big turkeys (29), i use the brining recipie from and New York Times section on Alice Waters Thanksgiving.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.h ... 8DDDA80994

DINING IN, DINING OUT/STYLE DESK | November 17, 1999, Wednesday

New American Traditions; In a Berkeley Kitchen, A Celebration of Simplicity


great brine for 2 days, in large tub.

2. Drain , dry, pat, rinse, dry.

3. Stuffings: i grew up on chestnut and giblet stuffing. They were cooked , peeled, ground coarsley, and added to cubes of old bread, white, sour dough, baquette. Saute the onions, mushrooms, red or green pepper, carrots, and celery in some bacon fat. Add a touch of medium dry sherry, deglazing several times to build flavor. Toward end can add some fresh sage leaves, diced. Add to the mixture of bread , chestnuts, and giblets, toss, adding some dry vermouth, and chicken stock to slightly moisten. Salt and pepper, add dried spices of your choice, i usually go for thyme and winter savory. For brightness can add a squeeze of half an orange, and some orange bitters. toss and taste to get final tastenotes nailed . I always stuff my stuffing in the bird. both ends, i love how the stuffing inside is soft and savory, while the stuffing on the other side is covered by a well browned skin that the stuffing sticks to.

4. Brussel sprouts, bacon, chestnuts, butter, maple syrup, touch of soy. Blanch brussels first for a few minutes in boiling water, then drain and begin to put with other ingredients in saute pan with high lid, cover and when almost done, take top off and let brown the liquid reduce. S and P

5. Rutabaga, love um, peel, cut into large pieces, cook in boiling water till tender, remove, put in mixer with paddle blade, add some butter, salt and pepper, a little nutmeg, and milk. Beautiful orange yellow, rustic mashed , with enough butter, but not too much, to let its own flavor come out

6. Sherry, long braised onions: smallish onions, peel lightly, put in roasting pan, with butter, some sherry, s and p, and a little chix stock. Roast on top of stove until most of liquid evaporates, then put in 350 oven until they have a nice brown, black, carmelized look and smell. About 1 to 2 hours.

7. Mashed root vegetables with garlic and cream and a touch of buttermilk. Parsnips, celeriac, peeled garlic, potatoes. After cooking them: put in mixer with paddle, put potatoes through ricer then add to the mixer. Add the cream butter and buttermilk and blend lightly, add grated parmesan cheese to taste. about 1 cup grated. salt and pepper

8. Greenbeans almondine

9. Many recipies for cranberry sauce

Other dishes are tried as well

Wines with food usually reisling, red i use zinfandel.

Dessert: Great pumpkin pies, Mincemeat Pie, Durgin Park Indian Pudding

After dinner beverages: Port, Sherry,


Would love peoples cranberry recipies, stuffings loved, etc.

thanks, psychchef
Howard Alt

Every Thanksgiving, in honor of the Italian landing in America in 1492, we start with antipasti (this also gives guests something to eat while we're working to sync up all the other plates).

I get a bunch of big shrimp from the fish store across from Caputo's, steam them in beer, and serve with my heavy-on-the-horseradish cocktail sauce.

The kiddies like Provoletta, which are provolones molded into animal shapes: elephant, pig, etc. They're in the cheese rack at Caputo's.

Maybe a half-dozen types of olives and cheeses, pepperone, and, recently, I've started making baked sweet pepper (red, yellow, green) with anchovy. Very simple, but a crowd pleaser.

Hammond

Since we started frying the bird (maybe 5 years ago), we've been using all that hot peanut oil to its best advantage by starting off with cornmeal/rice flour (and sugar and chile and other stuff)-crusted oysters.

Maybe this year we'll expand to include empanadas, croquetas, or Ybor style devil crabs. French fries are an obvious option I've never considered for Thanksgiving. Crab rangoon, samosas, corn dogs, pizza puffs? Maybe not. The trick is to find pre-turkey foods that either won't add much to the oil, or, like oysters and crab, give a complimentary flavor. Post-bird frying is probably not going to be very good. Turkey flavored funnel cakes, anyone?

If you've never deep fried anything in several gallons of super-hot oil, you're in for a treat. Makes me want to have one of those "outside" kitchens like the brillant people of Thailand.

Hi,

I've been in far away and lonely places when it was Thanksgiving. I've always found a turkey, even if the local bird was an anemic 6-8 pounds, and created a holiday wherever I was. So I am quite sensitive to people alone or just as bad: two people and a turkey. Thanksgiving is community and sharing what you have and, along with the 4th of July, my favorite holiday.

Whenever I can, I also include a pair of recruits from Great Lakes Naval Station. You may do the same by contacting 847/688-2405 or 847/688-5670.

A few things to keep in mind:

- You can invite a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 recruits
- You collect your guests from 7:30 AM until 9 AM. They must be returned by 8 PM.
- You must live within 60 miles
- It's not stated on the form this year, however your recruits will be advised to accept no liquor or change into civilian clothes.

These guys are in basic training, they haven't seen television or read a newspaper, they've had politeness drilled into them, they are thrilled to be off base and in your home.

Many years ago, they promised more recruits than they had. So we found ourselves with two musicians from the Navy Band who were pulled from rehearsal to come home with us.

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Cathy, what wonderful advice. My dad was a career marine and it was a holiday tradition for us to bring away-from-home marines into our home for the holidays. One would be hard-pressed to find a more appreciative dinner guest. I wasn't aware of this program at Great Lakes but will certainly reference this in future holiday plans; thank you for pointing it out.

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Objects in mirror appear to be losing.

We are faced with a situation that I am sure others share; namely we are not the ones hosting Thanksgiving for our respective families (I wish we were). One year, we go to my brother's house, where he hosts my side of the family. The next year, we go to the Chow Poodle's brother's house where he hosts her side of the family. On the third year, we lie to both of them and tell them we are going to the other person's house, but we stay home and hold Outlaw Thanksgiving. Outlaw Thanksgiving gives us a chance to cook a Thanksgiving feast just as we like it. We have all of our favorite dishes cooked to perfection without all the drama. On Outlaw Thanksgiving years, we take the opportunity to invite any of our friends who have no real place to go to enjoy the holiday. Sometimes we have 10 - 12 people over and sometimes it's just 3 - 4 of us. It doesn't matter. I LOVE Outlaw Thanksgiving.

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Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

Hi,

Outlaw Thanksgiving, now that is a new twist.

The first Thanksgiving dinner I cooked personally, I was 13 or 14. Why would any young teenager do such a thing? It was to control the Thanksgiving invitation list. Until then, we spent Thanksgiving at my maternal grandparents who invited "just family." Well, this also brought out some of the ugly side of being with my family, they could and would behave badly without too much inhibition because we were "just family."

Once I took over, I started to invite my Dad's family as well as total strangers. Some like the Yugoslav 007 are legendary. What I learned is by introducing even one stranger, my family behaved very well. No bad behavior because we wouldn't want "the family" look bad in front of strangers.

As long as I make pies for my cousins to take home, a tiny bribe, we have the full compliment of family, friends and invited guests for quite a wonderful dinner.

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

With a mammoth clan on my mother's side (about 35 people), there's no way I can host it at my house, so we're expected to provide a dish or two.

Mrs. F is expected to provide at least a Pecan Pie, perhaps something else sweet.

Me, I'm often responsible for a side dish. So I refuse to be predictable: one holiday it was a spanish-style tortilla with fresh sorrel from my garden with the eggs and spuds. Recently it was morrocan-spiced carrots.

I'm awaiting inspiration for thanksgiving. Curried cauliflower looms large... but I may bail and just whip up a batch of my salsa from the roasted homegrown tomatillos in my freezer.

My beau will be down in Alabama with the parents over the Thanksgiving week, so we will be having our dinner on the 14th. This year's menu:

Grilled Jerk Shrimp

Italian Sausage/Escarole/White Bean Soup (by request)

Beer Can Duck, Asian Flavors

Garlic mashed potatoes (also by request)

Sauteed spinach with soy, garlic, and sesame oil

Tortoni pudding with amaretti, almonds, and bananas (hey, it's our dinner!)

I know this is a weird combination of stuff, but we've found over the past couple of years that we really like to collaborate on menus. I asked about the duck, and he was all for it - roasting it upright renders the fat incredibly well. It's an adaptation of one of Steven Reichlen's recipes, but not nearly as sweet and orange-y, and rubbed with my own blend of Asian spices and finished with a hoisin glaze. Can't wait.

My mother's Michigan farm family has always had cole slaw at Thanksgiving dinner, it's even more imperative than the cranberries.

At that time of year the cabbage is especially good, the cold weather has made it peppery. When I have served it to non-initiates, it has been a big hit. It's a nice contrast to all the richness.

My Grandma Jessie's method for coleslaw is simple and delicious:

Shred (or chop--it was one of my first statements of having my own kitchen that I started shredding my cabbage for coleslaw, my ma always chopped hers and I found it annoying my whole life) the cabbage.

Add some finely chopped onion and apple (Macintosh is good) to your taste.

Dress with apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper (if you wish) and sugar to your taste.

Let sit, for up to several hours.

Shortly before serving, dress with mayonaise. You will be surprised at how much less mayonaise you need, because there will be a quantity of liquid drawn out of the cabbage by the sugar and salt that combines with the mayo to make a nice, light dressing.

Enjoy!

No matter how fancy the rest of our Thanksgiving meals get, I always have to have my green bean casserole. BUT, there's a difference between the kind we make versus the bland, watery versions that always seem to show up at potlucks.

We've switched to using fresh frozen green beans instead of canned. Skip the milk. And season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. It's sooo good...people have to ask me if I want turkey with my GBC.

I like the "Outlaw Thanksgiving" idea, too. I guess that's something akin to what my husband and I are doing, which is boycotting our respective families' Thanksgivings in New York, and hiding out here in Chicago.

That said, this will be the first year I'll be responsible for a Thanksgiving meal on my own, and with my own family. The only things I know for sure will be making an appearance are some sort of turkey; my (very basic) cranberry-orange relish (put bag of cranberries, 1-2 oranges in blender; coarsely chop; add sugar to taste); and my mother's sausage stuffing (for which I still need to get the recipe). My husband's family always makes a parmesan green bean casserole which is phenomenal. So far, we're only guaranteed to have 3 people (one of whom is still working on pureed sweet potatoes), but the guest list is always subject to change. It's so tempting to make 10 different dishes, but I know our fridge just doesn't have the space.

Oh, and pumpkin pie and freshly mulled cider, of course.

Congratulations, you're now starting your family traditions with roots where you originated from.

(Doesn't it sound better than hiding out or abandoning family?)

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

You've never met my family

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Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

Last year was my best Thanksgiving yet, and I frankly don't remember what we ate. My son was 11 days old, all the visitors (however helpful and welcome) had finally hit the road, and the three of us were home alone for the first time. We may have had salmon on the grill or ordered pizza. Who knows?

I love the Outlaw Thanksgiving idea, and my tip to prospective parents looking to duck the family gatherings is to have a baby right before Thanksgiving or Christmas. It works great! We had a fabulous four-day weekend at home for the first time in years. Of course we took the baby all over heck at Christmas because there would have been riots had we not, but I can't think of a better excuse to stay home. Except maybe a 1-year-old who doesn't like his car seat for more than half an hour at a time...

JeffB: Ybor style devil crabs? That's intriguing.

Also, as far as inviting the Thanksgivenless to dinner: Colleges often have students who can't make it home.

My mother feed students for Thanksgiving and Christmas for years. It was a nice tradition. And the foreign students who had never experienced a traditional American meal really enjoyed it a lot.

Ugggh. That was our Christmas last year, except replace baby with hugely, hugely pregnant woman. Part of the reason I'm putting my foot down about not traveling for Thanksgiving is that we'll be driving all over the east coast right around Christmas (hitting locations in NJ, Long Island and north of Albany upstate NY within a 12 hour span). Plus, I think there's something to be said for kids to have holiday traditions in their own homes (even though I'm not expecting a 7 month old to cherish, much less remember, this year's event).

And besides, in doing my own Thanksgiving, I can guarantee not having to eat any type of casserole with a Campbell's product as the main ingredient.

Hi,

Today while waiting for my chicken to cook up at Hecky's, I read information about food available for Thanksgiving:

10-12 pound (Smoked) Turkey: $38.50
5 pound (smoked) duck: $26.50 (duck feeds 1-2 people, turkey is a better deal IMHO)
Quart of red beans and rice, baked beans or greens: $10.
Quart of slaw: $4
1/2 pan of corn bread: $7.47
Whole sweet potato pie: $11.35
Whole peach cobbler: $12

Last day for placing an order: November 22nd

Hecky's Barbecue
1902 Green Bay Rd
Evanston, IL 60201
847-492-1182
http://www.heckys.com/

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

How many does the smoked turkey serve?

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Leek
SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT IT CHANGES THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG.
American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog.
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Hi Lee,

According to Butterball, 1.5 pounds of turkey for serving and leftovers. Personally, I find you can go with less when you take into account the abundance of side dishes and desserts served at Thanksgiving.

Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

my family thanksgivings used to include a stuffing, the most "unique" ingredients of which included clam juice and italian sausage. it was beyond divine. i no longer have access to the recipe, and it's killing me. does anyone know of and have a stuffing recipe using those ingredients?

HI,

Sometimes I begin searches on google with keywords: italian sausage clam juice stuffing

This may not be very difficult to improvise, because most stuffings are bread or rice (I once saw butterfly pasta in a William Rice article) sauteed onions (and/or other vegetables), some sausage/ham/oysters and I'm sure the clam juice is there to moisten and pull together the stuffing, so it should be used sparingly.

If you are considering making for Thanksgiving, then you could begin experimenting now unless you just want to wing it on T-day. Make a small 2-3 cup version and bake it for 30 minutes to get an idea what you like and don't like or what meets up with your memories.

Good luck --- I've reversed engineered some recipes and often it is just a few rounds until you find something acceptable.

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Hi,

I have a friend who grew up in the UK, who married a career U.S. Navy serviceman. She was quite the new bride stationed at some foreign outpost, when the new husband advised he was bringing buddies home for Thanksgiving dinner that evening.

She didn't know anything about Thanksgiving dinner, she did understand he was bringing friends home for dinner. Knowing little else she prepared side dishes and desserts, then waited for her husband to return before preparing the main course. A bit of Navy life according to my friend, there is no fixed schedule when someone will return from their duties. If you want to eat dinner together, you need to be flexible on when dinner is eaten.

When her husband and buddies returned, they expected a full blown turkey dinner. Instead, they found steaks waiting to be cooked. The guys explained Turkey is for Thanksgiving, my friend counter-argued in the UK Turkey was Christmas dinner! Ever since, my friend's family celebrates Thanksgiving with steaks, which they enjoy thoroughly.

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Twenty year ago, when living in Virginia, I never spent a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner by myself. I would ALWAYS get 5-10 invites from retired military people in the area. Great food, great company and people willing to share.

Hi,

Today, the Friday before Thanksgiving, I buy the 20+ pound turkey to allow a slow defrost. By Wednesday morning, I will brine it for 6-9-12 hours (I have to look it up). So by Wednesday evening, I can return it to the refrigerator to air dry the skin, which allows for a crisp skin when it's roasted.

It really does take days to defrost such a large object. I often will find ice crystals in the cavity if I start defrosting any later. Another benefit of the brine, it evens out the temperature of the bird, eliminating a colder core.

The clock has begun, at least for me!

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast