To fuck or to cook?

[Secret_Agent_Man]

Originally posted by bold_n_brazen
I will admit that I like the Pepperidge Farm stuff that comes in a bag and you add your own sauteed mushrooms, celery, onions, etc to.

That is the kind we have at home now for Thanksgiving -- and it is tasty.

My mom made (makes) a homemade sage-heavy stuffing that is very good -- and of course, because it is what I had growing up, it will eternally be my Platonic ideal.

S_A_M

[Sparklehorse]

Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
That is the kind we have at home now for Thanksgiving -- and it is tasty.

My mom made (makes) a homemade sage-heavy stuffing that is very good -- and of course, because it is what I had growing up, it will eternally be my Platonic ideal.

S_A_M

For most of my life, my father was the king of Thanksgiving and he always made his dressing, which I think is a Southern-style family recipe. It had cornbread, so much sage the dressing was brown, drippings from the turkey, the giblets and onions. I think he threw an egg or two in as well. I have great fondness for this style, given the source, but he's no longer available to make it and I don't think anyone in the family liked it enough to reproduce it, particularly the chopped giblets.

[ltl/fb]

I made one, and it was easy (and while VERY caloric, not as bad as I'd expected) . . . but it didn't look quite right (the sides didn't go up all around) or taste quite right (it tasted more like just a pancake).

But, hell, tender styrofoam warmed and coated in butter, lemon juice and powdered sugar would taste good, and it was fairly satisfying.

[ltl/fb]

I got a kabocha squash at the Farmers Market today and, wow. I used some of it in place of butternut squash in a recipe that called for me to peel it and then roast cut-up pieces; instead I cut approx. the amount needed into 4 large chunks, with the peel on, and roasted it. It's much, much easier to get peel off after roasting, imo.

Anyway, when I was burning my fingers peeling the chunks after roasting, I tasted some and it's really very flavorful -- moreso than butternut squash, I think. It seemed almost starchy, and soaked up more liquid in the overall recipe than I expected.

The recipe was for butternut squash and greens risotto, but I discovered I didn't have arborio rice when I'd already started, so it ended up just being brown rice with the rest of the ingredients, sans quite a bit of broth.

[Oliver_Wendell_Ramone]

So, reasonably sized family gathering planned for Thursday (9 or 10 adults, 3 kids). Over the weekend, we're giving the house the thorough cleaning that it doesn't get often enough. And we think, sure, let's use the self-cleaning cycle on the oven, which is in desparate need of a cleaning.

The oven is now clean. And no longer works. Fixable, apparently, but parts are a week or so away. So, turkey sushi for all.

Actually, there are two turkeys. Plan had been to do one in the oven and on on the grill. Now it will be one on the grill, approximating an oven as best possible, and one in a smoker. Otherwise, stove top, with crockpots for warming stuff. Pies were already assigned out. Debating using the old (and cheap to begin with) charcoal smoker or buying a cheap electric smoker. Thankfully, the weather looks good, as I'll be hangin' outside a bit.

[Fugee]

Originally posted by Oliver_Wendell_Ramone
So, reasonably sized family gathering planned for Thursday (9 or 10 adults, 3 kids). Over the weekend, we're giving the house the thorough cleaning that it doesn't get often enough. And we think, sure, let's use the self-cleaning cycle on the oven, which is in desparate need of a cleaning.

The oven is now clean. And no longer works. Fixable, apparently, but parts are a week or so away. So, turkey sushi for all.

Actually, there are two turkeys. Plan had been to do one in the oven and on on the grill. Now it will be one on the grill, approximating an oven as best possible, and one in a smoker. Otherwise, stove top, with crockpots for warming stuff. Pies were already assigned out. Debating using the old (and cheap to begin with) charcoal smoker or buying a cheap electric smoker. Thankfully, the weather looks good, as I'll be hangin' outside a bit.

You need one or more of these Nesco roasters -- they come in various sizes

[Hank Chinaski]

okay, some of you know about personal issues because of an outed anon posting kind of thing. Well, that boils down to the typical restrictions on our Thanksgiving dinner due to alleged allergies are lifted this year.

Anyone have side dishes that are heavy on onions or nuts that are so good I should stop at the market on the way home to get stuff to make.

I thni kthings could be patched up by next year, so there's just this small window of opportunity.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Fugee
You need one or more of these Nesco roasters -- they come in various sizes

2. I'd say a good 2/3 of the turkeys that I've helped consume on Thanksgiving day were cooked in one of those. They're not very expensive, last forever, and also are good for making gumbo, tamales and posole.

ETA: you can usually get them at Sams. Or Wal*Mart. Or maybe Costco.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Oliver_Wendell_Ramone
So, reasonably sized family gathering planned for Thursday (9 or 10 adults, 3 kids). Over the weekend, we're giving the house the thorough cleaning that it doesn't get often enough. And we think, sure, let's use the self-cleaning cycle on the oven, which is in desparate need of a cleaning.

The oven is now clean. And no longer works. Fixable, apparently, but parts are a week or so away. So, turkey sushi for all.

Actually, there are two turkeys. Plan had been to do one in the oven and on on the grill. Now it will be one on the grill, approximating an oven as best possible, and one in a smoker. Otherwise, stove top, with crockpots for warming stuff. Pies were already assigned out. Debating using the old (and cheap to begin with) charcoal smoker or buying a cheap electric smoker. Thankfully, the weather looks good, as I'll be hangin' outside a bit.

If you get the electric smoker, you shouldn't have to check the bird more than once or twice.

I usually stuff the turkey I'm smoking with a couple sprigs of fresh thyme and sage, some celery, carrots, and an onion, and a head of garlic, sliced in half. If you add a lemon, also cut in half, it keeps the bird a bit moister and helps the turkey draw in the aromatics.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by taxwonk
If you get the electric smoker, you shouldn't have to check the bird more than once or twice.

I usually stuff the turkey I'm smoking with a couple sprigs of fresh thyme and sage, some celery, carrots, and an onion, and a head of garlic, sliced in half. If you add a lemon, also cut in half, it keeps the bird a bit moister and helps the turkey draw in the aromatics.

okay look, its too late for anyone to buy a thing to cook the bird in, but you can still help me. not to complain but all year long I'm so helpful, and none of you can bother to answer my post?

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
okay, some of you know about personal issues because of an outed anon posting kind of thing. Well, that boils down to the typical restrictions on our Thanksgiving dinner due to alleged allergies are lifted this year.

Anyone have side dishes that are heavy on onions or nuts that are so good I should stop at the market on the way home to get stuff to make.

I thni kthings could be patched up by next year, so there's just this small window of opportunity.

Buy some sweet onions and slice halfway down in a cross, slide in some butter, salt and pepper, and a little oregano. Wrap them in foil and roast in the oven for about 45-50 minutes.

[robustpuppy]

I have a hankering for potato pancakes, and while recipes abound on the internets, I thought I'd ask here to see if anyone had a recipe and any other tips for making them super delicious (e.g., types of potatoes or oil to use, etc.)

Unfortunately, I don't remember how my mother used to make them.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
I have a hankering for potato pancakes, and while recipes abound on the internets, I thought I'd ask here to see if anyone had a recipe and any other tips for making them super delicious (e.g., types of potatoes or oil to use, etc.)

Unfortunately, I don't remember how my mother used to make them.

This is sad, but my kid's have taken a fancy to Golden's Potato Pancakes out of the supermarket freezer.

They're actually pretty good, but on the potato-ey side of the Latke family. Really almost fried mashed potatos.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
I have a hankering for potato pancakes, and while recipes abound on the internets, I thought I'd ask here to see if anyone had a recipe and any other tips for making them super delicious (e.g., types of potatoes or oil to use, etc.)

Unfortunately, I don't remember how my mother used to make them.

Bacon grease makes everything taste better . . . though, that would be a little bit inauthentic.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
This is sad, but my kid's have taken a fancy to Golden's Potato Pancakes out of the supermarket freezer.

They're actually pretty good, but on the potato-ey side of the Latke family. Really almost fried mashed potatos.

my wife's family is the mushed up latke type, but her bestest friend here is the shreaded kind. I think I like shreaded better, shhh.