Thanksgiving, 2008

Anyone starting to plan for 2008?

We are hosting this year and I am starting to pour over all my recipe books....anyone doing the same?

If so...what are you planning?

We have already come up with our first menu draft. We are having 8 adults and two children under six (who are picky and will get something else to eat!). It is also the first time my parents are meeting his parents and the first time we have ever hosted a sit down dinner.

To start, butternut squash soup from cooksillustrated.com

then, rolled stuffed turkey breast. We have yet to settle on a recipe for this.

the sides are:
-sweet potato gnocchi found here: http://www.cookthink.com/blog/?p=646
-green bean casserole from cooksillustrated.com
-cornbread and sausage stuffing, have yet to settle on a "recipe", but will likely just be a combo of a few.
-dinner rolls, probably from cooksillustrated.com

and for dessert, yet again from cooksillustrated.com, pumpkin cheesecake.

I plan on making a practice cheesecake and gnocchi sometime in October.

I have made the green bean casserole from Cooks Illustraed and it is fantastic! That is by far my favorite recipe for the dish! That may make the Christmas list! Thanks for reminding me of it.

We want to keep everything somewhat traditional but put twists on the old faves...the new Bon Appetit has some good recipes I am thinking of trying....a brussel sprout/cauliflower gratin, turkey/stuffing/dessert ideas...still hashing through all my books too.

So far we do know we are having a corn soup (also from Bon Appetit but a summer issue) as a starter.

The guest list is 9 adults and 4 kids (all 6 and under) so far. We are down a couple because they are going on their honeymoon in Argentina.

Happy menu planning!

PlayitGeorge - I wasn't sure if you were looking for suggestions for a stuffed turkey breast recipe, but just in case here's one for Turkey Roulade with Cider Sauce. It's from in Gourmet and is absolutely amazing - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/TURKEY-ROULADE-WITH-CIDER-SAUCE-236408.

I made it for a dinner party I catered last fall and it was a huge hit. Then made a take on it for another Thanksgiving event with a whole roasted turkey breast, the apple cider sauce, and the stuffing made on the side. Either way it's a winner.

I absolutely love how early people plan for Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday too so I can relate.

Although, I'm pretty sure our Thanksgiving this year will fare pretty similar to last year's:

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Pumpkin Sausage Sage Cornbread Stuffing
Turkey
Whole Cranberry Sauce
Green Beans
Rice Noodle Casserole
Tzimmes (a stew of sweet potatoes, carrots, prunes and meat)

See pictures here: http://chewonthatblog.com/2007/11/07/early-thanksgiving-pt-2-a-closer-look-at-the-food/

I don't start thinking about Thanksgiving until AFTER break-the-fast. lol

I've reserved my Bourbon Red already, but that's it so far! Still trying to nail down a list of who will be showing up! Quick question -- I think I'll be breaking it down pre-cooking. Has anyone done this before? Any tips/tricks? When I called Caveny Farms, they suggested leaving the breast whole rather than cutting it in two. Good idea?

I've also decided to crack open one of my bottles of Three Floyd's Dark Lord Stout at dessert. So, clearly, my priorities for dinner are the turkey and the booze. Hah!

HI,

I was at the Brewmaster's dinner in July at Three Floyds. They paired Dark Lord with a trifle for dessert. I knew nothing about Dark Lord until I tried it, the viscosity reminded me of a heavy Balsamic vinegar. Bumped into Mindy Segal who thought chocolate would have paired better than the trifle. I will be interested in your choices for desserts to highlight the Dark Lord.

Regards,

Family will be visiting and the only item for certain on the menu at this point is fried turkey. I like to toss in a couple ducks too. I also usually make cornbread with chorizo dressing.

This may finally be the year that I break down and try this recipe.

White Castle Turkey Stuffing

10 White Castle hamburgers, no pickles
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
1 1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1 1/2 tsp. ground sage
3/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth

In a large mixing bowl, tear the burgers into pieces and add diced celery and seasonings. Toss and add chicken broth. Toss well. Stuff cavity of turkey just before roasting. Makes about 9 cups (enough for a 10- to 12-pound turkey). Note: Allow 1 hamburger for each pound of turkey, which will be the equivalent of 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound.

Submitted by White Castle Management Co.

I can't wait!

I actually make the "slider stuffing", as my nephew refers to it, last year and it wasnt half bad. The only variation was that I put the buns in a toaster oven for a few minutes to dry them out and give them some texture. It was well received, as long as I also made my mothers traditional recipe.

Evil Ronnie wrote:This may finally be the year that I break down and try this recipe.

White Castle Turkey Stuffing

10 White Castle hamburgers, no pickles
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
1 1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1 1/2 tsp. ground sage
3/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth

In a large mixing bowl, tear the burgers into pieces and add diced celery and seasonings. Toss and add chicken broth. Toss well. Stuff cavity of turkey just before roasting. Makes about 9 cups (enough for a 10- to 12-pound turkey). Note: Allow 1 hamburger for each pound of turkey, which will be the equivalent of 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound.

Submitted by White Castle Management Co.

I can't wait!

One thing to plan for and this is based on memory:
The recipe as listed above make a miniscule amount. I think I used 20 burgers last year and it only filled half of a bread loaf pan.
Jamie

I've never understood why you take out the pickles. I'm going to have to do this someday both ways...I think the pickle offers an excellent foil for the onion-y burger.

Mhays wrote:I've never understood why you take out the pickles. I'm going to have to do this someday both ways...I think the pickle offers an excellent foil for the onion-y burger.

Because pickles are cucumbers soaked in EVIL!

Jamieson22 wrote:

Mhays wrote:I've never understood why you take out the pickles. I'm going to have to do this someday both ways...I think the pickle offers an excellent foil for the onion-y burger.

Because pickles are cucumbers soaked in EVIL!

Which makes them the perfect seasoning for a multi-generational family gathering!

Early? I feel like I'm behind. Haven't nailed down the full menu yet. It's barely three weeks!

I am getting ready to stuff a "test turkey" here in a few minutes so I can try out this new roaster I picked up. If this thing works out, I've solved a lot of timing issues on Thanksgiving morning.

I'm making a pumpkin tart with chocolate crust, pecan pie with twice as many nuts, and a pear cranberry tart with a nut crust. Also, after seeing your name, PBandFluff, perhaps a peanut butter pie. If not, maybe something small like fudge.

Mhays wrote:

Jamieson22 wrote:

Mhays wrote:I've never understood why you take out the pickles. I'm going to have to do this someday both ways...I think the pickle offers an excellent foil for the onion-y burger.

Because pickles are cucumbers soaked in EVIL!

Which makes them the perfect seasoning for a multi-generational family gathering!

Thank you for making my morning.

Pie Lady - If the pumpkin/chocolate tart is from Everyday Food, I'm making the same one. I already cooked my pumpkin and it's waiting in the freezer....

I have a soft spot for White Castle stuffing. I tend to be rather stuffing-impaired and it's the only one that has ever worked out well for me.

So far....

Running to Hagen's on Wednesday to get some smoked shrimp.
Making green beans in browned butter (a rip on the beans in the trout recipe in the Bouchon cookbook, the family loved it for Easter).
Sweet potato casserole that is a mix of the Hearty Boys recipe & an America's Test Kitchen recipe.
Might try the Sweet Potato Agnolotti from the French Laundry cookbook if I can find fresh pasta sheets here in the far NW burbs.
Pecan pie.
Pumpkin/Chocolate tart.
Spiced Zin cranberry sauce.
Going to attempt a rolled crust cherry pie.
Possibly stuffed mushrooms.

Have I mentioned this is not thrown at my house, this is all food I bring over to the mother in law's place? (She loves it... holidays are all about an overabundance of food and many leftovers)

Might also do a turkey breast for extra "leftover" meat, and I plan to attempt my dad's stuffing recipe again. He's been gone since 2004 and the holiday still is not the same without it. I tried in 2005 and it did not go well, but I have since gotten further pointers from my aunt.

missvjw wrote:Pie Lady - If the pumpkin/chocolate tart is from Everyday Food, I'm making the same one.

Whaddya know! It is! We can compare notes, as I'm being lazy and using canned pumpkin.

Where is the best place to buy a turkey in the city? Whole Foods, Paulina Meat Market?

Hi Pie Lady- could you share the pumkin-chocolate tart recipe from Martha's Everyday Food? That is one of my fave combos...tried to google the recipe but no luck....

Still deciding on the menu here also....

May try a pumpkin spice torte....I am still intrigued by the pumpkin chocolate tart..mmmm

Thanks!

PBandFluff wrote:Hi Pie Lady- could you share the pumkin-chocolate tart recipe from Martha's Everyday Food?

You betcha!
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/cho ... 09a00aRCRD

Our assignment at the family gathering is to bring TURKEY2 -- THE ALTERNATIVE BIRD. The Brother-In-Law does a turkey on his Weber, so we know that everyone will have at least one turkey they will enjoy. Our task is to bring "something different".

This year, we went to the CajunGrocer website for a TURDUCKEN, with Creole Pork & Cornbread stuffing. Sides will include their Corn Macque Choux, Green Bean Casserole and Andouille Cornbread Dressing.

Perhaps we are being a bit lazy here, since we will only be roasting the Turducken and heating the sides. But, I can handily rationalize away the guilt by remembering that this will truly be "something different".

This is our first foray into CajunGrocer. We will let you know how it turns out.

I was just thinking about gravy, as I'm apt to do on Fridays. I've turned against my tried-and-true Heinz jar and I've never liked the canned stuff. Do butchers carry gravy? Where can I go to get a nice pint of turkey or chicken gravy, if not? No way I'm trying to make it myself again. Worst mess ever.
Also, does anybody remember how much turkeys are at grocery stores? Fresh ones at butchers' are $2.39 per pound and up, which I'd love to do, but it seems a bit pricey.

Pie Lady wrote:Also, does anybody remember how much turkeys are at grocery stores? Fresh ones at butchers' are $2.39 per pound and up, which I'd love to do, but it seems a bit pricey.

You can buy a frozen turkey almost anywhere for half that price, and they'll probably go on sale for under $1 per pound.

But everything is relative. I have email offering to sell me a heritage turkey at $14 per pound.

Each year we have a conundrum at Thanksgiving: MIL only likes stuffing if it's cooked in the bird and her son has celiac - can't eat the bird if the stuffing is cooked in it. She won't eat cornbread stuffing, so we end up with a standoff. She wants two turkeys so one can be stuffed; I want one turkey and stuffing in a pan.

I wouldn't care if we needed two turkeys, however of the 12 of us, four have already eaten at the in-laws before arriving, one is a vegetarian, and two do not like turkey (but love chicken).

This year, I managed to "win" by offering to smoke the turkey. MIL has decided to make a chicken so she gets her in-the-bird stuffing and the two who like chicken have something to eat. Ah, negotiating family gatherings....

I haven't smoked a turkey yet, so that should be a fun experience. Beyond brining it, I haven't much thought of what I need to do to it.

The menu? Not sure as it's in MIL's hands. I only know that it probably won't be much different than the last Thanksgiving, or the one before that. I see each holiday as an opportunity to try things I've never tried before. My in-laws see each holiday as a time to have the foods they love and associate with happy family gatherings. I actually wish I was better at appreciating their perspective. I imagine they have a deeper sense of place and belonging, associating food with happy memories or particular people, jokes, songs, etc.

No doubt, having instigated the smoked turkey, I'll still try to work on encouraging a replacement for the cranberry sauce, AKA a Jello mold.

I've decided to get another one of Chef Efrain's Turduckens this year. Last year I made a regular stuffed turkey as well but this year I've decided not to. Anyone have any ideas for making good gravy without a bird? I was toying with the idea of making a rolled stuffed turkey breast but I'm not sure this would yield good pan drippings for gravy. Does anyone have ideas for a good linguica sausage source (organic/free-range would be great b/c one guest is selective about her meat, but this is not a requirement)?
Thanks

HI,

For the gravy, there is nothing better than gravy made from pan drippings. Why not roast a chicken in advance of the day, then make gravy from it and freeze? Or at least scrape the fond, mix in with stock and freeze to finish the gravy on the big day.

Regards,

My favorite Holiday. We are having 6 guests over, and we are planning on the following:

- Shrimp Cocktail, and relish tray for snacking
- 20+ Lb. Turducken put together by Cajun Ron
- mashed potatoes & gravy from the turducken pan drippings(i have reserved some giblets from previous birds, and will simmer them and add them to the gravy as well
- Traditional sausage, bread, and sage dressinng
- Green Bean Casserole
- Cranberry sauce
- Made from scratch pumpkin pie
- Made from scratch carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

- beer, tequila & a few bottles of wine I have laying around.

I am pushing the envelope a little this year for my guests who do not like change. I am surprising them with the turducken(some of my guests are going to a 2nd meal that night, so I do not feel bad). I am making the green bean casserole, and the traditional dressing for them as well(they just dont consider it Thanksgiving without these items made as they always have been made.).