U.S. Thanksgiving Dinner (1621-) - Celebrating and Giving Thanks for the Good Harvest in Plymouth, Massachusetts

[Heather]

I learned a couple of years ago to avoid that place the day before a holiday. It sucks. But, it would also help if they could figure out a way to enforce the no walkoff policy. Allowing parking for the church doesn't help either.

My hands were tied, really, after figuring out this morning that I had to cook something at home.

John, yeah. Schlepping groceries on the train would be in keeping with MoCo's anti-car policies, except I am not walking ten minutes to the Takoma station, waiting to catch a train to Silver Spring, then walking 10 minutes (back towards my house) to get to Whole Foods, then making the same trip in reverse with groceries for 4 people. Ain't gonna happen.

[johnb]

My hands were tied, really, after figuring out this morning that I had to cook something at home.

John, yeah. Schlepping groceries on the train would be in keeping with MoCo's anti-car policies, except I am not walking ten minutes to the Takoma station, waiting to catch a train to Silver Spring, then walking 10 minutes (back towards my house) to get to Whole Foods, then making the same trip in reverse with groceries for 4 people. Ain't gonna happen.

Gosh, you sound like the sort of person the MoCo planners figured would just walk to the store Or maybe take a bike. Great exercise!

Seriously, that parking lot is a disaster. But speaking of Pentagon City, I know Harris Teeter is bad, but Costco is far worse. Glad I'm not there just now.

[Joe H]

Gosh, you sound like the sort of person the MoCo planners figured would just walk to the store Or maybe take a bike. Great exercise!

Seriously, that parking lot is a disaster. But speaking of Pentagon City, I know Harris Teeter is bad, but Costco is far worse. Glad I'm not there just now.

At 1:30 this afternoon the Wegman's in Sterling was shockingly not overly crowded. Perhaps a crowd for an average Saturday (Sunday is their busiest day.). A half dozen police were in the parking lot directing traffic but seemed not to be needed. My guess, based on a mobbed Harris Teeter in Reston 30 minutes later, is that the Leesburg Wegman's is cannibalizing the Sterling store.

[deangold]

Re Silver Spring parking:

The church is only allowed to park in the line of spaces along the back edge of the parking lot. I remember working an easter morning there as we were slammed to the gills inside. I was doing cart duty and trafffic directing n the parking lot. Car after car of nicely dressed folk would stop and get out f the car in non church spaces and start walking off to the said church.

Me: "uh excuse me, you can't park for the church there!"

Them "X!&@ %# #*( ((@&% $#(*)*& @() )((* )(#(*@^!# & )(&(*&* &^@!! @! )# ((*^. #@(* &^^. %^_ )(@$)*)(&@^&%$!!!!!!!!!!!"

Me: "Enjoy your church service!"

Plus they tore down that lovely parking building that never got too full to put up the Astroturf outside area.

[Anna Blume]

Have to say I'm impressed with how well stocked the Silver Spring store is. Managed to find the only heavy cream that isn't ultra-pasteurized. They still have the inexpensive store-brand unsalted butter and for those who can't find a certain spice where it's supposed to be, there's a stash of essentials on promo shelves at the end of the aisle.

And JPW, I've braved the Tenleytown store on T-day proper!!!

[bookluvingbabe]

The Kentlands store on Thanksgiving was remarkably sane around 11 am last year. NOT planning on repeating the experiment this year but I find it reassuring to know I could...

[zoramargolis]

kabocha pie is in the fridge, pecan pie in the oven

cranberry compote and the quince-pear mostarda for the charcuterie plate are made, as are the pickled beets

chanterelle/black trumpet soup needs only to be heated with some cream

tomorrow it hits the fan: bread, sausage and chestnut stuffing to make, turkey to prep for the smoker,

cream sauce for the onions, potato and celery root puree, sweet potato gratin, brussels sprouts with bacon

gravy

whipped cream for the pies

painkillers and ice packs.

whose idea was this, anyway?

[hillvalley]

The Giant on Rt. 26 into Bethany was empty and well stocked this afternoon. They even had the organic half and half my bro in law wanted.

[JPW]

Cranberry sauce - done

Stuffing - done

Squash soup - done

Brine - done

Mrs JPW made pie dough and filling

Tomorrow is biscuits, mashed potatoes, green beans and cook turkey and pie. Make gravy. No problemo

[squidsdc]

Tomorrow is the in-law rotation, and our new tradition appears to be McCormick and Schmicks, or M&S Grill. This year is the former. The turkey option is 22.95 pp and actually looks pretty good. Regular menu items are also available.

Friday was to be my family's day to get together, but E-coli intervened and my Mom remains in the hospital for at least two more days. This year I'm thankful that she let herself be taken to the ER on Sunday, or else the outcome could have been much worse.

So we are left now with a defrosted 16lb. Turkey. I thought I saw somewhere mentioned on the web where one could donate a Turkey? Cooked or not? Please post if anyone has any details. I don't know if I can convince my Dad to do so, as he'll probably want to cook it and re-freeze it. I can't imagine that would be a good idea? So I'm better off if I'm armed with good information on where to donate and convince him to have it for a tax deduction.

[deangold]

Regarding WFM on T Day vs the day before:

At Tenley Town we used to do around 200,000 with $20,000 hours starting at about 10am till 2pm and then $20-30,000 hours from 3 to 7pm.

T Day itself the store did maybe 40,000 on an 8 hour shift. So much saner to go a T Day then the day before unless you go real early or real late. Just don't expect a popular sized turkey after 7pm.

[JPW]

Had to pick up a couple of last things at WF today. What I wanted to say to the woman behind me at checkout, but did not --> "Lady, if you ram your f$%^ing cart into me one more time I'm gonna shove it up your arse, sideways!"

Happy Thanksgiving yinz!

[Ilaine]

"Lady, if you ram your f$%^ing cart into me one more time I'm gonna shove it up your arse, sideways!"

In Costco, I found myself reduced to yelling at a man who was obliviously blocking an entire aisle while he chowed down on a freebie sample of cheesecake, "hey, is this your own private aisle!?!" Luckily, he was so oblivious he did not hear me.

But the frantic-ness has worn off. We are busy but contented and peaceful.

We have figured out ways to juggle pretty much everything so that despite the fact that we are cooking on a circa 1979 GE double oven four burner stove, everything is going to be done pretty much at the same time, thanks to three slow cookers keeping things warm.

I am responsible for turkey, dressing, giblet gravy, rolls, and broccoli raab.

DH responsible for roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, braised onions, roasted root vegetables.

Older son responsible for mashed potatoes and beef gravy.

Younger son responsible for green beans.

Everything proceeding apace. All is well.

I do wish for a bigger stove top. Natural gas, even. *Sigh.*

Counting my blessings.

[Al the Pal]

Survived our first Thanksgiving in our newish house. My stuffing was too salty but the chocolate bundt cake was pretty good. (yes, bundt cakes are not traditional Thanksgiving fare, but we had 2 birthdays this week and I wasn't sure if the candles would stand up in a the pumpkin pie!)

No major mishaps except the cat jumped on the table and tried to help herself to desserts. This is bad for the cat and most people don't like to eat something after a cat has been nibbling on it!!!

All in all a great day and lots to be thankful for.

[Flavortown]

Way too much food...ready to fall into a coma...the eating started around 12, with breaks in-between to allow for at least the possibility of survival

"Breakfast" was antipasti: crackers, provolone, pepperoni, olives, etc.

Late Lunch/The Italian side of Thanksgiving: slow cooked pomodoro sauce, ricotta filled ravioli, Italian sausage, meatballs, semolina bread

Late Dinner: turkey; simple yet delicious sausage, bread, and celery stuffing; cranberry sauce; maple glazed brussel sprouts; baked buttered corn

Desserts were apple and cherry pies with ice cream, though by then it was difficult to even think about food.

The maple glazed sprouts and baked buttered corn were my new additions to the menu, and both turned out pretty well. I definitely plan to invest in a corn cutter though, since splitting the kernels with a knife didn't quite break them down enough for them to meld thoroughly while cooking. Made some corn stock with the leftover cobs, and now I'm eager to try a corn risotto as soon as I can bear to look at food again.

[Anna Blume]

Now, let's start talking leftovers.

Last Sunday I made a point of picking up a Savoy cabbage, some root vegetables and leeks to make soup today. Managed to snag good bones and both untouched turkey wings from yesterday's roast which I'll augment w a pack or two of uncooked turkey parts from the store. Plan to spend hours simmering stock.

Now, I was also sent home w deeply flavorful, ruddy ham. Don't want to do scalloped potatoes, a casserole with pasta or soup. Suggestions welcome, preferably not involving white sauces, cream, cheese...

[zoramargolis]

Now, I was also sent home w deeply flavorful, ruddy ham. Don't want to do scalloped potatoes, a casserole with pasta or soup. Suggestions welcome, preferably not involving white sauces, cream, cheese...

Ham and beans go well together. Same with greens. Make a sandwich spread/ham salad (homemade Spam) with mayo, scallions, pickle relish, parsley, hard-boiled egg (optional). Mix minced ham and mashed potatoes, roll into ovals, eggwash and crumbs and panfry until crispy on the outside: voila!--ham croquettes. Ham biscuits.

[zoramargolis]

When my BIL and SIL arrived from NYC at 11:30, the herb-brined Polyface turkey was ready to go into the charcoal oven with soaked cherry wood for smoke. When it went in, I arranged some Jamie Stachowki sausages around it--kielbasa, merguez and blood sausage--to take advantage of the smoke. We'll probably eat them today. While I worked on mashed potatoes, gravy, bechamel for the onions, and brussels sprouts, I set my BIL to arranging the charcuterie board and cheese platter that we would mange on while waiting for the turkey. The duck liver mousse was a huge hit--so delicious. And the venison pate was runner-up. We also had pheasant pate, duck galantine, wild boar salame and La Quercia prosciutto, dijon and coarse mustards, cornichons, olives, and quince and pear mostarda. The cheese board favorite was the ash covered chevre from Firefly Farm. We also had a 2-year manchego, Chaource, a German aged gouda-style cheese, and Stilton. Those were served with fresh black mission figs, dates, homemade quince membrillo, and homemade fig "jambrillo." BIL and SIL brought a magnum of Morgon, and we polished that off. It was hard to stop eating, it was all so good.

Dinner was about four hours later, fortunately, so that it was possible to think about eating again. We started with a demi-tasse of cream of wild mushroom soup (chanterelles, black trumpets and porcini). The turkey looked lacquered--like Peking duck-- from its olive oil massage and four hour smoke bath. The white meat was juicy, not too salty or smoky. Interestingly, everyone agreed that there wasn't a lot of difference in flavor, texture or juiciness between the white and dark meat. It was all good. The bread, sage sausage and chestnut dressing was moist--almost too moist down at the bottom of the casserole, as if it could have used some more oven time. But the sausage meat had been pre-cooked, so not a problem. White and orange sweet potatoes, gratineed with butter, brown sugar and breadcrumbs. Potato and celery root pureed with a little roasted garlic, and lots of heavy cream and sweet butter. Creamed onions, oven-browned brussels sprouts with Eco-Friendly bacon lardons, cream gravy, cranberry compote, pickled beets. Pecan pie made with Lyle's Golden Syrup, from a John Thorne recipe in Outlaw Cook, kabocha pie (stovetop filling in a blind-baked crust). With dinner, we had Seghesio Sonoma zinfandel, afterward, we had Amaro Nonino and Belle de Brillet pear liqueur.

I may have consumed enough calories yesterday to warm the entire nation of Rumania.

[KMango]

...I may have consumed enough calories yesterday to warm the entire nation of Rumania.

Or to fill the Kingdom of Hungary.

(*groan*)

(sorry, couldn't resist)

(would not have been able to resist that meal, either, how gloriously abundant)

[durwoodx]

I will never eat again...again.

[Xochitl10]

Any idea how lemon meringue pie travels?

Not well, apparently. At least, not if the filling isn't set properly; then it becomes lemon ile flottante en croute. The crust was lovely, and the meringue was very successful (yay, J-digital-thermometer!).

[johnb]

When my BIL and SIL arrived from NYC at 11:30, the herb-brined Polyface turkey was ready to go into the charcoal oven with soaked cherry wood for smoke. When it went in, I arranged some Jamie Stachowki sausages around it--kielbasa, merguez and blood sausage--to take advantage of the smoke. We'll probably eat them today. While I worked on mashed potatoes, gravy, bechamel for the onions, and brussels sprouts, I set my BIL to arranging the charcuterie board and cheese platter that we would mange on while waiting for the turkey. The duck liver mousse was a huge hit--so delicious. And the venison pate was runner-up. We also had pheasant pate, duck galantine, wild boar salame and La Quercia prosciutto, dijon and coarse mustards, cornichons, olives, and quince and pear mostarda. The cheese board favorite was the ash covered chevre from Firefly Farm. We also had a 2-year manchego, Chaource, a German aged gouda-style cheese, and Stilton. Those were served with fresh black mission figs, dates, homemade quince membrillo, and homemade fig "jambrillo." BIL and SIL brought a magnum of Morgon, and we polished that off. It was hard to stop eating, it was all so good.

Dinner was about four hours later, fortunately, so that it was possible to think about eating again. We started with a demi-tasse of cream of wild mushroom soup (chanterelles, black trumpets and porcini). The turkey looked lacquered--like Peking duck-- from its olive oil massage and four hour smoke bath. The white meat was juicy, not too salty or smoky. Interestingly, everyone agreed that there wasn't a lot of difference in flavor, texture or juiciness between the white and dark meat. It was all good. The bread, sage sausage and chestnut dressing was moist--almost too moist down at the bottom of the casserole, as if it could have used some more oven time. But the sausage meat had been pre-cooked, so not a problem. White and orange sweet potatoes, gratineed with butter, brown sugar and breadcrumbs. Potato and celery root pureed with a little roasted garlic, and lots of heavy cream and sweet butter. Creamed onions, oven-browned brussels sprouts with Eco-Friendly bacon lardons, cream gravy, cranberry compote, pickled beets. Pecan pie made with Lyle's Golden Syrup, from a John Thorne recipe in Outlaw Cook, kabocha pie (stovetop filling in a blind-baked crust). With dinner, we had Seghesio Sonoma zinfandel, afterward, we had Amaro Nonino and Belle de Brillet pear liqueur.

I may have consumed enough calories yesterday to warm the entire nation of Rumania.

Zora, your meals always make my puny efforts seem, by comparison, roughly analogous to opening a can of cream of mushroom soup.

In my defense I can only say that, with our "canned soup," we had a bottle of '78 Ch. Gloria, and glorious it was. Certainly not due to any cooking prowess, of course, just having enough foresight to buy good stuff a long time ago and hang on to it. Any many more bottles like that one in the cellar to get me through my dotage, thank goodness.

[Escoffier]

We had seven courses of totally wonderful food at Vidalia and there wasn't a single piece of turkey anywhere in any of them...an excellent dinner. Thank you, RJ.

[zoramargolis]

Zora, your meals always make my puny efforts seem, by comparison, roughly analogous to opening a can of cream of mushroom soup.

I should have made clear that with the exception of the La Quercia prosciutto, the entire charcuterie board was made up of Jamie Stachowski's excellent products. I made the quince/pear mostarda, and the other condiments were assembled. The shopping and prep for the dinner and desserts took several days, and I hope that I made it clear to the family that this is the last time that I will do the Thanksgiving meal by myself. I should have begged off this year, when I realized that my recuperation from knee surgery was still far from complete, but T-day is the one holiday J really enjoys celebrating, and I figured I could tough it out. I did, but it wasn't the usual kind of fun that I experience in the kitchen. We're going to have to figure something else out the next time it's our turn to host--maybe we'll all meet at my MIL's retirement community and have a dinner catered.

[Poivrot Farci]

Old World France meets New World America.

Preamble of my Mt. Pleasant dry cured sausage, turkey pâté en croûte with currants, a friend’s blood pudding and some Nîmes style brandade. Pickled purple cauliflower accoutrement and mulled cider adulterated with a trickle of George Dickel whisky to warsh it all down, then a bit more for social lubricant.

*Consommé du Barry. Turkey consommé from turkey parts from the neighborhood Latino grocer, with a few cauliflower-mornay agnolotti swimming around and florets of different cauliflower varieties clearly visible at the bottom.

*Scalloped potatoes sandwiching a middle layer of caramelized onions and anchovies.

*My rye bread, as a stuffing with pomegranate seeds, celery root, celery stalks and their leaves.

*Pear roasted heritage turkey breast. Roasted on the bone on a bed of pear scraps with shingled Bosc pear slices under the skin, basted with pear juices.

Turkey leg ballotines, in their reduced braising juices with some dried cranberries (rather than raisins), mushrooms and a couple sliced gizzards here and there.

"Pan Coudoun". Little breads, stuffed with a wedge of cooked quince.

Cheese, clockwise from center: Livarot, France; Nettle Meadow Kunik, NY; Gorwydd Caerphilly, Wales; Twig Farm Square Cheese, VT; Tarantaise, VT; Mondegueiro, Portugal; Rogue River Blue, OR.

Apple tart with a nappage of my quince jelly with murmurs of rosemary and cinnamon.

Banda Aceh coffee.

Slight case of PTD (post-turkey depression) after having gestated the menu and formulations for the better part of 3 weeks. No glass breakage, pretty girls and early morning grazing on tryptophan & cheese scraps with fingers by the twilight of the frigidaire brings savory solace, albeit cold and perishable.

[zoramargolis]

Old World France meets New World America.

Just looking at the photos of your turkey pate en croute and turkey leg ballotines with the perfectly turned mushrooms makes me feel like my efforts are totally pedestrian. How does one go about wrangling an invite to your place for one of your amazing meals?

[ol_ironstomach]

Somebody ought to figure out a way to convey a standing ovation via the forums. Bravissimo, PF.

[ktmoomau]

Is 2009 really the last Thanksgiving?  Where did it go?  Is there another thread that I am just completely missing?

Peeps, I am a little nervous about hosting Thanksgiving this year.  Even though... I host other big dinners, I cook multiple dishes of other people's T-day dinners every year and I cook about 6 days of the week.  I will only have 6-8 people.  My biggest fear is of course the Turkey.  It doesn't help that I am likely to be in court for part of Wednesday.  

I need to make a generally lactose and gf Thanksgiving dinner, although we can have multiples of certain things to appease the non-weird stomach people.  Last year we had way too much food.  Here are my thoughts:

Turkey (see here: Turkey shopping forum)  brine, don't brine?  What bird do I buy?  What do you like to rub it with or put under the skin?  Thoughts on best in oven cooking methods?

Cranberry chutney, which I assume I can make the weekend or a few days before.  I really like cranberry and like fresh cranberries over the can.  Any advice on a recipe?

Mashed potatoes and gravy (Mom gets to make these although she doesn't like that I make her use lf milk and gf flour, but she will do it.)

Stuffing (I was going to make a simple gf recipe using bread from somewhere good Happy Tart, Society Fair, etc) any gf'ers have any stuffing advice?  Should I make normal stuffing too?  I really don't want a huge amount left over as I only want it for that day, if I buy good gf bread it shouldn't be too different.  This is the one I am nervous about texture wise.)

Simple fresh sauteed green beans with olive oil, s&p. (My bro likes southern style, but I am just not doing that, I want something crispy.)

GF rolls (buy) and I will probably make some southern style yeast rolls.

I thought about another vegetable, like the roasted squash they have at society fair that you can buy in the tubs.  I really like it, it's probably simple to make, but their is so good and that would save time.

Pumpkin and pecan pie- I have stuff for a GF crust would like to do a test run.

My Mom makes really good baked apples, which I think may make a good addition?

[zoramargolis]

Take a deep breath and relax. You can do this sleepwalking. Consider cornbread or wild rice stuffing vs. gluten-free bread. For years, I have done turkey in the covered bbq--in the Weber before I got my Hasty-Bake, but there are so many good reasons, if you have that capability: 1) you can smoke it with apple, cherry or hickory chips; 2) unstuffed, it takes much less time than in the oven; 3) it frees up your oven for making stuffing, sides and pies. I have tried both brining and salting, and for me, brining works best. Make a salt-sugar brine and add lots of aromatic herbs and vegetables, cook briefly and then let it sit and infuse for a couple hours before straining out the solids. If you can't find a brining bag big enough, use kitchen trash bags. Store outside in an ice-chest with bags of ice cubes for two or three days, to free up refrigerator space. Truly, herb-brined smoked turkey has invariably garnered raves every time I have made it--someone is bound to say "This is the juiciest, most delicious turkey I have ever eaten."

[ktmoomau]

Well I live in a condo, so the smoking will be out, but I can do that brine.  What herbs do yo typically add to your pot?

My brother totally won't go for a wild rice stuffing (I have a great recipe for one).  I did polenta squares last year with sausage, herbs and some veg for crunch, they went over well, but he still wanted real stuffing. I could do cornbread, I assume you cube it and bake it so it gets dried out so it will then take in all the liquid, like normal bread stuffing?

[Barbara]

Make the mashed potatoes with unsweetened, unflavored Almond Milk. No lactose, and nobody will be able to taste the difference.

[hungry prof]

So excited for THANKSGIVUKKAH!!  For those who don't know, Hanukkah is the earliest it can ever be this year, and Thanksgiving--on 11/28--is the latest it can be.  So, the first night of Hanukkah is the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving.  This apparently won't happen again until the year 79811 (yes, you read that correctly).  Turkey and latkes for everybody!!!!

[zoramargolis]

Well I live in a condo, so the smoking will be out, but I can do that brine.  What herbs do yo typically add to your pot?

My brother totally won't go for a wild rice stuffing (I have a great recipe for one).  I did polenta squares last year with sausage, herbs and some veg for crunch, they went over well, but he still wanted real stuffing. I could do cornbread, I assume you cube it and bake it so it gets dried out so it will then take in all the liquid, like normal bread stuffing?

For a regular-sized chicken I do 1/3 c. each of kosher salt and natural sugar: 6 c. water, so multiply it out according to the size of the turkey. I simmer the brine with onion or shallots, celery (with leaf), carrot, Italian parsley, fresh thyme, bay leaf, lavender flowers. Garlic is optional.

Correctamundo on the cornbread stuffing.

[The Hersch]

Cranberry chutney, which I assume I can make the weekend or a few days before.  I really like cranberry and like fresh cranberries over the can.  Any advice on a recipe?

Julia Child called this recipe "cranberry relish", not chutney, but it's really very good. All that lemon zest and lemon juice is kind of counterintuitive with the already very sour cranberries, but it works beautifully.

As you can see, this is from Parade magazine during Julia's association with that, um, publication.

I usually add a very small amount of ground cloves to this. It actually jells more than slightly when cold. You can keep this in the refrigerator for next year too; it will still be perfectly nice.

Mashed potatoes and gravy (Mom gets to make these although she doesn't like that I make her use lf milk and gf flour, but she will do it.)

My advice is to use potato starch to thicken the gravy.

[ktmoomau]

Julia Child called this recipe "cranberry relish", not chutney, but it's really very good. All that lemon zest and lemon juice is kind of counterintuitive with the already very sour cranberries, but it works beautifully.

As you can see, this is from Parade magazine during Julia's association with that, um, publication.

I usually add a very small amount of ground cloves to this. It actually jells more than slightly when cold. You can keep this in the refrigerator for next year too; it will still be perfectly nice.

My advice is to use potato starch to thicken the gravy.

Thank you.  And great advice on the potato starch.  We used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose flour last year, and while it worked potato starch sounds like that would be good to try.

[thistle]

I've made a fresh cranberry sauce, w/ cranberries simmered in apple juice, w/ maple syrup, grated fresh ginger, & spices to taste (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise), but we have fierce proponents of canned cranberry sauce at our family T'giving.

[Toogs]

So excited for THANKSGIVUKKAH!!  For those who don't know, Hanukkah is the earliest it can ever be this year, and Thanksgiving--on 11/28--is the latest it can be.  So, the first night of Hanukkah is the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving.  This apparently won't happen again until the year 79811 (yes, you read that correctly).  Turkey and latkes for everybody!!!!

Interesting, but this site proposes a counter that it will happen twice more before the long darkness.

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/2343364/jewish/Chanukah-and-Thanksgiving-A-Brief-History.htm

[Toogs]

I've made a fresh cranberry sauce, w/ cranberries simmered in apple juice, w/ maple syrup, grated fresh ginger, & spices to taste (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise), but we have fierce proponents of canned cranberry sauce at our family T'giving.

we do both at my house as well, they are so different and both are necessary in my opinion

[Toogs]

And yeah, brining is a must.  Remember how when you were a kid, the turkey was the worst part of the meal because all the sides were awesome and the breast was always dry?  Not any more!

[thistle]

I like this Buzzfeed Thanksgivukkah article-http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/thanksgivukkah. I'm thinking about the pecan pie rugelach, but I've got serious pie-meisters to go up against.

I know there is a more recent T'giving thread, since I screwed up my smoked turkey last year, & I was whining about it, but I'm not inclined to dig it up.

[Barbara]

I've made a fresh cranberry sauce, w/ cranberries simmered in apple juice, w/ maple syrup, grated fresh ginger, & spices to taste (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise), but we have fierce proponents of canned cranberry sauce at our family T'giving.

My mother used to serve the canned jellied sauce--you know, the kind where you carefully opened both ends and pushed it out of the can so that the ridges from can showed. Then, I went home one holiday and made fresh cranberry sauce that was put in one of my mother's fancy molds. Afterwards, she said that it was sooo easy to make and tasted sooo much better than the canned stuff, why would anybody use the canned stuff? Exactly my point. And, the recipe I used wasn't nearly as elaborate as yours.

[thistle]

I think they like the ridges, so they can slice it precisely (I can't think of another reason to prefer canned over fresh cranberry sauce). But, a chacun son gout....people should fix food that makes them happy.

[Barbara]

I think they like the ridges, so they can slice it precisely (I can't think of another reason to prefer canned over fresh cranberry sauce). But, a chacun son gout....people should fix food that makes them happy.

Yeah, but that cranberry jelly didn't make any of us happy. It was just "traditional." (There is also the likelihood that fresh cranberries weren't available where we were in the 50s and 60s,)

[Pat]

Yeah, but that cranberry jelly didn't make any of us happy. It was just "traditional." (There is also the likelihood that fresh cranberries weren't available where we were in the 50s and 60s,)

It seems like it could be analogous to the difference between mint jelly and mint sauce.  When I was growing up, I loved mint jelly with lamb chops.  As an adult, I discover, it turns out to be apple jelly dyed and flavored.  Homemade mint sauce is nice, but I still crave mint jelly from a jar.

[TrelayneNYC]

Thanksgiving dinner this year coincides with the 2nd night of Hannukah, so my boyfriend and I have taken to calling it Thanksgivukkah.

We'll be visiting his sister in Pennsylvania. I've heard that latkes will be on the table (his family's Jewish), along with some of the usual -- turkey, cranberry sauce, dessert. Should be interesting. 

Gobble tov!

oops ... seems like someone beat me to it already.

[Barbara]

Thanksgiving dinner this year coincides with the 2nd night of Hannukah, so my boyfriend and I have taken to calling it Thanksgivukkah.

We'll be visiting his sister in Pennsylvania. I've heard that latkes will be on the table (his family's Jewish), along with some of the usual -- turkey, cranberry sauce, dessert. Should be interesting. 

Gobble tov!

oops ... seems like someone beat me to it already.

I was an adult before I ever ate a matzoh ball. Now, whenever Hanukkah (however it is spelled) comes around, I start craving latkes. The idea of turkey and potato latkes sounds like a fine idea to me. (This formerly Catholic girl always invites my neighbor who was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home for Easter dinner and the first course is usually matzoh ball soup.  She measures the quality of the matzoh ball by whether one can cut into it with a spoon.  I haven't failed her yet. )

[Ilaine]

Decided to throw caution to the winds and ordered a ($9.99 pound!!!) Bronze turkey from Lets Meat on the Avenue.  As I understand it, this is a British heritage turkey, said to be the Queen's favorite, and one does not cook it like a supermarket turkey.

I have been cooking US varities of heritage turkeys for several years, and not doing so well.  They do cook much faster than your supermarket turkey, and I have been overcooking them, even burned one (the unburnt meat of which, by the way, was delicious!)

The butcher advised me that there is no need to brine a Bronze because it is mature, and full of fat, which makes it juicy without brining, unlike the large but juvenile supermarket turkeys.

I would appreciate pointers from experienced cookers of heritage turkeys.

(As a footnote, let me observe again that most of the heritage birds I have cooked so far were raised by well-meaning amateurs who did not properly pull all the feathers.  Let me never again find myself with a glass of wine in my left hand and a pair of tweezers in my right hand, pulling quills and cursing roundly for hours!) (Until I switched to needle-nose pliers.) (Until I broke down, sobbing.)

[Barbara]

Decided to throw caution to the winds and ordered a ($9.99 pound!!!) Bronze turkey from Lets Meat on the Avenue.  As I understand it, this is a British heritage turkey, said to be the Queen's favorite, and one does not cook it like a supermarket turkey.

I have been cooking US varities of heritage turkeys for several years, and not doing so well.  They do cook much faster than your supermarket turkey, and I have been overcooking them, even burned one (the unburnt meat of which, by the way, was delicious!)

The butcher advised me that there is no need to brine a Bronze because it is mature, and full of fat, which makes it juicy without brining, unlike the large but juvenile supermarket turkeys.

I would appreciate pointers from experienced cookers of heritage turkeys.

(As a footnote, let me observe again that most of the heritage birds I have cooked so far were raised by well-meaning amateurs who did not properly pull all the feathers.  Let me never again find myself with a glass of wine in my left hand and a pair of tweezers in my right hand, pulling quills and cursing roundly for hours!) (Until I switched to needle-nose pliers.) (Until I broke down, sobbing.)

I just put "roasting a heritage turkey" in the Google machine and found lots, and lots, and lots of advice. I was imagining layering the breast with bacon before baking. Couldn't hurt; might be good.

[Pat]

I'll put my question here instead of a 911 thread.  I'm getting a fresh turkey on the Wednesday but will not be cooking dinner on Thursday.  It's unsure whether I will have time to do it on Friday. I was planning to roast the turkey on Saturday and am assuming it's okay to keep a fresh turkey for 3 days before cooking it, but I realize that  don't know for sure.

[saf]

 I was imagining layering the breast with bacon before baking.

My husband roasts the turkey every year. A few years ago, he found a recipe that involved making a compound butter that included bacon.

Everyone now demands that recipe every year.

Here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Heritage-Turkey-with-Bacon-Herb-and-Cider-Gravy-350421