Katie Meadow

And Ill just add, for no good reason at all, that when I was in the hospital for five or six days last February the food was the absolutely worst I have ever encountered, and I had no desire to post anything to anyone from that sick bed.

Belated condolences. You used to mention her all the time. Then you stopped posting for a long while, and when you came back you did not mention Sweetie any more. So I wondered. So sorry to have this confirmed. Every time I notice a new post on the Hospital Food topic my heart skips a beat . But I remind myself that if a patient has enough energy to whine about the hospital food that can be a good sign.

Yeah, when hell freezes over I'll make a dobos torte. I'm not a baker. My aspirations don't reach much farther than a loaf of quick bread. or a basic apple cake. My husband is the flour and water guy, but he doesn't really do sweets. He makes a great rustic round, a white sandwich bread, brioche bread, biscuits and pizza. At this point in my life what little cooking energy I possess goes into actual food.

Today we had my favorite pre-TG meal: turkey necks in brodo. We make a turkey every year for the holiday. It used to be a major project my husband and I would make together. Elaborate and time consuming. He makes it now, but pretty simple, no drama like in the old days. His gravy is fantastic. We used to just make stock for the gravy with the neck, the day of. I really don't care for turkey meat but broth made from a roast turkey carcass is my Kryptonite; it brings me to my knees. Now, a week or so before the holiday I buy some wings and necks and roast them, them put them in a stockpot to make enough broth to freeze for the gravy plus a couple of extra quarts. We splurged for dinner and were happily up to our necks in broth. I make a bigger batch with the carcass after TG. Sometimes my neighbor gives me his carcass, so I have a double batch! I've given him a quart of stock afterwards, but I'm always worried he's going to like it so much he'll start making his own, but thank god he hasn't caught my addiction. He just wants the meat. Good for him!

@Smithy, you had me at dobos torte. I grew up in NY a half block from the best bakery on earth. The owner was Lithuanian I believe, but he made the most perfect dobos torte. It was my mother's favorite pastry. Mmmm, that hard caramel topping......

So sorry to hear this. Best wishes to you and Ed, and fingers crossed he can continue to cook for you. Since breaking my hip earlier this year I don't like standing still next to the stove. Our solution is that I do a lot of chopping and prep work sitting at the kitchen table. Then I tell my husband what to do with it all. He's doing quite well, but when I ask him to describe the cooking temp, he has no ability to distinguish between a low simmer and a high boil. He just says, "It's bubbling," So at that point I have walk over to the stove and check it out. Perceiving the Liquid level in the pot is also problematic, even if I say "2 inches above the beans." The learning curve, when it comes to cooking, seems to get slower with age, or maybe it's just him. This doesn't not apply to bread and biscuits, of which he is a wizard and I know zero.

Me? I would make lime marmalade. And maybe instead of lemons you could preserve limes with salt? I haven't seen that done, but why wouldn't it be good for something? What about a lime pickle if you like Indian dahl or curries?

I agree that a good lasagne is an excellent entree for TG. We've had many of them for veg entree's alongside the requisite turkey, some good, some awful, depending who volunteered. With your Italian holiday dinner may I suggest a red checked tablecloth and a nice chianti?.Affogato for dessert, or Amalfi lemon cake?

I've been having TG with my husband's family since before we were married. Some forty-plus years? Good God, I'm old. The group varied from 16 people more or less when there were grandparents and several grandkids and dwindled to two couples in the worst pandemic years. At least half the family are vegetarians, so there was always a veg entree. My MIL and my husband are dedicated turkey traditionalists. My husband now makes the turkey, even if he's the only one eating it. I'm only in it for carcass, otherwise I would happily have a vegetarian TG and would be thrilled to have a non-traditional meal of any kind, so I'm definitely in favor of switching things up, however it suits the cook. If turkey broth wasn't addictive I would say the hell with turkey. And I never put turkey in my soup. Twice cooked turkey is even worse than once cooked. As I've probably said before (remember me? I'm old) the secret to good turkey pot pie is chicken.

I like Bluefish too. But I really love shad. Not that it matters, since neither is ever for sale here in CA. When I used tp make frequent trips to NYC I would go at least once to Citarella and buy whatever East Coast fish looked good. I don't know if they still do it, but they would actually bone the shad, which, if you like shad, you know is a major bonus.

Saffron? How edgy! Yum. As for matzoh balls nothing is bettuh than light as a feathuh. And I just made a batch of chicken stock the other day. Good for election night if I can keep anything down. If I'm too crazed to cook, then rye whiskey and a side of xanax.

BLFGT. Bacon, lettuce and a fried green tomato sandwich. So very nice.

Neither onion or garlic powder do I have. But it seems that lately many recipes call for them, expecially in spice blends. Surely if you buy spice blends already made up they will be in the ingredients.

I'm turning 77 at the end of this month. You must be at least 140 if you remember free oxtails! I learned to cook them when they were cheap and I was a poor grad student in NM .We used to make them in a stew with Hatch chiles. I almost never eat beef any more, but I'm always astounded when I see oxtail prices.

My inclination would be to cover it. If the low simmer is too high fully covered, I might leave a crescent uncovered. And check the level of the liquid frequently to make sure the simmer is low and to add a bit of stock or wine or whatever you already are using so the oxtails remain submerged. My best guess.