Thanksgiving USA 2020

[Shelby]

4 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

Mr. Kim found a small container of cranberry sauce in the freezer that I made in March!  Score!  I noticed that I had 3 huge sweet potatoes in the bin the other day and went ahead and cooked and seasoned them and stuck them in a ziplock bag for Thanksgiving.  Still so much to do.  I can't seem to get motivated.  

Ahem, Kim, you're light years ahead of me.  I don't even know if we're having turkey. 🤣

[Kim Shook]

4 minutes ago, Shelby said:

Ahem, Kim, you're light years ahead of me.  I don't even know if we're having turkey. 🤣

That was pure luck.  I was planning on just doing a breast (if I could find one) in the slow cooker.  (I prefer the dark meat on a chicken, but oddly, not a turkey).  But my MIL, who we invited (Mr. Kim told her that she needed to isolate for 10 days beforehand - she's lonely and being a little too sociable) said that we had to have dark meat if she was going to come.   We just happened to find the separate pieces on a trip to Wegman's.  I was so thrilled to not have to butcher an entire turkey like I did back in March that I snatched them up immediately.  I didn't even care that they were MUCH more expensive than a whole turkey.  

[heidih]

23 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

Mr. Kim found a small container of cranberry sauce in the freezer that I made in March!  Score!  I noticed that I had 3 huge sweet potatoes in the bin the other day and went ahead and cooked and seasoned them and stuck them in a ziplock bag for Thanksgiving.  Still so much to do.  I can't seem to get motivated.  

Yes there is no "Thanksgiving" music like for Christmas.  How many are you having?  I am not traditional and after thinking I decided to just please myself and to indulge in actual phone calls with my besties. They are on board. So it will be, as of today, the frozen fabulous lamb shank gravy over pasta or spaetzle, creamed spinach that @Duvel inspired, and my pickled beets. There is a can of pumpkin in the pantry so maybe a pumpkin bread for sweet with coffee. Completely incongruous but I would be happy.  My son is working and too potentially exposed to risk visiting. 

[Shelby]

Instead of cleaning my filthy house, I'm sitting here perusing all of the EG Thanksgiving threads for inspiration.  I found the turkey quarters in the freezer, already brined, so those will be had.  Thinking of doing the sous vide thing.  Anyone done that?  If I do find a turkey at the store, I might go ahead and buy one and do just half a breast too....but I'm not sure at all that I'll find one.  I have tons of corn frozen from the garden this year so a corn pudding sounds good.  Tomato bisque for a starter.  An Epicurious recipe that @JeanneCake loves for Brussels sprouts with roasted chestnuts (my mom just sent me two jars of chestnuts!).  Deviled eggs of course.  Mashed taters and gravy of course (gravy from a More Than Gourmet roasted turkey base that I've been hoarding).  Oh and stuffing of course.  Might make sous vide pumpkin pie or I might just splurge and order a dessert to be delivered.....  I also love this green bean/mushroom/blue cheese tart that I've talked about here before, but that's a lot of food lol.  But it is Thanksgiving.  I'm probably very opposite of every single one of you, but I'm looking forward to just being us and at home.  It's been years and years since that's happened.

[JeanneCake]

@Shelby where could I find the tart recipe?  I might want to try that!

[Shelby]

2 minutes ago, JeanneCake said:

@Shelby where could I find the tart recipe?  I might want to try that!

Here it is   .  If you can't find frenched or thin green beans (I never can), I buy the whole fresh green beans and slice them lengthwise in half.  A little time consuming, but this recipe is worth it.  

 

[catdaddy]

On 10/22/2020 at 2:16 PM, Duvel said:

I am not sure about a turkey breast roll, but turkey leg roll (first SV, then deep fried) is a truly remarkable item: easy to prep, forgiving in the making and very satisfying to eat. 

This sounds delicious. Care to share your recipe?

[Duvel]

1 hour ago, catdaddy said:

This sounds delicious. Care to share your recipe?

Please check here ...

 

 

[Katie Meadow]

19 hours ago, Shelby said:

Here it is   .  If you can't find frenched or thin green beans (I never can), I buy the whole fresh green beans and slice them lengthwise in half.  A little time consuming, but this recipe is worth it.  

 

A little doohickey has been floating around my kitchen since forever and I have no idea where it came from. Flea market maybe? It is a small green plastic square with a pass-through. You load one green bean at a time I guess and pull it the through from the bottom to split it. Cute, right? Not growing up with green bean casseroles, of course I've never used it. Not sure I can find it in 2020. If I can, it's yours, @Shelby. If not maybe @andiesenjican post pix of six different types of bean splitters!. "Post pix of six splitters:" say that six times, fast.

[Shelby]

5 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

A little doohickey has been floating around my kitchen since forever and I have no idea where it came from. Flea market maybe? It is a small green plastic square with a pass-through. You load one green bean at a time I guess and pull it the through from the bottom to split it. Cute, right? Not growing up with green bean casseroles, of course I've never used it. Not sure I can find it in 2020. If I can, it's yours, @Shelby. If not maybe @andiesenjican post pix of six different types of bean splitters!. "Post pix of six splitters:" say that six times, fast.

I didn't know such a tool existed!  You're right, though, andie probably has 10 of them lol.

[Anna N]

2 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I didn't know such a tool existed!  You're right, though, andie probably has 10 of them lol.

Yup I have one like this.

[Shelby]

1 minute ago, Anna N said:

Yup I have one like this.

Well, I'll be.....  That looks much easier than messing around using a knife!

[chromedome]

When I was a kid, our vegetable peeler had a bean "frencher" at the other end of the handle. There also used to be a bean-frenching attachment for Kenwood stand mixers, though I don't know if it's still made.

[Katie Meadow]

5 hours ago, Anna N said:

Yup I have one like this.

Yeah, mine is similar, but a little more primitive in a sort of old lady green, if you know what I mean. No offense! Depending on the day and how the mirror reacts to me, I could easily pass for an old lady. But I still dress like I did in pics of when I was about six: jeans rolled up, tee shirt, flannel shirt, Keds. Silver hair now, so way more modern look. 

[Kerry Beal]

I see ones like this in thrift stores on occasion.

 

 

 

[Smithy]

I went to Amazon and, of course, found several bean frenchers.

 

This Norpro clamp-style frencher (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) sounds similar to the one @chromedome mentioned.

There are also hand-held frenchers of many styles. Here's just one (eG-friendly Amazon.com link).

 

I've never worked with one, so have no suggestions on style or utility that might be best, but a hand-cranked clamped model sounds easier to me to work with, although it would also take up more space in the kitchen.

[Kim Shook]

On 11/4/2020 at 3:04 PM, heidih said:

Yes there is no "Thanksgiving" music like for Christmas.  How many are you having?  I am not traditional and after thinking I decided to just please myself and to indulge in actual phone calls with my besties. They are on board. So it will be, as of today, the frozen fabulous lamb shank gravy over pasta or spaetzle, creamed spinach that @Duvel inspired, and my pickled beets. There is a can of pumpkin in the pantry so maybe a pumpkin bread for sweet with coffee. Completely incongruous but I would be happy.  My son is working and too potentially exposed to risk visiting. 

Thankfully (😁), just one guest - Mr. Kim's mom.  And he's requested that she not socialize for two week prior to the holiday.  Grocery shopping, fine.  Hosting a lunch for our of town guests, NO.

 

On 11/8/2020 at 2:18 PM, Shelby said:

Instead of cleaning my filthy house, I'm sitting here perusing all of the EG Thanksgiving threads for inspiration.  I found the turkey quarters in the freezer, already brined, so those will be had.  Thinking of doing the sous vide thing.  Anyone done that?  If I do find a turkey at the store, I might go ahead and buy one and do just half a breast too....but I'm not sure at all that I'll find one.  I have tons of corn frozen from the garden this year so a corn pudding sounds good.  Tomato bisque for a starter.  An Epicurious recipe that @JeanneCake loves for Brussels sprouts with roasted chestnuts (my mom just sent me two jars of chestnuts!).  Deviled eggs of course.  Mashed taters and gravy of course (gravy from a More Than Gourmet roasted turkey base that I've been hoarding).  Oh and stuffing of course.  Might make sous vide pumpkin pie or I might just splurge and order a dessert to be delivered.....  I also love this green bean/mushroom/blue cheese tart that I've talked about here before, but that's a lot of food lol.  But it is Thanksgiving.  I'm probably very opposite of every single one of you, but I'm looking forward to just being us and at home.  It's been years and years since that's happened.

I did sous vide turkey in March and it was wonderful.  Here's where I posted about it.  

 

On 11/9/2020 at 9:59 AM, Katie Meadow said:

A little doohickey has been floating around my kitchen since forever and I have no idea where it came from. Flea market maybe? It is a small green plastic square with a pass-through. You load one green bean at a time I guess and pull it the through from the bottom to split it. Cute, right? Not growing up with green bean casseroles, of course I've never used it. Not sure I can find it in 2020. If I can, it's yours, @Shelby. If not maybe @andiesenjican post pix of six different types of bean splitters!. "Post pix of six splitters:" say that six times, fast.

So, this sent me on a quest to Amazon and I found all kinds of doohickeys!  Now I'm trying to talk myself out of this (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)one.  😊

[heidih]

I had a nice surprise at the market today - small fresh turkey legs reasonably priced.  

[heidih]

Due to my oven fire https://forums.egullet.org/topic/146534-i-will-never-again-part-4/?do=findComment&comment=2272729 I did not want to make things worse by roasting so I test drove one leg in the crock pot. Sat it on a bed of thick onion slices and carrot coins (thick enough to finish reasonably same time).  Added a bit of water and my usual suspects of mustard, soy black & hot pepper, hit of poultry seasoning. It created its own gravy and was enjoyed for 2 days over noodles.  The young legs have a thin skin. I did not sear - just into crock. I think it added collagen. Will repeat for Thanksgiving though I did get the oven 80% clean. I am good at multi-tasking but not when fire is involved!

 

On Frenched green beans - I'd spring for an inexpensive tool. The frozen ones used to be always available but maybe now only stocked for the "green bean turkey day casserole". Before the easy access to shirataki noodles and the spiralizer craze they were my easy go to for  lower calorie and veg heavy things like half noodles, half beans tossed with pesto or a light Alfredo. I sometimes like it better, depending on my mood, than all pasta. 

 

[heidih]

I was shocked at Kroger (Ralphs) today - parking lot full despite California - do NOT do this warning. People buying multiple turkeys (how big is your freezer?) A clerk said many buy for feeding their dogs. The canned goods like cranberry and pumpkin, and cream of shroom were dirt cheap and piled high enough to be dangerous.  I did fall prey to these guys - not the classic French's in the can but at $2 a good add in for salads and such.

My son and his clan are missing the turkey roasting to feed the food scarce community though they are dong some in safe ways like WCK does. 

 

[chromedome]

Costco used to sell those (at least here in Canada) but had switched over to French's last I checked. I thought they were fine.

[Katie Meadow]

We had plans to have a lunch of Thanksgiving leftovers with my SIL and BIL and their daughter but now I'm thinking maybe not. Their daughter, whom I adore, has a bigger bubble than us elders. If any of you saw Rachel Maddow's show this evening you may guess it was enough to sober me up good. Not that I've taken any risks for the last nine months. Strangely enough my husband apparently plans to cook a whole turkey as he does every year even if we don't get to share it. That seems worse to me than two people and a ham, frankly.

 

I don't lift a finger with the bird, so no complaints. I get a carcass and we'll have a lot of gravy all for ourselves. I've discovered the absolute best use for the gravy is to mix it into the sauce in a pot pie. The poor man, he's going to be choking down a lot of turkey sandwiches. Luckily he bakes a great white bread loaf that's just right. My sandwiches are the simplest: turkey and lettuce with butter spread on top and bottom. Okay, I've talked myself into it. 

[rotuts]

@Katie Meadow

 

"""   choking down a lot of turkey sandwiches """

 

impossible !

 

unless  its a denture problem.

[ambra]

With the pandemic completely out of hand in Milan, I had to do a lot of the shopping through my CSA delivery that came today. It's days early, but the stuff is usually so fresh, it lasts.  

 

Even though we're only going to be three, we decided to do a pretty sizeable (in terms of variety) spread anyway. No one could agree on what to leave out.  We're going to make a few thighs (the ones I got are tiny), stuffing with sage, sausage and mushrooms, mashed potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, salad with fennel, orange, arugula, apple, walnuts and pomegranate, lasagne and an apple crisp. I'm probably going to open a interesting Italian Pinot Noir.  There will be many leftovers (which I will enjoy). Except for the wine. The wine won't get left over. 😋

 

Edited November 20, 2020 by ambra (log)

[kayb]

Five adults, one kid (who will eat chicken nuggets). A whole turkey, cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, cranberry salad, mashed potatoes, gravy, a green thing (likely asparagus, as we all seem to like it), rolls. Will send some home with the guests, and vac-pack and freeze most of the leftover turkey, freeze the gravy. Oh, and a pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust and caramel sauce.