Thanksgiving prep

[MaryIsobel]

Couldn't find a TG 2023 post - It's upon us Canadians - US folks have another month to start thinking about it. We will be 8 for dinner tomorrow. We're having ham, we use to have turkey but as I host both TG and Christmas for the whole family, I found it dreary to prepare the same big meal meal twice within a couple of months. Today is prep day. Made my first ever pecan pie. The crust is more golden than it appears in the photo. Also poked holes in a pint of cherry tomtoes for Ceasar Cherry 

Tomatoes for an app. Looks murky due to the worchestershire sauce, hot sauce and horseradish that is added to the vodka for mascerating/marinating. They are drained, then served on picks with pickled green beans and Caesar rimmer for dipping. Wildly popular. We'll also have prosciutto/gruyere palmiers and bacon wrapped water chesnuts.

Now I have to trim and halve a boatload of brusses sprouts which will be roasted with pancetta and finished with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Then I'll roll out the pastry and make the filling for the pumpkin pie and put it together and bake in the morning. When that's done, I will have run out of excuses to not do the housecleaning which is my least favourite part of entertaining!

[TdeV]

MaryIsobel, that pecan pie looks scrumptious!

I hope you post a pic of the Ceasar Cherry Tomatoes when prepped. Mr. Google did not help me find a recipe.

Best wishes for a grand feast. 😀

[MaryIsobel]

18 minutes ago, TdeV said:

MaryIsobel, that pecan pie looks scrumptious!

I hope you post a pic of the Ceasar Cherry Tomatoes when prepped. Mr. Google did not help me find a recipe.

Best wishes for a grand feast. 😀

I used  this recipe for proportions but added horseradish as it is manatory for caesars in this house. As caesars are often garnished with a pickled green bean, I add those on the side for the one non-tomato eater in the family.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bloody-mary-tomatoes-3504582

 

Edited October 7, 2023 by MaryIsobel (log)

[Darienne]

I'm not sure what we are having.  Turkey was planned and I would have taken it out of the freezer for thawing today...except that our oven refused to work yesterday.  And then I wrenched  horribly my right wrist in the middle of last night and wondered how I would do anything.  The pain seems to be lessening and we live in hope.  

 

I have yet to make a dessert. 

 

So Ed and daughter Carolyn have just returned with a used stove...all our stoves for the last 15 years have been used and have been a good saving.  $150.00 this one at the Restore.  It's now sitting in the middle of the kitchen...and now we wait.

 

I do have a frozen Lasagne and a Moussaka and Spanakopita, all made within the last two months, so we won't go hungry.  Except that Carolyn is a vegan.  Oh well...

[liuzhou]

39 minutes ago, MaryIsobel said:

Also poked holes in a pint of cherry tomtoes for Ceasar Cherry

 

I've never had a Caesar salad with tomatoes in it, but am  more interested in why you are pricking holes in them. Can you enlighten me, please.

 

[TdeV]

@MaryIsobel, did you intend to link a recipe?

 

@Darienne, definitely a day for thanks giving. 😄

[FeChef]

So Canadians celebrate "Thanksgiving"? But not on the same day as Americans?

[ElsieD]

We are in the process of making turkey stock, some of which will be used for gravy for our dinner.  We bought 53 pounds of turkey carcasses and will need to do it in 3 batches.  The first batch is simmering away, batches 2 and 3 will be roasted today.  Some stock will be held back for gravy on Monday, the rest reduced until it cools into a very firm jelly then frozen in ice cube trays for future use.  I made our cranberry jelly this afternoon, ran it through a food mill and then a sieve so that is done.  I am about to bake a loaf of bread in the bread machine which I will use to make the stuffing tomorrow.  We have pumpkin pie courtesy of Costco.  That leaves just squash and carrots needing prep on Monday and cookng the capon.  There are just the two of us so we'll have lots of leftovers to enjoy.

 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.  

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, FeChef said:

So Canadians celebrate "Thanksgiving"? But not on the same day as Americans?

Yup.  Second Monday in October.

Edited October 7, 2023 by ElsieD
Changed nope to yup. (log)

[MaryIsobel]

18 minutes ago, Darienne said:

I'm not sure what we are having.  Turkey was planned and I would have taken it out of the freezer for thawing today...except that our oven refused to work yesterday.  And then I wrenched  horribly my right wrist in the middle of last night and wondered how I would do anything.  The pain seems to be lessening and we live in hope.  

 

I have yet to make a dessert. 

 

So Ed and daughter Carolyn have just returned with a used stove...all our stoves for the last 15 years have been used and have been a good saving.  $150.00 this one at the Restore.  It's now sitting in the middle of the kitchen...and now we wait.

 

I do have a frozen Lasagne and a Moussaka and Spanakopita, all made within the last two months, so we won't go hungry.  Except that Carolyn is a vegan.  Oh well...

It's all about the gathering, I'm sure whatever you serve will be appreciated.

[heidih]

Just now, ElsieD said:

Nope.  Second Monday in October.

correct. US is November . Third Thursday in Nov.

[heidih]

20 minutes ago, Darienne said:

it.

 

I do have a frozen Lasagne and a Moussaka and Spanakopita, all made within the last two months, so we won't go hungry.  Except that Carolyn is a vegan.  Oh well...

I think your phrozen items sound like yum/home. Dessert - icecream?

[MaryIsobel]

17 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

I've never had a Caesar salad with tomatoes in it, but am  more interested in why you are pricking holes in them. Can you enlighten me, please.

 

Nothing to do with salad. It is a Canadian cocktail, a Caesar or a Bloody Caesar - similar to a Bloody Mary but made with clamato juice rather than tomato juice. As my late BIL used to ponder "I wonder who had a drink of tomato juice and said "what this needs is a shot of clam juice?!" None the less, it is probably one of the more popular cocktails in these parts. https://www.liquor.com/recipes/bloody-caesar/

[liuzhou]

1 minute ago, MaryIsobel said:

Nothing to do with salad. It is a Canadian cocktail, a Caesar or a Bloody Caesar - similar to a Bloody Mary but made with clamato juice rather than tomato juice. As my late BIL used to ponder "I wonder who had a drink of tomato juice and said "what this needs is a shot of clam juice?!" None the less, it is probably one of the more popular cocktails in these parts. https://www.liquor.com/recipes/bloody-caesar/

 

Oooops! Totally misunderstood. I guess my Canadian is rusty. My apopologies! Thanks!

 

😕

[MaryIsobel]

1 minute ago, liuzhou said:

 

Oooops! Totally misunderstood. I guess my Canadian is rusty. My apopologies! Thanks!

 

😕

Probably my fault for calling it a Caesar rather than a Bloody Caesar although I havent heard it referred to as such in years. 

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

1 hour ago, MaryIsobel said:

Also poked holes in a pint of cherry tomtoes for Ceasar Cherry 

Tomatoes for an app. Looks murky due to the worchestershire sauce, hot sauce and horseradish that is added to the vodka for mascerating/marinating. They are drained, then served on picks with pickled green beans and Caesar rimmer for dipping. Wildly popular. 

 

 

 

Once the tomatoes are drained it seems, with some added Clamato, this would be a passable Caesar.

 

 

[MaryIsobel]

1 minute ago, Senior Sea Kayaker said:

 

Once the tomatoes are drained it seems, with some added Clamato, this would be a passable Caesar.

 

 

That's the plan for the cook's treat!😉

[liuzhou]

From what I read it is almost exclusively Canadian. I'd certainly try it. I'm partial to a Bloody Mary, and Clamato sounds an interesting twist. Not sure I can get that, though. Hold on!

 

Found it on China's go-to shopping site, but at import prices. Three different kinds. Original, Spicy and Mango Sweet Spicy. I'll skip the last one.

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving.

Edited October 9, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[MaryIsobel]

32 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

We are in the process of making turkey stock, some of which will be used for gravy for our dinner.  We bought 53 pounds of turkey carcasses and will need to do it in 3 batches.  The first batch is simmering away, batches 2 and 3 will be roasted today.  Some stock will be held back for gravy on Monday, the rest reduced until it cools into a very firm jelly then frozen in ice cube trays for future use.  I made our cranberry jelly this afternoon, ran it through a food mill and then a sieve so that is done.  I am about to bake a loaf of bread in the bread machine which I will use to make the stuffing tomorrow.  We have pumpkin pie courtesy of Costco.  That leaves just squash and carrots needing prep on Monday and cookng the capon.  There are just the two of us so we'll have lots of leftovers to enjoy.

 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.  

I'm really curious where you got 53 pounds of turkey carcasses!

[MaryIsobel]

1 minute ago, liuzhou said:

From what I read it is almost exclusively Canadian. I'd certainy try it. I'm partial to a Bloody Mary, and Clamato sounds an interesting twist. Not sure I can get that, though. Hold on!

 

Found it on China's go-to shopping site, but at import prices. Three different kinds. Original, Spicy and Mango Sweet Spicy. I'll skip the last one.

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you, we just buy the basic clamato so we can season to taste. I saw a canned Mango Caesar somewhere and immeditely thought "no thank you!' If you are feeling adventurous, I suppose you could make your own clamato...https://www.maricruzavalos.com/clamato-juice-copycat/ and introduce your Chinese friends to Bloody Caesars.

[FauxPas]

We had to spend several nights in an apartment hotel in Victoria, BC this past week. We had a fairly comfortable suite with a kitchen and wanted some take-out and decided to try White Spot's Thanksgiving special for two. It was well packaged and easily reheated and really quite good. (White Spot is a classic Vancouver (and BC) chain of restaurants.) As we had no big plans for this weekend, it was kind of fun to have an early T-Day dinner that someone else made.  🙂

 

Dinner included sliced turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, veggies, and a mini pumpkin pie. Maybe not quite as good as what I make myself, but a decent meal. I was impressed that the veggies had been lightly precooked so they were just about perfect after reheating. 

 

Here is a photo from White Spot's Facebook page:

 

[heidih]

36 minutes ago, FeChef said:

Considering Turkey hunting season is Oct 28- Nov 17. It Makes sense, but i honestly don't remember anything i learned about "Thanksgiving" in terms of when the Pilgrims tricked the Native Americans and took their Land.

A lot o mythology and backtracking these days on all that but this is not the venue. It has become more o a non denominational day  grattitude and gathering with trditios.

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, FeChef said:

Wouldn't that be a yup?

Yup, you're right.  Thanks, I changed it.

[ElsieD]

45 minutes ago, MaryIsobel said:

I'm really curious where you got 53 pounds of turkey carcasses!

 

There are a chain of stores here called Farm Boy who sell turkey carcasses every Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We had to go to 3 different stores to get that quantity.  We just unloaded batch number 2, below and batch 3 is browning.  That roasting pan in about 16." long and 12" wide.

[heidih]

11 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

There are a chain of stores here called Farm Boy who sell turkey carcasses every Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We had to go to 3 different stores to get that quantity.  We just unloaded batch number 2, below and batch 3 is browning.  That roasting pan in about 16." long and 12" wide.

What a great shoppig opp.

Edited October 7, 2023 by heidih (log)