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Thanksgiving (US) 2023

gulfporter

By gulfporter
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Ann_T

Ann_T

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 11/23/2023 at 5:07 AM, rotuts said:

a Happy thanksgiving to all .

 

from yesterday's ' Food ' NYTimes :

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/20/dining/lubys-cafeteria-thanksgiving.html?searchResultPosition=1

 

Ive enjoyed some very fine BBQ visiting my sister in TX in the past

 

but I must say , not this meal , from Luby's :

 

2222.thumb.jpg.348249c4bdaedb00065045d7cc2398a7.jpg

 

looks mighty fine to me .

 

Happy Thanksgiving , one more time.

 

from the article :

 

''''  Thanksgiving Day, when the chain serves 152,000 customers and 57,000 pounds of turkey. Though the cost of turkey has surged in recent years, he said he’s tried to keep prices as low as possible.  '''

 Now that is a plate full of goodness.  Well except for the mac and cheese. Not a fan of it any day and it isn't   something traditionally served with a turkey dinner here.  Is it a regional side

everywhere in the US or just in the south?

Edited by Ann_T (log)
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Foodblog: Vancouver Island
Thibeault's Table -  Blog

C. sapidus

C. sapidus

Posted
Posted

Thanksgiving_2023.thumb.jpg.5af431a9b188ac2991954663601ffacd.jpg

Thanksgiving leftovers for breakfast, counterclockwise from bottom right:

Maple-ginger-soy glazed coho salmon and steelhead for fish-fiend nephew, courtesy of Mrs. C

Stuffing with giblet gravy

Creamy braised Brussels sprouts

Bourbon sweet potatoes with orange sauce, made with Cointreau and about half the brown sugar specified

Green bean salad in the middle

Saag paneer with homemade paneer (fresh cheese) – very popular but I shall spare you the picture . . . :shock: 

Also not pictured:

Moist and tender turkey (nice job Mrs. C) - apparently we gave it all way, except for the big pile of bones simmering in a stockpot

Mashed potatoes, courtesy of SIL

Store-bought pumpkin cheesecake

We interspersed gluttony with two long dog walks, so I’m sure the day was calorie-neutral. :rolleyes:

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Bruce, a.k.a C. sapidus

eG Foodblog: Crabs, borscht, and fish sauce

C. sapidus

C. sapidus

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Ann_T said:

 Now that is a plate full of goodness.  Well except for the mac and cheese. Not a fan of it any day and it isn't something  something traditionally served with a turkey dinner here.  Is it a regional side

everywhere in the US or just in the south?

 

I associate mac and cheese with Thanksgiving meals that include glazed ham. I think you are right - probably a southern thing.

  • Like 1

Bruce, a.k.a C. sapidus

eG Foodblog: Crabs, borscht, and fish sauce

lindag

lindag

Posted
Posted

I did see a recipe recently (I think it was from ATK) for pimento mac and cheese that looked very good.  I plan to try it one of these days.

Big fan of pimento cheese here.

  • Like 3
gfweb

gfweb

Posted
Posted
48 minutes ago, Ann_T said:

 Now that is a plate full of goodness.  Well except for the mac and cheese. Not a fan of it any day and it isn't   something traditionally served with a turkey dinner here.  Is it a regional side

everywhere in the US or just in the south?

 

M&C isn't a Thanksgiving tradition in the Northeast.  Southerners seem to like it, but they'll other questionable things too.  😉

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Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim

Posted
Posted

I'm from a starched Maine family.   Mid-Century Thanksgiving, without exception was stuffed turkey, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, mashed winter squash, creamed onions, cranberry sauce, rolls, pumpkin pie.   Tastes of younger generation lead to straining giblets from the gravy, eliminating creamed onions, adding peas to the menu.    Still later "downstream", eliminating squash, adding mac and cheese.   And most recently, eliminating turkey and switching to ham.   This year I even ditched the pumpkin pie and made a chocolate cream pie, this season's fave with the grandkids.    My grandparents and father would be whirling at these atrocities but the spirit of the day is maintained. 

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eGullet member #80.

heidih

heidih

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, pastameshugana said:

We're Americans living in South Africa. The last couple of years we've done a pretty traditional Thanksgiving here, which was fun. 

 

This year, we had decided instead to go to our favorite Chinese Hot Pot restaurant to celebrate. However, late in the game we ended up taking in three children from a bad situation (friends of our kids). They'll be staying with us while their mom gets treatment. Because of their background, hot pot was not likely to go over well, so we cobbled together a last minute meal.

 

We roasted some carrots, got corn and green beans, mashed potatoes and even found a jar of cranberry sauce that was quite nice.

 

For the meat ... We first tried to order a couple of roasted chickens from two different places, but kept striking out (not available, out of stock). By the end of the mad scramble we had one roasted chicken and one bucket from KFC (which is far better in this country than my experiences back home).

 

Store bought apple pie to finish it off. There was some kind of 'pumpkin pie' but it was terrible. We had fun, despite the chaos and less than ideal circumstances. It was the first Thanksgiving meal these kids have ever eaten, and their diet in general has been pretty poor up til now. Kind of reminds you why we stop to be thankful in the first place!

Wow thanks for sharing that story. To give those kids their first Thanksgiving meal and it sounds like it was joyful which is key.Not about perfection, but rather people.

  • Like 4
blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Mid-Century Thanksgiving, without exception was stuffed turkey, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, mashed winter squash, creamed onions, cranberry sauce, rolls, pumpkin pie.  

 

I grew up with a very similar spread.  No rolls but with the addition of mashed carrots, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed turnips, mashed rutabaga and god knows what mash I may have forgotten plus a "relish tray" of olives, pickles and celery.

 

Yesterday's feast here in SoCal included a stuffed, 27 lb turkey, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn casserole, roasted Brussels sprouts & apples, green bean casserole, blackberry & caraway slaw and rolls. Dessert was pumpkin pie, pecan pie, cranberry curd tart, all with whipped cream and/or ice cream and some extremely decadent cookies. 

I resisted taking any leftovers home but would have loved some turkey tucked into one of those rolls for breakfast!

Edited by blue_dolphin (log)
  • Like 7
BeeZee

BeeZee

Posted
Posted

@blue_dolphin, I have leftover Parker House rolls, don’t think I didn’t contemplate a mini sandwich. Instead, I had a big hunk of chocolate pannetone for lunch. After going to the gym, of course🤣

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"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" - Oscar Wilde

Kim Shook

Kim Shook

Posted
Posted

I think that mac and cheese is probably a southern/soul food thing.  I miss it if it isn’t part of any holiday meal.  And I’m one of those who adores the really sweet sweet potato preparations.  Either the marshmallow ones or the pecan praline ones.  My SIL made some that were savory that I actually liked a lot – they were cubed and tossed with olive oil and rosemary and roasted.

 

Dinner at my MIL’s was very good.  I did the requested apps – shrimp dip, green olive tapenade, and my corn salad.  Served with tortilla chips, crackers, and toasted baguette slices:

IMG_4818.JPG.e0c3216bfdface1c08376344885be8d3.JPG

 

Jessica made her wonderful deviled eggs:

20231123_172916.thumb.jpg.3bb0d43c16ff97066e7c9b2b9b399b21.jpg

She also brought a jar of her lovely pickled vegetables that everyone loved.  

 

The menu included turkey, dressing, stuffing, gravy, roasted sweet potatoes w/ rosemary, southern green beans, mashed potatoes, yeast rolls, cranberry sauce, corn, corn pudding, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie.  My plate:

IMG_4819.jpg.ead112f8f9c1377f0312677a9957ff5f.jpg

 

20231123_170143.jpg.1c356914dea84c566842697b5df7fc9d.jpg

 

20231123_174450.thumb.jpg.19924e2990efb79c8815e79870de89a0.jpg

 

IMG_5963.jpg.2509a63eb5aaa4aeff0bca0849e929af.jpg

 

The pies:

20231123_170432.jpg.8a70af5e08c6e5ef5d5857b2ede28acb.jpg

Possibly the best pecan pie I’ve ever tasted.

 

20231123_170434.jpg.d7d2c68b4d685770230118ea21e8ff9d.jpg

Everything was truly delicious, though a few things were a bit too salty.  She brined her turkey and didn’t rinse it.  My SIL and I think that she confused the instructions regarding not washing poultry before cooking (lest you spread bacteria) with rinsing AFTER brining.  The stuffing and the gravy were especially briny.  But it all tasted good. 

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Kim

Kim's Cookbook

What Fresh Hell is This?

rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted

@Kim Shook 

 

wonderful looking Thanksgiving spread.

 

what is the difference between dressing and stuffing ?

 

Pecan pie is one of my very favorites.

 

that pie looks perfect .  nicely toasted pecans.

  • Like 4
Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, rotuts said:

what is the difference between dressing and stuffing ?

 

 

Nothing, really,   Both are actually panades: bread cubes moistened with broth, seasoned with vegetables, baked.   

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eGullet member #80.

Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted

@Kim Shook, that looks like a wonderful spread. Considering the angst built up before your dinner, it's especially delightful to see how well it went!

 

What made this particular pecan pie so wonderful? Do you think it was luck, or an especially good recipe?

  • Like 3

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
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DesertTinker

DesertTinker

Posted
Posted (edited)

@Kim Shook Glad to see you survived.  No long time at room temperature turkey this year to worry about, and you got some delicious looking sides and desserts.

Edited by DesertTinker
Punctuation (log)
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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
54 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Kim Shook 

 

wonderful looking Thanksgiving spread.

 

what is the difference between dressing and stuffing ?

 

Pecan pie is one of my very favorites.

 

that pie looks perfect .  nicely toasted pecans.

Thanks for asking!  I think this is the first time I’ve seen anyone mention having both. 

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gulfporter

gulfporter

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
6 hours ago, C. sapidus said:

 

I associate mac and cheese with Thanksgiving meals that include glazed ham. I think you are right - probably a southern thing.

 

Southern for sure but also for many African Americans; I knew Black families in Philly that always made it or brought it to TDay dinner and at Xmas, too.  Of course many Black families have roots in the South.  

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Kim Shook

Kim Shook

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, rotuts said:

@Kim Shook 

 

wonderful looking Thanksgiving spread.

 

what is the difference between dressing and stuffing ?

Stuffing is STUFFED in the bird and dressing is cooked on the side in a casserole dish.

 

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

@Kim Shook, that looks like a wonderful spread. Considering the angst built up before your dinner, it's especially delightful to see how well it went!

 

What made this particular pecan pie so wonderful? Do you think it was luck, or an especially good recipe?

I have NO idea why the filling was so good - but it was sweet and rich, without being cloying.  And, as @rotuts says, the nuts were perfectly toasted.  One thing that was different from usual is that the crust was extremely thin and VERY crisp.  She is the past master at pastry, so her pie crusts are always excellent, but this was unusual.  

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Kim

Kim's Cookbook

What Fresh Hell is This?

rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted

@Kim Shook 

 

as I thought 

 

re: pie :  most pecan pies , even if  the crust and filling are quite good 

 

don't have properly toasted pecans for some reason .  the pecans have to be

 

lightly toasted first Ive found.

  • Like 3
MaryIsobel

MaryIsobel

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

I think that mac and cheese is probably a southern/soul food thing.  I miss it if it isn’t part of any holiday meal.  And I’m one of those who adores the really sweet sweet potato preparations.  Either the marshmallow ones or the pecan praline ones.  My SIL made some that were savory that I actually liked a lot – they were cubed and tossed with olive oil and rosemary and roasted.

 

Dinner at my MIL’s was very good.  I did the requested apps – shrimp dip, green olive tapenade, and my corn salad.  Served with tortilla chips, crackers, and toasted baguette slices:

IMG_4818.JPG.e0c3216bfdface1c08376344885be8d3.JPG

 

Jessica made her wonderful deviled eggs:

20231123_172916.thumb.jpg.3bb0d43c16ff97066e7c9b2b9b399b21.jpg

She also brought a jar of her lovely pickled vegetables that everyone loved.  

 

The menu included turkey, dressing, stuffing, gravy, roasted sweet potatoes w/ rosemary, southern green beans, mashed potatoes, yeast rolls, cranberry sauce, corn, corn pudding, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie.  My plate:

IMG_4819.jpg.ead112f8f9c1377f0312677a9957ff5f.jpg

 

20231123_170143.jpg.1c356914dea84c566842697b5df7fc9d.jpg

 

20231123_174450.thumb.jpg.19924e2990efb79c8815e79870de89a0.jpg

 

IMG_5963.jpg.2509a63eb5aaa4aeff0bca0849e929af.jpg

 

The pies:

20231123_170432.jpg.8a70af5e08c6e5ef5d5857b2ede28acb.jpg

Possibly the best pecan pie I’ve ever tasted.

 

20231123_170434.jpg.d7d2c68b4d685770230118ea21e8ff9d.jpg

Everything was truly delicious, though a few things were a bit too salty.  She brined her turkey and didn’t rinse it.  My SIL and I think that she confused the instructions regarding not washing poultry before cooking (lest you spread bacteria) with rinsing AFTER brining.  The stuffing and the gravy were especially briny.  But it all tasted good. 

What a wonderful spread. And you are very gracious.

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scubadoo97

scubadoo97

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, pastameshugana said:

 

Too cool! How many generations are there, and where do you fall?

 

4 generation

1 hour ago, pastameshugana said:

 

Too cool! How many generations are there, and where do you fall?

 

This is my Moms side of the family.  I have 2 aunts still living, they are both pictured in the middle so I’m 2nd generation , 26 first cousins, although one passed away last year in a plane crash just prior to Thanksgiving 

Edited by scubadoo97 (log)
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