Thanksgiving (U.S.) 2025

[C. sapidus]

19 minutes ago, gulfporter said:

 

Love your description!  We like LGBoD, but not on 🦃Day. 

 

Credit to @Tropicalsenior for the shriveled gonads 😆

 

19 minutes ago, gulfporter said:

 

We halve then caramelize until almost charred (with shallots), often adding Indian spices to them as a side.  Other times we incorporate into pasta dishes with pancetta, prosciutto or good ole bacon. 

 

Have tried shaving them thin to use as a salad base, but not worth the risk to fingertips.  

 

Those all sound good to me!

[gulfporter]

My late MIL introduced me to creamed pearl onions on 🦃Day.   In a cream sauce with a dash of nutmeg.   When I am in US and making the Big Meal, I always include them.  

 

Growing up our 🦃Day table included my Uncle Wally's fresh kielbasa (he owned a meat market) as well as my grandmother's kugelis which had a very dark brown crust and a lot of salt pork in it.  My family emigrated to US from Lithuania. 

 

I expect to be in Mexico for 🦃Day this year.  While Turkey Molé is a Mexican 'thing' it's reserved for the wealthy as  🦃🦃🦃 are uncommon and expensive in Mexico and almost all are imported.   I made a Turkey Molé several years ago that cost me 3 days of labor, and a thousand pesos for a rather small bird!  

[rotuts]

Although I grew up initially in an Apricot Orchard , ( 2 acres ) , gravel and dirt roads near by.

 

both my parents were teachers, and benefited w sabbaticals in Europe  thanks to a Senator

 

who saw something in the Future  ( Fulbright )  I lived two years in France and two in Spain 

 

and went to local schools  ....

 

I saw Thanksgiving as more or less what we had :  roast Turkey , sage stuffing , mashed potatoes , pan gravy 

 

peas w +/- pear onions , baked thick sliced sweet potatoes , boiled , cooled , then broiled w a marshmallow and brown sugar.

 

much later , living in the East , I discovered various Ethnic additions :  Friends of Italian heritage had the basics

 

then added Lasagna etc.

 

@gulfporter  I like the idea of  fresh kielbasa and kugelis     What a feast !

 

BTW  that apricot orchard no longer exists .   they were very common there then

 

in Los Altos , CA 1950 ++

[blue_dolphin]

I will be joining my cousins for what I expect will be a traditional turk-stuff-mash-gravy situation. The cousin and his wife who usually cook the bird and host are dealing with health issues so his daughter has stepped up to host.  I’m bringing Vivian Howard's Brussels sprouts (yes, LGBoD), apples, pomegranate salad with blue cheese honey vinaigrette (recipe here), and have been asked to bring a butternut squash dish, TBD. Any recommendations on that?  It shouldn’t be mashed or include anything green and should hold well once cooked.  The littles will eat cubes of roasted squash but they look pretty wizened after a while. I believe I’m the only family member who eats vegetables, other than potatoes, on a regular basis. 
I’ll probably bring a cranberry curd tart which one of the little cousins is greatly enamored of. 

[rotuts]

@blue_dolphin

 

what ever butternut s. dish you choose 

 

consider , just prior to service

 

sprinkle w some tosested pecans.

 

TJ's has pecan ' bits '  toasted w no added salt.   nice .

[blue_dolphin]

I have enjoyed the videos that Sohla El-Waylly and her husband Ham have made together for NYT cooking.  This is a turkey day version that they made on their own and I found it quite entertaining. Sohla goes the traditional route, Ham is modernist man with a sous vide, meat glued turkey breast roll and brined, braised legs and thighs.  In the end, what could go wrong does but the dog clearly wins! 
Worth a watch!

 

 

[rotuts]

@blue_dolphin

 

quite entertaining.

 

yet , with most web vids 

 

missing so many small points :

 

 

note that rope of a tendon will have a certain chew

 

but , there will be two of them , for more chew .

 

just   ....   not so good .

 

lots more like this 

Edited 20 hours ago by rotuts (log)

[FauxPas]

For Canadian Thanksgiving last month I made a salad with mixed baby greens, slices of apples & pears, blue cheese and toasted walnuts and pomegranate arils. Served with an apple-ginger vinaigrette. It was so good and even my husband (who normally avoids blue cheese) liked it. I started from this Pomegranate & Pear Green Salad from Cookie + Kate which uses goat or feta cheese. I've made similar salads before but the dressing was pretty close to the online one and was a good match. 

 

For Christmas, I'd like to make some fermented Brussels Sprouts to add to a salad or to serve as part of an appetizer plate. I'd probably add some garlic, maybe hot peppers. Not sure. Has anyone done these? 

 

[Smithy]

17 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

For Canadian Thanksgiving last month I made a salad with mixed baby greens, slices of apples & pears, blue cheese and toasted walnuts and pomegranate arils. Served with an apple-ginger vinaigrette. It was so good and even my husband (who normally avoids blue cheese) liked it. I started from this Pomegranate & Pear Green Salad from Cookie + Kate which uses goat or feta cheese. I've made similar salads before but the dressing was pretty close to the online one and was a good match. 

 

For Christmas, I'd like to make some fermented Brussels Sprouts to add to a salad or to serve as part of an appetizer plate. I'd probably add some garlic, maybe hot peppers. Not sure. Has anyone done these? 

 

 

That salad looks very good. I'll have to try it on a much smaller scale for my own dinner one night! Or maybe wait until I have dinner guests and try it on them. My Thanksgiving plans, however, call for me to bring my green beans and bacon dish to a feast with friends. The gathering will only be 8 people, so it won't require 5 pounds of green beans as needed 2 years ago. (That was an adventure!)

 

I've never had, or thought of, fermented Brussels Sprouts, but it makes sense that they would ferment like cabbage. I'll have to try it! Thanks for the recipe. As for your proposed additions: if you have people who like spicy heat, then add a couple of chili peppers as you suggest. Or mustard seeds? Ginger?

[MaryIsobel]

3 hours ago, FauxPas said:

For Canadian Thanksgiving last month I made a salad with mixed baby greens, slices of apples & pears, blue cheese and toasted walnuts and pomegranate arils. Served with an apple-ginger vinaigrette. It was so good and even my husband (who normally avoids blue cheese) liked it. I started from this Pomegranate & Pear Green Salad from Cookie + Kate which uses goat or feta cheese. I've made similar salads before but the dressing was pretty close to the online one and was a good match. 

 

For Christmas, I'd like to make some fermented Brussels Sprouts to add to a salad or to serve as part of an appetizer plate. I'd probably add some garlic, maybe hot peppers. Not sure. Has anyone done these? 

 

That salad sounds great. One of my daughters is allergic to penecillin so any blue cheeses are out for her. So now I put out a couple of bowls; one with blue cheese and one with chunked up brie so - to each their own!

[Maison Rustique]

We are indeed going out this year--to Lidia's again because it was so spectacular last year. The only reservation we could get was at 11 am, which is fine with about half of us. The others are never happy having to get out of bed to be anywhere before noon. Not sure this is going to post right, but will try.

 

Lidia's Thanksgiving Menu

 

[Smithy]

2 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

We are indeed going out this year--to Lidia's again because it was so spectacular last year. The only reservation we could get was at 11 am, which is fine with about half of us. The others are never happy having to get out of bed to be anywhere before noon. Not sure this is going to post right, but will try.

 

Lidia's Thanksgiving Menu

 

 

That's a wonderful-sounding spread! I'm glad the menu gives so much detail. Gives me some ideas for things I could try making at home. I have to admit, though, it would be very gratifying to sit down with friends and family, enjoy that excellent meal, and let someone else take care of the cleanup. 🙂

[Maison Rustique]

2 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

That's a wonderful-sounding spread! I'm glad the menu gives so much detail. Gives me some ideas for things I could try making at home. I have to admit, though, it would be very gratifying to sit down with friends and family, enjoy that excellent meal, and let someone else take care of the cleanup. 🙂

It is wonderful! And they bring so much food to you, it is ridiculous! We had leftovers galore last year. And despite it being such a busy day there, the service is wonderful as always at Lidia's. Lidia sometimes comes to this location for events--I'd love to be able to attend one and meet her.

[Dr. Teeth]

Sounds fantastic.   Hope you have a wonderful time.   Can’t imagine ordering the  turkey

[Maison Rustique]

2 hours ago, Dr. Teeth said:

Sounds fantastic.   Hope you have a wonderful time.   Can’t imagine ordering the  turkey

Last year not a single one of us did! I'm already eyeing short rib or pork shank, but will decide when I get there.