Hilarious Holiday Hijinks

[tryska]

first off - to all of you who have mentioned that people are very tied to tradition when it comes to thanksgiving meals - truer words have never been spoken.

I had a conversation last night with my roommate regarding the menu for T-day. if it were just she and i, then the menu could have been whatever, since it makes no difference to me one way or the other. however now that we've got guests coming, menu is of utmost importance. this is when i learned that apparently in her head, Thanksgiving is "the way she's always had it" or you don't eat. This would be fine, if it were somewhat close to a traditional menu. Her's apparently is "European" and that's the way it's gonna be:

Roast Turkey with lemon and garlic on the inside and bacon on the outside - (no problem here)

Ground Beef and Olive stuffing (problem)

Roasted Potatoes (she "doesn't have mashed")

Mashed Sweet Potatoes (cool, but they don't taste good with gravy)

Green Beans Almandine (fine)

Lemon Meringue Pie ("cuz that's what i eat for dessert")

No Bread ("I don't eat bread")

anyone else notice lot's of "Me" and "I" in this conversation? I mentioned that most people, specifically the people coming over expect a more traditional Thanksgiving - she got upset and said "This is how i've always had it" i said that's fine, but why would you deny anyone else the privilege of having a meal they are accustomed to? she says fine you make thanksgiving then, and started pouting - i of course played stupid, and secretly jumped at the chance - she wasn't prepared for that tactic. Finally she says, fine - here's a compromise - you make the dishes you're used to, and i'll make the dishes I'm used to. I said that's a brilliant idea let's do that. She was still pouty and we started discussing exactly what we were going to be cooking.

then she throws the curveball - "Well when are you planning on doing this, because I can't cook with other people in the kitchen." (spiteful - the main reason we chose this apartment was because there was room for 2 people to be cooking at once).

Well i'll be damned if someone tries to sabotage me and they see me sweat. Also, knowing my friends, there is no way i'm gonna get ragged on for the rest of my life for hosting "that wierd thanksgiving".

So here is my menu:

rolls (they're gonna have to be prefab, because i doubt i'll get the opportunity to actually make from scratch)

sausage stuffing

mashed potatoes

corn (possibly fried, but maybe just steamed in the micro if it winds up being easier)

cranberry sauce (yes the canned kind)

broccoli casserole (a bow to the "traditional", but with bechamel instead of canned soup - will keep the ritz crackers)

bread pudding with bourbon sauce or perhaps a chocolate pie or cake - not sure

there's allegedly a sweet potato pie coming, but i may grab a shell and some pumpkin pie filling just in case.

so here's where i need the advice - anticipating kitchen hogging, what can i prepare ahead of time, and what needs to be done a la minute?

help!

EDIT - i really must proofread a vent.

Edited November 21, 2003 by tryska (log)

[sherribabee]

Yikes, what a nightmare. Why is it so difficult for your roomie to compromise? Sheesh!

You could do a lot ahead of time.

You could assemble the broccoli casserole the night before, even bake it -- because not much is lost by reheating it in the microwave.

You could assemble all the dry ingredients for the stuffing the night before, even brown up the sausage, and just add the wet stuff and bake before the meal

For the rolls, could you make your own "pre-fab" variety? Mix up the dough, shape into rolls and freeze? Thaw the morning of the meal and then bake? I've never frozen dough for rolls before, so I have no idea how this might turn out.

If you make the chocolate pie or cake, you could do either of them the night before. I imagine the pudding would need to be done fairly close to meal time.

I've never had freid corn, so I'm not sure if it's something that could be prepared beforehand, but steaming corn in the microwave sounds like the easiest way to go.

Mashed potatoes definitely need to be done a la minute.

Good luck! Let us know what you do and how it turns out. And give your roomie a dirty look from me!

[tryska]

sherri - thanks so much for the input! i was actually wondering about the rolls too. I could make dough this weekend, and form and freeze it, but I have no experience with that either. so any input would be appreciated.

i agree on the casserole i can do everything but top with ritz crackers, which i can do before baking it off.

i was wondering about the stuffing too - basically it's sausage, celery, bread cubes, and broth - imo - it always tastes better the next day - so perhaps i could make that beforehand, and again heat it up prior. but then again, it's a 30 minute thing.

fried corn is basically sweet corn sauteed with onion in lots of butter with pepper. i think it's another thing that mgith have to be done a la minute, but if anyone has any experience with doing it beforehand, i appreciate it. (i could have that going as the stuffing's going, while the turkey rests)

the mashed potatoes - i've always done them a la minute, but considering jackal's method from the potao primer, i'm thinking perhaps they could be done the night before - and then heated, creamed, and seasoned just prior to dinner.

one other thing i forgot to mention before - i forgot to discuss gravy with her - considerign the rest of her "traditional european" meal, i'm worried that gravy doesn't make an appearance - if i need to make it, can i do with just a roux and some "better than bouilloin" do you think it will work? do i use broth, water or milk, in that case? (the lemon garlic bacon drippings concern me a bit - and i've always used a little milk, broth and water along with drippings for my gravy - but my drippings have always had butter, and the traditional poultry herbs as well as celery, carrot and onion)

and sherri - no dirty looks, i believe the ultimate comeuppance will occur at the table, and it won't be coming from me. ;)

Edited November 21, 2003 by tryska (log)

[Suzanne F]

Yes, the stuffing (or in this case, dressing, since it's cooked outside the bird [this was one of the best things I learned in culinary school ]) can definitely be made ahead of time and reheated. It's only a danger to stuff the bird ahead of time.

Alas, the fried corn has to be a la minute (but it's worth it).

Gravy: buy a few turkey wings this weekend and make stock with them. It should keep all right in the fridge until you need it, or give it a reboil on Tuesday or Wednesday if you're concerned. Then on T-day, grab the roasting pan before she dumps all the good stuff, and proceed as you normally would, with a little of the fat, that wonderful fond (I think lemon/garlic/bacon will make an excellent, if untraditional, gravy), flour, and your stock. Or if you're afraid the bacon fat will overwhelm the other flavors, completely degrease the drippings and use beurre manie to thicken. But you'll be fine as long as you hang onto the roaster.

Between the two of you, you'll have a great meal.

[tryska]

thanks suzanne - i appreciate the vote of confidence, because I am sort of in panic/battle mode now.

and i will be making stock this weekend, that's an excellent way of getting the flavors that will complement the dressing, corn and potatoes. that was my main concern with the lemon-garlic-bacon - that it would do battle with the sage-rosemary-thyme-poultry.

[Dave the Cook]

If you follow Suzanne's advice on the stock, you can use some of it to moisten the stuffing -- it compensates somewhat for not having cooked it inside the bird.

I've been using Jack's method for reheating mashed potatoes for years, with great success. Given the other distractions at the table, and the fact that you're going to have an excellent gravy, your mashers will be well-received.

I'm not a bread guy (just ask my family about the loaf I made yesterday), but much of the literature says making the rolls ahead and freezing works fine. I think you need to allow time for thawing and a final rise, so they probably need to come out of the freezer first thing on Thursday.

[tryska]

thanks dave - the stock for the dressing just occurred to me too - 2 birds with one stone always works for me.

re the mashed potatoes - should i do the "precook", cool, put into the fridge the night before, then do the final cook, or do both steps, and then reheat while the bird's resting and mash?

and thanks for the bread tip - so then considering the rest of the menu - parker house rolls or this interesting multigrain involving oats and bulgur that i found in an old Martha magazine last night? (i like parker house cuz it has butter )

[sherribabee]

thanks dave - the stock for the dressing just occurred to me too - 2 birds with one stone always works for me.

re the mashed potatoes - should i do the "precook", cool, put into the fridge the night before, then do the final cook, or do both steps, and then reheat while the bird's resting and mash?

and thanks for the bread tip - so then considering the rest of the menu - parker house rolls or this interesting multigrain involving oats and bulgur that i found in an old Martha magazine last night? (i like parker house cuz it has butter )

I vote for the Parkerhouse rolls. They're my favorites!

[tryska]

yay parkerhouse rolls! works for me.

[Dave the Cook]

re the mashed potatoes - should i do the "precook", cool, put into the fridge the night before, then do the final cook, or do both steps, and then reheat while the bird's resting and mash?

I would go through the recipe, mashing and all, leaving the consistency just a bit on the thick side. Then I'd transfer them to a glass bowl, film with milk, cream or even metlted butter, wrap tightly and refrigerate.

To serve, reheat them slowly, either on a low microwave setting or in a double-boiler arrangement -- you can just set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Beat in the film as the potatoes warm up -- you might find that you need to add a little more (warm) liquid to get the proper consistency. Even better if you can apply a whisk or a hand mixer often, to fluff them up.

I know this is considered heresy in some circles, but seven out of ten people won't know the difference, the eighth won't care once the gravy is applied, and the ninth will see it as a reasonable compromise on a very busy day. You can't satisfy that tenth one no matter what, because you proabably used the wrong type of potato, or you used a food mill instead of a ricer. Seat this person at the children's table.

I vote for Parker House rolls. On Thanksgiving, traditon trumps, as you've already discovered. I also know that these do freeze well. (Full diclosure: in my first hospitality job, I worked for the guy who was GM at the Parker House through most of the 70s, so I have a soft spot for the place.)

[tryska]

thanks dave - i will do as you suggest with the potatoes.

now with the parker hosue rolls - same as above applies? freeze, then allow for the final rise before baking?

Edited November 21, 2003 by tryska (log)

[Dave the Cook]

I'm pretty sure the answer's yes, but I'd be more comfortable if we had a baking person chiming in here.

Edited November 21, 2003 by Dave the Cook (log)

[maggiethecat]

I know this is considered heresy in some circles, but seven out of ten people won't know the difference, the eighth won't care once the gravy is applied, and the ninth will see it as a reasonable compromise on a very busy day.

I'm with you here, Archie, and I've avoided being drawn and quartered lo these many Thanksgivings. I would defy anyone to be able to tell the difference between my (made the night before) mashties and those that used to halt activitiy in the kitchen on one of the busiest cooking days of the year.

Good gravy, it must be said, is the Thanksgiving cook's best friend. Who cares if the turkey breast is a little overcooked? Gravy and cranberry sauce to the rescue.

[Dave the Cook]

Thanks, Lily -- but I was hoping you'd help out on the PHR question!

[maggiethecat]

Thanks, Lily -- but I was hoping you'd help out on the PHR question!

Parker House Rolls are my absolute favorite---except I commit the heresy of using that wonderful dough to make Cloverleaf Rolls. I am not a bread expert, and haven't ever frozen loaves or rolls before the final rising; someone else needs to chime in about that.

I do one of two things: Bake them a couple of days beforehand and freeze them like that, to be reheated on the Day. Or:

I make the dough the night before and stick it in the fridge overnight, take it out in the morning and let it rise during the morning. Form the rolls and refridgerate them---take them out to complete the last rise, and bake after the turkey's been taken out to rest.

Note: Rombauer and Becker say: "Bake before freezing for best results."

[Lady T]

I go with the 'bake before freezing' trend -- if I have to freeze at all. I want the yeast dead on my terms -- not Frigidaire's, on the morning of The Day, when I have a pile of other stuff to handle.

[tryska]

good point lady T....i shall bake before freezing - and another stupid, basic question that i am not able to find the answer to - I can make stock in a crockpot, right?

(i'm worried she'll commandeer her good stockpots for the hell of it, and my one pot is pretty thin on the bottom)

thank you all so much for your help!

[Dave the Cook]

. . . I can make stock in a crockpot, right?

I think slow cookers are great for stock, as long as you have the time; they take quite a while to come up to temperature. The upside is that you get a very clear stock, since you can easily avoid vigorous boiling. At Varmint's Pig Pickin', we made about two gallons of poultry-rabbit stock in a battery of four crock pots (one drawback is capacity -- once you have the bones in there, you don't have a lot of room for water!)

[tryska]

i should have the time - it's not going to be used for anything else, and if i start it tomorrow mid-afternoon, it should be done by sunday, no?

did y'all use put it on low or high? or perhaps i should put it on high for the first couple of hours, and then drop it to low for the long slow simmer through the night?

[Dave the Cook]

Your timing is fine -- there's no reason why this method would take appreciably longer than the stovetop, once you've reached a simmer. And there's nothing magic about a boil, either; it just makes a handy milestone. So yes, put it on high to start. When it comes to a good simmer, turn it down, and the pot will stay at around 180F, which is perfect. You'll probably want to put the lid on overnight, because the wide surface of the crock is going to promote faster-than-normal evaporation. Don't forget to skim during the first couple of hours.

My only concern is yield -- it's possible you might have to do this twice, depending on how much you need.

(And not to bring up your homework again, but have you read the eGCI unit on stocks?)

[FistFullaRoux]

Re: the rolls. My bakery experience gets a workout.

You can make the dough ahead of time. Portion it out and freeze immediately. Early on T day, before the craziness starts, pull them from the freezer and get them to room temp pretty quickly. (You can even nuke them very carefully, checking for hot spots every few seconds. Give each roll a quick knead to eliminate any dead or dry spots, then allow them to rise.)

In commercial kitchens and bakeries, there is something called a proof box. Anything that you can do to approximate that effect will help things along. You want a high humidity warm (90-120 degrees) environment for about 30 minutes. Your mileage may vary. A little steam wouldn't hurt either.

Although, most breads, even from bakeries, are frozen. Voice of experience. I've spent too many nights baking 15 varieties of bread, including parkerhouse rolls. I only had to mix about 5 of those varieties, and 3 of those were premixed in a bag. I only added water and yeast.

Do yourself a favor. Get the frozen parkerhouse or potato rolls. They make a fine and consistent product when handled with a little knowhow. Thaw and rise quickly, then bake them off as early as the night before. Once they are cool, you can keep them in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temp, then pull the needed amount and reheat last minute.

To reheat: Get a couple of non glazed ceramic floor tiles (about 6"x6" are the best size) from a home improvement store, even a couple of broken ones will work, pop them in the oven for 10-15 minutes at whatever temp the oven is being used for, wrap them in clean towels, place them in a metal or glass bowl or a wicker basket. Pile the rolls on top of that, then cover the whole thing with a clean towel or two. The hot stones will heat the bread gently and prevent a hard crust from forming. It takes another 15 minutes to heat them up, just give them a shake every once in a while. You can put them on the table to do their thing. It's one less thing to worry about, and you can't burn the heating stones.

[tryska]

i did read the egci unit on stocks as a matter of fact. :-)

and yeah - yeild was something i was just thinking about - i'll need about 2 cups for the gravy, since you can never have too much gravy. and it's a 3-4qt cooker.

so i'm looking at 2 qts, possibly? before reduction - and i'm guessing reduction will bring it down to one quart? i should do okay with a quart of stock.

Edited November 21, 2003 by tryska (log)

[tryska]

To reheat: Get a couple of non glazed ceramic floor tiles (about 6"x6" are the best size) from a home improvement store, even a couple of broken ones will work, pop them in the oven for 10-15 minutes at whatever temp the oven is being used for, wrap them in clean towels, place them in a metal or glass bowl or a wicker basket. Pile the rolls on top of that, then cover the whole thing with a clean towel or two. The hot stones will heat the bread gently and prevent a hard crust from forming. It takes another 15 minutes to heat them up, just give them a shake every once in a while. You can put them on the table to do their thing. It's one less thing to worry about, and you can't burn the heating stones.

there's a home depot right down the street from my house.

considering i've got a date tonight, and another date tomorrow night, perhaps getting the store-bought kind is my best bet.

[FistFullaRoux]

If you have a pizza stone, you can do something similar. Heat it up, pull it from the oven and put it on a rack or an upside down cookie sheet. Cover it with a towel, pile the rolls on, then cover the whole thing with a towel.

It's easier to use a container of some sort, then you can leave it on the table, and they will stay warm during dinner.

Me, I have to work that day. I'll be having a turkeyish substance from a hospital cafeteria. Ya'll be thankful about getting to be with friends and family. Frozen rolls ain't so bad.

[Katherine]

The most reheatable mashed potatoes are made with heavy cream as the liquid.