Thanksgiving's Day Traditions

[bleutwoyou]

How about chocolate pumpkin spiced bark.  Melt chocolate coins, sprinkle on sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg mixture while its still warm.  Allow to cool, break it up and enjoy.

[suzilightning]

OK  just asked by the cousin who has taken over the monster that is the Reed Thanksgiving dinner to make my family's Portugese sweet bread but then she said they aren't eating a lot of bread right now...

I'm making a bunch of small loaves.  Got a text from my SIL asking me to make sausage stuffing....I have NEVER made sausage stuffing and choose not to.......especially since the person who asked for it has chosen not to go ....

Oh... the strum und drang................

[Kerry Beal]

On 11/3/2016 at 11:16 AM, bleutwoyou said:

How about chocolate pumpkin spiced bark.  Melt chocolate coins, sprinkle on sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg mixture while its still warm.  Allow to cool, break it up and enjoy.

Noooooooooooo.........

[pquinene]

Growing up on Guam, pumpkin pies are not popular...but fried or baked pumpkin turnovers are. Though the turkey and mashed potatoes made it to the table, most preferred our typical Guam bbq spread.

[kayb]

The annual cook begins today. Cranberry salad, sweet potato casserole (to be compiled and into the freezer, to await baking Friday, as we are having our T'giving dinner a day late). Very possibly the coconut cake, which must sit in the fridge a minimum of three days prior to cutting, in order to soak in its juices. T-minus-7 and counting!

[cyalexa]

4 hours ago, kayb said:

The annual cook begins today. Cranberry salad, sweet potato casserole (to be compiled and into the freezer, to await baking Friday, as we are having our T'giving dinner a day late). Very possibly the coconut cake, which must sit in the fridge a minimum of three days prior to cutting, in order to soak in its juices. T-minus-7 and counting!

Although I made stock a couple days ago for gravy, my real cooking starts today as well; with a pie crust. I just made biscuits so the fp is dirty. Use twice (at least), wash once is my motto. Will probably also make the cranberry-fig-port sauce today.

 

Is the coconut cake recipe on your blog?

[kayb]

6 hours ago, cyalexa said:

Although I made stock a couple days ago for gravy, my real cooking starts today as well; with a pie crust. I just made biscuits so the fp is dirty. Use twice (at least), wash once is my motto. Will probably also make the cranberry-fig-port sauce today.

 

Is the coconut cake recipe on your blog?

 

You can use your favorite white/yellow cake recipe; I have typically used one from Dorie Greenspan, but this year, I think I'm going to use the one my mother always used that I re-discovered when going through her recipe box. See this blog entry for that one. Either bake it in three or four layers, or cut two layers in half crosswise.

 

It's the frosting that makes this cake. Take a 12 oz of sour cream and mix in a cup to a cup and a half, depending on your sweet tooth, of granulated sugar and 1 1/2 packages of fresh-frozen coconut. (Reserve the other half-package; you'll need it.) Take 1/2 the filling and fill liberally between layers of cake. Use it all.. 

 

Take the remaining filling and mix it with a container of Cool Whip. I have tried this with whipped cream, and I can't figure out how to stabilize the whipped cream to make it hold for several days in the refrigerator. If you, or anyone else, knows how, I'd be MOST grateful for a tip. Use this to frost the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the remaining coconut on top and pat onto sides.

 

Finally, the critical step: In an airtight cake container, refrigerate the cake for three days before serving. This allows the moisture from the filling and frosting to soak into the cake.

 

For a proper Southern holiday dessert, serve with a side dish of ambrosia -- mandarin orange segments and pineapple tidbits, drained, mixed with another package of frozen coconut, and topped with a couple of maraschino cherries.

 

This cake freezes quite well, which is what I always wind up doing with half of it.

 

 

[cyalexa]

@kayb - thanks, hubby loves coconut desserts

 

Bird is separated into pieces, rubbed with dry-brine and in plastic bags. Note to self: don't buy those Hefty brand sliders again as they do not stay closed.

[Shel_B]

[cyalexa]

A tradition I'm breaking - I'm not behind on my prep, in fact, a I'm little ahead. Celebrating with a margarita because while rearranging the fridge I found 3 limes that were taking up valuable space.

 

Another tradition I'm breaking - using the back screened in porch as a auxiliary refrigerator (it won't be cold enough). I need to thaw a couple quartes of stock so will do it overnight in a cooler (with ice packs) on the porch and will put a couple not highly perishable, already cold things in there as well.  

[MetsFan5]

My parents with my husband and I went out to dinner. My father and I enjoyed short ribs. My dad is allergic to all poultry and whitefish. 

  My brother passed away unexpectedly in late September. So baby steps with holidays and food. I loved my short ribs but couldn't finish them. 

Edited November 26, 2016 by MetsFan5 (log)

[kayb]

We had our traditional Thanksgiving. It was good, and I managed to refrain from cooking nine bajillion side dishes no one wants. I have way too many leftovers, regardless, along with possibly the worst head cold known to modern man.Taking to the couch to watch football and otherwise not move all day.

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, kayb said:

Taking to the couch to watch football and otherwise not move all day.

 

Football for me, too...Hotspur at Chelsea.

[BeeZee]

Managed to keep the tradition of roasted chestnuts for appetizer going, Mom and Dad bought them and cooked them most of the way at home, then brought them over so I could just finish them in the oven with the other items. Disposable alum pans are great because they are so light, you can put them on top of another pan without worry. Since I just made a bone-in turkey breast (8.25 lbs for 8 people, one didn't eat any of it) didn't wind up with a ridiculous amt of leftovers. Hubby and I had feast repeat on Friday, have enough in the freezer for another meal.

[quiet1]

On 11/19/2016 at 9:27 PM, kayb said:

 

You can use your favorite white/yellow cake recipe; I have typically used one from Dorie Greenspan, but this year, I think I'm going to use the one my mother always used that I re-discovered when going through her recipe box. See this blog entry for that one. Either bake it in three or four layers, or cut two layers in half crosswise.

 

It's the frosting that makes this cake. Take a 12 oz of sour cream and mix in a cup to a cup and a half, depending on your sweet tooth, of granulated sugar and 1 1/2 packages of fresh-frozen coconut. (Reserve the other half-package; you'll need it.) Take 1/2 the filling and fill liberally between layers of cake. Use it all.. 

 

Take the remaining filling and mix it with a container of Cool Whip. I have tried this with whipped cream, and I can't figure out how to stabilize the whipped cream to make it hold for several days in the refrigerator. If you, or anyone else, knows how, I'd be MOST grateful for a tip. Use this to frost the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the remaining coconut on top and pat onto sides.

 

Finally, the critical step: In an airtight cake container, refrigerate the cake for three days before serving. This allows the moisture from the filling and frosting to soak into the cake.

 

For a proper Southern holiday dessert, serve with a side dish of ambrosia -- mandarin orange segments and pineapple tidbits, drained, mixed with another package of frozen coconut, and topped with a couple of maraschino cherries.

 

This cake freezes quite well, which is what I always wind up doing with half of it.

 

 

 

In The Cake Bible there are a couple different methods - the one I've used has a bit of corn starch involved (if I remember right you cook it a little with a small amount of cream, then cool and add that paste to the rest of the normal ingredients) but there was also one with gelatin primarily for piping decorations that don't wilt quickly. One of those might do the job - I'd start with the corn starch version though.

[David Ross]

I started a new Thanksgiving Tradition, er---post Thanksgiving Tradition this year.  While the bird the family roasted for Thanksgiving dinner was o.k., I always buy a turkey to cook for myself the next day.  But after roast turkey and turkey tettrazini, I wasn't in the mood for turkey soup.  So I decided to smoke the thighs, drumsticks and wings.  4 hours at 275 for four hours, and surprisingly, nice and smoky and chewy but not dry.  Just as I like smoked turkey. 

 

[Katie Meadow]

I adore pot pie, if it's the real thing. In the past I have often found leftover cooked turkey to be less than forgiving when it comes to pot pie or gumbo or even added to soup, but this year we made some changes to the way we cook our turkey and the result was some amazingly moist and tender meat. So, turkey pot pie, which I admit is a lot of work, was in order, especially as my favorite nephew was coming over and he is a definitely a pie fanatic, sweet or savory. (Only pies at his wedding!) 

 

I used a mix of breast and dark meat, potatoes, carrots, parsnip, turnip, a few grilled baby onions, chard and peas and a binder of sautéed leeks and shallots, turkey stock,  a little cream plus a bit of the rich gravy left over from Thanksgiving dinner. I had enough filling for two pies. My husband made the pie dough. We cooked the first one and my nephew and his wife took home what was left of it, which wasn't much. We baked the second one today. The filling doesn't suffer at all from being in the fridge overnight. The only adjustment I made was to add a bit more gravy to kick up the flavor and make up any lost moisture resulting from a night in the fridge. This will be a yearly tradition from now on.

 

David Ross, I love smoked turkey. It's especially useful for making stock for red beans and rice -- always appreciated by guests who don't eat pork. Truthfully my motivation for cooking turkey is mainly the uses I can put it to afterwards.

[MetsFan5]

My inlaws do turkey for thanksgiving and Xmas. It's their tradition. 

  Obviously with my father's poultry allergy it isn't my family's tradition. For thanksgiving when I was a kid he would eat lobster so I used to climb on his lap and make him share it with me. When I was 7 and a VERY picky eater, my mom asked for a list of what I wanted for dinner. The list was short. 1- lobster tails 2- mashed potatoes and 3- rice with soy sauce.  My mom was NOT amused. Nor was she when she would change the floral center piece on our kitchen table and my vitamins would stream out- didn't want those either.  

 

   As an adult with restaurant experience I think of things my father normally wouldn't. As in no beef Wellington if it has foie gras. That au jus likely has chicken stock. I feel like most waiters think I'm insane because he can eat eggs but he legitimately has had a poultry and whitefish allergy his entire life.  I remember going to my parents home instead of my apartment on my mom's birthday. The got take out-- veal saltimbucco for him and chicken saltimbucco for her. My dad being my dad, aye what he THOUGHT was his veal from the take out container with a glass of scotch. By the time I arrived at my parents my father had taken 4 benedryl and was attempting to tell me how he had "a case of the the chicken disease". My poor mother was livid and didn't feel she could not not watch him. 

 

That at said I think we will do a turkey and steak for Xmas. My dad doesn't eat a lot of steak as he had a quadruple bypass but my inlaws love turkey as does my mom. Me? I just want the sides. And the wine.