Thanksgiving Ideas!

[random3434]

I just know you all will love THIS site!



Vegetarian Recipes for the Holidays - Thanksgiving - delish.com

 

[PoliticalChic]

I just know you all will love THIS site!



Vegetarian Recipes for the Holidays - Thanksgiving - delish.com

I love this thread.

I must say holidays were stressful to me, but I'm learning to scale things down so I can have some fun too.

My favorite turkey is an unstuffed brined turkey. I like my stuffing to be not so savory with chestnuts in them.

I've gotten wows from my pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin bread.

This year, one of my relatives will be bringing up a smoked turkey. He will also be making his heart attack crab bisque, but what the heck, once a year.

This is my second favorite holiday next to Christmas.

 

[Annie]

I just know you all will love THIS site!



Vegetarian Recipes for the Holidays - Thanksgiving - delish.com

Actually the Pumpkin Soup and Rosemary Roasted Vegetables sound good. Nice side dishes for Turducken.

 

[random3434]

Actually the Pumpkin Soup and Rosemary Roasted Vegetables sound good. Nice side dishes for Turducken.

My daughter wants to try a "Tofurkey" this Thanksgiving. We are both vegetarians, but even THAT sounds gross to me!

My brother (who has about 40-50 at his house for Thanksgiving) said he would wrap up some wet newspapers and cook them for her, it would taste the same.

There are a lot of good non-meat options at Thanksgiving for us, we pig out on all the munchies, the side dishes, and of course, the DESERTS!

 

[editec]

Turkey I could probably veg out on, but no turkey gravy on my mashed potatos?

That's just cruel.

 

[roomy]

I am wondering, do you American types not think that the holiday season in America goes on a bit to long, with thanksgiving and then Christmas so soon after.I would be sick of the sight of Turkey.We only have one per year.

 

[Annie]

My daughter wants to try a "Tofurkey" this Thanksgiving. We are both vegetarians, but even THAT sounds gross to me!

My brother (who has about 40-50 at his house for Thanksgiving) said he would wrap up some wet newspapers and cook them for her, it would taste the same.

There are a lot of good non-meat options at Thanksgiving for us, we pig out on all the munchies, the side dishes, and of course, the DESERTS!

I don't eat much meat anymore, but not giving up Turkey for Thanksgiving. Actually would probably eat turkey often, if not such a hassle to cook. Those little turkey breast, are shot full of sodium solution, which is a no-no with high blood pressure. I have to have fresh, no fillers.

 

[Dis]

I am wondering, do you American types not think that the holiday season in America goes on a bit to long, with thanksgiving and then Christmas so soon after.I would be sick of the sight of Turkey.We only have one per year.

I do turkey for Thankgiving because I "have" to. I don't even care for it much. I'd prefer ham for Thanksgiving, and a roast for Christmas.

New Years is filet and lobster, tho.

 

[PoliticalChic]

I do turkey for Thankgiving because I "have" to. I don't even care for it much. I'd prefer ham for Thanksgiving, and a roast for Christmas.

New Years is filet and lobster, tho.

I'm hosting two dinners at my house. One right after the other. The kids like turkey because they expect it. One night we'll have the turkey, the other night I'll be making Emeril Lagassi's Passover Brisket.

One man told he that he's had dreams about the brisket after having it once at my house!

Sadly, my husband is not into food. I could make the same thing every day and he wouldn't care.

 

[Grismonda]

I do turkey for Thankgiving because I "have" to. I don't even care for it much. I'd prefer ham for Thanksgiving, and a roast for Christmas.

New Years is filet and lobster, tho.

I lived in Berlin for a short time...and during the Christmas, New Year season. We were invited to Christmas dinner. The host prepared lobster. It was interesting and invitingly different from the usual turkey affair.

I say, just cook what you want. If you want to bake a ham...go for it!

Turkey is rather easy to prepare, but what I hate is the disposing of that disgusting carcass. All the meat has to be sliced off, and stored, quickly after preparation. Sometimes, that is a pain in the arse....

 

[PoliticalChic]

I lived in Berlin for a short time...and during the Christmas, New Year season. We were invited to Christmas dinner. The host prepared lobster. It was interesting and invitingly different from the usual turkey affair.

I say, just cook what you want. If you want to bake a ham...go for it!

Turkey is rather easy to prepare, but what I hate is the disposing of that disgusting carcass. All the meat has to be sliced off, and stored, quickly after preparation. Sometimes, that is a pain in the arse....

I could go for the lobster myself. Maybe I'll do that one for Christmas.

 

[B L Zeebub]

I lived in Berlin for a short time...and during the Christmas, New Year season. We were invited to Christmas dinner. The host prepared lobster. It was interesting and invitingly different from the usual turkey affair.

I say, just cook what you want. If you want to bake a ham...go for it!

Turkey is rather easy to prepare, but what I hate is the disposing of that disgusting carcass. All the meat has to be sliced off, and stored, quickly after preparation. Sometimes, that is a pain in the arse....

Turkey is very hard to get right.

I buy an organic bronze feather (a cross between a white and black feather turkey) then bone, stuff and roll, that gives everyone a cross section of the bird, and if there is any left it very easy to store for sandwiches.

The stuffing should impart both moisture and flavor so I mince belly pork as my base, add fresh breadcrumbs, then herbs ect.

When the bird is cooked I cover with foil and let it rest for about 30 mins in a warm place.

I then use the bones to make an intense stock for the gravy.

I then par boil Maris piper pots then roast in goose fat for a really crisp roast pots.

I do the same with parsnips.

I shred the Sprouts fry some pancetta then stir fry the shredded sprouts.

All the prep can be done the day before.

 

[Grismonda]

Turkey is very hard to get right.

I buy an organic bronze feather (a cross between a white and black feather turkey) then bone, stuff and roll, that gives everyone a cross section of the bird, and if there is any left it very easy to store for sandwiches.

The stuffing should impart both moisture and flavor so I mince belly pork as my base, add fresh breadcrumbs, then herbs ect.

When the bird is cooked I cover with foil and let it rest for about 30 mins in a warm place.

I then use the bones to make an intense stock for the gravy.

I then par boil Maris piper pots then roast in goose fat for a really crisp roast pots.

I do the same with parsnips.

I shred the Sprouts fry some pancetta then stir fry the shredded sprouts.

All the prep can be done the day before.

A little tip I learned from an award winning chef from Arizona....

Bake the bird with the breasts down...opposite of how it is usually cooked. The last hour or so (depending on how large it is) ....turn the bird over so the breasts are facing up...bake for another hour or so until brown...

Most of the juices will now be in the breast and meat. Also, during this last hour, throw in some cut up veggies, ones that will be great pureed in a gravy.. potatoes, carrots, onions, etc.... When it is time to make the gravy, the softened veggies will puree quickly and add flavor, nutrition and texture to the gravy...

 

[strollingbones]

yea the breast down thing works...i cook my turkey in a clay cooker...nice and moist....we used to do the lobster for the holidays and lobster prices are dropping

 

[Grismonda]

yea the breast down thing works...i cook my turkey in a clay cooker...nice and moist....we used to do the lobster for the holidays and lobster prices are dropping

The trick of course is turning a "hot" and "heavy" bird over. It usually takes a few people, or some device we forget to buy every year to turn it... We have mastered this by putting on pot holder gloves (clean) and just digging right in...lifting it up and flipping it!

 

[GigiBowman]

No Italians here? Christmas Eve is Pasta & Seafood (fried Calamari, Shrimp, Scungili) and at midnight you open all the presents (except for those that Santa brings for the kids which are opened in the morning) and then have big desserts and stay up till about 2 or 3am and just keep on eating. . Christmas day you lay around in your pajamas all day and eat leftovers from the night before.

When I married my Irishman it worked out because apparently they didn't really do anything on Christmas eve and Christmas day was the big holiday

so Christmas Eve is my family and Christmas Day is his.

 

[Annie]

No Italians here? Christmas Eve is Pasta & Seafood (fried Calamari, Shrimp, Scungili) and at midnight you open all the presents (except for those that Santa brings for the kids which are opened in the morning) and then have big desserts and stay up till about 2 or 3am and just keep on eating. . Christmas day you lay around in your pajamas all day and eat leftovers from the night before.

When I married my Irishman it worked out because apparently they didn't really do anything on Christmas eve and Christmas day was the big holiday

so Christmas Eve is my family and Christmas Day is his.

One Irish woman. Neither side of my parents made much out of Christmas, though it seems my mom's side tried to celebrate, they had little. My father's side was more prosperous, but my grandmother loathed US Christmas, so would have little of. Their tree was bought around 8pm Christmas Eve. The gifts were more meager. All of my grandparents died before I was born.

My parents, well they were overkill on wheels. Couldn't walk in our living room or dining room Christmas morning. Seriously. My brother and I had to start opening presents coming out of our bedrooms. Flip side, we had Christmas dinner at our house, upwards of 35 for sit down dinner. My mom was nuts, everything had to be 'just so.' Meaning where to you put 3 rooms of stuff into 2 and make it neat? Not to mention those 2 already had stuff in them? Stress? You don't know stress.

I digressed. Christmas at our house, growing up. 8-12 hor's Doerves. Beef tenderloin roast, turkey, 4 vegetables, 3 potatoes, 3 salads, 5 desserts. Not too mention coffee and assorted wines and hard liquor.

 

[PoliticalChic]

No Italians here? Christmas Eve is Pasta & Seafood (fried Calamari, Shrimp, Scungili) and at midnight you open all the presents (except for those that Santa brings for the kids which are opened in the morning) and then have big desserts and stay up till about 2 or 3am and just keep on eating. . Christmas day you lay around in your pajamas all day and eat leftovers from the night before.

When I married my Irishman it worked out because apparently they didn't really do anything on Christmas eve and Christmas day was the big holiday

so Christmas Eve is my family and Christmas Day is his.

My neighbor is Italian and she calls it her fish dinner. I envy her. My husband can't stand the smell of fish/seafood so that's probably not happening at my house.

Does this tradition just stem from Italy's geographic location? Do you leave out a bowl of seafood and pasta for St. Nicholas?

 

[GigiBowman]

Does this tradition just stem from Italy's geographic location? Do you leave out a bowl of seafood and pasta for St. Nicholas?

lol no, I have no idea, I just know that there is still, to this day, no better meal all year than Christmas Eve dinner.

Originally Posted by Kathianne; I digressed. Christmas at our house, growing up. 8-12 hor's Doerves. Beef tenderloin roast, turkey, 4 vegetables, 3 potatoes, 3 salads, 5 desserts. Not too mention coffee and assorted wines and hard liquor.

I'm starving Kathianne. I'm PM my personal address so you can invite me over on Christmas lol

 

[Annie]

lol no, I have no idea, I just know that there is still, to this day, no better meal all year than Christmas Eve dinner.




I'm starving Kathianne. I'm PM my personal address so you can invite me over on Christmas lol

I'm seriously wondering if I can afford this year. Unlike the past, it's like 15, nevertheless...