Thanksgiving 2015

[Celeste Chalfonte]

What are you making?

I will be making, much to the chagrin of my sister, roasted vegetables. I am currently in love with them. I will bring sufficient plastic storage ware with me to bring the leftovers home and make soup with them. She can be ticked off as much as she wants...I want vegetables on my plate for Turkey day!

I will also make the sweet potato casserole (no marshmallows...a pecan crust on top instead).

I always do the cheese and pepperoni board and will again make the spinach dip at my nephew's request.

Finally...pumpkin pie. I lived through (barely) that one Thanksgiving dinner with no pumpkin pie in sight. As God as my witness, I'll never have a pumpkin pie-less Thanksgiving again!

You tell'em, Scarlet!

WTF have you got against marshmallow? It's not sweet potato fluff (casserole? damn Yankee!) without marshmallows.

I'm going to try my hand at corn pudding this year.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

With the daughter, son, d-i-l, and teenagers, we make:

Roasted turkey, smoked turkey breast and smoked ham...I do the roasted one and the son does the rest. Stuffing, cornbread dressing and potatoes and gravy.
Sweet potato casserole with amaretto and pecans.
Green bean casserole and corn casserole recipe from Cook's Illustrated.
Cranberry salad.
Fresh vegetables w/blue cheese dressing.
Rolls and butter.
Pecan, pumpkin, apple and banana creme pies.
Individual clementine and fig spice cakes.
Beaujolais Nouveau wine and family punch.

I. Can't. Wait.

Can't find that online. Can you share the recipe or a link?

[Celeste Chalfonte]

I really miss cocktails at these things. There will be wine, and I suppose my oldest nephew will have some beer, but that's it. Half the adults don't drink, so the adult beverages are pretty limited.

Really? I've never thought of Thanksgiving as a cocktail occasion. I once went to Thansgiving dinner with a former girlfriend and her family pretty much got schnockered collectively, but they were a bunch of alcoholics, so I figured it was just them being them.

[Frostbit]

Really? I've never thought of Thanksgiving as a cocktail occasion. I once went to Thansgiving dinner with a former girlfriend and her family pretty much got schnockered collectively, but they were a bunch of alcoholics, so I figured it was just them being them.

Alcohol was always a part of every holiday and IGGLES game in my family. Probably cultural.

[phillygirl]

Really? I've never thought of Thanksgiving as a cocktail occasion. I once went to Thansgiving dinner with a former girlfriend and her family pretty much got schnockered collectively, but they were a bunch of alcoholics, so I figured it was just them being them.

We were never a huge drinking family, but it became tradition that around 12:00 (or maybe slightly earlier if we were being "crazy") my mom and sister and I would make some kaluha and creams. Since we didn't really drink that much, it was just kind of fun. Generally, nobody got drunk, but my grandmother would also enjoy some kind of sweet drink, like a Brandy Alexander or something and the guys, when we were young, would drink some beer. We might have some wine with dinner (my uncle would bring Gallo wine, affectionately known as "dago red"). I think because we aren't big drinkers it was just something that was fun for us.

Then my bil went to rehab and my mother initially insisted that there be no alcohol. Then he went to rehab again, I got pissed that apparently all of us were going dry, but the person that was the reason for it wasn't. His family, btw, never stopped drinking and in fact would bring the wine and have him serve it to them, fresh out of rehab. Now those that haven't been to rehab, but should, drink too much and it's sucked the fun out of it for me. So I'll have a glass of wine, but that's about it, so that I can make sure any kids that need to be driven home whose parents are too stupid to stay sober enough to do so have a safe ride.

[gary m]

Alcohol was always a part of every holiday and IGGLES game in my family. Probably cultural.

And this year you have Thanksgiving and the IGGLES on the same day playing the Lions (another perennial reason to drink).

[scott]

Really? I've never thought of Thanksgiving as a cocktail occasion. I once went to Thansgiving dinner with a former girlfriend and her family pretty much got schnockered collectively, but they were a bunch of alcoholics, so I figured it was just them being them.

It's the only occasion in our family where everyone has a few drinks and we always go all out with stuff we never usually have on our own. What I didn't know before was that Mom and her brothers put rum or whisky in everything that day.

[Frostbit]

And this year you have Thanksgiving and the IGGLES on the same day playing the Lions (another perennial reason to drink).

The game is 0830 here. I am without TV till March (canceled cable until our next return to AK after the whale trip in January). So I will listen to Merril Reese call the game on WIP radio via web stream. If it's anything like the Bucs game I will likely start the traditional drinking at 0900.

We will go to friends for dinner at 1500.

[phillygirl]

The game is 0830 here. I am without TV till March (canceled cable until our next return to AK after the whale trip in January). So I will listen to Merril Reese call the game on WIP radio via web stream. If it's anything like the Bucs game I will likely start the traditional drinking at 0900.

We will go to friends for dinner at 1500.

You really are cheap.

[Frostbit]

You really are cheap.

I bought you lunch. Just cause I refused to pay you when you tried to bill me by the hour.....

[phillygirl]

I bought you lunch. Just cause I refused to pay you when you tried to bill me by the hour.....

Hey...I didn't ask for a retainer!

[Michele]

Can't find that online. Can you share the recipe or a link?

The link doesn't work unless you subscribe online so here's the cut & paste. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Celeste. Will Nova join you and HRH this year?

Savory Corn Pudding


SERVES 8 TO 10

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, for greasing casserole dish
Table salt
6 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2-quart casserole dish with butter. Bring large kettle of water to boil for water bath. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large saucepan for corn.

2. Add 1 tablespoon salt and corn to boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Drain in colander and dry with paper towels. Pulse 4 cups corn in food processor until rough puree forms, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer to large bowl and stir in remaining whole corn, 1 teaspoon salt, cream, eggs, cheese, sugar, cayenne, and basil until combined.

3. Pour corn mixture into casserole and transfer dish to roasting pan. Pour boiling water from kettle into roasting pan until it comes halfway up sides of casserole dish. Place roasting pan in oven and bake until pudding is set and a few brown spots appear around edges, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove casserole from water bath, transfer to wire rack, and let set for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Make Ahead:

The corn can be cooked, processed, and mixed with the whole corn, salt, cream, cheese, sugar, and cayenne up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate until ready to use, then stir in the eggs and basil when ready to cook.

*********************************************

Classic Green Bean Casserole


SERVINGS 10-12

INGREDIENTS:

For the Topping:
4 slices white bread, each slices torn into quarters
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups canned fried onions (about 6 ounces)

For the Beans and Sauce:
2 tablespoons salt
2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed, and halved
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound white button mushrooms, stems removed, wiped clean and broken into ½-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken broth
1½ cups heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. For the Topping: Pulse bread, butter, salt and pepper in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with onions; set aside.

2. For the Beans and Sauce: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees F. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add 2 tablespoons salt and beans. Cook beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain beans in colander and plunge immediately into ice water to stop cooking. Spread beans on paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.

3. Add butter to now-empty pot and melt over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add mushrooms, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook until mushrooms release moisture and liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Add cream, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced to 3½ cups, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add green beans to sauce and stir until evenly coated. Arrange in an even layer in 3-quart (or 9x13-inch) baking dish. Sprinkle with topping and bake until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

*Note 1: You can prep this ahead of time. Store the bread-crumb topping in an airtight container in the refrigerator and combine with the onions just before cooking. Combine the beans and cooled sauce in a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. To serve, remove the plastic wrap and heat the casserole in a 425-degree oven for 10 minutes, then add the topping and bake as directed.

*Note 2: This recipe can be halved and baked in a 2-quart (or 8-inch square) baking dish. If making a half batch, reduce the cooking time of the sauce in Step 3 to about 6 minutes (1¾ cups) and the baking time in Step 4 to 10 minutes.

*Note 3: If you want to go 100% homemade and eliminate the canned fried onions, you can make your own caramelized onions. Thinly slice 2 sweet onions and saute in 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the onions are golden, caramelized and soft. Set aside to cool before combining with remainder of crumb topping. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

[Michele]

Dang. That's got to be one ginormous refrigerator you have there.

Besides the one in the kitchen, we have one in the guest house and one in the metal building. But when you live in Colorado at this time of year, the whole outdoors is your refrigerator. I actually use the little garage which is right next to the house for storing vegetables, fruits and cooked pies and desserts.

[Michele]

I really miss cocktails at these things. There will be wine, and I suppose my oldest nephew will have some beer, but that's it. Half the adults don't drink, so the adult beverages are pretty limited.

My parents didn't drink except to share some kind of hot drink on New Year's Eve. I didn't really start drinking until I married my husband as it was always a negative thing in my previous married life. I still don't drink that much but when we all get together or I'm in WA with my crazy clan, it's fun to make cocktails and just talk or play games...if my daughter's there, we're playing games. Our Thanksgiving started yesterday with the kids and out of state guests arriving. We made a pitcher of cosmos...they were delicious. Are you going to your sister's, Philly?

[phillygirl]

The link doesn't work unless you subscribe online so here's the cut & paste. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Celeste. Will Nova join you and HRH this year?

These both sound delicious. I've only had corn pudding once and I loved it!