I have kind of a zeal-of-the-convert deal going on with Thanksgiving. I actually like to cook, but to get to that point I had to overcome a mom who hated to cook (it just means more to clean) and a dad who never bothered to learn how, so I pretty much had to teach myself. Now that I've gained the basic kitchen competence, I feel like it's on me to make up for years of slacked-off Thanksgivings and do things authentically. I'm sure some of you guys can relate to being at that point where you may not even need one hand to count how many of these holidays are left before one/both of your parents are gone, so I have that cheery little obligation looming over me.



Mashed potatoes: I don't have a recipe, per se, I just kinda do it, but I like red and new potatoes instead of big russets, and then add chive and onion cream cheese, some herbs, and a little vegetable stock. And skin on, always skin on, I don't know why anyone would bother skinning them. The skin tastes good and it's extra work.

Stuffing: I'm doing this from scratch (speaking of extra work) but again just kinda freestyling it. Gonna go heavy on sage and Italian sausage, though.

Cornbread casserole: https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/5-ingred ... casserole/
Have not made this before, but I'm adding the eggs and cheese as suggested so that it's spongier and gooier.

Roasted Brussels sprouts: https://steamykitchen.com/27757-roasted ... video.html
Incorporating Thai chili sauce into Thanksgiving is probably a little dodgy, but whatever, this'll be for me, everyone whines about Brussels sprouts anyway.

Sweet potato/onion/apple casserole: https://www.budgetbytes.com/oven-roasted-autumn-medley/
- I made this last year as well and everyone loved it. Highest recommendation, but add a butternut squash to the mix and use bulk breakfast sausage instead of encased, because that way the crumbs sort of settle in and fill up the space between the chunks of the other stuff. I might throw some walnuts in there this year, too. But it's really, really good.

The NPR cranberry relish: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/20 ... ing-tables
I wonder about the origins/antecedents of this recipe, because the cranberries are New World, but sour cream, onion, and horseradish sounds very Central European/Slavic. As such, I can't help but love it. Maybe the cranberry replaced a European berry? But it really does add a lot to turkey and stuffing and anything else that might get a little rich.

_________________

That sounds like a really nice dinner, kudos.

_________________
There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Curious Hair is going to make the NPR Cranberry Relish.

I got nothing...

_________________
I once got busy in a Sur la Table bathroom

I made it last year, too. Sure, the NPR cranberry relish makes you unwaveringly support Hillary Clinton and Northrop Grumman, but you sleep it off and you're fine again by morning.

_________________

You know what makes a great stuffing? White Castle sliders -- there are recipes out there. My wife has a recipe for gluten-free stuffing that she makes with riced cauliflower which was surprisingly good.

Your dinner sounds pretty, pretty good.

_________________
"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

I can actually picture that. Figure that it's meat, bread, and a shit ton of onions, it probably makes a better stuffing than it does a burger.

I like riced cauliflower a lot. I've substituted cauliflower for potatoes before, but I learned that spices carry a lot farther in cauliflower: I added my usual allocation of black pepper and blew my nostrils out.

_________________

Steamed hams.

_________________
Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

Wait a minute... I thought you said you were making steamed clams?

_________________
"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

It's an Albany expression.

_________________
Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

You are an odd fellow, but you steam a good ham.

_________________
"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

I go to one of my cousin's house. There will be about 20-25 of us depending on which of the younger generation is obliged to go to their in-laws. My contribution for me and my dad this year is a 2 pound box of chocolates from See's.

_________________
"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Not for Thanksgiving, but one Sunday I deboned a chicken (Jacques Pepin has a great video on Youtube on how to do it -- give it a try, it feels pretty good to be able to do it!) and I made a filling out of sliders and some golden raisins and then rolled it up... it was pretty tasty.

_________________
"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

I make nothing. My wife is an amazing cook, and my mom and mother in law are both 100% Italian, which means they are great cooks. We go to both of their houses on Thanksgiving.

CH kudos on your cooking.

_________________
Hawaii (fuck) You

Was watching Iron Chef America last night. We're going to try this as one of the sides http://bobbyflay.com/recipes/recipes/9/ ... ato-gratin

_________________

That looks really good, and I'm usually pretty apprehensive about sweet potato dishes. I love clove and nutmeg, I think that's what wins me over here.

_________________

"Thanksgiving, Italian-style: major antipasto first, then meatball and escarole soup, followed by baked manicotti, then, finally, the bird — from out the back of a truck, of course."

_________________
"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

We have pasta at every holiday. Ham and lasagna, turkey and tortellini, lamb and rigatoni, and so on. I am so sick of pasta. I am surrounded by too many Italians. And then they break out the Sambuca.

_________________
Hawaii (fuck) You

I always make the big six; turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and the pumpkin and apple pies.
I leave the side dishes to the guests. I make mason jar turkey. I can cook a 22lb bird in just over three hours. Best turkey you’ll ever eat. There are a few steps you must do but it’s worth it. You get 360’ of wonderful crispy skin. I’ve been cookjng it like this for almost twenty years.

_________________
We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

Now I am really hungry. That sounds awesome.

_________________
Hawaii (fuck) You

The insider secret is the precooked turkey. They sell them at Jewel. Precooked means the turkey is done in about an hour in the oven after it's defrosted. Of course what people learn with the precooked is that it turns out much better than when they cooked a frozen or fresh turkey for four hours or however long it takes. The precooked turkey is the best thing next to a takeout turkey from a restaurant.

Usually if you put cream cheese in mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes the recipe turns out well.

_________________
God is the uncaused cause of the universe. He had no beginning and has no end. He is not bound by the laws of the universe he created.

Yeah, I always use cream cheese in my mashed potatoes. I have not yet tried adding a little vegetable stock to the boiling water, but I suppose it can't hurt.

Should I add any vegetables to my stuffing besides celery and onion (white and green)? I feel like something's missing.

_________________

Unlike many here, I love the Sambuca

_________________
There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

I’ve had enough anise cookies to last a lifetime. Glad I am American and not Italian. The degos each the same shit all the time. Zero creativity.

_________________
Hawaii (fuck) You

It’s a foolproof method. You can’t screw it up unless you forget it’s in the oven. Best turkey ever. Puts deep frying to shame.

_________________
We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

Anise cookies are the best. There is no Christmasier cookie flavor than that.

I heard Italians rely on seafood a lot more than Italian-Americans do. Some Italian families eat whelk at Christmas, I learned! My friend was dating a Lawn Guyland Italian and had what she relayed to me as "squinjeel." Adjusting for the Sopranos-ese that turns "capicola" into "gabagool," what she meant was "scungilli," which is whelk, which is a snail that lives in the water. Ew! I have a longstanding aversion to non-fish sea creatures that I've only broken once or twice, and won't for sea snail.

_________________

Grilling a 21lb turkey. The usual fixings.

_________________

*googles Mason jar turkey

_________________

Indeed they do. I hate seafood. They made their own wine, which I started drinking at a very early age. They always had octopus. My NY relatives would made crab red sauce.

Yeah I like anise slices, as we called them, but enough is enough. I used to love lasagna. I don’t care to ever eat it again.

But my wife makes her own pasta and sauce. I’d rather be of Italian descent than most other ethnicities. Italian moms are the best, and I basically have two plus my wife.

_________________
Hawaii (fuck) You

_________________

I really got sick of yearly turkey. So I have created a rotation that has worked for me pretty well.

Year 1 : Turkey (2015 , 2018 , 2021)
Year 2 : Crab/Lobster (2016, 2019, 2022)
Year 3 : Cornish Hen (2017, 2020, 2023)

So this year is a Turkey year.