What are your plans for Thanksgiving this year (if you celebrate it)?
So and I plan to have our own TG. Certain family members told me that we should visit them because "we won't catch coronavirus there."
Hmm... I have some health issues and I really don't want to chance it especially considering the volume of people who enter their home (think revolving door).
We decided to decline. They also said they could stop by for an hour. If that happens, I don't plan on answering the door.
So, what do you plan to do and do you have family/other people you know who think that this virus is not a big deal? How do you deal with them?
Everyone's plan should be to stay home and do virtual interactions. Period.
People should be making those virtual plans for Christmas as well...if people actually believe germ theory and want to keep some hospital capacity available for medical emergencies.
At the moment, we're dealing with people who refuse to believe basic germ theory by sighing big sighs of relief that we're far enough away that no one will just drop in. People who have made noises about coming here have been told firmly that we will not answer the door. Since even before Covid we have enforced boundaries by walking out of public places and breaking off contact for months, that's a credible threat.
My family discussed Thanksgiving and Christmas recently. Partner and I will stay home for Thanksgiving, while Nephew and friends stay in their apartment until after exams. Then Nephew will come home for a quiet Christmas here, instead of our usual trip to SC to spend holiday with my brother's family.
Brother's family will have maternal family visiting during Christmas. Everyone agreed to self-quarantine two weeks before Christmas to minimize risk to elderly grandparents. Brother is concerned about one of in-laws following through, but says others are sensible.
We plan to visit brother's family for Spring Break, when we'll be only visitors. We've booked a cabin near them. Plan is to enjoy outdoor activities together mid-day, grill and dine outside, and avoid indoor time when we're together.
Isolating at home as much as possible so that I don't pass on an infection to my wife before her planned international flight.
Everything's cancelled here. The best we'll be able to do is get ingredients for a nice meal from the grocery store and cook it at home. Might as well do that since that's what's possible. Hard to call it a celebration.
I have been guilted to visit inlaws. We married only weeks ago, and the current honeymoon/Christmas plans were to drive the scenic way to my parents' house in Florida for Christmas (COVID permitting). Given that I will take this woman away from her family for Christmas for the first time ever, I was hit with a guilt issue/ demand that As we will not be here for Christmas, that we WILL be here for Thanksgiving.
Her parents live less than 3 miles away. I have already (been) committed to cook stuffing (and now one other item) to bring. Her sister with "The Baby" is trying to back out, and they (wife and MIL) are already making plans that sisters family can still come, but eat in another room.
My inlaws are not US born (though now citizens). They did not experience the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving as children, thus did not exactly pass that along. I have had probably 4 turkey dinners there. Not one bird was cooked correctly! (The first thanksgiving I spent with them had turkey, but nothing that would normally be associated with a 'turkey dinner'... that is why I am tasked with bringing my own stuffing/dressing!)
Last year, I got a call with a question, and I told them to take the bird out and check the temperature as they thought it needed more time. I was informed that there was no meat thermometer in the house! I jumped in the car and delivered one! Even THEN the bird had reached 200 degrees!!!
(So the solution was suggested that," Well, we will turn the oven OFF, but leave the turkey in the oven until we are ready to eat"... that poor bird!!!)
3 years ago I offered to carve the bird (as I have some experience as in grad school I cooked a turkey every semester). I cut the bird in half and while I dealt with one half, the 'helpers' deboned the other half with a pair of forks!). After I removed the breast on my half and prepared to slice it, her brother, using the forks, chopped and shredded the breast in seconds. I just said, "Oh, OK" and walked away (Shocked and surprised, but not upset!!)
(I subsequently learned that the reason that they used forks and not a sharp knife was that long ago the brother had some issues and that there are no sharp knives in the house).
Anyway, I dont think that I want to be over there long enough to take responsibility for cooking a turkey, and I m not going to be allowed to bring the turkey anyway. So another poor factory farmed critter is doomed to have lived a pointless existence... (well at least they SHOULD have a meat thermometer NOW!, so I suppose that I should be optimistic!!)
Hopefully the sister & THE BABY (and hubby too) will be able to stand the pressure and opt out. It wont be too bad if there are but 5 of us. They dont get out too much, so likely low risk, and we wont stay too long (maybe we will take separate cars so I can leave and she can spend more quality time with them, though she talks to them multiple times a day and sees them almost daily. )
Well THIS went on too long!!
Resume normal responses!
We always do a hike, so barring terrible weather we will do the same. Two close family members work retail, so thinking picnic if at all possible. We are in a hotspot.
I've visited Mom and Dad several times since the pandemic began, and don't plan on letting this be the first year in my life not to see them on Thanksgiving. There'll be no big family get-together of the sort we had when my grandmother was still alive. My brother and his wife will be coming in from out-of-state. This will be the first chance to see them all year. They have both been working from home, and have been practicing responsible virus avoidance, as have Mom and Dad and myself. I live alone and work in a relatively low-risk environment, where we practice masking and social distancing, among ourselves as well as with patrons.
I know that the only certain way to avoid passing the virus on is to go virtual-only. I also know that neither I nor the rest of our family can live in a virtual-only world for months on end. Life has to go on, and that means running some carefully assessed risks. To me, it's like riding a motorcycle. Yes, there are some real inherent dangers. Be aware of them, and follow best practices to minimize them, and you can reduce them to a level that allows you to get on with things.
I live at a distance from all my family members, so I've been doing a solo Thanksgiving for years. I'm usually so fried from work by that point, a day of leisure is welcome: I buy some gourmet food and wine, and treat myself to some binge watching. With the virus surging, the Hanukkah/Christmas I usually celebrate at my sister's is not going to happen, but we may FaceTime for some of the gift unwrapping.
We'll cook up the garden squashes and watch a movie, or go for a hike, or go watch the seals, or something.
My partner's American, and she cares a fair bit about it. I'm French Canadian, and my parents are European, so I can't even be bothered to know what month our Thanksgiving is in, let alone yours.
My husband and I are cooking Thanksgiving dinner and delivering it to our three grown children that live in town. Meals for Freeloaders. We will also deliver Chanukah gifts at the same time, since it begins two weeks from Thanksgiving. We miss our out of town kids and grands tremendously. We all maintain a social distance and have been doing so since March. We will also be online together for show and tell and expressions of gratitude.
We will definitely be having a dinner for just the two of us, so we can make whatever we want to. There is still a turkey in the freezer, but we have hesitated to cook it and have to deal with all the leftovers. Still, it is taking up a lot of room, so we might just do it and get it over with. There are a couple side dishes that sound good that we might try to make, but it will probably be a pretty normal day here. We may have to get creative on ingredients with the new restrictions in place, but that could be fun. I am too far away (in miles) from the Thanksgiving traditions I grew up with, but it's not a huge deal to me. Unfortunately, eldest daughter (RN) has had to start treating COVID patients because her floor got turned into a COVID floor, so I doubt she will be able to go with her original plans to travel out to see my mom and her (my daughter's) dad and his family. But, she's got a good guy who's basically living with her and a lovely new kitty to spend time with, and we all have a lot to be thankful for!
By the way...
Quote from: clean on November 14, 2020, 07:16:06 AM
I have been guilted to visit inlaws. We married only weeks ago, and the current honeymoon/Christmas plans were to drive the scenic way to my parents' house in Florida for Christmas (COVID permitting). Given that I will take this woman away from her family for Christmas for the first time ever, I was hit with a guilt issue/ demand that As we will not be here for Christmas, that we WILL be here for Thanksgiving.
Congratulations, Clean! I think I missed the news that you got married! (I knew you were engaged) I remember your previous Thanksgiving tales with the (now) in-laws. Good luck!
Quote
Congratulations, Clean! I think I missed the news that you got married! (I knew you were engaged) I remember your previous Thanksgiving tales with the (now) in-laws. Good luck!
Thank you all!
Don't know yet.
Our big day is the Friday after called "Leftover Surprise." Everybody brings leftovers and wine - it's a blast! Not happening this year.
For the two of us, I was going to roast up a turkey breast or thigh, but DH just confessed he doesn't like turkey. At all. WHAAAAAA?
We are staying in and cooking a feast for two. I am very glad that we live far enough from family that they are not tempted to surprise us by driving to visit.
I grew up having a small Thanksgiving so I'm actually looking forward to it. Plus, I am an excellent cook and I can enjoy making everything from scratch. No canned gravy or boxed mashed potatoes in this household!
A friend and I have been each other's "default Thanksgiving dinner partner" for decades. Sometimes it was at her apartment. Once it was in NYC at the Youth Hostel with a glorious raft of folks making food from all over the world. Lately, it's been at one of the local restaurant venues that do an historic meal.
This year, it will be by Zoom.
No issues, we've done one shared Zoom meal already, and it was fine. I've already got all my stuff together, and she said she's getting hers this week. We'll make food, sit down, eat and talk, be safe and be fine.
I don't want it any other way.
M.
My younger kid (Kid2) attends a university that is shutting campus next weekend, so they'll be home. My older kid (Kid1), though, attends a university that is still in session until mid-December. They are allowed to stay until then, but if they leave campus, they can't return. So they're staying on campus until classes are all done. So our family of four will be three for Thanksgiving, plus one via Zoom.
We normally go to my in-laws for Thanksgiving, but they're not having a get-together this year. Last year was the first time my side of the family didn't have a get-together, due to distance.
No Thanksgiving Day family reunion in southern MA for us this year. :( I'll miss seeing everyone and the delicious buffet lunch in the kitchen. And desserts in the dining room.
I'll watch the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special in the "Peanuts Deluxe Collection" on DVD.
We're planning to host my immediate family for a few days... but given the COVID surge in recent weeks I have a feeling that plug will be pulled between now and Thanksgiving.
We're staying home for the first time in a very long time. We may get fancy and sleep in the guest room.
My SO's parents (MIL and FIL) are planning to come to our place, but we'll see what happens with the spikes.
The large Thanksgiving gathering at BIL's is obviously cancelled. We were able to drive up to meet for a brief gathering last month for BIL's and nephew's birthday in which we all social distanced in their yard around a fire pit. I guess that will be the family gathering on SO's side this year.
We usually see my parents for the Christmas holiday, but it would require us to fly, and my mother has a chronic illness requiring constant oxygen, so who knows when the next time is that we'll be able to be in person with them.
We are staying home for Thanksgiving. Usually go to a nice restaurant in the past, but this year, we are picking up a 'heat up later' turkey dinner from local restaurant and staying home. We haven't decided whether we will visit my in-laws for Christmas but if we do, we'll make a long drive as opposed to flying.
At home with just my son who's local. We might or might not have turkey, but that's not a big deal for us, we've had other things in other years. My brother and SIL and my dad are their own bubble in a nearby city, and daughter and son-in-law are about 6 hours distant, so we'll have 3 "pods" that intend to visit by Zoom at some point. Then son and I will attempt to find out why the shower is leaking.
Thanksgiving was a big priority for us in years past. We used to all assemble at my in-laws on the farm - their family with kids and grandkids, all my close relatives came in as well. It was seriously a Norman Rockwell extravaganza. But for a number of years now, we've improvised in various ways, and we're all okay with that too. The Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special sounds pretty good!
Quote from: lillipat on November 15, 2020, 05:02:53 PM
Thanksgiving was a big priority for us in years past. We used to all assemble at my in-laws on the farm - their family with kids and grandkids, all my close relatives came in as well. It was seriously a Norman Rockwell extravaganza. But for a number of years now, we've improvised in various ways, and we're all okay with that too. The Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special sounds pretty good!
I miss the big Thanksgivings that we had at my grandmother's house years ago, when she was still with us. Maybe that's why I dreamed about her house just last night....
The Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special wasn't their best holiday special, but it's fun. Especially Snoopy and Woodstock's altercation with the folding table with a mind of its own.
Quote from: ohnoes on November 15, 2020, 02:52:58 PM
We're staying home for the first time in a very long time. We may get fancy and sleep in the guest room.
Haha! That is awesome! I feel inspired to put out tiny toiletries in the bathroom and put all the throw pillows on the bed to pretend we're in a hotel.
I'm going to be missing my usual Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities where I spend the holidays with two different families in two different states.
I'm treating myself to a mini holiday/vacation by staying at a B&B for part of this week. Needless to say, I'm grading and teaching asynchronously, so it isn't really a vacation.
If someone had told me a year ago, or even a few months ago that I'd be happy to see a Christmas tree and a Santa statue a week before Thanksgiving, I would have thought they were nuts. Not so now, as I was quite happy to see the tree.
I don't have the energy to cook this year, so will be looking for the "cooked" fixing at Whole Foods.
We're usually with lots of relatives, not at our house anymore, but not this year. Everyone is staying safely at home. Even our son said not to go to them because their kids are in face-to-face/hybrid school and they don't want to expose us to anything. When they were young we always did the full cooking for Thanksgiving, and had family for days. Thanksgiving became nine meals because everyone stayed with us for the entire weekend, including my parents.
Interestingly, only one member of the family even likes turkey. When I was a kid, we always fought over who had to eat the breast of turkey or chicken when the all "good" parts were eaten. Once or twice someone would end up with breast meat on their plate, and just stared sorrowfully down at it. The one year my parents finally made the decision to stop having a turkey, my father won one at work and we had to have one anyway.
Quote from: Sun_Worshiper on November 15, 2020, 09:00:30 AM
We're planning to host my immediate family for a few days... but given the COVID surge in recent weeks I have a feeling that plug will be pulled between now and Thanksgiving.
And the plug has been pulled
Quote from: the_geneticist on November 16, 2020, 08:57:54 AM
Quote from: ohnoes on November 15, 2020, 02:52:58 PM
We're staying home for the first time in a very long time. We may get fancy and sleep in the guest room.
Haha! That is awesome! I feel inspired to put out tiny toiletries in the bathroom and put all the throw pillows on the bed to pretend we're in a hotel.
That's the idea. We did that during the Spring stay-home and got carryout from places we'd meant to try but hadn't.
Don't forget the mint on the pillow.
;--}
M.
I think the guest room idea is great, too. Maybe you can make some of Ina Garten's dishes and pretend you are a guest at her house. Watching her prep her guest room on her show always made me long to be her guest, despite not being enchanted in general with staying at other people's houses (or having them stay at mine).
My parents have recently moved much closer to us, they are now in-state so we will go to them. It will be a pretty small gathering, only some immediate family. We are taking covid seriously so we're trying to mitigate risk.
I enjoy cooking and baking so it's one of the few times a year I get to go all out. I personally don't love turkey but with a buttermilk brine, garlic butter, and some herbs it's certainly palatable. I usually do a small turkey and the a standing rib roast for the main dishes and then a bunch of sides and desserts. I made 20 pies one year for a massive celebration, it'll probably be 2 this year. I think a coconut cream and maybe a pumpkin.
Hmm....what would a pumpkin coconut cream pie be like? Just imagining it...it might work, or it might be awful.
Can one commission a small tartlet and a brief tasting experience with a report back?
Would two slices of Vermont extra-sharp cheddar do for experimental subject payment?
;--}
M.
Quote from: mamselle on November 17, 2020, 11:02:05 AM
Hmm....what would a pumpkin coconut cream pie be like? Just imagining it...it might work, or it might be awful.
Can one commission a small tartlet and a brief tasting experience with a report back?
Would two slices of Vermont extra-sharp cheddar do for experimental subject payment?
;--}
M.
I have made an apple and cheddar pie before, it was pretty good. A pumpkin pie using coconut milk and garnished with toasted coconut for texture would probably work well.
OOOOoooooo, apple and cheddar, yes!!
Fruits and cheeses are so cool together.
Now I'm thinking baked brie and fig preserves...but...
Kitchen.later....
Must.do.more.work.
M.
I made a chocolate pumpkin pie one year as an experiment, and I liked it quite a lot. I think coconut would work well also. Pumpkin is really a very mild flavor and responds well to other flavor suggestions.
AR.
hmmmmmm....
Mmmmmm.....
M.
My grandmother made a cranberry relish (I suppose that would be what it was). I made it last night to see if I could and if I d like it (and to send to the others to see if they want some next week). It has a package of cranberries, cherry jello, celery, nuts, and pineapple (and some sugar to tame the cranberries).
It tastes fine, but made A Lot!
No way that our small group could eat it all! And I would need to make it again in a week! Im not sure what Im going to do with the gallon of it I have now!!
Do you try out recipes first? How soon before the event do you do it?
(Id sort of like to make a Watergate Salad (something my other grandmother would make). However, i think that we will have more than enough sweet things for the few of us that will eat.)
As my bride's dad has cancer, he is concerned that sugar 'feeds' the cancer, so he avoids most sweet things. He wasnt a sweet fan to begin with as some of his kids had weight problems, but he is even more a fanatic about it now, so that means fewer to eat the rest.... Yes, now that I think about it, there are too few to eat it for the volume of the recipe. I will wait until I visit my parents. My dad really likes it and doesnt get it very often... Until I made it last year, it had been years since it was last made and served at my parents' house.
SO and siblings are now fighting about whether MIL & FIL should visit anyone for Thanksgiving. I hope this will not will not cause the next cold war. My guess is that MIL & FIL will not visit anyone, but someone may do a contactless drop off of at least parts of the meal so MIL will not have to cook only for 2.
There are so many yummy ideas here!
Here is a somewhat disjointed list of responses to what I've been seeing in the thread.
Brie + figs = yum. What about goat cheese + fruit (cranberry or blueberry)?
Chocolate + pumpkin pie sounds interesting. I've considered making some type of bar cookie with pumpkin and cheesecake.
Coconut milk + pumpkin in a pie is lovely. No strong coconut taste (at least not to me).
Clean, have you considered a new savory dish to try? Brussels sprouts + bacon are very tasty.
I like brussel sprouts
I also like lima beans.
Fortunately, (or not), I am charged only with the turkey and dressing. (because I am the pickiest about those 2 things, and so far, in all these years, they have not really been up to my standards). Given that we are to socially distance, it is an excuse to cook them at home and bring them in without the "help" i got last year from the brother and sister in law!
(and I am sure that my Thanksgiving woes/complaints have been well documented here!)
As for the rest of the meal, As long as I have turkey and dressing, the rest will not matter as much. The others can do or not do whatever they please! IF they want to make tacos and soup, that is on them!! (just an exaggerated example.... I hope, anyway!!)
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on November 18, 2020, 09:32:38 AM
Brie + figs = yum. What about goat cheese + fruit (cranberry or blueberry)?
My MIL makes some kind of spreadable log of goat cheese and cranberry. I'm not sure if anything else is included. We would spread it on crackers or small little toastlets (I think there is a name for those, but it is escaping me!).
As for savory sides, there are some kickin' collards and a couple other similar dishes with strong greens that we really like to make.
Does anyone here like coconut custard pie? Along with pumpkin, that's one of my favorites from growing up.
Quote from: clean on November 18, 2020, 08:24:45 AM
My grandmother made a cranberry relish (I suppose that would be what it was). I made it last night to see if I could and if I d like it (and to send to the others to see if they want some next week). It has a package of cranberries, cherry jello, celery, nuts, and pineapple (and some sugar to tame the cranberries).
It tastes fine, but made A Lot!
No way that our small group could eat it all! And I would need to make it again in a week! Im not sure what Im going to do with the gallon of it I have now!!
Freeze it in 1/2 cup or 1 cup containers or plastic bags?
Then, later you can use it from time to time to...
- Serve on a cheese tray
- Make a tart
- Spread on scones
- Fill cookies
- Stuff inside a chicken or turkey breast or pork loin before roasting
I make a Pumpkin-Praline pie (Pumpkin with Pecan underneath) that takes the difficult choice out of the holidays.
Also, MrsFishProf discovered Pumpkin-Smoothie-Gone-Wrong cake a few years back.
I make a cranberry chutney that I like a lot more than cranberry sauce. It's really good with a nice sharp cheddar. It's basically cranberries, apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, orange zest, brown sugar, green apple, and whatever spices you like. I usually add ginger, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, and just a little bit of ground cloves. You can add some dried fruit when you cook it if you like.
Quote from: ab_grp on November 18, 2020, 10:34:13 AM
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on November 18, 2020, 09:32:38 AM
Brie + figs = yum. What about goat cheese + fruit (cranberry or blueberry)?
My MIL makes some kind of spreadable log of goat cheese and cranberry. I'm not sure if anything else is included. We would spread it on crackers or small little toastlets (I think there is a name for those, but it is escaping me!).
As for savory sides, there are some kickin' collards and a couple other similar dishes with strong greens that we really like to make.
Does anyone here like coconut custard pie? Along with pumpkin, that's one of my favorites from growing up.
Melba toast?
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on November 18, 2020, 01:03:10 PM
Quote from: ab_grp on November 18, 2020, 10:34:13 AM
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on November 18, 2020, 09:32:38 AM
Brie + figs = yum. What about goat cheese + fruit (cranberry or blueberry)?
My MIL makes some kind of spreadable log of goat cheese and cranberry. I'm not sure if anything else is included. We would spread it on crackers or small little toastlets (I think there is a name for those, but it is escaping me!).
As for savory sides, there are some kickin' collards and a couple other similar dishes with strong greens that we really like to make.
Does anyone here like coconut custard pie? Along with pumpkin, that's one of my favorites from growing up.
Melba toast?
Yep, I think that's it! A bit ironic, given that it was in the crossword today. Maybe that blocked it in my mind for some reason. Thanks! That would have been bugging me.
Quote from: ab_grp on November 18, 2020, 02:29:21 PM
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on November 18, 2020, 01:03:10 PM
Quote from: ab_grp on November 18, 2020, 10:34:13 AM
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on November 18, 2020, 09:32:38 AM
Brie + figs = yum. What about goat cheese + fruit (cranberry or blueberry)?
My MIL makes some kind of spreadable log of goat cheese and cranberry. I'm not sure if anything else is included. We would spread it on crackers or small little toastlets (I think there is a name for those, but it is escaping me!).
As for savory sides, there are some kickin' collards and a couple other similar dishes with strong greens that we really like to make.
Does anyone here like coconut custard pie? Along with pumpkin, that's one of my favorites from growing up.
Melba toast?
Yep, I think that's it! A bit ironic, given that it was in the crossword today. Maybe that blocked it in my mind for some reason. Thanks! That would have been bugging me.
Melba toast--aka dehydrated bread. When I was growing up and we would go to a local restaurant that had baskets of crackers on the table, no package of Melba toast in the basket was safe!
Those little Melba toasts are pretty handy. And now I just came across a recipe for a Goat Cheese Cake with Wine-Poached Cranberries.
Quote from: ab_grp on November 18, 2020, 03:01:17 PM
Those little Melba toasts are pretty handy. And now I just came across a recipe for a Goat Cheese Cake with Wine-Poached Cranberries.
Do share!
Quote from: Puget on November 18, 2020, 03:12:06 PM
Quote from: ab_grp on November 18, 2020, 03:01:17 PM
Those little Melba toasts are pretty handy. And now I just came across a recipe for a Goat Cheese Cake with Wine-Poached Cranberries.
Do share!
Here it is, from Food & Wine: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/goat-cheese-cake-wine-poached-cranberries Looks pretty good. From the reviews, there seems to be a discrepancy in the amount of mascarpone (0.5 oz apparently does not equal 1.5 C), so just take note of that.
Quote from: ab_grp on November 18, 2020, 03:29:52 PM
Quote from: Puget on November 18, 2020, 03:12:06 PM
Quote from: ab_grp on November 18, 2020, 03:01:17 PM
Those little Melba toasts are pretty handy. And now I just came across a recipe for a Goat Cheese Cake with Wine-Poached Cranberries.
Do share!
Here it is, from Food & Wine: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/goat-cheese-cake-wine-poached-cranberries Looks pretty good. From the reviews, there seems to be a discrepancy in the amount of mascarpone (0.5 oz apparently does not equal 1.5 C), so just take note of that.
Thanks! I'll save it for such time as enough people can gather to not make the portion sizes deadly.
That 1/2 oz. has to actually be 12 oz. Shows the confusion a miss placed keystroke can cause!
Quote from: Puget on November 18, 2020, 04:57:12 PM
Quote from: ab_grp on November 18, 2020, 03:29:52 PM
Quote from: Puget on November 18, 2020, 03:12:06 PM
Quote from: ab_grp on November 18, 2020, 03:01:17 PM
Those little Melba toasts are pretty handy. And now I just came across a recipe for a Goat Cheese Cake with Wine-Poached Cranberries.
Do share!
Here it is, from Food & Wine: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/goat-cheese-cake-wine-poached-cranberries Looks pretty good. From the reviews, there seems to be a discrepancy in the amount of mascarpone (0.5 oz apparently does not equal 1.5 C), so just take note of that.
Thanks! I'll save it for such time as enough people can gather to not make the portion sizes deadly.
That 1/2 oz. has to actually be 12 oz. Shows the confusion a miss placed keystroke can cause!
Glad you figured out the right amount! I hope you will give a review if you do eventually make it. Maybe you could try to make a mini size or individual cakes in the meantime if the urge strikes.
Here's another goat cheese appetizer I just came across: take a log of goat cheese softened to room temp, pour raspberry chipotle sauce over it, and serve with pita chips or crackers. Sorry I don't have a link to that, but it was on a FB group page.
Why would you want to cover up that great goat cheese taste?
(I like my cheese sharp)
All this talk about delicious food is making me hungry! We are staying put, making a lot of food for just the two of us, and planning to eat tasty leftovers throughout the long weekend. Also planning to take naps and probably play board games. I am really looking forward to being able to take a break for a few days.
This might belong on the venting thread, or the "wish I could say" thread, but...
Yes, I'd be glad to do a Zoom call with you and our other siblings and a couple of close relations on Thanksgiving...maybe from 1-3?
Yes, I want to be in touch via Zoom since we can't get together as usual...maybe from 6-8?
But--
Do you guys all realize that I've now just Zoomed away a holiday, when Zoom is my functioning work-day modality now?
In other words, I've basically just added 4 hours of work-like sitting and Zooming to my "day off"?
Glad to be able to get together, glad we have the technology and the time to do it, but I'd almost (almost) rather fix a 5-course meal for six single-handed...
OK, now back to my usual equanimity...
M.
Quote from: nonsensical on November 20, 2020, 01:19:54 PM
All this talk about delicious food is making me hungry! We are staying put, making a lot of food for just the two three of us, and planning to eat tasty leftovers throughout the long weekend. Also planning to take naps and probably play board games zone out in front of the tv/Netflix. I am really looking forward to being able to take a break for a few days!
Exactly! :-)
So this morning I went on the shopping expedition and was able to procure half of a turkey! The butcher was kind of surprised but I told him he should put a sign up offering it- that he would have lots of takers. All the whole turkeys were 13 pounds or more. No way we need that for just Mr. Buster and I.
Now I just have to decide on a brine and do some estimation of cooking time. The store was out of buttermilk, so I think Samir Nosrat's buttermilk brine approach (Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat) is quite popular. We roasted a chicken a few weeks ago using the method. The meat was wonderfully juicy, but I actually didn't like what it did to the skin.
I went to the local "fancy" grocery store and was able to get a fresh, bone-in turkey breast. It's still almost 5 pounds, but I am planning to make turkey tamales out of the leftovers.
I do like the idea of a half turkey!
Interesting.
How do you cook half a turkey in the oven? Oh, the asymmetry! Was it cut lengthwise? I suppose you could have all white or all dark meat if you wanted.
We plan to do a little bit each day. I may make some challah rolls today or tomorrow (extra to freeze for later) and a pumpkin pie on Wednesday. Turkey, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, green beans and gravy will happen on Thursday.
I just recently discovered challah bread. Good stuff!
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on November 23, 2020, 10:32:34 AM
Interesting.
How do you cook half a turkey in the oven? Oh, the asymmetry! Was it cut lengthwise? I suppose you could have all white or all dark meat if you wanted.
We plan to do a little bit each day. I may make some challah rolls today or tomorrow (extra to freeze for later) and a pumpkin pie on Wednesday. Turkey, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, green beans and gravy will happen on Thursday.
I would assume it was cut into a left and right half. I'd rub it with salt & butter, and put it cut side down in a roasting pan on top of some carrots, onions, & celery.
Quote from: the_geneticist on November 23, 2020, 02:11:30 PM
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on November 23, 2020, 10:32:34 AM
Interesting.
How do you cook half a turkey in the oven? Oh, the asymmetry! Was it cut lengthwise? I suppose you could have all white or all dark meat if you wanted.
We plan to do a little bit each day. I may make some challah rolls today or tomorrow (extra to freeze for later) and a pumpkin pie on Wednesday. Turkey, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, green beans and gravy will happen on Thursday.
I would assume it was cut into a left and right half. I'd rub it with salt & butter, and put it cut side down in a roasting pan on top of some carrots, onions, & celery.
I figured (I was just being silly). I suppose you could also have a quarter of a turkey. :)
Sounds yummy! We'll probably do that, but stuff it inside with an orange, bay, thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt, pepper and probably something else.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Happy Thanksgiving! Hope all the cooking and eating goes well and that everyone stays safe and healthy.
Thankful to all of you on this board!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Lived through the extended sibling brunch call--we even Skyped (that's a verb, right?) to my cousin in Belgium for a bit.
The bacon-cheddar twists and the cinnamon rolls I made for myself were very good. I've managed to save one of each for another day, but it was a close thing.
It took some doing to get everything to work because the microphone on my brother's laptop (in Michigan) wasn't working, so we Skyped in the audio and went back to Zoom for the video (since they could only take the Skype call on their phones--hadn't downloaded it to their computers yet). That worked as long as the one person (my brother's girlfriend, au Canada), whose mic and screen were both working, turned off her Zoom audio so it didn't echo on Skype. We just ran them in tandem from my laptop, since I had both, and it worked.
Electronic distanced family dining at its finest...
M.
Turkey is in the oven!!
Football is on the TV!
Soon Ralphie will be dreaming of his red rider bb gun, Marley's Ghost will be visiting the much misunderstood Ebenezer Scrooge, and George Bailey will realize he really did have a wonderful life!
Hopefully, the CV 19 numbers will remain controlled and the Christmas season can be spent with the extended family!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
It was a lovely day out after overnight showers.
Yesterday we got an apple pie from Costco--our Thanksgiving Day dessert! My dad wanted one. (There were lots of apple and pumpkin pies on hand) The peppermint bark was brought out from the bakery as we were shopping late afternoon/early evening. My mom was glad she brought the small size organic young chickens earlier in the week--they were gone yesterday.
Two of our relatives called with Thanksgiving wishes. I sent texts to a few friends.
I watched "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" on DVD. Early on, Sally mentions the bit about seeing Christmas decorations in stores. Not much of a change from 1973 when this special first broadcasted on TV!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Nephew and roommates zoomed with us for a few minutes. They had turkey breast, stovetop stuffing, green beans, carrots, broccoli salad, and pumpkin pie. We had lasagna, green salad, and s'mores. The roommates thought it was hilarious that four college kids prepped the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, while none of their families did.
We had a small (five people) Thanksgiving gathering. I got to see my brother and his wife for the first time in over a year. Then on Saturday we celebrated Dad's 77th birthday.
I learned today that a local eatery gave out free Thanksgiving meals to members of the community.
In general, is Thanksgiving as big a deal down there as it is here in its home, Mass.? I have heard tell that many Southerners do not think that it is?
Down here Thanksgiving is a big deal- as the kick off to Christmas decorating! It's so warm here, and so many have fake trees that it gives them an excuse to go all out so that they know it's winter. There are several houses around here with standing day after Thanksgiving reservations with the local cherry picker trucks to help string the lights in the yard.
I've never heard anything about Thanksgiving not being a big deal in Arkansas. It's very much a come home for the holidays time. Not so much this year, of course.
Our family always had a classic gathering at Grandmother's house. It took a lot of ingenuity to fit everybody inside! While the women cooked the meal, the men and boys would cut her a year's worth of firewood and/or rake her yard.
I still miss my grandmother's rolls. I've never had anything elsewhere that quite matched them. An aunt who inherited her recipe and the "roll bowl" that she mixed them up in couldn't manage to duplicate them.
I have heard some Southerners view it as essentially a Yankee thing, largely due to its New England origins and the role of Lincoln in promulgating it nationally during the USCW. But I do specifically recall my freshman year at Dear Alma Mater, in Western Ma., 125 miles away from my central Ma. home. Classes were let out at noon on the day before Thanksgiving. I only had two classes in the morning, and one of them, my freshman Greek class, was going to give a quiz that day. I went to the professor's office hours to ask if I could make it up, in order to leave on the Tuesday bus (so I would be back home in time to attend the big high school pep rally weds for the Thanksgiving football game). The prof, a woman c. 35yo then, from NJ, and educated in the Midwest, let me do so (such was essentially SOP at Dear Alma Mater then, probably still is now), but then mused on how it was that she had never, before taking this job in Mass., seen people regularly put nearly so much emphasis on Thanksgiving, including trying to get home to observe it. She assured me that in her opinion this was a Massachusetts thing.
Growing up in the South, Thanksgiving was a big deal. We usually had a dozen guests, because my parents felt strongly about sharing our feast. I didn't understand people who complained about leftovers, because our turkey and ham were gone before bedtime. My brother's family still considers Thanksgiving a big deal, but after the third move, I gave up on our traditional family Thanksgiving observance.
Quote from: Vkw10 on November 30, 2020, 07:35:37 PM
Growing up in the South, Thanksgiving was a big deal. We usually had a dozen guests, because my parents felt strongly about sharing our feast. I didn't understand people who complained about leftovers, because our turkey and ham were gone before bedtime. My brother's family still considers Thanksgiving a big deal, but after the third move, I gave up on our traditional family Thanksgiving observance.
I was sent home with some turkey and ham--and glad to have it!
Quote from: apl68 on November 30, 2020, 01:51:44 PM
I still miss my grandmother's rolls. I've never had anything elsewhere that quite matched them. An aunt who inherited her recipe and the "roll bowl" that she mixed them up in couldn't manage to duplicate them.
Maybe they're missing potato water. My mom's aunts moved to town from the farm when one's husband died (mid 1960s), and they made a tidy income to supplement his coal miner's pension and black lung pay by taking orders from town folk for baked goods. Their bread, rolls, and raised donuts were old-time German recipes, and nobody could ever duplicate them. The missing ingredient was that the water used to proof the yeast was re-warmed water saved from cooking potatoes. Nothing else tastes like yeast breads made that way.