Holiday Cooking During Plague Times

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Do you have any special holiday dishes that you cook for the holidays? Unfortunately, considering the current pandemic, a lot of us will be staying put. Will you still cook your favorite dishes? If so, then what are they?

[mamselle]

A friend and I usually make what we later discovered was Bananas Foster when we'd both forgotten to bring dessert and she only had bananas, spices, and ice cream from which to concoct something...and it was so good we decided that (even if we remembered other desserts at other times) we'd have it on every occasion possible otherwise.

We'll be Zoomdinner-ing this year, so some of the other things we usually do might not happen, and we haven't discussed this issue yet.

I haven't decided if I'll make it chez moi--and I don't know if she will, but it's the one thing that has defined Thanksgiving dinners for us over the years, so I am suspecting we will.

(Gotta remember to get the bananas...)

M.

[cathwen]

My husband and I will be Zooming with our three daughters.  So Thanksgiving dinner will just be the two of us.

Dinner will be a pared-down version of what we normally have when the whole family is here.  Turkey breast instead of a whole turkey; gravy; probably stuffing; no cranberry sauce, which neither of us is wild about, but there will be cranberry bread; mashed potatoes, but no sweet potatoes (I would be the only one eating them); probably a salad, as Mr. Cathwen is vegetable-averse (but he does eat salad).  One pie--probably pumpkin. Or apple.  Too many carbs, I know.  But oh well.

Frankly, I just don't feel like the normal hoopla this year, so a quiet Thanksgiving is something I'm actually looking forward to. 

I'll have to have food delivered because last week my husband was exposed to a student who is Covid-19 positive (we just found out last night), so we're both in quarantine.  Neither of us has any symptoms (so far), thank heaven. 

[apl68]

Mom will undoubtedly still cook turkey, trimmings, rolls, and at least two or three more desserts and side dishes than really necessary for a small gathering.  This year she plans to prepare and freeze some things early so that she won't have so much to do the night before.  I predict that she will just prepare that much more on the night before.

All I'm responsible for is bringing the muscadine grape juice, which I had the chance to purchase at a state park gift shop.  Three bottles of it, handled very carefully.

[sinenomine]

I don't eat turkey, so Thanksgiving for me is usually salmon with a pesto or satay peanut sauce, and whatever goodies I get from my winter farm share. I'm also planning on experimenting this year with some new cocktail recipes.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

We'll probably cook a turkey, or just a breast (freeze for later) and a few sides like: cornbread stuffing + sausage, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, challah rolls if I'm up for it and pumpkin pie (made with coconut milk instead of condensed milk).

We plan to graze on leftovers for about a week.

[Puget]

The only Thanksgiving food I really like is pumpkin pie, so I'll make myself one using my mother's recipe and the pie pumpkin that came with one of the last CSA shares of the year. Otherwise, I'll just make something I like better, maybe tortilla soup. We'll be doing some sort of family and friends zoom gathering, but probably not for an actual meal given the time zone spread etc.

[clean]

As the thread is the more inclusive "holiday cooking" which would go all the way through New Years, Im good!

I like to make lots of things!

Rum cake.
Rum/bourbon balls,
candy strawberries (made with jello and condensed milk and coconut)
"haystacks"  (cream cheese, marshmallows, coconut, chocolate)

potato salad
Watergate Salad will be made this year for sure, if I am able to get to my parent's house as planned.

The bad news, i suppose is that I want to make so many things, and there may not be enough people to eat them.  I have 'a thing' about throwing food away too, so whatever I make MUST be eaten (even if I have to do it!)   And im already just under "Morbidly Obese!" 

My parents will make a Standing Rib Roast.
IF IM lucky, my dad will make Spanish bean soup (He can get the correct chorizo sausage in Fl... IN my neighborhood, it is only available as a breakfast sausage).

Sometimes, We are able to get the smoker going and a few sides/slabs of ribs are done.

Anyway, it is too much food, and this year for sure, there will be too few people. 

(Even though my brother's family is expected, they are staying only a few days, and part of that will be split with my brother's in laws. )

[mamselle]

Does "Watergate salad" = "Waldorf salad"?

My mom used to make that, I was just remembering it the other day.

M.

[ab_grp]

How about ambrosia? My mom always made that as a side for holidays.

[clean]

Does "Watergate salad" = "Waldorf salad"?

No...

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13811/watergate-salad/

Actually, on further review, this is not the best recipe.
The original used Dream Whip, not frozen cool whip.

Anyway, the primary parts are dream whip, pistachio pudding mix, marshmallows, pineapple, and a bit of nuts