Thanksgiving 2020 Plans

[ab_grp]

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). 

[onehappyunicorn]

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.

[mamselle]

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.

 

[onehappyunicorn]

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.

[mamselle]

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.

[AvidReader]

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.

[mamselle]

hmmmmmm....

Mmmmmm.....


M.

[clean]

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.

[OneMoreYear]

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.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

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.

[clean]

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!!)

[ab_grp]

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.

[ciao_yall]

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

[FishProf]

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. 

[onehappyunicorn]

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.