Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
Is Your Tummy Growling?
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the U.S. and my tummy is already growling. If I close my eyes, I can almost taste the garlic-roasted mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy. I can smell the rich scent of the sweet potato hash (yes, I obviously have a carb obsession) and the yeasty richness of the rolls. And yes, even though I don't eat it, the smell and sight of that turkey on the table definitely makes Thanksgiving for me. Tried and true dishes, the sights, scents and tastes that say Thanksgiving in my house year after year.
And yet, every year, I get the urge to shake up the traditional menu.
You know, to throw in a new dish. To NOT make the greenbean casserole. To do a pumpkin cheesecake instead of pie. To ignore that jelly-ish cranberry stuff and make a homemade relish.
And every year when I say this, my family bands together to yell "NO!". *sigh* They want traditional. They want those downhome, cozy, familiar dishes that say Thanksgiving in their hearts and tummys.
I argue that, as the chef, I need to be able to be able to indulge my creativity. They argue that I can't ruin their holiday. So... we compomise. I make all the traditional dishes, and sneak in a new one here and there. Like this year, in addition to the regular sourdough stuffing, I'm indugling my carb obsession with a carmelized onion-cornbread stuffing. I figure the worst thing that will happen is they refuse to eat it and leave more for me all weekend.
How about you? Does your family have traditional dishes they insist on every year? If you're doing the cooking, is this a comfort to you or does it make you feel hemmed in? What about shaking up the menu? Are you going to try anything new this year?
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!
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Happy Thanksgiving, Tawny
You know, you just reminded me, I wanted to make my SIL's cranberry salsa this year, and forgot. Maybe I'll see if dh can pick the stuff up today to make it.
I am trying something new this year, I am making a new stuffing for the turkey. Ever since we were little, I've made my mom's stuffing, a basic Bell Seasoning stuffing that we love, but I found a Cooks Illustrated recipe for a Bacon-Apple stuffing that sounded good -- it still seems to have the basic foundation of the stuffing I recognize -- onion, celery, bread, eggs, sage, etc but adds in the bacon and apples with some other ingred, and I'm interested to see how it comes out, and I'm wondering if it will flavor the turkey more (I stuff the turkey, always have, always will). :)
We do have always have a free-range, organic turkey as well. We do eat meat, we just make sure it's as humane/healthy a choice as possible.
Enjoy your day!
Sam
Happy Thanksgiving, Sam
Your stuffing sounds yummy! Even though I don't eat it, I love the smell of bacon LOL. I'll bet the aples add a fabulous texture, too.
I do cook a turkey here, but have no idea if its any good since I don't eat it. But hey, ya can't deny the Turkey lovers thier main dish, right?
Yummy...
I'm a huge fan of stuffing...it's what I look forward to most at Thanksgiving. Like you, Sam, my family has always stuck with a traditional bread based variety. I must admit that Tawny's carmelized onion-cornbread stuffing and your apple-bacon stuffing sound wonderful.
Although I would choke before confessing it, I'm not a huge fan of rice stuffing, which is what my in-laws make. The consistency is quite different and I've never been able to acclimate my taste buds to it! I might also have to sneak a stick of real butter into their house this year. They use non-fat spray on their vegetables...and I'm all about the calories and fat on special occassions :-)
As for the turkey, they pick up a fresh one from a nearby farm the Tuesday before the holiday. And, yes this creates little knots in my stomach. Somehow, knowing the little bugger was scampering around just a few days earlier makes it difficult to smother with gravy!
But, regardless of the food, it always turns out to be a really wonderful day! I'm off now to buy apples, so I can bake a few pies for tomorrow!
Rita
Happy Thanksgiving, Rita
I'll have to let you know how the carmelized onion-cornbread stuffing is :-) I'm excited to try it. And like you, I'm not a fan of rice stuffing. I'm not into wild rice at all, so thats probably why. But hey, good luck with that butter smuggling! Two meals a year I refuse to use cooking spray and pile on the real butter LOL. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve - they really deserve meals to be thankful for.
and YUM on the pie baking! I need to learn how to make crust.
Stuffing
For years we experimented with new stuffings. And, finally, we hit on the perfect one. You brown some onions and apples in a bit of butter. Set aside.
Take a box of Stove Top stuffing and make according to directions. When it comes to a boil, add the onions, apples and some chopped nuts.
I'm not kidding. My family loves it. It all came about because we forgot the stuffing ingredients one year. Ran to the only open grocery store and they didn't have any stuffing cubes and we were out of bread. There was the box of Stove Top and we said fine.
I would love to make homemade cranberries one year (I used to) but I'm the only one who eats the stuff. A tin of the whole berried kind lasts me a week. I know the homemade would last even longer and even I start to OD on cranberries at the end of a week.
Happy Holidays to all!
ani
Happy Thanksgiving, Ani
Oh hey, that sounds like our 'traditional' stuffing LOL. My brother and daughter won't budge from their love of Sourdough Stovetop (impossible to find this year uh oh) so I saute celery, onion and mushrooms to add to it. I love the idea of apples and chopped nuts, too. I'm all about the texture.
I'm bucking tradition on the cranberries this year, too. Hubby brought home enough that I can do relish AND bread. I'm excited LOL. I love cranberry bread.
The only dish my family
The only dish my family insists on every year is candied sweet potatoes.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving, Estella
My nephews love candied sweet potatoes but they are the only ones who eat it. We make a savory sweet potato that the rest of us love, though :-)
We're eating out...
this year, so no new recipes for us ;) My brother's disappointed, but my mom's tired of all the chopping, prepping, defrosting, wrestling, and work! I think she's pleased to have a change :D
Happy Thanksgiving Fedora
And have a wonderful meal out! We did that one year when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter. It was lovely, but man, I missed the leftovers LOL
You, too!
And so true, not much better than assorted turkey leftovers... mmm... Oh well, maybe next year ;)
Sadly, no
My family doesn't have any "special" Thanksgiving dish. In fact, one year I think we were turkey-less. I was crushed. I LOVE pumpkin/sweet potato pie. (I can take one or the other.)
I had to miss dessert yesterday at the Thanksgiving potluck b/c my cousin wanted to leave early. So sad. So when my mom ventured out today I told her to pick up a pie :)
Otherwise... I love Turkey and pie at thanksgiving. Everything else is just filler. (Wonderful, delicious filler.)
Happy Thanksgiving a little late.
I have never had greenbean casserole but it seems to get mentioned a lot. Must google it. See I may be trying something new that all of you consider a old standby.
Green Bean Casserole
Oh wow- you have to try it sometime, Kaelee! Its... well, its yummy :-) My favorite part are the french fried onions.
Filler
LOL -how you feel about turkey and pie? Thats how I feel about mashed potoates and mushroom gravy. The rest is there to make the table look pretty *g*, my plate is all about the 'tatoes and gravy!
I hope you got your pie :-)
lol
Tawny, I do feel the same about mashed potatoes and gravy... BUT THERE WASN'T ANY THIS YEAR. And I haven't had pie YET. I think I have the flu or something - wasn't able to keep food down today :(
[Not that I tried after the initial mishap.]
But, mashed potatoes is something I *do*/can get throughout the year. It's rare, but at least it's more than once. Mmmm I've been craving it though. That and/or fries. :X
Forever Potatoes
LOL - I LOVE Potatoes! I hope you get your fries or mashed potatoes soon - and that you feel better!!! Hugs on the icky tummy :-( I had the flu about a week ago and its a painful, vivid memory :-( I hope yours passes quickly.