14 thoughts on “November 24, 2022: Let Us Give Thanks”
I always like to take this day to remind everyone of this event, which happened in the town in which I now live.
OMG! And this was AFTER the famous WKRP episode!
Oh, wait, no. Footnote says original story was 1973.
Ahahahaha
Happy Turkey Day to you all!
On the menu at the zooomx household.: Smoked Turkey Breast. 8 lb Turkey Breast with skin on, brined for 15 hours. Rinsed and seasoned lightly. Smoked on the Traeger grill. Mashed taters (50% russets/50% yukon gold). I make the mash, then fold in some parmesan cheese and place in a baking dish with seasoned bread crumbs and bake until a golden brown crust forms. My dressing is made with white and wheat bread, with brussels spouts and mushrooms added in. My wife will make the dreadful green bean casserole as a treat for my daughter, who loves this dreadful dish. I am very partial to the mashed potato recipe. We go half and half russets and yukon golds at the joint. Just russets result in a starchy product that results in a drier product after an hour or so. Straight yukons is missing some of that starchiness that I like. A half and half blend tastes great and also holds up for leftovers.
Nice! Received a turkey breast from a successful hunt in the neighborhood last spring and decided to give it a whirl. Was a bit nervous having never prepared a single turkey breast, let alone a wild (suburban) turkey before, but whatever, right?
Same as your starter - Good Eats turkey brine for 18 hours and aluminum pan grilled in a gas setup (another first), topped with butter, S&P on a bed of cubed oranges, onions, garlic and rosemary with local applewood chunks in a grill smoke box.
Into a 450 degree grill this morning at 10:00, bring the temps down to 300-350 and let it ride for 4 hours, give or take, basting with drippings 3 times, until the thermometer hits 165. Rest in under a foil tent for a half hour and get after it.
Very nice flavor, great texture, very juicy, but more salty than I was thinking … damn. Didn’t rinse the brine.
I did a turkey breast a couple years ago when it was just me and mrsS.
I spatchcocked and smoked a 9-10 lb turkey. Drip pan with onion, garlic, celery, carrot, mushrooms and fresh sage, plus 2 cups boiling water. Gets a nice, smokey flavor to add to stock (chicken broth, neck, back, tail, heart, gizzard, garlic, simmered for a couple hours) for giblet gravy. I chop the mushrooms and some of the veg, along with the heart and gizzard to add to the gravy.
My parents kind of took over on the sides. Sweet potatoes roasted with butter and brown sugar, dressing with sweet Italian sausage, scalloped corn and green bean casserole. And cranberry sauce. And we always have dark cherry jello with dark cherries. (Reserved exclusively for Thanksgiving).
Every year I make the stuffing (apple, parsnip, Italian sausage, & sourdough) & gravy. I could handle the whole meal (and have), but am overruled by elders. Okay, we divide the labor for now.
I’m only moderately interested in turkey. I roasted a goose in 2020 since it was isolation times. Last year I made pan-seared duck breast to go along with the turkey. This year I got whole pheasants, made confit with the legs, seared the breasts, and made stock with the carcasses.
When you are asked, "Apple or pumpkin?" you say "Yes!"
Our Thanksgiving plans changed, because the member of Mrs. A's family who was going to host has tested positive for COVID. So, we'll meet Mrs. A's parents in the neighboring town of Onida, where the local cafe is having a Thanksgiving buffet as a fundraiser for a couple of high school students who are going to Europe on a band trip.
I am thankful to be spending the holiday with my parents, although I am missing my wife and kids.
Turkey (spatchcocked and rubbed, but I didn't have anyplace to dry brine it yesterday, so...) is on the Weber. Low and slow, Kenji style.
My dad ignored me and took over making the dressing, so I don't know what will happen there. I have the neck, back, tail, gizzard and heart simmering in a pot for stock to make the gravy later. Dad also decided at about 11 last night that we were having scalloped corn.
I am trying to stay out of their way. Thankful that they can still do for themselves. Everything will be great. And if it isn't, it will be edible.
On another positive note, this year I have enough chicken broth to ensure everything can get made. Several years ago when I came out the day before, they hadn't bought any. So I tried to make the gravy with whatever I could find (a tiny bit of stock I made with the neck and back, some pan drippings, which were minimal, and orange juice). It did not go well.
NBBW and I agreed that the only uniform uglier than the Detroit Lion's kit was the brown Credit Agricole outfit in the Tour de France several years back.
The new stove was a real treat this Thanksgiving, everything turned out perfect, no guesswork involved. We prepped the turkey breast last night, stuffing it with orange wedges, celery, carrots and herbs and pouring in cheap champagne for a marinade. Mrs. Twayn's made it this way for years and it always turns out juicy and tender. I always make a cornbread stuffing that was my grandmother's recipe because Younger Daughter and I will eat no other. With a nod to zooomx, we do our mashed potatoes with half russets and half reds to get the right texture, and Mrs. Twayn always does the mashing ever since the notorious mashed potato soup incident several years ago. Dinner rolls, crudités and relishes rounded out dinner. I picked up a bottle of Chateau St. Michelle Dry Riesling that paired nicely with the meal. Cameron's French roast with Bailey's and pumpkin pie for desert, Amaretto on the rocks for a digestif. And the Vikings rebounded and won a well played, closely contested game. I can't ask for much better.
I always like to take this day to remind everyone of this event, which happened in the town in which I now live.
OMG! And this was AFTER the famous WKRP episode!
Oh, wait, no. Footnote says original story was 1973.
Ahahahaha
Happy Turkey Day to you all!
On the menu at the zooomx household.: Smoked Turkey Breast. 8 lb Turkey Breast with skin on, brined for 15 hours. Rinsed and seasoned lightly. Smoked on the Traeger grill. Mashed taters (50% russets/50% yukon gold). I make the mash, then fold in some parmesan cheese and place in a baking dish with seasoned bread crumbs and bake until a golden brown crust forms. My dressing is made with white and wheat bread, with brussels spouts and mushrooms added in. My wife will make the dreadful green bean casserole as a treat for my daughter, who loves this dreadful dish. I am very partial to the mashed potato recipe. We go half and half russets and yukon golds at the joint. Just russets result in a starchy product that results in a drier product after an hour or so. Straight yukons is missing some of that starchiness that I like. A half and half blend tastes great and also holds up for leftovers.
Nice! Received a turkey breast from a successful hunt in the neighborhood last spring and decided to give it a whirl. Was a bit nervous having never prepared a single turkey breast, let alone a wild (suburban) turkey before, but whatever, right?
Same as your starter - Good Eats turkey brine for 18 hours and aluminum pan grilled in a gas setup (another first), topped with butter, S&P on a bed of cubed oranges, onions, garlic and rosemary with local applewood chunks in a grill smoke box.
Into a 450 degree grill this morning at 10:00, bring the temps down to 300-350 and let it ride for 4 hours, give or take, basting with drippings 3 times, until the thermometer hits 165. Rest in under a foil tent for a half hour and get after it.
Very nice flavor, great texture, very juicy, but more salty than I was thinking … damn. Didn’t rinse the brine.
I did a turkey breast a couple years ago when it was just me and mrsS.
I spatchcocked and smoked a 9-10 lb turkey. Drip pan with onion, garlic, celery, carrot, mushrooms and fresh sage, plus 2 cups boiling water. Gets a nice, smokey flavor to add to stock (chicken broth, neck, back, tail, heart, gizzard, garlic, simmered for a couple hours) for giblet gravy. I chop the mushrooms and some of the veg, along with the heart and gizzard to add to the gravy.
My parents kind of took over on the sides. Sweet potatoes roasted with butter and brown sugar, dressing with sweet Italian sausage, scalloped corn and green bean casserole. And cranberry sauce. And we always have dark cherry jello with dark cherries. (Reserved exclusively for Thanksgiving).
Every year I make the stuffing (apple, parsnip, Italian sausage, & sourdough) & gravy. I could handle the whole meal (and have), but am overruled by elders. Okay, we divide the labor for now.
I’m only moderately interested in turkey. I roasted a goose in 2020 since it was isolation times. Last year I made pan-seared duck breast to go along with the turkey. This year I got whole pheasants, made confit with the legs, seared the breasts, and made stock with the carcasses.
When you are asked, "Apple or pumpkin?" you say "Yes!"
Our Thanksgiving plans changed, because the member of Mrs. A's family who was going to host has tested positive for COVID. So, we'll meet Mrs. A's parents in the neighboring town of Onida, where the local cafe is having a Thanksgiving buffet as a fundraiser for a couple of high school students who are going to Europe on a band trip.
I am thankful to be spending the holiday with my parents, although I am missing my wife and kids.
Turkey (spatchcocked and rubbed, but I didn't have anyplace to dry brine it yesterday, so...) is on the Weber. Low and slow, Kenji style.
My dad ignored me and took over making the dressing, so I don't know what will happen there. I have the neck, back, tail, gizzard and heart simmering in a pot for stock to make the gravy later. Dad also decided at about 11 last night that we were having scalloped corn.
I am trying to stay out of their way. Thankful that they can still do for themselves. Everything will be great. And if it isn't, it will be edible.
On another positive note, this year I have enough chicken broth to ensure everything can get made. Several years ago when I came out the day before, they hadn't bought any. So I tried to make the gravy with whatever I could find (a tiny bit of stock I made with the neck and back, some pan drippings, which were minimal, and orange juice). It did not go well.
NBBW and I agreed that the only uniform uglier than the Detroit Lion's kit was the brown Credit Agricole outfit in the Tour de France several years back.
That jersey looks sharp!
The new stove was a real treat this Thanksgiving, everything turned out perfect, no guesswork involved. We prepped the turkey breast last night, stuffing it with orange wedges, celery, carrots and herbs and pouring in cheap champagne for a marinade. Mrs. Twayn's made it this way for years and it always turns out juicy and tender. I always make a cornbread stuffing that was my grandmother's recipe because Younger Daughter and I will eat no other. With a nod to zooomx, we do our mashed potatoes with half russets and half reds to get the right texture, and Mrs. Twayn always does the mashing ever since the notorious mashed potato soup incident several years ago. Dinner rolls, crudités and relishes rounded out dinner. I picked up a bottle of Chateau St. Michelle Dry Riesling that paired nicely with the meal. Cameron's French roast with Bailey's and pumpkin pie for desert, Amaretto on the rocks for a digestif. And the Vikings rebounded and won a well played, closely contested game. I can't ask for much better.