Epicurious has started sending me Thanksgiving countdown emails so I guess it's that time of year again

Where's everyone spending Thanksgiving?

We're most likely doing it at our house again this year. Already ordered my turkey from Rainbow Meadow Farms out in Snow Hill

10/25/2012 11:41:03 AM

I will be on a boat in tropical waters.

10/25/2012 11:43:00 AM

At the sub base... the hubs has duty

10/25/2012 11:45:36 AM

Tug-o-war with the lady. We always go back to my hometown for Thanksgiving, but now we're split on what we're doing afterwards. She wants to head back to Charleston to hang out with some friends from New York...I want to head up to Raleigh to hang with my sis and bro-in-law who got tickets to the Boston College game (two Vaughn Towers tickets).

This could get interesting...

10/25/2012 11:53:50 AM

Vaughn Towers tickets would win for me.

10/25/2012 12:16:05 PM

i still have not seen the inside of those suites

10/25/2012 12:17:29 PM

With the immediate fam and on the intracoastal waterway

[Edited on October 25, 2012 at 12:38 PM. Reason : and probably at the BC game]

10/25/2012 12:38:03 PM

myrtle... where mom and dad will finally realize that telling me to invite whatever friend(s) i want results in the boyfriend coming

10/25/2012 1:27:36 PM

I'm hosting again as well.

10/25/2012 1:32:07 PM

Do you do the same recipes every year or do you try to change it up a bit?

10/25/2012 2:48:22 PM

i am hosting at my place in vienna, despite being a terrible cook with a tiny oven

the only confirmed guest so far is my friend who lives in zurich, waiting to hear from other american friends in germany and paris (yay for expat t-giving) and will round out the guest list with local non-americans (and eat on saturday since it's obviously not a holiday in austria)

will keep checking this thread for any tips or recipe ideas -- i'm having my mom send over some canned pumpkin so i can make a pie (also canned cranberry sauce, one of my faves, and maybe some good beer if i'm lucky), will have to sort out where to buy a turkey when i get back to vienna in a few weeks since i'm currently in germany for work...

10/26/2012 4:36:39 AM

I think the hardest part of an expat Thanksgiving food-wise is the turkey and the cranberries for sure. Do they have a foreign buyers' club type of place in Vienna? We used to order our turkeys from one until Costco came around. http://www.fbcusa.com/

I should ask my uncle where he orders a turkey from. He lives in Baden now and I'm assuming his family does something for Thanksgiving every year.

10/26/2012 8:29:46 AM

yeah, i have a few ideas of where to order/acquire a turkey, just have to plan ahead a little more than back home

10/26/2012 9:21:38 AM

Tempted to make this instead of pie this year:

Quote :

"Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce Unsalted butter, for the pan 8 cups 1/2-inch cubed Pumpkin Bread or other bread 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped 6 large egg yolks 1/2 cup sugar 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, not flavored pie filling 2 tablespoons bourbon Freshly whipped cream, for serving Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce Shelled pumpkin seeds (optional), for garnish 1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 10-inch glass baking dish. 2. Spread the bread cubes on a large baking sheet and bake in the oven, turning once, until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Let cool. 3. Combine the cream, milk, and vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. 4. Whisk together the yolks, sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture until combined. Discard the vanilla bean and whisk in the bourbon. 5. Scatter the pumpkin bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Pour the custard over the bread, pressing down on the bread to totally submerge it in the custard. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up some of the custard. 6. Place the dish in a larger roasting pan and pour hot water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the glass dish. Bake until the sides are slightly puffed and the center jiggles slightly, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and the water bath and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving. 7. Serve the warm bread pudding topped with whipped cream and drizzled with spicy caramel apple sauce . Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds if desired. "

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/thanksgiving/bobby-flay-menu/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Bread-Pudding-with-Spicy-Caramel-Apple-Sauce-367511#ixzz2AzCEq9Xk

11/1/2012 11:41:52 AM

turkey sucks. cook a hog.

11/1/2012 11:49:49 AM

once you go with DAT 190% FRIED TURKEY

you never go back

11/1/2012 11:52:18 AM

yeah, i've had it fried.

still ain't no hog.

actually, the best turkey i've ever eaten was cooked on a pig cooker and chopped and sauced like bbq.

11/1/2012 11:54:11 AM

I can eat pork whenever. I only eat roasted turkey once a year

11/1/2012 1:37:14 PM

that's one time too many

11/1/2012 1:48:42 PM

I WANT TO EAT THANKSGIVING EVERY DAY

11/1/2012 6:22:13 PM

Turkey is awesome. The dark meat is so bad for you, but it is oh so so good.

I make an Herb Roasted Turkey that everyone raves about every year I take on Turkey Day.

11/1/2012 6:34:41 PM

Coming down to NC to be with my parents and parents-in-law!! so excited

If i spend a certain amount at my grocery store here then I get a free turducken so I'm thinking of having a mini-thanksgiving here for our friends the week before.

I'll also be making (for the first time) Boston Market's version of a sweet potato casserole.. amongst other things:



Mmmm

11/1/2012 8:44:00 PM

Quote :

"White meat with skin 185 calories 1.4g saturated fat 33g protein White meat, no skin 158 calories .4g saturated fat 34g protein Dark meat with skin 206 calories 2.4g saturated fat 33g protein Dark meat, no skin 183 calories 1.6g saturated fat 33g protein"

For once a year, I can splurge on the extra 25 calories per serving

11/2/2012 9:22:48 AM

Epicurious turkey taste test:

Quote :

"To provide unbiased results, we made sure our turkeys were not delivered by mail (or PR firm) but rather purchased at supermarkets. All of the turkeys were fresh except the Butterball, which we could only purchase frozen during the time of our test. They are all widely available in the U.S. and are relatively inexpensive, ranging in price from $1.49 to $4.49 per pound. (Prices may vary depending on season and geographic location. The prices listed below indicate what we paid.) Methodology: Nine of our editors compared the look, flavor, and texture of the turkeys and ranked them using our four-fork rating system. We tested a total of six birds: One conventional, one kosher, and four free-range or natural. Read on to see how they stacked up. "

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/everydaycooking/tastetests/turkeytastetest?mbid=upd_countdown

11/2/2012 12:48:19 PM

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week

11/12/2012 10:45:36 AM

Finally got our menu. We do majority of sides and appetizers, my parents do the turkey and stuffing (my Nana's sage recipe) and everyone else brings a dish as well. So here we go!

Main feature: turkey w/ sage stuffing and a spiral ham
Sides: mashed potatoes, green beans, corn pudding, roasted beets & brussel sprouts (someone is bringing this...I'm worried honestly. Not my thing), pan dressing (bc we like dressing), boiled carrots, and another (maybe 2?) side dish tbd
Appetizers: meatballs, mozzarella feta & spinach bites (maybe another or two)
Desserts: pumpkin pie w/ caramelized pecan topping, tiramisu or banana pudding and chocolate brownies
And Parker rolls...bc they are yum.

No one is doing sweet potato anything which makes me sad...we have some in the pantry so I may do a casserole if I get myself together and motivated to start cleaning the house today. I'll prepare our pie and and the spinach bites tomorrow.

11/20/2012 11:10:30 AM

I'm thankful that i know what the hell pastry means

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11/20/2012 11:13:11 AM

^^ What recipe do you use for corn pudding? I haven't had it since going to my great-grandmother's for Thanksgiving and have been craving it lately.

My mom is bringing homemade cranberry sauce, some sort of dessert, and roasted squash since my husband and MIL don't like sweet potatoes (wtf?).

My MIL is bringing oxtail soup and cookies.

We're doing the turkey (shit need to start brining it lol), mashed potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, green bean casserole, sausage stuffing, maybe corn pudding, and I guess that's it. If I feel motivated tomorrow I'll bake a loaf of pumpkin challah, but more because I want to make French toast out of it Friday morning

11/20/2012 11:30:24 AM

My brother and sister-in-law are making that. I could ask them for the recipe though and pass it along

11/20/2012 11:34:57 AM

I am about to get on a train for 14 hours to go home. Being broke kind of blows.

11/20/2012 11:37:39 AM

I kind of like train rides. For me it takes the rush out of travel for me

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

11/20/2012 11:40:43 AM

^^^ Yes please

11/20/2012 11:42:14 AM

^^It leaves at 930 at night so I don't think it will be too crowded. Plus, I'll just drink for four states.

11/20/2012 11:45:14 AM

If you are looking for an easy side item to bring to Thanksgiving or your pot luck at work, here you go. This is always a hit, I am making 4 of them this year. You're welcome.

Quote :

"Hash Brown Casserole 2 cups of sour cream 1 can (10 ¾ oz) cream of mushroom soup 2 cups of Velveeta Cheese, cubed (it’s impossible to shred Velveeta) ½ cup of chopped onion ¾ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 pounds frozen has brown potatoes In a large bowl, combine sour cream, soup, pepper, cheese, onions, salt and pepper. Gently stir in potatoes. Spoon the mixture into a lightly buttered slow cooker or crock-pot. Cover and cook on high for 1 ½ hours; turn to low and cook 2 ½ hours longer."

My Thanksgiving Agenda:

Thursday: Thanksgiving with my Family in Greensboro
Friday: Thanksgiving with her family in the mountains. Getting our Christmas tree up there
Saturday: Surprise birthday party for one of our friends in Greensboro
Sunday: Our traditional Thanksgiving at the house with just the 2 of us (I cook a duck), putting up Christmas tree

[Edited on November 20, 2012 at 12:03 PM. Reason : a]

11/20/2012 11:56:55 AM

Corn pudding:

3 cans whole kernel corn drained
3 cans cream style corn
1/2 stick butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
Splash of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour

Stir all together til mixed well
Put in casserole dish and bake 375 for 45 min-1 hr or until firm (not sloshy)

11/20/2012 1:34:26 PM

Thanks!

11/20/2012 1:41:35 PM

It's just going to be the two of us this year. I didn't get a turkey yet but I guess I will grab a breast or a tiny one in the morning. I didn't want to make a ton of unhealthy stuff, so planning on roasted sweet potatoes with caramel sauce that Aaron wanted to try, cabbage, green beans, apple cranberry casserole ... and I think that might be it.

11/20/2012 2:00:57 PM

If you want to be super lazy, the pre-cooked turkey platter they sell at Trader Joe's is pretty good.

11/20/2012 2:04:15 PM

thats unacceptable. You can't buy shit for thanksgiving

I'm Krallum and I approved this message

11/20/2012 2:06:15 PM

What's gonna be open on thanksgiving? Was talking with someone about getting together and doing a non traditional thanksgiving dinner, and then go out and see a movie and maybe get some drinks after- will MV be open? and what bars are gonna be open?

11/20/2012 2:07:27 PM

I know Mac's Tavern will be open if you want to see sad, lonely men drinking together.

11/20/2012 2:11:50 PM

Apparently the closest Trader Joe's is like 5 hours from me

11/20/2012 2:44:52 PM

Is corn pudding a North Carolina thing? I had never heard of it before I moved there. But my family didn't get out much.

11/21/2012 9:17:35 AM

ommmggggg whole foods' jalepeno corn pudding is so fucking good

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

11/21/2012 9:19:48 AM

That sounds amazing. I have only ever had the slightly sweet kind, but now I kind of want to add that to our menu.

11/21/2012 9:22:27 AM

Really, anything made with corn can optionally be made w/ jalepenos

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

[Edited on November 21, 2012 at 9:25 AM. Reason : because we are talkin about mexicans anyways]

11/21/2012 9:25:00 AM

Heading back to G'boro tomorrow for traditional family cooking. Truth be told, I'm kind of bored with our spread after 29 years.

Maybe next year I'll host and do my own shit. Then again there's no way my family will drive to Raleigh

11/21/2012 9:51:11 AM

Looks like a working anus.

[Edited on November 21, 2012 at 10:56 AM. Reason : ..]

11/21/2012 10:55:57 AM

Quote :

"Is corn pudding a North Carolina thing? I had never heard of it before I moved there. But my family didn't get out much. "

My great-grandmother used to make it and she lived her entire life in NY and MA. But after looking at a bunch of recipes I think what she called corn pudding was actually Indian pudding.

Quote :

"5 1/2 cups whole milk 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal 1 tablespoon molasses 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 tablespoon ground ginger 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste 1/2 cup raisins (optional) Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Combine first 7 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Whisk over medium-high heat until mixture thickens but can still be poured, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and vanilla extract. Transfer pudding mixture to prepared baking dish. Bake pudding until golden brown and center no longer moves when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Scoop pudding into bowls. Top with ice cream or frozen yogurt and serve. "

11/21/2012 11:42:43 AM

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm watching the parade while picking up the house.

11/22/2012 9:31:11 AM