Everyone cooking today? (Wed)

Doing a little cooking today as well as setting the tables, etc. There's not a whole lot to do. Friends are bringing mashed potatoes, vegetables and dessert.

These are the make-ahead items:
-Port wine cranberry mold
-Sweet potato souffle
-Turkey stock from non-liver giblets and a few extra wings I bought
-Chop celery and onion for stuffing that I will make first thing tomorrow
-Plus, I'm going to braise a small Pork Butt to shred for bbq sandwiches tonight.

I'm making a shaved fennel, radiccio and orange salad. Could I shave the ingredients today (minus the oranges) or should I wait and do it right before tossing it?

How about you guys? What's on your agenda today?

I'm going to remove the breast and legs from the bird. I'll roast those separately tomorrow. I'll give the legs a head start - viola - no dried out breast!

The parts that are left, I am going to roast today, and then make stock for the gravy. Probably won't do anything else because I have to work, too.
Cindy's making a pumpkin pie and dinner rolls.

Stock is done (remains from an old turkey), sweet potatoes are cooling prior to being candied, and pumpkin pie is on tap for tonight. Have some cornbread in the freezer, so don't have to make fresh for the stuffing.

Not me - I'm on vacation this week and my hosts won't let me do anything.

Me, neither. I'm busy getting things ready for my flight tomorrow to Santa Fe; this is Moving Weekend.

[Jenise]

I'm making a shaved fennel, radiccio and orange salad. Could I shave the ingredients today (minus the oranges) or should I wait and do it right before tossing it?

No! Like potatoes, fennel contains a lot of sugar which oxidizes (turns gray) with exposure. Acidulating it with lemon will stave off some graying for an hour or three, but would not, I'm guessing, be effective overnight. The one thing you can do is peel the oranges and store them whole in a plastic container for slicing tomorrow, though.

Recipe request for your sweet potato souffle!

I'm not cooking tomorrow but will be a guest at someone else's home: I've been asked to bring a home made apple pie and will comply, but am trying to do more. Your souffle (if you can fit in the time to post your recipe) sounds like something I'd love to volunteer, if it travels.

this is Moving Weekend.

Now that *is* a coincidence! That's what I'm doing this weekend too!

If I finish packing my house.....

this is Moving Weekend.

Now that *is* a coincidence! That's what I'm doing this weekend too!

If I finish packing my house.....

Someone enighten me. Are you guys trading houses or something?

I'm making a shaved fennel, radiccio and orange salad. Could I shave the ingredients today (minus the oranges) or should I wait and do it right before tossing it?

No! Like potatoes, fennel contains a lot of sugar which oxidizes (turns gray) with exposure.

I thought that might be the case! Glad I asked.

Recipe request for your sweet potato souffle!

I'm not cooking tomorrow but will be a guest at someone else's home: I've been asked to bring a home made apple pie and will comply, but am trying to do more. Your souffle (if you can fit in the time to post your recipe) sounds like something I'd love to volunteer, if it travels.

Here it is. It doesn't really poof up, but it is pretty light (as far as sweet potato concoctions go) and certainly would travel well. Everyone seems to love it too.

Sweet Potato Souffle
Makes 8 servings.

6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs
2 pinches ground cinnamon
2 pinches ground nutmeg
Topping:
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chopped pecans


Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2 Boil sliced sweet potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain well. (Or bake the potatoes and scoop out the insides once cool.)
3 In a large bowl, blend the potatoes until creamy. Beat in eggs, then the butter, brown sugar, orange juice, milk and spices.
4 Spread the sweet potato mixture into a 9x13 inch pan.
5 Mix together topping ingredients and crumble evenly on top of sweet potatoes.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until golden brown – about 45 minutes.

[Jenise]

Carrie, thanks! I had bought apples and sweet potatoes when I thought I was making my one Thanksgiving repeat dish, a layered apple and sweet potato (by the way, when you say 'sweet potato' I am presuming you mean what I call yams) dish. But now that I am asked to bring the apple pie instead, this gives me something interesting and special to do with the extra ingredients.

Carrie, thanks! I had bought apples and sweet potatoes when I thought I was making my one Thanksgiving repeat dish, a layered apple and sweet potato (by the way, when you say 'sweet potato' I am presuming you mean what I call yams) dish. But now that I am asked to bring the apple pie instead, this gives me something interesting and special to do with the extra ingredients.

Yes, yams. Ooh, the layered dish sounds good too.
By the way, I was looking at how many this serves and you will definitely get more servings than 8. I think it might serve just 8 if it were the only side dish.

As I write this, my brother and his wife are driving in from Maine. Tonight's dinner will be lobster, corn-on-the-cob, clams, chowder, salad, Italian bread & butter and rum raisin ice cream. This will be accompanied with Vouvray, Riesling and Chardonnay.

Made cornbread dressing (containing sausage and mushrooms) and the stock for the turkey gravy Monday night. Put the turkey in the brine last night, made the remoulade for the salmon and the sweet potato with caramalized apples and calvados. Today is linzer bars, chocolate/caramel brownies and caramel apple cheesecake and finishing the gravy. Tomorrow I slow smoke the turkey over fruit wood, get the second grill going for the salmon (over alder wood), make the black-eyed pea and mustard green salad; chill the champagne and white wine. Tonight I set the table and make the flower arrangements.

Tomorrow my mother will bring the collard greens and my second (very gay) husband, Michael-Anthony, will be bringing the mac and 4 cheese dish.

BURP!!

No need to cook anything today. I'll start about 10:00 tomorrow morning by taking the turkey out of the refrigerator. Hell,we're not eating until 2:00. What's to get all worked up about?

Made cornbread dressing (containing sausage and mushrooms) and the stock for the turkey gravy Monday night. Put the turkey in the brine last night, made the remoulade for the salmon and the sweet potato with caramalized apples and calvados. Today is linzer bars, chocolate/caramel brownies and caramel apple cheesecake and finishing the gravy. Tomorrow I slow smoke the turkey over fruit wood, get the second grill going for the salmon (over alder wood), make the black-eyed pea and mustard green salad; chill the champagne and white wine. Tonight I set the table and make the flower arrangements.

Tomorrow my mother will bring the collard greens and my second (very gay) husband, Michael-Anthony, will be bringing the mac and 4 cheese dish.

BURP!!

Couple of questions, Jo Ann:

Isn't that a rather long time to brine a bird? Whenever I've done mine for more than ~10 hours, they seem to be "soggy". Maybe the chemistry associated with a super long brining changes the results or the smoker does??

You had two very gay husbands?

Bill

and my second (very gay) husband, Michael-Anthony, will be bringing the mac and 4 cheese dish.

I have to agree with Bill, Jo Ann. We all need a little further explanation here.

We'll be cooking, but not until Saturday. We're heading to Green Bay tomorrow to see my wife's family. Since we don't get there until 6:00 (assuming a miracle of airline timeliness) the T-day dinner is being held on Saturday. I understand we're on for sides and a dessert. Have no idea what they'll be yet, but that's what a long plane flight is for.

Well normally, I don't make Thanksgiving dinner...since I go to my cousin's house. We usually bring an appetizer. However, there has been a stomach virus going around in our household for the last 2 weeks. I thought we were in the clear, but my daughter got sick again today...so we had to cancel going to my cousins. I was going to skip Thanksgiving dinner altogether, but my daughter was pretty devastated about it, so tonight, I made gluten-free, vegan corn muffins for cornbread stuffing, and vegan gluten-free pie crust for apple, blueberry and pumpkin mini pies. I am brining a small turkey, which my husband returned from work with. And am getting some cranberry sauce together. Hopefully, everything will turn out ok.

No cooking for me! I'm going to a friend's house. All I have to do is bring the wine.

Well normally, I don't make Thanksgiving dinner...since I go to my cousin's house. We usually bring an appetizer. However, there has been a stomach virus going around in our household for the last 2 weeks. I thought we were in the clear, but my daughter got sick again today...so we had to cancel going to my cousins. I was going to skip Thanksgiving dinner altogether, but my daughter was pretty devastated about it, so tonight, I made gluten-free, vegan corn muffins for cornbread stuffing, and vegan gluten-free pie crust for apple, blueberry and pumpkin mini pies. I am brining a small turkey, which my husband returned from work with. And am getting some cranberry sauce together. Hopefully, everything will turn out ok.

Maria, you are a good egg. I hope your daughter feels better soon. That's too bad...

Couple of questions, Jo Ann:

Isn't that a rather long time to brine a bird? Whenever I've done mine for more than ~10 hours, they seem to be "soggy". Maybe the chemistry associated with a super long brining changes the results or the smoker does??

You had two very gay husbands?

Bill

Actually, I think my bird is perfect after 36 hrs of brining. Most of the moisture is released during the cooking process (I pour off about 3 C liquid in the pan underneath the bird). It tastes delicious, but I don't use it for jus or gravy -- some people would find it a tad bit salty and the smoke can sometimes be intense. The moisture that remains in the bird is just enough to run clear when sliced (even the breast). No, definitely not soggy.

As for my husbands: Carl is my mainstay. We've been married 38 years. Along the way, I picked up Michael-Anthony. He is my bestest friend in the whole-wide world. He is around so much we just call him my other (perhaps this is a better choice of words) husband. He chips in on everything. If I don't feel like cooking, he will show up and start the pots boiling. He will even drive from Tacoma and spend a few days to take care of me (or Carl) when either of us is sick. I simply love him. But, boy, he can be bitchy!!!

Wow, Maria
You've been dealing with this for awhile now! Pooh! Hope everyone gets better soon.

As for my husbands: Carl is my mainstay. We've been married 38 years. Along the way, I picked up Michael-Anthony. He is my bestest friend in the whole-wide world. He is around so much we just call him my other (perhaps this is a better choice of words) husband. He chips in on everything. If I don't feel like cooking, he will show up and start the pots boiling. He will even drive from Tacoma and spend a few days to take care of me (or Carl) when either of us is sick. I simply love him. But, boy, he can be bitchy!!!

This sounds like an excellent arrangement!

Wonder if I can find a gay woman to be my other wife?

I thought we were in the clear, but my daughter got sick again today.

Yes, I've been following the vomit reports on Facebook.
Hope your kids feel better, soon.