The Thanksgiving Post-Mortem

[Anonymous]

the hits: Wegman's sweet potatoes cooked in bourbon

corn pudding

buttermilk mashed potatoes

Giant's lattice apple pie

we did not get dinner rolls this year as we have in years past -- i bought sourdough bread at the Wegman's bakery yesterday and had it sliced. Everyone liked the sliced bread so much better than the rolls.

won't do again: creamed onions -- I made it for my dad and he said he doesn't really like them (yes, so what was the point anyway!)

[Anonymous]

My favorite stuffing: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sage-Stuffing-107372. Lots of work, but seriously worth it!

New this year: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Beans-with-Caramelized-Shallots-236594 - excellent and super easy!

Skip: rolls, fresh bread, etc - too much work and there are already plenty of carbs!

[Anonymous]

Tried pecan pie for the first time! The recipe is here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pecan-Pie-V/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=pecan%20pie&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Came out totally delicious.

[Anonymous]

I roasted the turkey breast down for the first time. Very moist and delicious!

I always suck at gravy. It's my Achilles heel. It's usually just too thick and gelatinous and vaguely greasy. I am an excellent cook otherwise but man, fuck gravy.

[Anonymous]

First gluten free holiday, and the food was great.

Apparently Whole Foods has a GF bakery with pastries in the freezer - pumpkin pie was only meh, but the GF pastry crusts worked well for delicious homemade pecan and apple pie. My celiac LOVED the pies and I'm really grateful that the GF crusts were available. (Regular pastry dough is tough enough - I'm not ready to tackle making the GF variety on my own!)

Silver palate cookbook dressing with fresh GF cornbread & white bread crumbs (but no sausage) was fantastic. Fresher ingredients is definitely an upside to the GF thing.

Weren't sure how the GF flour would work in the gravy but it went well. Bought a bag of Namaste GF all-purpose flour, and have been really pleased with everything we've made with it.

[Anonymous]

Used the Reynolds oven cooking bag for the first time & the result was amazing! I had a 21-pound turkey & it took only 3 hours to cook at 350 degrees, and the turkey was browned beautifully all over & very moist. My 20-year-old niece said it's the first time in her life she's ever liked turkey. So YAY for cooking the turkey in a bag.

Really enjoyed Trader Joe's gravy, too. It had a nice flavor & consistency.

[Anonymous]

We grilled our 18 pound turkey over a charcoal fire with hickory chips for a few hours before finishing it in the oven.

It came out the most gorgeous shade of blackened-brown. Pink on the inside. Delish!

[Anonymous]

The Lundbergs wild rice (to which I added some black rice) was fine but not amazing (although my mother loved it). Need to adjust that next year.

Roasted Brussel sprouts were easy and a hit, so we'll keep that next year.

Another thumbs down on the Whole Foods pumpkin pie. I think we got them from wagshals last year and they were better.

May try mashed potatoes instead of baked sweet potatoes next year but still thinking.

And must remember the charges for my whipped cream shooter next year so I don't have to scramble to whip it with the hand mixer!

[Anonymous]

Hits:
Chocolate bourbon pecan pie from Pie Sisters in Georgetown
Ina Garten's sour cream mashed potatoes
Bobby Flay's pioneer turkey recipe done with an heirloom turkey from WF
Bon Appetit's kale and Brussels sprout salad

Flops:
Bobby Flay's parker house rolls

[Anonymous]

Hits:

DH sauteed roasted corn with vidalia onion and a little tomato -- only complaint: he should have made more to use for leftovers in turkey tacos. (Thanks to the DCUM poster who suggested this on a thread I started asking for corn suggestions.)

DS roasted brussel sprouts, which I love, and then, per his girlfriend's suggestion, added just a touch of smoky paprika at the end. Delicious --and he made the two most important women in his life happy!

DD made America's Test Kitchen mashed potatoes -- her first batch was a greasy mess and had to be thrown out, but the second round -- with garlic and chives was iconic -- not even a spoonful left! (Plus, a bonus teachable moment on not freaking out when little things go wrong.)

Misses:

desserts were meh -- pumpkin pie and apple-cranberry crisp (I should have bestirred myself and made my mom's pumpkin cheesecake.)

turkey -- the best part is the aroma as it cooks and then the presentation of the bird as it exits the oven -- does anyone really like eating it?

[Anonymous]

I did Alton Brown's turkey, but my wife made me stuff it, against my better judgment. Even after brining the breast came out very dry by the time the stuffing was done.

Never again.

[Anonymous]

Would not do another Whole Foods oven ready turkey. Got on because I can't stand to handle/prep meats. Not very breasty at all, so only enough white meat for about 4 very hungry to 6 light eaters. The dark meat was really greasy.
Will go back to Butterball next year and have to touch it.

[Anonymous]

Best turkey ever: Whole foods + brine + Bourbon (turns the turkey a reddish color) but DELICIOUS!
Gave each kid a side to be 100% responsible for cooking: excellent sides this year and relaxing.
Extra gravy from Whole foods for the children: the pan dripping are "sauce" not gravy to the kids.

Fail: The turkey cooks REALLY fast after brining. Saved by Alton Brown: turkey will be done in 2.5 hours
14 lb turkey from WF seems really small. Accurate weight?

[Anonymous]

Trader Joe's brand pumpkin pie - frozen, fully cooked. I removed from freezer, put on counter, and ready by the time the turkey was ready. Those who wanted a slice heated put theirs in the microwave. Very good. Better than any store bought I have bought before.

And best thing ~ Trader Joe's Pumpkin Ice Cream (not always available)

[Anonymous]

The turkey was not as moist as it usually is. I didn't do anything differently; not sure what the problem was. I also think there was a tad too much cinnamon in the apple pie, though it's still good.

The dressing was the best I've ever made. Ditto the pecan pie. The roasted green beans were also excellent. It's my favorite way to cook them.

Pumpkin pie and mashed sweet potatoes were very very good. Not the best ever, but consistent with previous years' quality.

I made corn pudding as an experiment - I'd never made it before. We really liked it! I'll definitely be adding it to the yearly menu.