THE REAL Thanksgiving Food Thread 2021

[Anonymous]

Should I try a smoked turkey this year? Just saw they're offering that at the farm where I'm ordering. I've never had one. Will it just taste like lunchmeat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s do this. I want it all. I want boring questions about food prep, I want “this is the best recipe ever” links, and I want your flouting-traditions menus AND your embracing-traditions menus.

I want people to start fights over what appetizers are “trashy” and which ones “set the right tone.”

I want people to tell people who do a wet brine that they are absurd, and that dry brining is the only way to go.

And finally, I want people to praise Tante Marie’s sage advice:

I see what you did there. Very good.

Also-thanks for introducing me this cook- love her!

OP here. Thank you for getting it, and enjoy! Tante Marie really did get me through my first two Thanksgiving when I still gave a sh*t about dry brining and such. I now have the whole thing down pat, and like to mix in a few new things. But you can bet I’m starting, as she suggests, with pink champagne!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've tried all the recipes and I can never get that crispy, golden brown turkey skin. Just one year I want to have that amazing turkey photo for my Instagram!

Lots of butter on and under the skin. If its done, but still not brown…broil it quickly with more butter. Just keep an eye so it doesn’t burn.

Then take out and let rest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s do this. I want it all. I want boring questions about food prep, I want “this is the best recipe ever” links, and I want your flouting-traditions menus AND your embracing-traditions menus.

I want people to start fights over what appetizers are “trashy” and which ones “set the right tone.”

I want people to tell people who do a wet brine that they are absurd, and that dry brining is the only way to go.

And finally, I want people to praise Tante Marie’s sage advice:

I see what you did there. Very good.

Also-thanks for introducing me this cook- love her!

OP here. Thank you for getting it, and enjoy! Tante Marie really did get me through my first two Thanksgiving when I still gave a sh*t about dry brining and such. I now have the whole thing down pat, and like to mix in a few new things. But you can bet I’m starting, as she suggests, with pink champagne!

Use regular champagne with a spoonful of cranberry sauce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vegan side/main suggestions? We have two vegan guests coming. Thanks!

Roasted root vegetables.

1 inch pieces of beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips..any combination any color variation. Whole head of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled. Toss all olive oil, salt, pepper, a couple springs of herbs and splash of balsamic. Bake 425-450 until well roasted but not burnt. Makes tons of steam, careful when opening oven

I make a hash with butternut and turnip. so good

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Should I try a smoked turkey this year? Just saw they're offering that at the farm where I'm ordering. I've never had one. Will it just taste like lunchmeat?

Which farm? I love smoked turkey and really don't want to roast or smoke one this year. I guess it's a bit like luncmeat, but a totally different texture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s THE best stuffing? Cornbread? Chestnut? Oyster? sausage?

Chestnut and pancetta! It's a Giada de Laurentis recipe -- she is so annoying but the recipe is goooooood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Foreigner here who has no emotional attachment to any traditional Thanksgiving food but loves the gratitude concept of this special day.

Etiquette question:
If we invite Americans for Thanksgiving, would it be disappointing-to-offensive (pick a level) to serve a different menu? Would they need advance warning?

Menu question:
And if we did serve a non-traditional menu, what substitutions that would be more acceptable than others?

It's as offensive as a Christian serving a Seder and not serving the typical foods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if you have houseguests or just people coming over to spend the day, what appetizers/snacks to serve to tide people over until the big meal at 5 or 6?

I spend pretty much the whole day making the Thanksgiving feast so need something that requires minimal prep. Oven and stovetop will already be in use.

Growing up and with my in laws we basically have cold sandwich fixings, cheese and crackers, olives, and fruit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've tried all the recipes and I can never get that crispy, golden brown turkey skin. Just one year I want to have that amazing turkey photo for my Instagram!

Lots of butter on and under the skin. If its done, but still not brown…broil it quickly with more butter. Just keep an eye so it doesn’t burn.

Then take out and let rest.

Agree on the butter. But I also dry brine starting on Tuesday night. Warning, though, butter does make it very likely you'll get uneven color (Alton Brown once explained why on one of the Food Network cooking marathons, but I don't remember the reason). So only sort of Instagram picture worthy...though since I figured out the dry-brine + butter combo mine always looks pretty enough I send mine out every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if you have houseguests or just people coming over to spend the day, what appetizers/snacks to serve to tide people over until the big meal at 5 or 6?

I spend pretty much the whole day making the Thanksgiving feast so need something that requires minimal prep. Oven and stovetop will already be in use.

Spiced nuts
Cheese and crackers and maybe a nice jam to go with them
olives
mini quiches (bought frozen, heated up in a toaster oven)
crudité
bruschetta (can buy store bought from the olive bar and just set out with a baguette, knife for the bread and spoon)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Foreigner here who has no emotional attachment to any traditional Thanksgiving food but loves the gratitude concept of this special day.

Etiquette question:
If we invite Americans for Thanksgiving, would it be disappointing-to-offensive (pick a level) to serve a different menu? Would they need advance warning?

Menu question:
And if we did serve a non-traditional menu, what substitutions that would be more acceptable than others?

It's as offensive as a Christian serving a Seder and not serving the typical foods.

+1

I am glad you like the idea of giving thanks, but it really is a special US holiday. I have hosted foreigners but would not want to go to your house for a lovely meal that does not reflect our traditions on this particular holiday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Foreigner here who has no emotional attachment to any traditional Thanksgiving food but loves the gratitude concept of this special day.

Etiquette question:
If we invite Americans for Thanksgiving, would it be disappointing-to-offensive (pick a level) to serve a different menu? Would they need advance warning?

Menu question:
And if we did serve a non-traditional menu, what substitutions that would be more acceptable than others?

It's as offensive as a Christian serving a Seder and not serving the typical foods.

+1

I am glad you like the idea of giving thanks, but it really is a special US holiday. I have hosted foreigners but would not want to go to your house for a lovely meal that does not reflect our traditions on this particular holiday.

Holy xenophobia. Thanksgiving is literally about IMMIGRANT colonizers and gratitude. And there are a bazillion threads in this forum about white people who “don’t like turkey so we’re doing Chinese this year”. If you want to cook a lovely meal and invite people that is what Thanksgiving is. Yes, let people know it won’t be turkey because you are GIVING THANKS in a way you know best to do it and they will be touched by the gesture.
I love my Thanksgiving favorites, and dh’s family does it totally differently. So I make a few dishes if my own w a turkey breast and enjoy leftover week at home. It will be totally fine, pp.

[Anonymous]

I am bringing Thanksgiving dinner to my elderly mom’s house this weekend - about 10 of us. She lives 35 minutes away, and I should be there at least an hour before we eat. What to do with the darn turkey? Fully cook at home and reheat? Spatchcock it and go earlier than I’d like and cook there? Can I bring it up to 140degrees or so and then wrap it up for the drive and then finish cooking there? What would you do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am bringing Thanksgiving dinner to my elderly mom’s house this weekend - about 10 of us. She lives 35 minutes away, and I should be there at least an hour before we eat. What to do with the darn turkey? Fully cook at home and reheat? Spatchcock it and go earlier than I’d like and cook there? Can I bring it up to 140degrees or so and then wrap it up for the drive and then finish cooking there? What would you do?

Finish it completely at your house. The turkey needs thirty minutes to rest anyways. The other thing you could do is go cook at your moms house.