apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I always look forward to my grandmother's T-giving dinner. But today what I am looking forward to is that my mom always asks if I have any food requests for the days surrounding t-giving. I requested a childhood favorite of strawberry pretzel jello. (base layer of crushed pretzles melted butter and sugar (blind baked) 2nd layer of cream cheese, whipped cream and sugar, 3rd layer strawberry jello (with whole strawberries in side).

This is my favorite home food! t-giving or not.

That sounds good Luke!!!

We are having a big thanksgiving with other people in our complex, we had our planning meeting on Saturday, this will be new for me as I have never had thanksgiving with anyone other then family. Very much looking forward to it if for no other reason then trying new things. For instance I am trying a new wild rice stuffing, hopefully it tastes good. I know people always say don't try new dishes at the holidays, but I thought I would break from the traditional cornbread stuffing for a change. One thing we all agreed on was that 'green bean caserole' wasn't a must for anyone!!!

Gobble! Gobble!

It's not Thanksgiving in my part of the world, but the cold weather makes me want to cook up a storm. For the last three Sundays, I've made a meaty stew: Hungarian goulash, coq au vin, beef stroganoff. I'm already trolling for an idea for the next one. Any suggestions? Family favourites?

michelle--i just had a west indian roti for lunch and was thinking the filling would make a great stew on its own or over rice--it had chicken, onions, chickpeas, potatoes, and diced tomatoes, seasoned with ginger and curry powder, and i'm pretty sure i tasted coconut milk in there. mmm.

...and come to think of it, i think THAT might be what we do with our turkey leftovers on friday!

MoM - afraid with all this turkey on the brain, I can't think of anything else! One item I'm planning on making with turkey leftovers is turkey and white bean chili though - that might hit the spot in cold, cold Montreal. Otherwise...mmm...osso bucco.

Back on that turkey note - my request to one guest was for her classic green bean casserole and candied yams w/ marshmallows. I can't help it - may not be gourmet but it's comforting and GOOD! I'm covering the turkey (brined), dressing (sausage & apple), mashed potatoes (classic warm milk & butter), roasted cauliflower (with applewood smoked bacon), brussels sprouts (sauteed with scallions and lime), and...I might get flamed here...canned cranberry jelly served sliced, straight from the can (I like it!). Dessert is pumpkin cheesecake.

I get the feeling there will be leftovers from my table of 7 - but that's the BEST part!

minipanda--osso bucco is an awesome idea. I've been meaning to try that out for a while. Thanks for the reminder.

And let me get this straight: green bean casserole with marshmallows? And that's not a gummy, sticky mess? Or is that the point?

MoM - hehehe...the marshmallows top a candied yam dish and it is indeed a gummy sticky mess! and I'm afraid, that is the point!

The green bean casserole is topped with the traditional can of fried onions.

No wonder why us folk in the U.S. are thought to be insane in other parts of the world...the things we come up with that become tradition! Geesh! (and I love every bit of it - good ol' first generation Japanese gal that I am!)

Yummy Candied Yams, with mini marshmallows on top, so good minipanda, that was definitely one thing that will be at my Thanksgiving!!! Sadly it was one of the last things we thought of on Saturday Night, we were all sitting around getting ready to call it a night when someone said wait who's doing the yams!?!

Jellied cranberry from the can cut to match the indentations on it, nothing better;)

a few years ago i found a recipe for a classy green bean casserole that had fried shallots on top, and the sauce was made with wild mushrooms and creme fraiche
it took me FOREVER To make, but OH. MY. GOD. was it good!
since then i've seen other variations on it, but i always know they're not the same one b/c the one i made called for hot paprika in the cream sauce
i found it once, but lost it again... if anyone ever places a finger on it (the recipe) i'll be eternally grateful!

I'm hosting a post-thanksgiving Fakesgiving...any idea of where to get a fresh turkey in Brooklyn for Dec 2nd? It's unclear if Freshdirect will be able to deliver them or not-- does anyone have a butcher to recommend who might order one for a non-holiday?

One thing I love about thanksgiving at my grandparent's house is that on Thanksgiving morning my grandfather goes turkey hunting. Nana won't cook the wild turkey, but popop goes on his traditional turkey hunt. It brings Thanksgiving so much closer than the sanitized butterball thanksgiving just to know that he is out there with his turkey call gobbling away on turkey day. One year we had two turkeys 1) butterball 2) Deep fried Wild turkey. Its not thanksgiving untill my grandfather walks up to the front door with a turkey neck in his hands!

minipanda -- what's your pumpkin cheesecake recipe? i'm thinking of making on this year but can't settle on a recipe.

k - the pumpkin cheesecake recipe i use is one from epicurious (click my name for the link).

I picked it because it seemed the simplest. I am not much of a baker but the epicurious recipe worked well for me - seemed a bit "unset" when i first pulled it out of the oven but firmed right up overnight in the refrigerator. I followed the recipe exactly; used the water bath method and had a perfect golden top - no cracks (although a bit lopsided due to funny oven racks in my old apartment).

Thanks for making me look it up for the link! I just realized I forgot to buy whipping cream at the grocery last night!

Is this the recipe? I "borrowed" it from Food & Wine Magazine:

Green Beans with Cremini Mushroom Sauce
MAKE-AHEAD
SERVES: 10

1 pound shallots, thinly sliced
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
Salt
2 1/2 pounds green beans
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound cremini mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced
2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1/2 cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


Directions
On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the shallots with 1/3 cup of the flour; shake off any excess flour. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of oil until shimmering. Add the shallots in 2 batches and fry over moderate heat until very crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels, then sprinkle with salt.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the beans until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water; drain and pat dry.

Melt the butter in a large, enameled cast-iron casserole. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, cayenne and a large pinch of pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the mushrooms, cover and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour and gradually stir in the stock until smooth.

Simmer the mushroom sauce over low heat, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche, lemon juice and beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large glass or ceramic baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Cover the casserole with foil and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Uncover, scatter the shallots on top and serve.

wow, luke, turkey hunting? good for him!

i just wanted to update: my oven door is fixed! it popped open one day. apparently, one spring had already broken, and when the other snapped, the door fell open. my husband pulled the stove out, pulled off the sides, and got out the two large springs. then he bend new hooks on the ends and put them back into place. easy peasy...er, for him, anyway. i have been baking non-stop since!

mfm -- good to hear that you're back up and running again. So nice to have a handy hubby. I just wonder how these springs just up and break themselves...

holy crap Verily! You're my new best friend ;-)

so i only found out late last night that my folks aren't forcing me to go home for t-giving for the first time ever in my 30-some-odd years on this planet!

now i have to decide what to make, totally last minute for me and my boyfriend
he insists we do something other than turkey, and is hinting heavily that he'd like short ribs
anyone have any other ideas?

Alls that I know is that I MUST make the pecan and salt caramel cheesecake from over at Chow.com (http://www.chow.com/recipes/10673). It's pretty much all my favorite things in one melty dish. Mmm...

Michelle of Montreal, what about potato-leek soup with chunks of ham? Might be nice change from the heavier stews if you're getting bored.

Ann, what about pumpkin lasagna for a non-turkey Thanksgiving twist? There's a recipe over at the Seasonal Cook: http://seasonalcook.blogspot.com/2006/10/pumpkin-lasagne-evolution-of-dish.html

Oh boy oh boy, I LOVE this time of year!

Ann - what about a stuffed pork roast?

Out of curiosity, what music will y'all be listening to while working away at this cooking marathon we call Thanksgiving?

I'm thinking I'm going to start my baking today with some Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - good tempo, but keeping it calm and relaxed.

Ann-
The Balthazar Cookbook has the BEST short rib recipe...It's a timely recipe but it is definitely worth it. Make sure to get the best cut of ribs available!

Braised short ribs Balthazar


3 tablespoon Vegetable oil*
6 pounds Short ribs
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Carrots; chopped
2 Stalks celery; chopped
2 medium Onions; chopped
6 Shallots; peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon Tomato paste
3 tablespoon Flour
½ cup Ruby port wine
4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 Head garlic; halved crosswise
1 Boquet garni*
4 cup Veal stock

*To make the bouquet garni, bunch rosemary, parsley thyme, and bay leaves together and tie the bundle with kitchen string.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Tie each short rib with kitchen string, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and brown short ribs on each side.

Remove short ribs, and cook carrots, celery, onions, and shallots until onions and shallots turn golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add tomato paste and flour, and cook 2 to 3 minutes.

Return short ribs to the pot, and deglaze with port and red wine. Cook until wine is reduced by two-thirds.

Add garlic, bouquet garni, and stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven for 3 hours, until meat is fork-tender.

Transfer short ribs to large platter. Strain sauce through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a medium-size saucepan.

Reduce sauce over medium heat until it thickens to a gravylike consistency.

Adjust seasoning, spoon sauce over short ribs, and serve.