The Swamp

I assume we're like the majority here by staying home and cooking for the immediate family but I still kinda want to go all out. Full sized turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and parker house rolls are the definites. Thinking maybe mac and cheese for the secondary main that the kids will be into and then I need something green, preferably with acidity. Something with green beans and tomatoes might draw the kids in but I'm also getting some direct pressure for brussels, which I could do shaved with a vinaigrette or something. Then a fucking pie because its been too long since I've done a scratch pie. Who else is in as the main/solo cook this year and (crowd anticipates beloved catch-phrase) "what the fuck is on your menu?"

mister d wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 7:30 pm I assume we're like the majority here by staying home and cooking for the immediate family but I still kinda want to go all out. Full sized turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and parker house rolls are the definites. Thinking maybe mac and cheese for the secondary main that the kids will be into and then I need something green, preferably with acidity. Something with green beans and tomatoes might draw the kids in but I'm also getting some direct pressure for brussels, which I could do shaved with a vinaigrette or something. Then a fucking pie because its been too long since I've done a scratch pie. Who else is in as the main/solo cook this year and (crowd anticipates beloved catch-phrase) "what the fuck is on your menu?"

I'm the main cook. We usually have 15, so I was planning on ramping down production, but my wife or kids each individually insisted on every dish, so I'm trying to figure it out. My mother usually brings a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows that the kids all love, so I might have to make that, too. I always make a broccoli dish that my in-laws love, so I'm thinking I'll drop a batch off at their house. They are over the top with the COVID precautions and I'm worried about their mental health, so I'm thinking I'll make them the sweet potatoes too, maybe even deliver a full meal.

For the second straight year I'm not "home" and I'll eat whatever's served at the chow hall.

Johnnie wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 7:53 pm For the second straight year I'm not "home" and I'll eat whatever's served at the chow hall.

Don’t forget to thank them for their service.

Solo Thanksgiving cooker, which is a role I’ve enjoyed since I got married. Usually we have less than five people, but it’s only going to be Mrs. Sabo and me this year. Still planning to do a turkey, mashed potatoes, sausage cornbread stuffing, rolls, sautéed Swiss chard and a pumpkin pie.

Second year in a row I'm ordering pizza. My wife was out of the country during last year's holiday; she's a vegetarian so she's making a few sides she likes this year and that's it. Thanksgiving food has never been one of my favorites.

besides the years i was working in Tanzania, this will be the first thanksgiving i miss w my family (parents, sibs, etc). i've done the bulk of the cooking for the big meal for over 20 years now -- as we aren't traveling down (those were not great phone/skype calls) i emailed my recipes to my niece who turns 18 this year.. past few years she's been shadowing in the kitchen (well, w phone in hand who knows how much she actually paid attention)

mrs el flaco doesn't want a big turkey here at home.. after all its just the three of us and the dog..

can't find small birds.. may do a smaller version .. maybe cornish hens? homemade green bean casserole (nothing canned), sweet mashed potatoes. unsure of the suffing or other sides.
and whiskey. there's always whiskey.
i know its the right thing but damn its dusty in here.

elflaco2 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:27 ammrs el flaco doesn't want a big turkey here at home.. after all its just the three of us and the dog..

You can do a lot with a small turkey. Get the smallest turkey you can and roast accordingly. Carve off one side of the breast and put it in the freezer or thinly slice it for turkey sandwiches. Use the rest for Thanksgiving dinner and making turkey pot pies. Make turkey stock from the carcass.

Just the four of us (and Gus). I'm pretty sure this is the first time I haven't been with my parents (we settled on Thanksgiving with my family and Christmas Eve with hers pretty early on but we can't remember if there was one year where we bucked that).

We've only ever hosted once, and my mom did most of the cooking. I usually cook on Christmas Day, but just a turkey breast. So I bought a larger rack so I can do a whole turkey next week. Mashed potatoes and green bean casserole (a must for my wife) are being made. I might look to do something different with the stuffing. My wife and maybe the kids are going to make a pumpkin pie and ginger snaps. Beer. Might need a nap to make it to the PIT/BAL game that night. Would have been nice to watch that game with the whole family.

elflaco2 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:27 ami know its the right thing but damn its dusty in here.

Yeah, I feel bad for the kids missing stuff but this is the only holiday I personally care about being stuck home.

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:06 am

elflaco2 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:27 ami know its the right thing but damn its dusty in here.

Yeah, I feel bad for the kids missing stuff but this is the only holiday I personally care about being stuck home.

all the cousins spend enough time online together -- when they were younger it was better i think

i'll miss it. because of travel and obligations we don't travel south as much as we used to -- usually go down wed.. do all the shopping on wed night w my siblings, do prep work and drink and hang late on wed. start cooking early thurs, drink all day, hang out all day -- the whole family gets involved.. then the rest show up.. two large tables.. football and nap after.. friday usually hang out -- saturday always have dinner w HS and college friends in dc/md/nova -- sunday go home. xmas isn't quite the same as i want down and back up and i usually work that week (and my bday is post xmas)..

we'll plan some big zoom thing i guess.

COVID means I don't have to have my sister and her family over, so there's the only silver lining to all of this COVID bullshit. My mom will be here, which is all that matters to me personally. Turkey, honey baked ham, sweet potatoes, roasted veggies (sprouts, asparagus, carrots), wife doctor's up some stuffing with apples and onions, green bean casserole (gross, but wife loves it), my mom and my kids are into baking challah and it is delicious, I hope that makes an appearance. Dessert will be a pie of some sort so there must be ice cream involved. There will be wine for mom and Tito's for me.

That would be "Thanksgiving in a Box" this year. From Eddie's. Keeping it to seven - Jen's Dad and my Mom rounding out the core 5. Will be doing it on the patio outside as looks like it will be mid to upper 50s. Also, Jen, Q and I getting Covid tests later this week just to make sure we are clear before the day.

My BIL that works with the Public Health Service shutdown T'giving and I'm annoyed. My family has been very safe, and even when the daughter went to College Park, she got a negative test back later that week. My MIL, FIL and youngest BIL have been living like hermits from jump street. There's no reason we can't have an outdoor gathering. Hell, I'm not even worried about being indoors with this group.

So, we are going to cook two birds (deep frying one) and pretty much cook for 7, just excluding the 3 that are opting out.

We always host, but my wife's mother usually does the bird and stuffing, so we will have to work from the family recipe and hold it down.

* Two turkeys (one deep-fried)
* Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy
* Sauteed mushrooms in wine and cream sauce (my specialty)
* Green bean casserole
* Mac and cheese
* Corn (niblets)
* Rolls
* Cranberry something

Only thing I think we might get rid of is sweet potatoes and my wife makes this jello thing with walnuts that no one ever eats.

We will back up a bunch of leftovers and bring them over to the in laws if the weather sucks or they just don't want to deal with in-person. But you can't stop me from cooking this food, dammit.

It will be just my and the GF this year, so we'll do the scaled back Thanksgiving dinner. Going to do the smallest turkey we can find...and then all the other stuff, just less of it. And then we'll take a bunch over to Kelsey (her autistic daughter) to eat with her care-givers, since we can't have her over.

Will there be beer/wine/whiskey? Oh yes, there will.

And of course, "The Last Waltz" on the TV.

Sabo wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 8:50 pm Solo Thanksgiving cooker, which is a role I’ve enjoyed since I got married. Usually we have less than five people, but it’s only going to be Mrs. Sabo and me this year. Still planning to do a turkey, mashed potatoes, sausage cornbread stuffing, rolls, sautéed Swiss chard and a pumpkin pie.

Could you send me a recipe for the chard? Love to saute leafy greens...

Pruitt wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 11:53 am

Sabo wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 8:50 pm Solo Thanksgiving cooker, which is a role I’ve enjoyed since I got married. Usually we have less than five people, but it’s only going to be Mrs. Sabo and me this year. Still planning to do a turkey, mashed potatoes, sausage cornbread stuffing, rolls, sautéed Swiss chard and a pumpkin pie.

Could you send me a recipe for the chard? Love to saute leafy greens...

I don't have a recipe for it per se, but this is what I do:

1. Julienne one medium onion and mince one bulb of garlic.
2. Get a bunch of chard and rip the leaves off the stem. Cut or tear the leaves into strips.
3. Melt two tablespoons of bacon fat over medium heat. If you eat kosher, obviously switch this with another oil.
4. Add onion and garlic to heated pan and saute for a minute.
5. Add chard leaves to pan and saute until cooked to desired doneness.

I like to add a splash of vinegar to the chard right before serving, but that's up to you.

Big yes on the vinegar (and/or worcestershire) but make sure your wife isn't in the room or close enough to smell the vinegar because then she's going to say there's too much which she wouldn't say if you put in the exact same amount but without her around.

Nice! Thanks for the recipe.

Doing the turkey myself for the first time ever. It's just the four of us though. In-laws live 10 min away, but we have distanced ourselves in order to give the kids some type of normalcy with soccer and school.

For christmas we will pull them from all activities and remote school only for two weeks. Goal is to spend the break with the the wife's family.

All this in attempt to give the kids a decent holiday. Definitely dusty mixed with a bit of anger.

we are getting a range/oven as part of the basement kitchen and if it's delivered in time for thanksgiving I may air fry the turkey in it

anyone done that? it's the only way I cook chicken any longer

Like using the convection?

Just my wife, daughter, and wife’s sister. I’m a traditionalist, but the wife and daughter want to switch the main from turkey to a roast beef (with mushroom gravy). So, that’s the plan and im cool with it.

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 5:53 pm Like using the convection?

yeah, but new convection ovens also have an air fryer setting which is apparently different but also similar

Mrs. Sabo and I talked about our Thanksgiving plans over dinner tonight, and we decided since 2020 is such an unconventional year, we're going to have an unconventional Thanksgiving meal. Instead of turkey and all that, we're going to do a Hawaiian-style dinner with kalua pork, yams, fried rice, tropical fruit salad and more POG than I can probably drink in a week. Still need to figure out dessert, and I might just cheat and do a sweet potato pie instead of a pumpkin pie.

Sabo wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:27 pm Mrs. Sabo and I talked about our Thanksgiving plans over dinner tonight, and we decided since 2020 is such an unconventional year, we're going to have an unconventional Thanksgiving meal. Instead of turkey and all that, we're going to do a Hawaiian-style dinner with kalua pork, yams, fried rice, tropical fruit salad and more POG than I can probably drink in a week. Still need to figure out dessert, and I might just cheat and do a sweet potato pie instead of a pumpkin pie.

Um. Pineapple upside down cake?

No spam?

Sabo wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:27 pm Mrs. Sabo and I talked about our Thanksgiving plans over dinner tonight, and we decided since 2020 is such an unconventional year, we're going to have an unconventional Thanksgiving meal. Instead of turkey and all that, we're going to do a Hawaiian-style dinner with kalua pork, yams, fried rice, tropical fruit salad and more POG than I can probably drink in a week. Still need to figure out dessert, and I might just cheat and do a sweet potato pie instead of a pumpkin pie.

Will there be a dressing on the fruit salad?

bfj wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:44 pm

Sabo wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:27 pm Mrs. Sabo and I talked about our Thanksgiving plans over dinner tonight, and we decided since 2020 is such an unconventional year, we're going to have an unconventional Thanksgiving meal. Instead of turkey and all that, we're going to do a Hawaiian-style dinner with kalua pork, yams, fried rice, tropical fruit salad and more POG than I can probably drink in a week. Still need to figure out dessert, and I might just cheat and do a sweet potato pie instead of a pumpkin pie.

Will there be a dressing on the fruit salad?

He lives in Ohio...has to be mayonnaise.

duff wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 7:27 pmNo spam?

Right? Spam Musubi would be awesome.

Along with some Loco Moco.

Johnnie wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 10:20 pm Along with some Loco Moco.

Loco Moco is great.

duff wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 7:27 pmNo spam?

I’m trying to think of a way to incorporate Spam in this meal. Currently leaning toward Spam fried rice.

And GoodKarma is correct.

COVID completely taking over a major city and miles-long lines for food in another, and this is what my fuckstick of a senator tweets.

Giff wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 9:32 am COVID completely taking over a major city and miles-long lines for food in another, and this is what my fuckstick of a senator tweets.

Sounds right. I saw an article that the National Guard was called into (San Antonio I think) to help because the morgue was overrun and couldn't handle the overflow of corpses. But yes, let's attack the people trying to slow the spread of a pandemic.

El Paso. The mayor tried to impose lockdowns, but was thwarted by Abbott and Paxson (our AG who's spent his entire term under indictment and now has whistleblowers accusing him of abusing his position).

Decided to go off the reservation (cancel me) with the stuffing since I never make it and in addition to tossing a carrot in with the celery and onion I was going to add sausage and cranberries. My wife got wind of this when she asked what the carrots I was dicing were for and all of a sudden became a conservative so we compromised and the carrots and sausage stayed and the berries were out but I hope it turns out well.

So, our plan changed in a weird way. My wife's sister is coming down from SF, so everybody wanted to do it outdoors. But, early enough to keep warm outside is too early for big meal. So, we are doing a Thanksgiving brunch with her, instead. I will be needing drinks, soon.

Johnnie wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 5:07 pm

He's gonna fuck that turkey

I’m not totally sure how, but while breaking down the remaining turkey carcass for stock a tiny bone slid under the top of my thumbnail and came out clean along the side. It hurt real bad and I loudly said some words that rhyme with “fuck”.