Thanksgiving menu?

[AA0CX]

I'll do like I usually do: Turkey breast, homemade dressing (in a crockpot, onion, celery, salt and pepper and chicken broth) mashed taters, gravy, pumpkin OR mincemeat pie, special salad my late mom would always fix for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and a glass or two of Bailey's after dinner. An evening in front of the fireplace, maybe some ham radio if I'm not blitzed, and later "A Christmas Story" on tv if I can find it.

[KG4CGC]

A little curry goes a long way

Singapore Chow Mai Phun:

• 1 (6 ounce) package skinny rice noodles (py mai phun)
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil, divided
• 1 large egg, beaten lightly
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut in strips
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 -5 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced (I used 8 more oz of shrimp, you could also use cubed tofu)
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup sliced green onion (1-inch slices)
• 1/2 lb snow peas, sliced thinly
• 1/2 lb mung bean sprouts

Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

1. 1 Cook rice noodles according to package directions, leaving out any fat or salt that may be called for.
2. 2 Combine broth, soy sauce, sugar and salt, and stir together till sugar dissolves.
3. 3 Heat large nonstick skillet over med-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray.
4. 4 Add 1 tsp oil.
5. 5 Add egg; stir-fry 30 seconds or until soft-scrambled, stirring constantly.
6. 6 Remove from pan, and set aside.
7. 7 Wipe down pan with cloth or paper towel.
8. 8 Heat remaining oil (about 2 tsp) in pan over med-high heat.
9. 9 Add bell pepper, ginger, red pepper, and garlic; stir-fry 15 seconds.
10. 10 Add snow peas, bean sprouts, curry, and shrimp; stir fry two or three minutes, until shrimp is nearly done.
11. 11 Stir in egg, noodles and broth mixture; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.
12. 12 Sprinkle with green onions.

[W3MIV]

I am still juggling the "guest" list, so do not yet know the final number of vandals and visigoths from the xyl's family who are planning to descend upon me. Generally, I do the turkey with *my* traditional stuffing; mashed whites, mashed yams (sweetened); sauerkraut (something Billhelm will understand -- it's a regional thing) and either green beans or mixed greens done "Suthron." I make a real gravy from scratch, which the v and v gobble in gallons, and finish with some real pumpkin pies if I feel like making the crust -- which is a sweetened mix containing real butter, soft flour and both buttermilk and cornmeal (don't laugh, it's the best pie crust I have ever tasted!).

I don't mind the cooking; I luv the eating. The PITA is rolling up the newspapers I spread under the dining table after the meal.

In-laws! Who needs 'em?

[kc7jty]

sauerkraut (something Billhelm will understand -- it's a regional thing)

Sorry, I'm lost on this one. Most exotic turkey stuffing ingredient I ever heard of was oysters that this black family I knew always used on Turkey Day.
I would always hang around with big smiles that time of year hoping to get an invite but it never materialized.
Friend of mine had to marry the daughter to get any of that oyster stuffing.

[W3MIV]

Sorry, I'm lost on this one.

I'm surprised. It is not used as a stuffing, but as a normal side for Thanksgiving. The tradition invaded Maryland from Pennsylvania, crossing the M-D Line sometime before the Revolution. My Virginia-born xyl thinks it a primitive Yanqui peculiarity, ergo I balance it with some mixed greens (collard, kale and turnip) or green beans simmered for six months (or so it seems) with ham hocks or smoked neck bones.

[kc7jty]

I'm surprised. It is not used as a stuffing, but as a normal side for Thanksgiving. The tradition invaded Maryland from Pennsylvania, crossing the M-D Line sometime before the Revolution. My Virginia-born xyl thinks it a primitive Yanqui peculiarity, ergo I balance it with some mixed greens (collard, kale and turnip) or green beans simmered for six months (or so it seems) with ham hocks or smoked neck bones.

Collards & ham hocks done right are divine, as are Chinese mustard greens with oyster sauce.
How big is scrapple there? That's a Pennsylvania "Dutch" thing. This old couple I knew from the dutchy country called it "Panhouse."

My mother always made scrapple. The right way. I later came to find about 90% of Philadelphia scrapple lovers don't have a clue how to make it right.

Ma also made sauerkraut with pork in the pressure cooker. I took some left overs, that I made, to work once and gave this snobby German woman some.
Real gruff as she tried it for she knew it wouldn't be good. I was standing next and slightly behind her as she sat. I'll never forget, with a real surprised look she turns to me and says "This is really good!"

Maybe some spice in the kraut, and with pork, sausage, or old fashioned franks, mashed taters, and beer. That's it!

[KG4CGC]

Collards & ham hocks done right are divine, as are Chinese mustard greens with oyster sauce.
How big is scrapple there? That's a Pennsylvania "Dutch" thing. This old couple I knew from the dutchy country called it "Panhouse."

My mother always made scrapple. The right way. I later came to find about 90% of Philadelphia scrapple lovers don't have a clue how to make it right.

The mention of scrapple reminded me that I am only an hour or so drive away from the liver mush capital of the US.

[kc7jty]

Pie dough:
Flour
salt
water
leaf lard

[W3MIV]

Pie dough:
Flour
salt
water
leaf lard

Yup, that's the traditional recipe -- and it's a good one. Many object to all lard as shortening (for some strange reason lard has gotten a bad rap in some circles), so I used to try to find the cheap brands of vegetable shortening that contain some animal fat; now I will use sweet or salted butter (but not oleo). I have even tried bacon drippings once to make a pot-pie crust. It had a pronounced flavor, and handled like an oil crust -- which I don't particularly like.

For fruit pies, I prefer to use "soft" or cake flour (1 3/4c), corn meal (1/4c), 2-3 tbs sugar, one stick butter, 1/2 tsp salt and substitute buttermilk for the water -- generally around 1/3c more or less depending upon the amount of moisture in the flour. I use a Cuisinart to cut in frozen butter. Don't overwork it, of course; ball it in wax paper, and let it rest in the fridge for about thirty minutes prior to rolling. If you can find it, sprinkle the top crust with turbinado to finish.

You can use all-purpose flour (and I often have to), but the crust will not be quite so short as with soft flour -- gluten is the enemy of a good pie crust. I luv short pie crust. I use a stone-ground corn meal that a friend in Louisiana sends me when she has hers ground locally; it is very moist (unlike the stuff in the round paper box). The buttermilk I make up from a commercial powder since small quantities of buttermilk are hard to find hereabouts, and I would not drink the stuff if you held a gun to my temple.

Try it, Billhelm, be adventuresome; you might like this crust.

[kc7jty]

Try it, Billhelm, be adventuresome; you might like this crust.

The buttermilk sounds interesting. Plenty of store packaged buttermilk here for making biscuits.
It was a friend's wife here that sold me on the pie dough. She was from rural Indiana and baked all the pies (from scratch) for a local restaurant.
Super good all. She told me a real pie NEVER uses sweetener in the dough. There should be a contrast between the tart, flaky dough and the sweetness of the filling.

Often lard has a heavy, piggy, farmyard characteristic to it that turns people off. That and the fact it's animal fat. Quality leaf lard has no off flavors.