Happy Thanksgiving to The Lounge

[Sabra]

What is your favorite Thanksgiving Dish?

I will freely admit that neither Gabe nor I care much for turkey, so usually, when it was just we two, I would make spaghetti.

Now the the kids here, it's back to the traditional meal!

I'm all about the mashed potatoes with gravy!

[--Pete]

Hi,

What is your favorite Thanksgiving Dish?

Chimichanga, couple of egg rolls, medium taco sauce, sweet hot mustard (my own special creation which I've dubbed "The Cheech and Chong"). Finish it off with a cup of tea and a pair of amaretto cookies.

Sue's a couple of hundred miles away, so that's the lunch time menu. I'm not up for long term planning, so dinner's still unknown.

Frankly, pumpkin pie is the only thanksgiving related food I really like. Most of the rest is OK but a bit on the bland side. As you might gather from the above, I like food that bites back.

--Pete

[weakwarrior]

Most of the rest [of thanksgiving food] is OK but a bit on the bland side.

I have to agree. The best turkey is one that isn't dry, and that's rare. After that there's still not much flavor. In my opinion, if the chef is really good your turkey won't taste much worse than chicken.

[Sabra]

Most of the rest [of thanksgiving food] is OK but a bit on the bland side.

I have to agree. The best turkey is one that isn't dry, and that's rare. After that there's still not much flavor. In my opinion, if the chef is really good your turkey won't taste much worse than chicken.

Well, here you go, Fellow Turkey Disliker. The secret to a juicy turkey is brining.

Sorenson's Brine
(My maternal grandmother's family recipe)

Ingredients
1 gallon vegetable broth
1 cup sea salt or Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried sage (I do not add the sage.)
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried savory
1 gallon ice water

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, combine the vegetable broth, salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.

2. When the broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean 5 gallon bucket. Stir in the ice water. (Important to note that if you use a bucket, it has to be made of food grade plastic. Some people use plastic bags for this step, but again, the plastic has to be food grade. I use this huge roaster pan I have. This recipe is from the early 1900s so their buckets were either tin or wooden.)

3. Remove the innards. Wash and dry your turkey. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the container in the refrigerator overnight. (Original recipe reads "basement" not fridge - pretty cold down there in the Minnesota winter.)

4.Remove the turkey carefully draining off the excess brine and pat dry. Discard excess brine. Do not wash the turkey after brining.

Cook the turkey as desired. You can use the drippings for gravy just as one normally would. Brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster so watch the temperature gauge.

[--Pete]

Hi,

I posted this on another forum, but realized that many of the friends and acquaintances I mentioned are here in the Lounge -- so here it is:

---

I'm thankful most of all for Sue. She's made it all worth while.

I'm thankful for an unnamed German who was willing to endure discomfort and inconvenience for a complete stranger, asking nothing in return.

I'm thankful for my friends and acquaintances, both those I've met in person and those I hope to meet someday.

I'm thankful for living in a place and at a time where not only the necessities, but also many luxuries often are taken for granted. (But, perhaps, too often).

I'm thankful for a life that, while I couldn't always do what I enjoyed, I always enjoyed what I had to do.

I'm thankful that my sense of humor (such as it is) has survived. It came close to being voted off the island a number of times.

I'm thankful for the cats I have now, all the cats, dogs, birds, fish, and other pets I've had over the years. Some people claim that man is only an animal. They're wrong. Only the best people come close to being as faithful, honest, and content as is an animal -- we've got a long way to go.

Finally, I'm thankful that my cable company carries CBUT. They've occasionally time shifted Jeopardy! (and that's what TiVo is for -- and I'm thankful for that too), but they never seem to preempt it entirely.

So, A happy thanksgiving to all my fellow USers.

And a happy second thanksgiving to all you clever folks north of the 49th, eh?

---

--Pete

[DeeBye]

And a happy second thanksgiving to all you clever folks north of the 49th, eh?

Pete called me clever!

Happy Thanksgiving

[Jester]

Well, here you go, Fellow Turkey Disliker. The secret to a juicy turkey is brining.

This is as true as truth gets.

Looks like a good brine recipe, too. Thanks!

(Funny story - I once left the innards in by accident... then, when I realized I had brined turkey liver, I patted it dry and seared it off. I don't much like liver, but that was downright awesome.)

-Jester

[Taem]

Most of the rest [of thanksgiving food] is OK but a bit on the bland side.

I have to agree. The best turkey is one that isn't dry, and that's rare. After that there's still not much flavor. In my opinion, if the chef is really good your turkey won't taste much worse than chicken.

Alright, I have to respond to this! I purchased a turkey from Costco at 15-lbs for a mere 11-dollars last week; my first turkey every bought and cooked by myself! I never use cook books - the internet is my cookbook - so while sifting through comments of do's and don'ts, I came across a lot of negatives about making turkey, "too dry," "overcooked," "undercooked," "unseasoned," etc. This made me naturally apprehensive about undertaking such a task in my meager kitchen, but rest assured, I would not rest until it was complete. I then took inventory of what I had to cook the turkey in; almost every recipe I saw called for covered pans, basters, slow cookers, or deep fryers. I had none of those and had to settle for a mere cookie sheet! Low and behold, the magical internet provided me with instructions for using a cooking sheet (and tin foil) to cook a turkey. I did so following such instructions and using a conglomerate of what I felt were the best of the recipes I had read on the net (not one, but several mind you), then wrapped that bird in foil, and cooked it for 20-min per pound at 350. After almost 5-hours, I took off the foil, set it at 400, and let the turkey brown for another 20-min, then removed said turkey. Simply could *NOT* believe how perfect and tender that beast came out! What's all the fuss about anyhow? It was so simple to do! I would give it a difficulty of 1-star and recommend it to anyone, especially with the prices of turkey so low! Of course, I didn't stuff my turkey - maybe that's the difference?

As for turkey day itself, a tremendous amount of fun with relatives on both sides of the family and two family gatherings and one more tomorrow. A close cousin of mine announced her pregnancy also, so I'm very happy for her. A great thanksgiving.

[LochnarITB]

What's all the fuss about anyhow? It was so simple to do! I would give it a difficulty of 1-star and recommend it to anyone, especially with the prices of turkey so low! Of course, I didn't stuff my turkey - maybe that's the difference?

Not to denigrate your new found culinary skill, but part of the explanation could be in the initial selection of the turkey. Coming from Costco, I would guess that the bird came from a big name producer. It is likely that it was a pre-brined (flavor injected/enhanced/?) turkey. While this aids in the final result being nice and juicy, it doesn't achieve quite the same result as the brining Sabra gave the recipe for. A fresh (or frozen non-enhanced) turkey will draw in more of the flavor of the herbs that comes from a brine such as Sabra's, as well as locking in more of the juice as does a straight saline brine injection. It is possible to brine a pre-brined turkey too, but it wouldn't work quite as nicely. Next time the occasion calls for a turkey, add to your repertoire with a try at brining, if you have room in a fridge to do it.

[--Pete]

Hi,

... if you have room in a fridge to do it.

What he said. Plus, if you don't have room in the fridge, use an ice chest. Just substitute large plastic bags (one inside the other). That also lets you get by with less added water to the brine.

Of course, if you're on a low sodium diet, forget brines. And check out all the fowl you buy, injecting a salt solution is a cheap and easy way to increase the weight, plump the bird (any type) up, and yield a more tender product. It's also a good way of getting your daily salt allowance in one serving of chicken.

--Pete