Something old, something new

14 years ago

The connection here in the Chicago burbs has been iffy and I keep getting dropped. but I'll try again.

We were 24....and 3 turkeys all brined in a maple, brine,garlic stuff.

My son was not a brining believer until a couple of years ago....and now he's become a militant briner!

One bire was roasted in the oven at 425 for 30 minutes and then at 325. One went into the deepfrier, and the other was cooked with some hickory chips on the grill.

All 3 were wonderful....mahogany...crisp....tender...juicy....fabulous. But everyone said that the hickory roasted one from the grill was their fave! Who Knew?!! The new way would taste better than the one cooked at 325 in the oven?!

Then the potatoes....

we boiled 5 pounds of baby red skinned potatoes and smashed them with a fork....and with 1/2 a cup of chopped sauteed fresh garlic!...Oh my!!

And we also had 5 pounds of russets, bloied, riced, minced with chopped onions and grated sharp Canadian Chedder....and made into balls and put into the deep frier after the turkey came out. The adults preferred the garlic smashed, but the kids loved those fried potato balls!

We also had gingered carrots,...juilliened carrots, sauteed in butter and dressed with a little orange juice and lots of fresh grated ginger....Brand new recipe and just wonderful! Great additionto the traditionalo dinner!

We had a pear and raspberry salad instead of the traditional apple salad and we had apple cake with gravy rather then apple pie....we had that 2 but it was bought and never got touched.

We had traditional stuffing and we had oysters, we had cranberry Jezabel as well ad strained cooked cranberries.

But the one thiung that was always the same was the rolls!

My point is that if we never stepped out at all, we would still be cooking a bird on a rock on a fire....or like my grandmother cooking it until the legs fell off!And instead of gingered carrots we would be eating my mother's watery squash....and my MIL's tasteless mashed potatoes.

Yeah the old is good.....but I really like to expand my horizons a little...I thbink thaqt if I can't continue to learng it up[ and call a little here and there....that I might as well hang it up and say I am over the hill!

So what did you have new this holiday that was a happy addition ?

Linda C

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Comments (9)

carol_in_california
14 years ago
Pumpkin cheesecake pie using homegrown Kabocha squash puree and the vodka pie crust.
Family members said it was the best pie they had ever eaten, hands down.
claire_de_luna
14 years ago
It sounds like you had a memorable feast! How nice when you have enough people that bring new things to the table.

Nothing new here except some yeast rolls that I have now burned the recipe to. I did try, but oh well. After re-reading the recipe, I see what the problem was, but I don't care anymore! It will be the same old standby from here on out...
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beanthere_dunthat
14 years ago
DH keeps wanting to grill a turkey. I've been doubtful to date about it. I just don't think our wee grill is up to doing it. Glad to know it turned out well. Maybe I'll relent and let him try it...on a bigger grill. (Sounds like something to go to the BIL's to try.)
loagiehoagie
14 years ago
Nothing new this year. However, I do want to try doing my Yorkshire Pudding on my Traeger. It always smokes up the oven and sets all the smoke alarms off in the oven!

Duane
ganggreen980
14 years ago
We learned two things.

1) We're just not a turkey family. I did a spiral-sliced ham. I just love ham, and DH loves the split-pea soup that will be on the table tomorrow. One son also loves ham. I especially like that it's just more of a reheat deal - no worrying that it will be ready earlier or later than planned.

2) I made roasted potatoes with roasted garlic from a Pioneer Woman recipe. Quartered new red potatoes on a baking sheet interspersed with 6 (yes, 6) heads of garlic with tops lopped off, all drizzled with olive oil along with some salt and pepper. After everything is done, we squeezed the ooey gooey garlicyness around the pan, mixed it up with the potatoes, and wowza! That will be a repeat and not just for holidays. PW's recipe additionally calls for half a cup of white wine to be poured over, but we don't drink white wine and could not justify opening a bottle for half a cup. While I'm sure it's wonderful, I didn't feel that I was missing anything.

While there are some traditional things that do reappear each year, I love that our holiday meals evolve, just as we do.

Mandie
indicanoe
14 years ago
Our new addition was the Spinach Artichoke Dip, (from Annie and Elery), with boule bread for dipping. I wasn't sure how the family would accept it, but it was gone quickly. So I know it was a keeper.
caliloo
14 years ago
Linda - it sounds like a wonderful feast!

Our new additions this year were Peppi's Citrus Thyme Compound Butter for basting the roasted turkey. Best roasted turkey we have ever had and the drippings made the gravy SUBLIME!

Our other new addition was injecting the deep fried turkey. I mentioned that our first deep friend turkey experience was underwhelming, well let me tell you - THIS is what the fried turkey fans have been raving about! What a spectacular bird with the well seasoned meat that was beautifully moist and crispiest skin ever.

I told DH about your fried potato balls and he is ready to fry another turkey next weekend jsut so we can have the potato balls LOLOLOL!

Glad to hear you had wonderful new additions and I can't agree more - ya gotta keep looking to the horizon!

Alexa
sheesh
14 years ago
We brine our turkeys (and chickens, too). Can't beat brining - then drying overnight - for tender, juicy birds, whether on the grill or the oven.

I agree about old and new dishes. There are always some must-haves, and some new dishes that become must-haves. I love big feasts!
Fori
14 years ago
I did a no-salt turkey. Would have been good if half of it hadn't frozen in the fridge. Hehe. Enough of it was good.

Something old, something new

Comments (9)

carol_in_california

claire_de_luna

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