Text 18376, 53 rader
Skriven 2011-11-28 12:42:28 av DAVE SACERDOTE (1:123/140)
Ärende: Thanksgiving Prep
=========================
I was up at 5 am with the dogs, as usual, and put a pot of coffee on
while they took their morning constitutional, i.e. chasing each other
around the yard, synchronized urinating, and random barking at nothing.
I wanted to make cornbread for cornbread stuffing but found that the 
rough-milled meal I had bought from the local Small Engine Club had
gotten weevily, so that was out. But a search of the pantry revealed a
secret stash of locally-grown-and-ground blue corn meal, so the cornbread
was back on.

At seven, the turkeys went into the preheated smokehouse, 250 F with
a stream of citrus smoke flowing in from the smoke generator.

I had made a huge quantity of turkey broth earlier from some necks and
fat I had bought at Stop & Shop, and set to making the dressing: a fairly
standard concoction - onions and celery sauteed in turkey fat, white bread,
crumbled cornbread, fresh sage and thyme from the garden, Bell's seasoning,
paprika, salt and pepper - moistened with turnkey broth until it was the
right consistency, approximating how it would have been if scooped from
a roasted bird (I never stuff the bird if it's done in the smoker.) We are
a stuffing-mad crowd, and I made a huge roasting pan filled with the stuff
and mounded higher yet, and at the end of the day there was barely enough
left over to fill a sandwich bag.

With the stuffing done, I turned my attention to coffee, and then to 
making pies. Fruit of the Forest was dead easy. Unfortunately, I had
lost my entire stash of local berries (wild blueberries from the mountain
in Granby, the last of my treasured gooseberries from a bush that lives
now only in memory and Shrub Heaven, raspberries from a local farm,
and blackberries from the side of the road.)  However, I can tell you 
this: A bag of seasonal berries from ALDI and a chopped apple easily did
the trick and proved popular.  I also made apple and pumpkin pie and
while I was putting those together, Maryanne joined me and made a graham
cracker crust for the chocolate cream pie.

At 11 or so, the veggies went in to roast, and I took a nap while 
Maryanne set the table and fussed with small incidentals, like a relish
dish and cranberry sauces.

I was surprised to find the turkeys done a little before 1 pm - too
early! - but after allowing for resting time and so on, they carved
beautifully and were wonderfully moist and perfect.

Guests began arriving at 1:30, and by 2 the food was on the table, 
alcohol was flowing, and dinner was in full swing.


---
http://davescupboard.blogspot.com/ - Dave's Cupboard Blog
http://on.fb.me/kZMy8b - Dave's Cupboard on Facebook
http://bacon-labels.blogspot.com/ - The Bacon Label Gallery
http://twitter.com/davescupboard/ - Follow me on Twitter
http://the6t.blogspot.com/ - Restoring and Enjoying a 1960 F100
 * Origin: Since 1991 And Were Still Here! DOCSPLACE.TZO.COM (1:123/140)