visions of grandieur! i think i volunteered for T-day!!!

i had my in-laws over this sunday. my wife's birthday lunch. in homage to my stepdad (RIP..love you dad)..i made some dishes he taught me. chinese food. not my strongest kitchen work. (bummer that i'm chinese).

bitter melon and chicken
tomato shrimp
lobster in ""lobster" sauce
daikon and glass noodle clay pot.

i've never cooked cantonese food for my taiwanese in-laws before. they were blown away. the table-talk turned to Thanksgiving dinner...All of the inspirational food threads here at KKF may have gotten me a bit heady..i said, "psssffft..i can cook turkey"..it just came out of my mouth! bleeeeh..it just blurted out of my big-arse mouth!

my kitchen sucks!! i have to light two burners with a lighter. my oven is possessed, and may soon blow up my kitchen. the pilot light is very suspect..

my dinner table fits six diners..i would have 11 people and one Hellion, little 2-year old girl.

anyone else hosting Thanksgiving? man i am backpedaling..i'm thinking a nice chinese restaurant with peking duck. i'll buy.

Since you're in California, I'd recommend barbecuing a turkey on the Weber. No ducks!

Boom, You got this. Thanksgiving is all about food that can be made ahead and either cooked the day of or reheated. Think Casseroles. I'm from Plymouth, MA, literally a Pilgrim, What is required for a proper Thanksgiving at a minimum is:

Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes (can be white or sweet)
Cranberry sauce
green beans
gravey (jiblet and smooth)
pearl onions in cream

Here is how you could do the turkey without too much fussing on thanksgiving day.

Turkey--Why don't you do a ballontine it and stuff it with duxell and traditional stuffing. Sous Vide it at 140 for 24hrs. Cook two days before T-day. Cool completely then remove cooked turkey and leave it open in refrigerator for a day. Then rub with butter, salt and some baking soda, make little slits in the skin all over the bird and pop that puppy in the oven on full-wack until internal temp should be 140 degrees. Rest bird for 20 minutes. Repeat, rest bird.

Cater it! Spend the time enjoying family, and they don't have to know.

I make a HUGE pan of pot roast (braised, chuck, actually): 6-8 lbs of roast, 3 lbs onions, 2 bnch celery, 2 bulbs garlic, 10lbs red potatoes, 2-4C seasoned roux, etc. 1 hour to prep. 6 hours @280F. refrigerate and serve on T-Day.

If you want the more traditional route, I like MB's idea of the sous vide turkey.

+1 on the Turkey on the grill if it is big enough!
Here is a picture of one I did on the grill last year.



I am pretty sure I posted the recipe last Thanksgiving here on the forum. I can re-post it if needed.

Pete, thats no fun. :hungry:


Guess I'm always looking for ways to break out my kitchen tools and make a mess. I can't imagine missing out on a chance to make the anually Turkey day.

I'll take pick, then lets compare your catered dinner to proper Pilgrim feast.

if I remember, aren't you a decent cook Pete?

stereo.pete said:

Cater it! Spend the time enjoying family, and they don't have to know.

Click to expand...

SW, that looks proper on the outside. Way to go. I bet a Green Egg would cook a turkey nicely.

sw2geeks said:

+1 on the Turkey on the grill if it is big enough!
Here is a picture of one I did on the grill last year.

I am pretty sure I posted the recipe last Thanksgiving here on the forum. I can re-post it if needed.

Click to expand...

Mucho Bocho said:

Pete, thats no fun. :hungry:


Guess I'm always looking for ways to break out my kitchen tools and make a mess. I can't imagine missing out on a chance to make the anually Turkey day.

I'll take pick, then lets compare your catered dinner to proper Pilgrim feast.

if I remember, aren't you a decent cook Pete?

Click to expand...

Without a doubt Mucho Bucho I love cooking. The debate is still going if I am a decent cook but my family and friends certainly enjoy when I cook. Long story short, I love to host small dinner parties of 8 max but when it comes to all out holiday meals of 15+ I will politely bow out. I hosted Christmas dinner once, oh what a dinner it was, I made chateaubriand, home made bread, Thomas Keller mashed potatoes just to name a few. Between the many hours of cookery and cleaning, all for maybe 15 minutes of eating was just too much for me. That and during the holidays I typically work 65 hour weeks.

I have never catered myself, but I know if I was to host again I would look into it as an option since I would rather spend my one day off that week hanging with my family, drinking some good bourbon and relaxing.

Divide and conquer. Make others responsible for everything but the food so you can focus on just that. If you need more Thanksgiving recipes, no doubt we all have plenty for you. Start early and plan ahead.

We'll if were drinking bourbon, I'd let them deal with the dinner too. Ever have Pappy van Winkle?

stereo.pete said:

Without a doubt Mucho Bucho I love cooking. The debate is still going if I am a decent cook but my family and friends certainly enjoy when I cook. Long story short, I love to host small dinner parties of 8 max but when it comes to all out holiday meals of 15+ I will politely bow out. I hosted Christmas dinner once, oh what a dinner it was, I made chateaubriand, home made bread, Thomas Keller mashed potatoes just to name a few. Between the many hours of cookery and cleaning, all for maybe 15 minutes of eating was just too much for me. That and during the holidays I typically work 65 hour weeks.

I have never catered myself, but I know if I was to host again I would look into it as an option since I would rather spend my one day off that week hanging with my family, drinking some good bourbon and relaxing.

Click to expand...

Mucho Bocho said:

We'll if were drinking bourbon, I'd let them deal with the dinner too. Ever have Pappy van Winkle?

Click to expand...

funny timing!! just this past friday, at my wife's birthday dinner-for-two..as the hostess was leading us to the table, from the corner of my eyes..i saw a bottle of pappys on the top shelf. gah!! an ounce was $38..

i opted for a glass of good wine. i did however ask my wife for a bottle as a stocking stuffer. i've tried for 2 years to buy a bottle, but they always sell out.

you got a source?

Boom, I'm referring to the 20YO stuff and yea, you really can't get it anymore but their 10 year is really nice too. But for mortals (like myself) if i want to treat myself I buy a bottle of Bookers, then Wild Turkey Rare breed then Bullett, then if I'm slumming 104 Fighting ****. If you've never had Bookers, should try it but its very different than Pappy's. Pappy's is smooth (like Johnny Blue) and Bookers is rough-around-the-edges, hot and spicy. Kinda the way I like my women. LOL Had to go there ;-)

Man, I have already started planning my Thanksgiving menu. It is a ton of work but I make it ahead and plan the start times of everything. I only have to do around 10 people so it's not that bad, but it is alot of prep and work. Last year I only spent 3 hours cooking much better than the 6 hours straight the year before.

Peel and chop the day before.
Desserts two days out. I make pie with custard fillings, blind bake crust and add filling done.
Cranberry sauce 3-4 days out.
Turkey stock a month or so out and freeze.

They do the dishes I make the espresso afterwards, a great time.

I love Pappy but have only had the opportunity to have it once. I'm a big fan of Bulliet!