Food and Recipes while under Coronavirus quarantine #6

Welcome to Websleuths!
Click to learn how to make a missing person's thread

DNA Solves
DNA Solves
DNA Solves

New Posts

Status
Not open for further replies.
Puzzles8 said:
Thanksgiving is the US is usually the day of the year families make a real effort to be together, count our Blessings and share a meal. People travel from far and near to be together this day. They are the busiest days of the year for US airlines. If you are hosting that means you need to make a lot of food. I think the trend of serving turkey originally started as an economical one.

Even today, you can find frozen turkeys here for only several US $ per pound. Nice meats are easily $10-40+ per pound. Ground Beef (for hamburgers) runs about US $5 per pound.

We are also in different hemispheres. Thanksgiving here is the start of Winter. Christmas is definitely Winter!
Click to expand...
I think to get one here you'd have to special order it some time in advance from a butcher. It's definitely not something you'd find easily in a supermarket, and definitely not cheaply. You can get turkey drumsticks, I think? But not a whole bird.

Whereas here, even an organic or free range whole chicken is affordable as a treat. We usually have a few a year, usually for a special occasion like birthdays or Christmas. We buy one that's about 2kg, stuff it with a stuffing made with gf breadcrumbs, and cook it in a big roasting tray surrounded by potatoes and other vegetables.
 
iamshadow21 said:
I think to get one here you'd have to special order it some time in advance from a butcher. It's definitely not something you'd find easily in a supermarket, and definitely not cheaply. You can get turkey drumsticks, I think? But not a whole bird.

Whereas here, even an organic or free range whole chicken is affordable as a treat. We usually have a few a year, usually for a special occasion like birthdays or Christmas. We buy one that's about 2kg, stuff it with a stuffing made with gf breadcrumbs, and cook it in a big roasting tray surrounded by potatoes and other vegetables.
Click to expand...
Turkeys are readily available here year round but they are cheapest in November through December.

I like to buy several and freeze for use during the year, because they are so inexpensive right now.

This morning our Meijer store in Holland Michigan had whole frozen turkeys for only 55 cents per pound! Buying several 20 pound turkeys to keep in deep freeze.
 
neesaki said:
Oh my, I don’t envy you! Whole turkeys are heavy and difficult to handle.Glad you have hubby to help!
Click to expand...
No kidding! There is no way that I could manage the 20# bird by myself. My roasting pan is very heavy, too. I think I'm sporting a bone spur on my right shoulder as certain actions have become uncomfortable. I'm self-diagnosing because it feels similar to the bone spur on my left shoulder that I had arthroscopically removed 20+ years ago. I'm thinking about contacting the orthopedic surgeon next week to schedule a consultation. Bird is in the oven now, and I don't have to lift it.
 
I enjoyed the posts from late yesterday. I usually shut down my computer when we have dinner and don't go back on the internet until the next morning. Stuffing has always been my favorite Thanksgiving food. Like my mom, I used to put the stuffing inside the bird until there were reports about that not being safe. I switched to casserole method and even did "stuffins" a few times (individual servings in muffin pan). I've also used prepared stuffing instead of breadcrumbs or panko for turkey meatloaf or turkey meatballs.

DH got up early to take the turkey out of the fridge this morning so it wouldn't be too cold to work with. He removed the innards packet and kept the neckbone that I use in my basting liquid that will become the base for gravy. We put quartered lemons, fresh sage and thyme, salt & pepper in the cavity. I will baste a few times while the bird is roasting, then make gravy with a roux, turkey drippings, turkey stock, and Cognac. Mashed potatoes are perfect and spent the night in the fridge. I will reheat and add a little more butter and buttermilk before DH does his "door dash" to my brother's after the Michigan game.

When DD was growing up, we always let her name our Thanksgiving turkey. I'm calling this one Beatrice :) Hope you are having a nice holiday weekend.
 
Last edited:
IceIce9 said:
Turkeys are readily available here year round but they are cheapest in November through December.

I like to buy several and freeze for use during the year, because they are so inexpensive right now.

This morning our Meijer store in Holland Michigan had whole frozen turkeys for only 55 cents per pound! Buying several 20 pound turkeys to keep in deep freeze.
Click to expand...
We like ground turkey and have it regularly all year. Turkey burgers, turkey chili, turkey meatloaf, turkey meatballs, turkey Bolognese, etc. We don't eat a lot of red meat and find turkey to be quite versatile as an alternative protein source.
 
killarney rose said:
I have no idea. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen it done, but it was done every year with turkey. I wish she was here to ask. Maybe they thought it would hold the juices in?
Click to expand...
I know some of the older recipes I have seen in vintage cookbooks use the “paper bag” method. They call for roasting a turkey at 200 degrees for 8 hours inside a paper bag. Now it is definitely not recommended to cook a turkey at such a low temperature but apparently it was a popular method back in the day.
 
Here is my only recipe that I look forward to in the "leftover turkey" category. We love it! It's from Gourmet magazine about a million years ago:

TURKEY WRAPS WITH CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE​

SERVES4
  • ACTIVE TIME:40 MIN
  • START TO FINISH:3 1/4 HR (INCLUDES COOLING AND CHILLING)
SEPTEMBER 2001
The Earl of Sandwich’s invention had a good 200-year run, but we closed the 20th century with a new take on it—the “wrap.” We were all seduced by chipotle chiles, so our spicy, smoky mayonnaise might have even won over the old earl.

FOR PICKLED ONION​

  • 1 red onion (6 oz), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

FOR CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE​

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped canned chipotles in adobo, including some sauce
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

FOR WRAP​

  • 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas (preferably whole-wheat)
  • 1/4 lb sliced or shredded roast turkey or chicken meat
  • 3/4 cup snow pea shoots or shredded lettuce leaves

FOR PICKLED ONION:​

  • Blanch onion in 1 1/2-quart saucepan of boiling water 1 minute and drain.
  • Return onion to pan along with vinegar, water, and salt and bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Cool, then chill 2 hours.

FOR CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE:​

  • Blend chipotles and 1/4 cup mayonnaise in a blender or food processor until smooth.

MAKE WRAPS:​

  • Toast a tortilla directly on a burner (gas or electric) at moderate heat, turning over and rotating, until puffed slightly and browned in spots, about 40 to 60 seconds.
  • Spread 1 tablespoon chipotle mayonnaise on toasted tortilla. Put one fourth of turkey and pea shoots across middle of tortilla and top with some drained pickled onion. Season with salt and pepper and roll up wrap. Make 3 more wraps in the same manner.
 
Last edited:
killarney rose said:
Growing up, my aunt always cooked the Turkey.(1960s) she stuffed it with whole onions and celery sticks and rubbed it with butter, salt, and pepper, before wrapping it in pieces of an old white bed sheet And baking.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I used to do similar prep of a whole turkey, but put it inside an oil rubbed brown paper bag to roast. IIRC I learned this method from chef David Wade. It always turned out well. That was years ago though.
 
The deed is done. The bird has flown the coop. Michigan beat Ohio State in a nail-biter game. We packed up turkey breast, mashed potatoes, and gravy that DH will deliver to my brothers after he runs a couple of errands. All things considered, the process wasn't as difficult or stressful as I thought it would be. We got the bird in the oven at 9:30 this morning, and it was done by halftime of the football game. While the turkey rested, I made the gravy and reheated the mashed potatoes that I made yesterday with a little more butter and buttermilk. Everything tasted good :)

We kept the drumsticks, wings, and back meat for soup next week. I will make Turkey Divan tomorrow from our small share of the breast meat. When I make Chicken Divan, I use mild cheese like Gruyere or Swiss, but for Turkey Divan, I use bolder Cheddar, Pinconning, or a combination of the two. I got two large broccoli crowns and will make the Turkey Divan in my lasagna pan.

Speaking of flying the coop, the wild turkeys who had taken up residence in our neighborhood a couple of months ago have suddenly vanished. We showed photos to our hair stylist last week, and she told us that she sees wild birds where she lives, too. It seems that wild turkeys like the suburban life in the City of Rochester and Rochester Hills (Michigan).
 
^
honest-food.net

Duck and Goose Giblets Recipes

Recipes for duck and goose giblets: gizzards, hearts, livers and other innards or offal from domestic and wild ducks and geese.
honest-food.net honest-food.net
Wondering what to do with your duck or goose giblets? While you can certainly make a giblet gravy or toss giblets into the stockpot, here are recipes for hearts, livers and gizzards that stand on their own.
 
BetteDavisEyes said:
^
honest-food.net

Duck and Goose Giblets Recipes

Recipes for duck and goose giblets: gizzards, hearts, livers and other innards or offal from domestic and wild ducks and geese.
honest-food.net honest-food.net
Wondering what to do with your duck or goose giblets? While you can certainly make a giblet gravy or toss giblets into the stockpot, here are recipes for hearts, livers and gizzards that stand on their own.
Click to expand...
Thank you Bette, I like the simple seared and deviled recipes from that link.
 
BetteDavisEyes said:
I hope your grocery store experience isn't too stressful. I made the mistake many years ago of going to the market the day before Thanksgiving and learned the hard way that this is not conducive to my mental health :D I remember arriving at Nino's just before 8:00AM one year and thought I'd be at the door when they opened. After finding a parking space in the lot that was already nearly full, I realized that everyone thought getting there when the store opened was the best way to avoid crowds. Wrong! Evidently, customers had started arriving much earlier and lined up outdoors in the cold until store managers let them in at 7:30. It was a zoo, and I remember feeling like I was going to cry or lose my mind trying to navigate the crowded store. I vowed never to wait until the day before Thanksgiving to purchase groceries for Turkey Day. Tuesdays were not much better, and Monday (or even Sunday) before Thanksgiving turned out to be the best days to shop. Nino's management tells their customers that Wednesday before Thanksgiving and December 23 (no matter the day) are their two busiest days of the year. The suggestion is an effort to encourage shoppers to choose another day to shop for their holiday needs, but those two days are always hectic regardless.
Click to expand...
Last year I went to Trader Joes the day before Thanksgiving and there were so many Karen's there I haven't been back. One was rushing around with hubby in tow swearing like a sailor. "I'm buying everything $$#$&ing premade so I don't have to $#@#$ing cook" the woman said as she threaded her way past me between to buggies......

I bet she was a lot fun!
 
fridaybaker said:
I don’t think there’s an obsession with turkey: It’s just traditional to serve it on Thanksgiving. For many of us, it’s the only day of the year that we eat it, except for leftovers. If there is an “obsession”, I’d say it’s more of an obsession with tradition. Thanksgiving, being in Autumn, lends itself well to a set menu, with “fall-ish” kinds of things, so this holiday is the one, for most of us, with a fairly “set” menu.

It’s generally one where the main components complement each other well, with the tart, tangy, cranberry sauce offsetting the rich gravy and dressing, etc. I look forward to it every year, never to repeat it during the rest of the year.

It’s a tradition, even in its regional and familial variations, that brings a country full of disparate people together, if only for a few days: We’re all madly grocery shopping, comparing notes on the best way to get the dark meat done at the same time the white meat is; gravy with giblets or without (there’s always someone at every gathering who likes it with and someone who likes it without) and the southerners who’ve never had pumpkin pie (and likely never will) vs. the northerners who’ve never had sweet potato. (But whether pumpkin or sweet potato, most agree that one of the two is an integral part of a Thanksgiving dessert table.)

It’s a tiny slice of commonality in a vastly diverse nation. I find it delightful!
Click to expand...
Thanksgiving is the best holiday! When I lived in a co op in Austin Texas I fixed a turkey dinner for those of us who were too far away to go home and we sat down to eat and there was a knock at the door. A family of 3 from England stood there on the porch and told me the food smelled incredible. I invited them to have a meal and celebrate the day. The next morning they bought some "petrol" for a ride to the outskirts of the city to continue hitch hiking across the USA!
 
I just read an article about the best cheeseburgers in every US state.

The top cheeseburger joint in every state, according to Yelp.

It is dead on for Illinois and Wisconsin!

I so agree, Au Cheval is one of the best in Illinois. Hackney's is a close second. I worked there summers during college.

The absolute best recommendation is Kopps in Wisconsin. They have several locations in the Milwaukee area. Not only is it the best cheeseburger, but they are most famous for their frozen custard. Frozen custard is basically soft serve ice cream. Every day, they have vanilla and chocolate in addition to two special flavors. My very favorite special flavors are Butter Pecan and Heath Bar.

Flavor Preview | Kopp's Frozen Custard

Flavor Preview
kopps.com
en.wikipedia.org

Kopp's Frozen Custard - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Has anyone tried the recommended cheeseburgers in any other state?
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

DNASolves

Who is Fairfield County Jane Doe (1993)?

Members online

... and 90 more.
Total: 1,543 (members: 91, guests: 1,452)

Online statistics

Members online
91
Guests online
1,452
Total visitors
1,543
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
605,886
Messages
18,194,270
Members
233,622
Latest member
cassie.ryan18
Back
Top