So what yummy things are you making for Thanksgiving this year??!

Thanksgiving menu here

Since Thanksgiving Day isn't a holiday here, we're celebrating this coming Saturday with the following menu:
Appetizers: Smoked trout pate with nuts and cheeses, with Champagne
1st Course: Coquilles St Jacques with a white Bordeaux
2nd Course: salad of red and green Belgian endive with Stilton blue cheese, walnuts, fresh herbs and a mustardy dressing, served with mineral water
Main Course: roast turkey with a thyme-cognac- cream gravy, bubble and squeak cakes, glazed carrots with cider, and braised red cabbage, with an aged Bordeaux
Dessert: Classic pumpkin pie cooked like a cheesecake with a gingersnap crust, with Madeira to sip
Happy Thanskgiving! Bonnie

 
Gordon Ramsay's bubble and squeak cake

Bubble and squeak is a British dish - leftover mashed potatoes and cooked cabbage mixed together, then fried up. (It bubbles and squeaks as it's fried.) These are cakes of mashed up potatoes and shredded Brussels sprouts, from Gordon Ramsay. I wanted to try them because the recipe says that they can be frozen - and this year, to make the day easier, I wanted to freeze a few things first (these cakes and the coquilles St. Jacques). Last weekend, I made these and froze them - they turned out just like according to the recipe and tasted good - we will see now if they do well with freezing then being warmed up in the oven for the big feast. Hopefully they will still be crisp. The recipe is at
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3033/bubble-and-squeak-cakes.jsp
cheers, Bonnie

 
I'm so NOT motivated to make Thanksgiving...

In London I always really looked forward to our huge dinners of 25 people and I enjoyed the list-making, the shopping, the organising, setting the table and cooking...

It's so hot here, all I want to do is go sailing, sit on the beach and then come home to a fully organised and cooked T'day!!

But I will, we'll be 6 adults and 4 kids (kids??!!!) and Gomez, of course, and I will simplify some things a bit, just back to basics:

Turkey with stuffing and gravy
Baked mash potatoes (thank you search elves!)
Green beans
Sauteed wild mushrooms
Candied sweet potatoes
Pumpkin pie
Pecan pie
Chocolate cake

All served upside down smileys/wink.gif

 
We don't usually celebrate American Thanksgiving but this year we've decided to have a

meal with friends on the 25th of November since we're heading off for a two week holiday on December 1.

Here's my menu:

Shrimp Ring with Red Pepper Aioli & Regular Sauce
Cranberry Pate
Goat Chesse with Lemon & Pink Peppercorns
Parmesan Shortbread
Spiced Almonds

Mushroom Tourtiere
Baked Beans Quebecois Style
Ham or Sausages
Cole Slaw
Broccoli Salad
Green Salad (cranberry vinaigrette)
Pickled Beets
Chili Sauce

Victorian Orange Cake
Balzano Apple Cake
Cookies

 
Sylvia, would you share the mushroom tourtiere recipe?

It sounds like a lovely comfort food for cold days.
And have a wonderful holiday. (Where to this time?)

 
I'm right with ya, San....maybe we'll do nothing like we

did the year Lar and I volunteered all day at a homeless shelter, then assumed we'd go out to a restaurant for dinner. But, lo and behold, they were either all closed down or only open to reservation holders, of which we were not.

During that year, I had been living in NJ and Lar was in Florida, so I didn't know what was in his frig. All the stores were closed, so we stopped at a gasoline convenience store to buy eggs and bacon. They had neither, but there was a thrilling display of "hot dogs" twirling under a heatlamp.

We went home and I checked Larry's pantry. Here's what was in there:

A box of Weight Watcher's macaroni and cheese, left over from the last time I was home, but no milk or butter to prepare it.
A container of old, old candy corn.
A can of water-packed tuna fish.

We opted to fast that Thanksgiving and--after giving thanks for Denny's--had an omelette the next morning.

 
Judy, we're headed back to the DR. Here's the recipe:

Tourtière By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen (Serving(s) 8-10)

Tourtière is the crème de la crème of pies. Lightly spiced and herbed, this pork pie is especially anticipated for Christmas Eve celebrations, but it's equally tasty throughout the holidays and winter months. Tourtière is completely make-ahead, delicious when turkey or chicken take over for pork and perfectly complemented by a tangy relish such as chili sauce.

Ingredients

•  1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
•  2 lb (1 kg) ground pork
•  1-1/2 cups (375 mL) beef stock
•  3 onions, finely chopped
•  3 cloves garlic, minced
•  2 cups (500 mL) sliced mushrooms
•  1 cup (250 mL) finely chopped celery
•  3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt
•  1/2 tsp (2 mL) each cinnamon, pepper and dried summer savory
•  1/4 tsp (1 mL) cloves
•  1 cup (250 mL) fresh bread crumbs
•  1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped fresh parsley
•  Pastry for double-crust 9- or 10-inch (23 or 25 cm) pie  
•  1 egg, beaten
•  1 tsp (5 mL) water

1. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; cook pork, breaking up with wooden spoon, for 7 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain off fat.

2. Stir in stock, onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery salt, cinnamon, pepper, savory and cloves; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 45 minutes or until about 2 tbsp (25 mL) liquid remains.

3. Stir in bread crumbs and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until cold or for up to 1 day. On lightly floured surface, roll out bottom pastry to 1/8-inch (3 mm) thickness; fit into pie plate.

4. Spoon filling into pie shell, smoothing top. Roll out top pastry. Moisten rim of pie shell with water. Cover with top pastry, pressing edges together to seal. Trim and flute pastry edge.

5. Combine egg with water; brush over pastry. Cut decorative shapes from remaining pastry and arrange on top; brush with some of the remaining egg mixture.

6. Cut steam vents in top; bake in 375°F (190°C) oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Note: I make the filling in large batches and freeze in 2 1/2 lb packages. I can then take out the number of packages I need, defrost and then make the pie(s) on the day the pie(s) is/are to be served.

With extra bits of pastry I make seasonal cutouts to decorate the pie crust.

 
tee-hee I'm reading Wintersmith and there's a "Ham and Squeal" pie in it!

Just to make sure you use up EVERY PART of the pig.

 
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