Drift Away…

Hi, CT. How’s your munchkin doing these days? All is well, I hope.

And are there any special treats you are looking forward to at your island Thanksgiving feast?

Aloha, Dearie…! The munchkin is doing fine, tomorrow we’ll find out the results from his EEG…!

This is another track from the new album… My Hometown…

Evenin’ CT, Dearie,

How’s tricks?

Aloha, Starbuck…! How’s the Pacific Northwest doing tonite…?

I’ve always liked that song.

How’s it going guys? Got your turkey day all figured out?

evening, CT … firegods

Windy and very wet. 2.16″ rain today, winds up to 114mph at 2000′ in the Washington Coastal mountains!

Aloha, tuez…! How’s floridaze tonite…? I’ve now got two turkeys that I’ve got to cook on Turkey day…! I was thinking about brining one of them, any thoughts, y’all…?

I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving….. as ever. My favorite holiday. Non-commercial and family oriented. My daughter and I will be cooking together…. we always have a good time.

I’m trying to think of some little cooking tasks that my 4 year old twin grandsons can do to participate with us. They like to make deviled eggs, so maybe I’ll boil some eggs and let them do the mashing and mixing to make an appetizer.

Aloha, PPD…! How’s your part of Cali…?

Dayam…! That’s some serious wind and a boatload of rain…!

I’ve never brined a bird, but after reading everyone’s raves about it, I seriously considered doing it this year. If you’ve got room to do it, I say give it a try. I don’t have a big frig…. my bird is standing on end just to fit in. I suppose it could do that in a brining bag, though. Maybe I’ll buy one tomorrow and brine the bird.

I’ll be doing the brining thing too. I’ve done that the last few years and I’m a convert.

Tut, 2 turkeys? You cooking for half of Hilo?

Follow Me…

tuez, you can really tell the difference in moistness? Okay, maybe I really, really need to give it a whirl.

On one of the recipe websites, someone suggests cleaning out a veggie drawer and placing the turkey in an oven roasting bag within the drawer. Since the cooking bags are food grade plastic.

Turkey day is the one day a year when a second fridge really comes in handy.

I’ve never brined a bird, only flipping one!

Two thoughts. Brining turkey is always wonderful. Second, let it rest in the refrigerator overnight, naked, and rubbed dry, to dry out the skin. It will look ugly and spotty, and will brown and crisp beautifully.

I’ve always used cooking bags to cook a turkey, so moistness has never been a problem for me. I think it adds a little more flavor.

I had already started defrosting my turkey, when the Better Half came home from ringing bells for the SA with another turkey that was pretty much thawed, so waste not, want not…! ;-)

Aloha, Christine…! How’s Ohio tonite…?

Well, then you may as well brine one and I think Christine’s suggestion to dry out the skin overnight has potential. Just wish I had the time to brine and dry out the turkey :(. I’ve never heard of that and would like to try it.

I posted my first photo from my phone on FB just now! I’m such a dolt. Weather is so lovely for today and the next few as well. All east fam coming on Wed. Can’t wait!!! Three bedrooms full.

Now that makes sense. Good idea.

Cook’s Illustrated magazine. Works so well.

doing well, thanks – how’s everything in paradise tonight?

I love all the little familial/regional tips that one runs across when it comes to cooking turkeys.

I’ve never used a cooking bag. Does the turkey brown up or do you take it out of the bag and brown it at the end?

I am amazed that I’m learning all this new stuff at my age! I’ve always just done what my mom and her mom did…. but I’m ready to try some new things.

The stuffing, though, will be what my dad devised decades ago (probably learned it from my mom’s mom), because it is so delicious that no one is willing to mess with perfection.

sounds like a great time, CE

And my daughter and I are talking about maybe having an early dinner….. so we can all rest up long enough to have turkey sandwiches later in the evening. Sounds like a plan to me!

We are eating at our friends house again. They are doing the bird. I’m doing side dishes and gravy. Oh, the gravy! Secret ingredient — champagne to deglaze the pan.

Looking forward to seeing the munchkin tomorrow, it’s been almost a week since I saw him last…! ;-)

Hey!

Do tell about your Dad’s stuffing secrets…! ;-)

Smile…

I’ve never had a recipe, but I know what it tastes like! Chopped celery, chopped onions, chopped parsley, dried bread broken up, chicken stock, butter, lots of poultry seasoning and salt and pepper. My daughter and I taste and taste til it’s ‘just right’…..

Which is kind of the way I cook anyway. I’ll do a new recipe ‘by the book’ … but then I just wing it.

Ooh, I’ll check it out shortly on FB…! Gotta love it when the family all gets together…! ;-)

a champagne deglaze! Brilliant!

What are your favorite side dishes?

Sounds a lot like my cooking technique, usually the ‘winging it’ part turns out the best…!

Hosts do all stuffing and cranberries. I do white mashed and yams with orange juice and butter, and Brussel sprouts with bacon. And Gravy.

That’s what’s fun about my dad’s stuffing mix. I’ve tried to ‘enhance’ it with nuts, dried fruit, sausage…….but it’s just so wonderful as it is. I finally quit trying to better what is already delicious.

Someday I’d like to try oyster stuffing and some of those other interesting approaches, but not on a day when I’m doing the Thanksgiving turkey.

This is my favorite holiday of the year. I’m so thrilled that my first born is coming back to Ohio with his bride and in-laws, and my old Dad, to share a meal with MsCE and partner Ted. It should be so fun.

How do you do your Brussels sprouts? They have become such an ‘in’ side dish, and I do love them and always have, but I don’t know how to do them in any special way.

Yes, the turkey will brown up in a bag, might not crisp up as much if it weren’t in a bag. My mom always used one. The best part is, cleanup. Once you’ve cleaned the carcass, just tie up the bag and stick it in the trash. I always buy an aluminum pan to cook it in too. The whole mess just goes into the trash. Easy peasy.

I usually cut them in half, and steam them. Later mix them with cooked bacon bits and pour into a dish. But I’ve seen a few new recipes of shredding them and baking in the oven with parmesan. Heh.

What do you usually use for thickener, flour or corn starch…? I’ve used both over the years, and I like corn starch better…!

Oh, a real family gathering! So nice. We just had an in-gathering of family from Cape Cod, Maine, Montana and a bunch of locals to visit and then to celebrate my dad’s 95th. Had wonderful weather in Santa Barbara and much, much fun! Pix of my dad with 7 rug rats, aged 8 months to 5 years all wearing, “I’m a great grandchild” t-shirts. Wonderfulness!

I’ve done oyster stuffing. The thing is, I really prefer my oysters raw. Something about eating them cooked just isn’t right.

Since the BP spill, I won’t touch the things.

I’ve not used corn starch for gravy, just stir-fry. And it should be fine.

Wonderful! This is what we want!

That is so kewl…! I bet he was tickled pink too…! ;-)

I prefer corn starch myself. Making that Greek egg-lemon dip, finally taught me how to make gravy, with corn starch. I’ve also found you can put corn starch in the crock pot about a 1/2 hour before done, and end up with a gravy. I just could never do gravy, or thicken anything, with flour, but I’m Irish so the cooking skills in my DNA are suspect.

I must go, or I’ll never keep my eyes open at work. Thanksgiving wishes to all I may miss.

Hula girls and all… When The Sun Goes Down

Sweet dreams, Christine…!

That made me laugh! My Irish grandma could cook up a storm, but it was my German grandma who I watched to learn about making gravy. And I still make it just like she did. A little flour sprinkled over the drippings to soak up the fat left on top, browned, then add the stock made from simmering the neck and giblets. We add a touch of Kitchen Bouquet (I don’t know why) to end up a light brown gravy rather than a pale gravy.

Just the opposite for me…I learned the flour method a la French technique. When I got around to corn starch…yuk! for poultry gravies. Fine for oriental.

The texture is simply not the same and governs the outcome.

Funny but one year, I was assigned to do the gravy for Thanksgiving and this elderly lady came into the kitchen and warned me in no uncertain terms I was not to make a French sauce, just gravy! Eh, whut? I ignored her and she loved it anyway!

Munchkin … you’re not in Kansas anymore, CT

That’s funny, too! What are you doing for Thanksgiving cooking?

Looks like the 49′ers whacked da Bears pretty good tonight

I used to do fresh green beans, but several years ago I had a granddaughter-in-law who came with that classic greenbean/soup/French’s onions casserole, and everyone loved it! So we do that now. The best thing, I suspect, that came out of the 1950s.

…then add the stock made from simmering the neck and giblets…

Now that sounds like a great idea, I’ve always tossed ‘em straight in the rubbish…!

Roast them first before adding water, along with an onion carrot. Gets you a brown stock.

Oh, no! Just simmer in water or extra chicken stock…. makes a delicious broth to bring the gravy full flavor!

My German grandmother used to then chop the gizzard and heart to add to part of the gravy for giblet gravy. She left some of the gravy simple for the kids.

Yep, that’s the correct way. Maybe I’ll even do that this year.

That they did, PPD, almost makes up for that Tie last week…! ;-)

That sounds great, roast them for about an hour…?

I made a major discovery a few weeks ago making basic chicken stock. I added quite a bit of gizzard, hearts and liver to the roasting pan and let it go far longer than I intended. Well, the stock turned out quite brown and did not make great chicken soup, which is where most of my chicken stock winds up. But oh, boy! Wonderful for finishing almost any dish except seafood! Better than chicken soup. For some reason, it’s not so chickeny.

Slowly. Set the oven to 450°F fist. insert the roaster with the ingredients and immediately turn down the temp to 325°F.

In a Little While…

49′ers look like world series champs tonight …. still recovering from both playoffs and the 4 game sweep last month.

I had a similar experience recently…. suffering a sinus infection, I decided that i really, really needed some chicken soup. I let the chicken and vegetables roast a little longer than necessary and ended up with a really brown stock…. but it worked wonders with chicken and noodles. And, you are right, it wasn’t so chickeny. But good, anyway.

How long, for CT’s edification, do you roast a neck and gizzard and carrot and celery for stock?

45′ to an hour. I usually don’t roast the celery, just the root vegetables.

Sounds great, Starbuck…! ;-)

Here’s another track off of the new album… Blue Skies…

Give us some feedback if you do.

I’ll sprinkle a bit of Thyme on the broth, and maybe a small bay leaf. I’ve been known for adding garlic as well, and about 6 to 8 whole allspice. But that’s me. Some cooks feel it biases the dish then in ways they prefer to manage at the finish. I in turn, feel it gives the signature to my cooking.

Great information. Thanks for sharing!

I’m off to rest up for the big event. Good-night all.

I’ll definitely try it out, gotta have some garlic, but, I’ll have to skip on the allspice…! ;-)

Sweet dreams, Dearie…!

Nice group.

I actually sang this song with a karaoke group:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWXE9iLozSA&feature=related

Definitely skip it for turkey stock!

Oops! Past the witching hour! My damn slipper is turning to….

Nite all!

Pleasant dreams, Starbuck…! Mahalo for the cooking tips…!

Well, I shall bow out too, mahalo for the great company tonite…! I can’t wait to see what Suz has on tap tomorrow nite…!

Aloha Oe…! *g*