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Wild Turkey
John James...
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Fall-Colored Bearberry and
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Harvest Still Life with Fresh Pumpkins and Squash
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"Thanksgiving Day Blues"
Norman Rockwell
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Harvest II
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My Family Table:
A Passionate Plea
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"Freedom of Worship",
February 27,1943
Norman Rockwell
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La Belle Cuisine
Gratitude
"Gratitude
unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into
enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order,
confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a
home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past,
brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
~ Melody Beattie
Mammy’s Traditional Cranberry-Orange Relish
Since this is the first thing I do toward making
preparations for Thanksgiving
and Christmas, I suppose I should begin with this recipe. As
far as I know, it
originated with my great-grandmother. It could well have been around
genera-
tions before hers. I have adjusted it only slightly over the years.
One of my
earliest and very fondest childhood holiday memories is of helping
my grandmother prepare
this relish, always in October so that it could "ripen"
in time for
Thanksgiving. It's really
great on turkey sandwiches! A food
processor will do if you don't happen to
have
a food grinder.
2 pounds fresh cranberries
4 navel oranges
2 unpeeled apples, washed, cored
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup or more Grand Marnier
(my addition)
Scrub the fruit well. Place it through a food grinder, peel and
all. Repeat.
Add sugar and Grand Marnier. Refrigerate in tightly covered jars. Flavor improves with age.
Delicious!
Michele's
Thanksgiving Turkey
An 18-pound Butterball turkey
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
minced fresh parsley
1 onion stuck with 6 whole cloves
4 carrots, peeled, cut into large chunks
2 leeks, trimmed, cut in half lengthwise,
washed well
Several stalks of celery, with leaves
6 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs fresh parsley
Good pinch of dried thyme ( a sprig
of fresh thyme if you have it)
1 cup dry white wine, mixed
with 1/2 cup water
Bread Dressing (recipe follows)
Basting Liquid: 1 cup chicken/turkey stock, mixed with
1/2 cup
(1 stick) melted
butter and 1/2 cup white wine
Large piece of cheesecloth to wrap turkey
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Wash the turkey and lightly salt the inside.
Stuff both cavities with dressing. Rub the turkey all over with melted butter mixed with
minced parsley to taste. Line a large roasting pan with heavy- duty foil. In the pan place
onion, carrots, leek, celery, bay leaves, parsley sprigs and thyme. Add the wine-water mixture
to pan and place turkey in roaster. Dampen the cheesecloth in the basting liquid and cover
the turkey with it - both to enhance its moistness during the baking process and to
avoid overbrowning. Bake the turkey 15 to 20 minutes per pound (at least
5 hours) or until it is
done and is a rich even brown.
It is imperative to baste the turkey every 30 minutes with
basting liquid
and eventually with drippings from the roaster. Allow the turkey to stand
at least 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
NOTE: GMA Thanksgiving Day 1995: Barbara Kafka roasted a turkey to
perfection, during the show, as follows:
Place 12-lb turkey in the oven at 500
degrees F. (yes,
500!!) and roast it, unstuffed, in 1 hour, 20 minutes. It was evenly golden brown, and
accord-
ing to Charlie and Joan, very moist and totally delicious. Ms. Kafka says to add an
additional 30 minutes total baking time for a stuffed bird, although
she prefers for
health's sake (salmonella danger) to roast unstuffed. In case you go for large turkeys
(which I do) 2 hours for 15 lbs., 3 hours for 20 lbs.
Michele's Turkey Gravy
When turkey is done and has been removed from
the roasting pan, pour off the juices into a 4-cup measuring cup. Allow the juices to
stand for a few minutes and the fat will rise to the top. It really helps a lot if you
have one
of those special cups to achieve this. I'm not sure what they are called, but
they're designed so that when you pour, you wind up pouring the yummy turkey juices out
and leaving the fat on top remaining in the cup. Measure
6 tablespoons fat from the top
and place it in a saucepan. Then blend in 6 tablespoons flour and allow the
roux to bubble for several minutes, stirring to avoid overbrowning. Then add
1/2 cup dry white wine and 3 1/2 to 4 cups turkey pan juices (or a mixture of
pan juices and chicken broth.) Add chopped turkey giblets if desired (I do
not) and simmer until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasoning as
necessary. If you'll pardon my saying so, this is nothing short of fabulous
gravy!
Michele's Old-Fashioned
Yankee Bread Stuffing
Two 1-pound loaves good French bread
Several pieces leftover cornbread
(okay, so I cheat a little...)
3 onions, chopped
1 large bunch celery, chopped
2 sticks butter
Minced fresh parsley
2 to 3 tablespoons Spice Islands poultry seasoning
4 to 6 cups turkey/chicken stock
On Thanksgiving Eve (while the pies are in the oven!) break the bread
into small pieces, spread it out on
baking sheet(s) and dry it out in a
250-degree F. oven.
In a large skillet sauté the
onions and celery in the butter. Refrigerate this mixture overnight. When ready to make
the dressing, place the bread in a large crock. Add parsley, onion-celery mixture and
poultry seasoning. Mix well. Add enough turkey stock and/or chicken broth to moisten
mixture to
the desired consistency. Note that the stuffing mixture should not be dry
and crumbly, but it is important
to remember that since
the dressing will
absorb moisture from the turkey during the baking
process,
it shouldn't
be too moist or you will wind up with mush.
This recipe makes
a very large amount of stuffing - it is a cherished
family tradition! There will be
enough to stuff both
cavities of a very
large turkey and still have some left over for a casserole. Depending
on exactly how many you are expecting
for dinner, you may choose
to freeze the casserole.
Cornbread Dressing Collection!
Southern Squash Dressing
This delicious, quick-and-easy recipe
came to me by way of my dear Aunt Jo
who likes to cook (once or twice a year!)
as long as it doesn't take all day. Okay,
I know, the gourmet purists among you are going to
turn up your noses at the
very thought of using, heaven forbid, canned condensed soup. I
understand. So
if you'll feel better about it, then spend some more time in the
kitchen and whip
up a béchamel sauce to moisten this dressing. But just try this first -
I won't tell
if you won't... I was really amazed at the raves it got the first time I
served it.
2 cups cooked, well-drained yellow squash
2 cups crumbled corn bread
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, including leaves, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup condensed cream of chicken or
cream of mushroom soup
Salt and pepper to taste
Place drained squash and crumbled corn bread in a large bowl. Sauté
onion and celery in butter until tender. Add this to the squash mixture along with
condensed soup, salt and pepper. Combine well. Spoon the dressing into a lightly greased
baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F. until slightly brown and bubbly, about 40 minutes.
My Favorite Scalloped Corn
1 can (17 ounces) cream-style corn
One 10-ounce package frozen corn
1 cup crushed saltine cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped onion or scallions
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
In a large mixing bowl combine the cream-style corn, frozen corn and
cracker crumbs. Lightly sauté the celery and onions in butter until they
are tender. Add
mixture to corn mixture along with all of the remaining
ingredients. Stir to combine well.
Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart round casserole. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake 50
- 55 minutes
at 350 degrees F.
Broccoli Casserole
I
guess this is what you call comfort food. Down home. I started making this casserole when
my sons
were very young and not too fond of anything that didn't
at least vaguely resemble
macaroni and cheese or peanut butter. Vegetables in
any disguise were a challenge, to say
the least. In such situations, one does what
one has to do. I found that they absolutely
loved this casserole, which is actually
quite similar to a broccoli dip quite popular at
the time. Yes, I know, the gourmet
gods
are growling again. Mushroom soup and garlic
cheese, indeed! No excuses,
I simply continued to cook it over the years because the whole
family devoured it. Feel free to go in any direction you want with this. By now our sons
have grown
to be adults with very discriminating tastes who probably would prefer steamed
fresh broccoli with herb lemon butter, except perhaps at Thanksgiving...
Sauté 2 chopped onions in 1 stick butter. Add 3
cans cream of mushroom soup and 3 rolls of processed garlic cheese *. Cook over
low heat until the cheese melts. Cook 6 packages of frozen broccoli
according to
package directions. Drain well. Layer the broccoli with the
sauce in a large shallow
casserole and sprinkle with minced parsley and
paprika. Bake at 350
degrees F. until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Yes,
this is a
LOT of broccoli casserole, but I have never had to dispose of
any. It disappears in a
hurry.
Of course if you are cooking for two,
you may want to cut back a little...
Or not.
* Sorry about that! Kraft no longer makes rolls of garlic
cheese! Egad! What
were they thinking?!?!? This decision caused a minor revolution in the Deep
South! Thanks to Kraft and Mary
at Deep South Dish (and many others
via
Google) there is no longer a need for panic!
Garlic Cheese Rolls (substitute for Kraft)
1 1/2 pounds sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 pound Velveeta cheese
3 ounces cream cheese
1 seasoned salt
Garlic powder to taste
Bring cheeses to room temperature and place them in large mixing
bowl. Add salt and garlic powder, then mix all ingredients together
well.
Shape into four rolls and wrap well in foil or plastic wrap.
Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
My grandmother "discovered"
this recipe when it was all the rage.
Could that
have been in the 50s? I double the recipe for our family
because they like to eat
it all weekend with leftovers. Disappears
like magic...
A 29-ounce can sliced freestone peaches
A 1-pound can Mandarin oranges
A 15 1/4-ounce can chunk pineapple
A 1-pound can Royal Anne cherries
(if you can find them!),
or substitute
canned or frozen Bing cherries
A 1-pound can pears, sliced
5 ounces flaked coconut
12 ounces sour cream
Drain the fruit well and combine it in a large bowl with the coconut
and
sour cream. Mix gently. Refrigerate the salad at least 24 hours to
allow flavors
to blend.
If possible, use fruit which has been
canned in its own juice. If you have the
time and inclination, naturally this salad would
be even better made with as
much fresh fruit as possible. You can vary the combination of
fruit according
to your preference. I usually add a good splash of either Grand Marnier or
Amaretto, depending on my mood and what I have on hand.
This was my grandmother's favorite fruit salad at any time
of the year. One of
the main reasons I like to serve this salad on Thanksgiving is that it
has to be
prepared ahead of time. The less last minute preparation the better, as you will
already be juggling, what with making gravy, baking rolls, preparing mashed
potatoes,
finding someone to light the candles and pour the wine at the last
minute. If you’re
lucky, you’ll be able to have everything ready to be devoured
before the kickoff of
the first not-to-be-missed football game on TV!
Mammy's Pumpkin Pie
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
One 16-ounce can pumpkin purée
1 cup milk, scalded (I use evaporated milk)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
My grandmother’s recipe (which I still have on a faded recipe card,
in her handwriting), reads as follows:
Beat eggs. Mix sugar, salt and spices. Add to pumpkin and mix. Add hot
milk very slowly stirring lightly. Pour into pie crust and bake 15 minutes
at 450 degrees and
then 45 minutes at 325 degrees.
"Pour into pie crust" means pour into unbaked pie shell -
pâte brisée or
pâte sucrée. It
is a good idea to brush over the bottom of the unbaked pie crust with lightly beaten egg
white to prevent the crust from becoming
soggy, although at our house it isn't around long
enough to get soggy!
Mammy's Carrot Cake
1 1/2 cups cooking oil
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
3 cups grated carrots
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
In large mixing bowl combine oil and sugar and beat well. Add eggs, one
at a time, beating well. Sift dry ingredients together and add them to the
creamed
mixture. Fold in the carrots and nuts. Bake cake in 3 layers 45
minutes at 325 degrees F. (Can also
bake in large Bundt pan 50-60 min.)
Frosting:
Two 1-pound boxes confectioner's sugar
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted, cooled
Mix well. NOTE: This is so rich that I prefer to make only half of the
frosting. If baking layers, frost only between layers and on top. If baking
in Bundt pan,
I prefer a light glaze.
Variation: Substitute 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
for 1 of the cups
of granulated sugar. Add 1/3 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon grated
orange zest. Reduce cinnamon to 1 teaspoon. Add 1 teaspoon ground ginger and
1/2 teaspoon
ground nutmeg. Also, you may add 1 cup raisins, or substitute
1 cup raisins for
the nuts.
Frosting variation: cream cheese and butter as above;
add 6 tablespoons orange juice, 2 teaspoons grated orange zest and 5 cups confectioner's
sugar, sifted.
More Thanksgiving
Recipes!
Cranberry Condiments fpr Thanksgiving
Cranberry Sauce with Pears and Cardamom
Mama Lou's Thanksgiving Candied Yams
Mama Lou's Thanksgiving Macaroni and Cheese
Mama Lou's Thanksgiving Scalloped Oysters
Sheila Lukins' Favorite Stuffing
More Stuffing Recipes - Cornbread
New England Sausage, Apple and
Dried Cranberry Stuffing
Sweet Potato Soufflé Satsuma Tea Room
Hoppin' John's Icebox Rolls
Turkey Poulette
Keegan's Favorite Cranberry Bread
Cranberry Gingerbread with Brown
Sugar Whipped Cream
Glazed Cranberry Ginger Pound Cake
(and other cranberry goodies!)
Michele's Banana Nut Cake
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Gigi's Deep-Dish Apple Pie
Gigi's French Apple Pie
Spago's Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
Michele's Cherry Pie
Extra - Favorite Thanksgiving Goodies!
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