Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

Thanksgiving is a time when people don’t seem to want ‘new’ - they want ‘traditional’, the food they’ve always associated with the holiday. But it’s also an opportunity to slip in at least one new and different dish, to perhaps broaden your guests’ gustatory horizons – and give the cook a little diversity in the annual labors ;-)

My first introduction to anything vaguely ‘Indian’ was this Hot Curried Fruit that my Aunt used to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It seems to be a somewhat traditional ‘thing’ in Virginia and parts South; and whenever I’ve made it for office parties, people have wanted the recipe for something easy to take to the extended-family Thanksgiving, or to a potluck. There are many variations on it – you can use different mixtures of canned fruit – but here is Taste of Home’s version, which is typical of those that I’ve seen:

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/hot-curried-fruit

Many decades ago, when I was responsible for cooking my first Thanksgiving dinner - and the first to entertain my brother’s new bride - I wanted to do something different with plain old green peas. Somewhere, I had found a “hot cheese sauce” for vegetables, and used it with frozen green peas and pearl onions. The recipe makes 1-1/2 cups, and of course you can multiply the ingredients to suit the amount of steamed peas and pearl onions - or other vegetables - that you will need for your guests.

Hot Cheese Sauce for Vegetables

Heat ½ C. milk and 1 8-oz. package of cream cheese over low heat, stirring until smooth.

Blend in ½ tsp. Onion salt and ¼ C. Parmesan Cheese.

-JT

[miss marmelstein]

I cooked Thanksgiving & Christmas dinner for about 10 years. Now that I’ve put my too small house on the market with plans to move back full time to Manhattan, I’ve given up completely and eat in nice restaurants!!

[OldLurker]

Please add me to your ping list.

[lizma2]

Talked to my mom tonight. She thinks her mom was 1908. We got to see pre-computer history. Something tells me, we got lucky.

The last time I saw my Grandpa, we talked about his childhood in Russia, what he and his family went through in the Bolshevik revolution. I was blessed to learned from his experiences. I learned from it.

The last time my son saw his Grandpa, they talked about his childhood in Chicago, what he and his family went through during WWII. He was blessed to learned from his experiences. I’ll have to wait and see if he really learned from it. He was awed but is still young.

[Jamestown1630]

You’re added!

[Jamestown1630]

From my experience, those old stories stick. They become a part of the child’s own identity and sense of where he came from.

[Jamestown1630]

I’d be happy to do that, at least some years, or for either TG or Christmas; but my husband really likes his holidays, and holiday food, at home - I’d be hard put to drag him out of the house ;-)

[miss marmelstein]

I hope when we finally get our NY apartment, I can return to doing Thanksgiving & Christmas. People are much more likely to travel to NYC for a holiday than a podunk town in NJ!

[Jamestown1630]

I’m not really a city kind of person, but I’ve always thought a Christmas in NYC would be fun. I guess it’s from all of the romantic movies I’ve seen ;-)

[CottonBall]

I have to cook a turkey dinner just to have the leftovers. Turkey sandwiches,Turkey Parmesan, all those casseroles with turkey in it… I like all that much better than the main meal.

[CottonBall]

I finally got out of the dark ages and got a food saver. I’ve only used it once, to vacuum seal my oxygen absorbers in a mason jar. I really just feel more comfortable with mylar and oxygen absorbers. But I bought some replacement bags on Amazon to force myself to start using it… Maybe tomorrow :-)

I actually bought it for a business that I decided not to even start. Too many regulations, taxes, fees, licenses, insurance… It’s just not worth it in this day and age. I’ll have to go get a real job. If big brother ever stops interfering, I would love to start it one day.

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve often felt the same way about starting a business - all the grief just turns you off.

I’ve worked for small businesses in the past, and have enormous respect for people who run them and manage to stick it.

[Aliska]

Pan Roasted Vegetables

I ordered my crock pot finally, the price was raised on the Hamilton Purple Passion oval so I decided the round one for thirteen something might be better anyway. I hope it doesn't boil too soon as someone said last week.

So I have these in the oven right now. In a really nice pan I just happened to get at amazon a couple years ago, for something else; it's perfect1

The pan says 19 inch but says it's 17LX12WX3.25H took the rack out and spread light coat of olive oil.

Then I started with this recipe for a basic. For a photo-video you have to go to the link.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/9377/roasted-vegetables/

Stirred the first time; they are roasting fast at 450, don't usually like it that high.

1 box cremini mushrooms kept well got over a week ago, washed, trimmed stems & drained etc.
I HATE FORMATTING
1 slightly shrivelled yellow summer squash cut in pieces
1 a little more shrivelled zucchini squash in pieces
1 going slightly moldy red pepper washed thoroughly and cut out all the bad places
1 nice fresher green pepper seeded and cut in pieces
1 yellow onion cut in about thirds
1 large handful brussel sprouts trimmed and cut in half
1 carror peeled and cut about 1/4" with ripple cutter

Then I saw garlic and got the idea from another recipe so I trimmed off the top and then trimmed some lower tops, broke into singles, and scattered them over the veggies

Then I mixed the coating in a 1-cup measuring cup:

1/4 cup+ good olive oil
2 generous TBSP balsamic vinegar aged 20 years
2 generous TBSP kikkomen soy sauce
1 TBSP dried thyme
skipped the fresh rosemary because don't need stuck in dentures
Had in large bowl but spread the prepared veggies in roasting pan and slowly drizzled the oil mixture from the mixing cup onto the veggies, then stirred

Gotta go stir again, smells heavenly, shrink fairly quickly so could have put some more stuff in there.

Don't think it needed salt with the soy. Will use a little pepper when serving (myself for now) maybe, sure hope it was worth it

I don't know if I like them. Needed more salt, sprinkled some kosher, fished out some garlic, it's ok. A little too roasted but edible. Stuck to corners (the sweet in the balsamic will have to oil corners better), at least the carrots and brussel sprouts got done

How could i make them better? I think I could have done twice as many in that pan, lower the temp to 425, maybe some fennel, not enough flavor

[CottonBall]

I was actually all set to do it, I was at the point of ordering equipment and the Tennessee law changed in July, unbeknownst to me. I could only sell online to people within the state. That’s not nearly big enough a customer base, since I was planning a specialty Business. More related to preppers and long term food storage. I really need the whole country to have enough people to advertise to.

[CottonBall]

LOL I love your veggie descriptions :-) I know we all have cooked vegetables exactly like that, but you’re the only one to admit it

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve had good luck roasting vegetables in foil with olive oil drizzled over. They sort of steam that way, and have a lot of flavor if you cook just until done.

[Trillian]

15 Cheesy Quick and Easy Side Dishes

BTW.. I made that lentil chili recipe twice since I posted it. It's a big hit. I left out the green peppers and oregano. It's going over French fries and getting topped with cheddar tonight ;)

[Jamestown1630]

Sounds like a sort of Mexican ‘poutine’ ;-)

[Aliska]

My favorite homemade cranberry sauce

I don't know if stevia would let it jel so you might have to use surejel which may not be worth it.

1 pkg fresh cranberries, nice and ripe, round and firm, washed and drained
1 pkg frozen red raspberries or equivalent in fresh, put in pan

Granulated sugar as called for on cranberries plus a little extra

I usually double it and cook in an old Hammercraft Club lg saucepan which works but with acid maybe it's better to use my Revere Ware stainless or Calphalon heavy 4 quart with glass lid pouring spouts which I love for pasta and pudding.

Bring to a boil, watch and stir until it sheets off a metal spoon

Put through my Foley food mill, pour in cut glass bowl, put in fridge. It needs to be stirred a couple times or it jels in a layer on top and a little soupy underneath but yummy, you probably won't want to mess with it.

V K Lee, when I was young I subscribed to I think it was American Girl. My mom spotted the recipe for relish and decided to show me how to make it.

1 pkg cranberries, picked over, washed and drained

1 firm red apple, tart but probably doesn't matter, cored and quartered

1 nice orange seeded with skin on, grind it in, too or take some off

Run it all through an old crank meat grinder (I still have it but have to have broken toothpick pieces to get the handle to screw on as threads are stripped)

Grind it all, put in nice bowl, add sugar to taste and chill. I love it but usually I put it into 2 sm or 1 lg pkg of black cherry jello.

[Aliska]

Heh, thanks., it's a good way not to waste them. I prefer just bought of course and I meant to cook it awhile back but took some doing to get myself actually motivated. My beautiful yellow pepper I had to toss.

[Aliska]

I will try that if I can bring myself to use foil. I come from the days it was expensive and rather a luxury. It makes my daughter irritated. I reuse it for suff in the oven (probably wouldn't for the veggies); if a little food is stuck (a lot stuck I toss it) it sterilizes in heating in the oven; I cover tons of stuff loosely in it. Maybe I could cover my roasting pan with heavy duty and reuse it.

I don't know why I'm that way, am pretty generous with food and other kitchen stuff, check prices but get what I want or am hungry for; some things are too expensive though so I' only buy for a special treat if then.

But it's still going to need something else, maybe a little more balsamic for the sweetness. Don't brown quite so much. Might taste better reheated which one recipe says you can do.

I love the cremini mushrooms but garlic didn't do much for me. I might sprinkle a little of the balsamic vinegar on after cooking but that's a luxury item so wanted to go easy on it.

I thought I picked a good mixture of veggies. Thanks, JT. I got a bowl of it chewed up pretty well.