Posted on 10/31/2022 2:12:02 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I think I’ve posted the Russ Parsons/Judy Bird dry brining technique for turkey every year since I found it. It makes the best turkey we’ve had, and is a lot easier than the wet brine. A recent change I’ve noticed is that they now advise that you can even begin this while your turkey is still frozen and thawing:
https://food52.com/recipes/15069-russ-parsons-dry-brined-turkey-a-k-a-the-judy-bird
*************************************
My favorite recipe for cranberry sauce comes from Tasha Tudor. It’s very simple but makes quite a lot if there aren’t many in your crew who like it. I usually halve the recipe and do it in a smaller mold:
Tasha Tudor’s Cranberry Sauce (from ‘The Tasha Tudor Cookbook’)
2 lbs. fresh cranberries, washed and picked overnight
2 cups cold water (more or less)
2 lbs. Sugar
Place cranberries in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover when they are pressed down. Add the sugar. Bring to a simmer, and skim off the foam occasionally. Cook the cranberries until their juice jells when it is dropped on a cold plate. Pour into a mold and chill overnight.
To remove the sauce from the mold, gently run a paring knife around the edge, dip the mold in hot water for a moment, and invert it onto a platter to serve.
*****************************************
I’ve often made this sweet potato ‘souffle’, but when I took it to a large potluck I learned that some people really dislike raisins. I personally think the raisins make this recipe, but you can certainly leave them out, and you can leave off the marshmallow topping, too.
I usually don’t bother making this as a genuine souffle, but mix everything together in a ‘sturdy’ souffle.
Sweet Potato Souffle
Prepare 2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes: Boil potatoes in their skins until done; remove skins and mash.
Preheat oven to 350.
Scald: 1 C. milk
Add: ½ C. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 3 T. butter, 1 tsp. nutmeg, and the potatoes. Beat until fluffy.
Separate 2 eggs. Beat yolks and add to the potato mixture. Add: ½ C. raisins, and stir in well.
Beat the 2 egg whites until stiff, and fold into 1st. mixture. Pour into greased baking dish.
Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes, or until knife comes out clean. When done, top with marshmallows and brown briefly under broiler.
(Usually I make the potatoes the night before.)
****************************************
I like the now traditional string bean casserole, but lots of people don’t. I found a more elegant recipe at the Kevin Lee Jacobs website that some might prefer; this one uses a Swiss cheese (Mornay) sauce:
https://www.agardenforthehouse.com/green-bean-gratin/
*********************************************
My Grandmother made a great navy bean soup – I think she used a ham bone, and the dregs from a baked ham. My husband also makes a good one using ham hocks. I was craving something like this, and decided to try the famous Senate Bean Soup, which has been served continuously in the U.S. Senate cafeteria for over a century.
There are a couple of stories and recipes attached to this tradition, and you can read about them here:
https://www.senate.gov/about/traditions-symbols/senate-bean-soup.htm
I chose the recipe without mashed potatoes, which is the one that is served now and has been for many years. I soaked my beans overnight, and used chicken broth instead of water; and I did add, at the end, some instant mashed potato flakes mixed into the broth, to thicken. (I think I learned that trick from Jacques Pepin, and I appreciated it because I don’t like chunks of potato, which are often added in recipes for soups and chowders.)
This is a very ‘plain’ recipe, and you can play with it any way that you like. It would benefit from some bay and other herbs; and the recipe is easily halved:
The Famous Senate Restaurant Bean Soup Recipe
2 pounds [0.91 kg] dried navy beans
four US quarts hot water
1 and ½ pounds smoked ham hocks
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
Wash the navy beans and run hot water through them until they are slightly whitened. Place beans into pot with hot water. Add ham hocks and simmer approximately three hours in a covered pot, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool.
Dice meat and return to soup. Lightly brown the onion in butter. Add to soup. Before serving, bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.
-JT
This month: Thanksgiving!
All:
This will be my last posting of the Monthly Cooking Thread.
I committed to doing this thread very soon after I signed up here, almost seven years ago – I wanted to do it because the periodic cooking threads were one of the things I really enjoyed during the many years of ‘lurking’; and when I joined, there didn’t seem to be anyone doing it routinely.
I’ve enjoyed managing this thread very much, and I’ve appreciated all of you who engaged our discussions.
Unfortunately, I can’t continue the thread as I’ve done in the past.
I welcome anyone who would like to carry it on, and the ping-list for the thread is on my homepage. (I’ve tried to keep the list in alphabetic order, and have never removed or added anyone unless they requested it. A lot of people on that list are probably no longer here, or are dormant.)
Again, I have greatly appreciated this experience, and all that I have learned from the many great cooks on Free Republic.
To quote the the late, great Julia Child:
“Bon appétit!”
-JT
You’ve done a great job managing the ping list. I haven’t posted in a long time, but every once in a while scout for recipes. I manage another ping list & don’t have time for this one. But congratulations on your ‘retirement.’ ;-)
Ping
However I copied the recipe posted here and look forward to enjoying another serving of Senate bean soup.
It must contain an overabundance of pork.
ROTFL!
You will probably want to thicken it somewhat, if you use the one sans mashed potatoes. But it’s a very good, basic recipe.
Thanks! I’m sure there will be other people here posting good recipes and food threads, as there have always been.
And now, of course, we have the long standing best advice for producing an excellent Thanksgiving turkey dinner!
Godspeed, JT!
Sorry to hear that this is your last one. I may not have posted on these threads, but I have copied several recipes. Thank you for doing these.
bkmk
LOL! She’s great!
One of our most successful turkeys was the result of a big mistake. My husband was using a recipe where you put it into an extremely hot oven initially, for about 30 minutes, and then place the foil ‘breastplate’ on and turn it down to 325-350.
Well, he forgot about it, and it was in the 450 degree oven for a LOOOOONG time, until the thermometer went off saying that it was done.
That turkey turned out great.
Mr mm used to hate Brussel sprouts. Until I found a recipe that used bacon.
Cut bacon into about 1 inch squares.
Clean and cut the Brussel spouts in half.
Slice or dice up one onion, as much as you would like.
Fry bacon and remove from heat. If more bacon fat is needed, add some or use some other oil to extend it. Pan fry the Brussel Sprouts for about 10 minutes. Add the onions and cook until soft.
Add the bacon back in and serve.
DD once said that there was no vegetable that wasn’t edible with enough cheese on it. Mr. mm’s corollary is that there is no vegetable that isn’t edible with enough bacon incorporated.
Our best turkey cooking discovery was in the summer one year. Something happened that resulted in an extended power outage. I had the turkey to cook up the next day and it could not wait. So we put it on the Weber instead, in a roasting pan.
I covered it with foil and took it off for the last 1/2 hour to brown. It was phenomenal. Since then we’ve never done a turkey in the oven.
Thank you for your many years of service!
I’ve always enjoyed your cooking thread although not one to post much. I have a binder containing many a recipe I’ve printed from this wonderful thread.
We are Thankful for you.
God Bless you.
Thank you for all your work here; sorry to see you have to give it up.
As to cranberry sauce, I hate that it is treated simply as a condiment; to me, it is an essential fruit dish, especially whole berry; even better is cranberry-orange.
One thing that still frosts my feathers, is that all my old recipes called for a pound of cranberries; but many years ago, they shrank the packages to 12 ounces, and I’ve never lived anywhere that sold them other than packaged. Yes, calculate, and adapt; but it still means 1 pkg is not enough, and 2 pkgs is way too much.
Try your Brussels Sprouts with this; we use Jack Daniel’s as the liquor.
It’s non-alcoholic when done but VERY tasty.
https://www.canadianliving.com/food/recipe/whisky-glazed-brussels-sprouts
I always buy extra when they’re on sale anyway. They freeze very nicely, and I use them for muffins throughout the year.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.