Posted on 11/02/2017 4:05:32 PM PDT by 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
I was really happy with it. But it has to be made a few days ahead of time, because it takes the Jack about two days to evaporate and if you try it before then your sinuses will regret it.
Xylitol, you said? Did you ever hear the dread story(ies) of the Haribo sugar-free bears? (Somewhere in the reviews is the phrase “rainbow-colored damnbears”. ‘Nuff said.)
https://www.amazon.com/ss/customer-reviews/B00DE4GWWY
Sounds nummy.
:)
I’ll have to try that someday.
I’ve been trying to get around to my fruitcakes for the last few weeks. I’ve never made them with booze, but want to try.
This one from ‘Fine Cooking’ looks good:
http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/spiced-rum-fruitcake
I don’t understand why people don’t like fruitcake - my husband and I love it. When we make it, we keep some in the deep freeze to snack on all year long.
(I think I blame Johnny Carson, and his old joke from the 1960s, about how ‘there’s only one fruitcake in the world’ and it is just eternally re-gifted...:-)
Oh yeah. Everyone here but me is asleep now. If I read that story again my howling laugh will ruin it for all.
Somebody had to make it! Lol! A lot of butter, her rolling cloth and rolling pin and a large dining room table.
I was allowed to help with noodles. Again rolling cloth and pin. She would cut them by hand and we would move them to her indoor back porch drying racks. They were so good.
She washed the cloth in a ringer washing machine. I remember her boiling clothes in her kitchen. Could you imagine?
She made an excellent light green fruit jello. Someday I’ll figure out what she did. Lime jello, cream cheese and fruit cocktail?? Maybe.
Thanks.
Cranberry sauce and Thanksgiving.
Tired of cranberry sauce in the shape of a can, one Thanksgiving I persuaded my mum to let me make a CRANBERRY/ORANGE RELISH. It was so good - chopped fresh cranberries, oranges and pecans. In all these years since, the original recipe was lost, but this certainly sounds like what was made even though it doesn’t mention chopped pecans.
http://www.oceanspray.com/Recipes/Corporate/Sauces,-Sides-Salads/Fresh-Cranberry-Orange-Relish.aspx
I think I can find that old recipe. My mother used to make it with cranberries, oranges and some kind of nuts in a food grinder - one of those grinders you would attach to a table and crank the handle. I think she may have used walnuts. Not sure.
Oh, I can imagine - the Grandma who raised me was born in 1890.
But I’m still amazed at home-made phyllo dough ;-)
This was so good. The first time (ever) I had ever eaten cranberries not found like jelly in a can. Not too keen on jelly (other than if marmalade is considered jelly) Like many, it is just too sweet for these taste buds; but this, Could have eaten the entire batch with a spoon and would have been very thankful. Being in Texas - naturally, Texas Pecans would have been the go to nut. LOL - that old food grinder was put to use. Mom had one as well. :)
IF you should find that recipe, please do share TIA
I didn’t know that Costco had rainbow trout! Will have to look more closely at the fish counter, next time.
Freeze it first, then seal and put it back in the freezer.
This was popular with vegetarian friends last year so I am making it again.
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/farro-cherry-tomato-and-asparagus-casserole/
Every year I get asked to include a corn pudding for Thanksgiving. I am going to try this one this year. I usually cut back on the sugar or honey and reduce the bourbon, so it does not overpower the dish.
There are other great recipes at this site, including spiked pecan hand pies-think I will do these as well.
https://thecardigankitchen.com/2015/11/02/spiked-thanksgiving-bourbon-corn-pudding/
This site has got so many great recipes esp sides.
This dish has become popular at our house after a few visits to Ruth Chris’ steak house.
https://www.thespruce.com/creamy-boursin-spinach-3061943
I will probably break down and try making fruitcake eventually. But not this year. Southern Seasons makes *delicious* fruitcakes that I don’t even bother pretending to give as gifts; they are ALL FOR ME. I’m fairly certain they squeeze enough pecans in there to warp the space-time continuum, lubricated by an equal amount of butter.
Thanks for posting that link. I haven’t laughed that hard in ages!!
Well it sounds counter productive - the whole idea is to bag and seal it then freeze it. I’ve read now where you pat the food dry with paper towels then seal it.
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