Posted on 10/31/2018 4:36:00 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
The First Thanksgiving, Jennie Augusta Brownscombe, 1914
When we were first married and hosting our first Thanksgiving dinner together, my husband and I salt-water brined our first Thanksgiving turkey. We were very pleased with the difference this made, and continued to do it. However, a few years ago we learned about the Judy Bird - named after Judy Rodgers of the Zuni Cafe in San Francisco, who used the technique for chicken. This involves dry-brining the turkey in salt, and does away with the need to fill your refrigerator with a giant container of water right when you need that space the most. And it turned out amazing the breast meat had the texture that chicken thigh meat usually does and we have settled on this as our permanent approach.
Most brining instructions indicate that you should not do this with a Kosher or other pre-seasoned turkey; but I believe that in the past, some of the Freepers have indicated that they have brined Kosher turkeys with good results. I havent done it myself, but here, from The Joy of Kosher is an article about it:
https://www.joyofkosher.com/holidays/how-to-brine-a-kosher-turkey/
and the link to Food52 for the Judy Bird instructions:
https://food52.com/recipes/15069-russ-parsons-dry-brined-turkey-a-k-a-the-judy-bird
A recent King Arthur Flour newsletter featured pretty little brandied mince-meat tartlets; I love mince-meat pie, but if you aren't into it, I think you could do these easily with any pie-filling:
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/christmas-brandied-mince-tarts-recipe
Chef John of Food Wishes makes a cheddar/spring onion biscuit using the kind of folding technique used for puff pastry; and the biscuits look very good:
https://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2017/03/irish-cheddar-spring-onion-biscuits.html
-JT
where you moving?
but many yrs ago I moved to my husbands locale and they are not one big happy family...I say they're dysfunctional....two of his brothers don't even live here and there are not a lot of relatives here anymore....
so holidays are not as happy as I would like them to be....even my two adult children live away and since my son is divorced its rare he can bring the kids here for holidays...
I wish we had stayed where my family lives, clear across the country but that didn't happen and one has to learn how to bloom where they are sowed....
so these holiday cooking threads are great for me....brings back memories about big holidays and lots of food and business.....
Ping
CHERRY CHOCOLATE KISSES / makes about 36
ING cup unsalted butter, softened but cool cup powdered sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt2 tsp bottled maraschino cherry juice 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 2 and 1/4 cups flour 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped 36 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped
METHOD stand mixer/paddle butter til creamy, a min on med. Reduce speed to lowest; slowly add conf and salt. Add cherry juice, almond extract, mix/combine. On low speed, slowly add flour, scraping down the sides.Increase to med; and add cherries.
FINAL Shape into 1-inch balls, and place the balls sheetpan 2" apart. Thumbprint gently in its center until the cookie is about 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle with bit sugar. Bake 325 deg til bottoms lightly brown 14 minutes.
Remove to counter, immediately press chocolate kiss into each cookies center; wire rack to cool completely.
It causes pages to scramble, and if I can find my way back, it's usually gone.
https://www.nola.com/food/index.ssf/2013/07/stuffed_mirliton_recipe.html
Pina Colada Truffles
METHOD BTB 2 oz h/cream, oz coconut milk, pinch k/s on med-high. Add tb dk rum;
immediately pour over 12 oz fine/chp tempered white/choc; Process 30 sec.
Scrape w/ heatproof spatula. Process a min completely smooth. Add 1/4 c fine-chp candied pineapple; process 15 sec.
Pour into saraned 8x8" pan; smooth top. Saran top; set overnight in cool room.
ASSEMBLY Set candy slab on cutting board; spread top w/ thin layer tempered white chocolate.
Let set; then flip onto parchment; spread thin layer of white chocolate on second side.
Before chocolate sets, score inch-squares w/ ruler. Cut row by row, then cut into 64 square truffles.
FINAL Dip into tempered white chocolate. Let set.
SERVE in striped paper cups garnished w/ fine-flaked coconut, candied cherry sliver.
HOTEL SERVES MACAROONS WITH NESTS OF FRESH BERRIES.
METHOD Elec/mixer smooth lb Almond Paste, ½ lb ea Conf, Sugar, some of 5 oz lightly whipt Egg Whites.
Reset to low; slowly add rest egg whites. Scrape sides well. Pipe nickel-sizes onto parchmented sheetpan.
Bake lightly browned 350 deg. Cool on counter.
LOL! Leave it to Liz.
I liked it too. I had never heard of the artist until I found it. Great technical detail and attention to human detail.
I first had that recipe at a beach house party about 30 years ago. It’s become a staple.
Congratulations on your move. Did you decide on Tennessee?
We bought the foodsaver to freeze meats when we buy them at a good price at Costco - but it sure comes in handy at holidays.
It’s delicious.....the flavor combo is inspired.
Sometimes I use pecans instead of walnuts.
No, we didn’t. I’m a little reluctant to disclose where the move is because some people are going to say “Oh, no! You’re moving next to me!!!”
LOL! Well, I wish you the best in your new environment.
We use it for meat at Costco too, like the ground beef and the stew meat. And it’s great for steaming and freezing veggies from the garden.
Thank you! Moving long distance is one of the most stressful events of my life. And yet people do it every day!
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