Monthly Cooking Thread November 2018 - UPDATE

[Jamestown1630]

Recently, the Lee Valley gardening newsletter featured a great Turkey Pot Pie recipe, to make delicious use of your leftovers:

http://www.leevalley.com/us/newsletters/Gardening/3091/Article2.htm

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Freeper 'Nopardons' shared with me her recipe for Cranberry Sauce; the additions of liqueur and walnuts make an elegant and interesting twist. (I think that NP still says ‘ice box’ when referring to ‘refrigerator’, just as I do :-)

Cranberry Sauce Chez Nopardons

1 package of Ocean Spray cranberries, rinsed and picked-over

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 cup ( more or less...by taste ) of chopped ( I don’t chop them, I just break them up by hand ) walnut pieces (leave out if guests have nut allergies)

1 Tb. ( or 2 ) of Chambord or Grand Marnier

Combine the water and sugar in a pot, bring to a a boil

Add the cranberries and turn the flame down to medium.

Add the walnut pieces after the cranberries begin to pop and stir the contents.

Add the Chambord or Grand Marnier after 5 minutes; turn the flame down to low and continue to cook for about 7 minutes.

Pour mixture into a glass ( yes, it has to be glass! ) bowl with a cover, but do NOT place the cover on the bowl until the mixture is cool.

Once the contents are cool, place the cover on the bowl and place it in the icebox.

Need more...just double or triple all of the ingredients.

This “sauce” will last, in an icebox, for at least a week.

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Chef John of Food Wishes recently posted a fast-and-easy version of Nduja – a Calabrian dip/spread using Salami and Pancetta:

https://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2018/11/spicy-salami-spread-nduja-almost.html

JT

[MomwithHope]

You could still do turkey turnovers but I would recommend something other than puff pastry. Thick pie crust or thin bread dough or pizza dough.

[trisham]

Brining is an excellent way to keep a turkey moist, I believe.

My mother would get up early to put the turkey in the oven, but there were 7 children in our family, so we always had a big bird. Our turkey this year is only 11 pounds. :)

[Yaelle]

I have been brining for 15 years or so! Can’t think of doing it any other way. I use Melinda Lee’s Apple cider brine. It rocks. You will need to foil the bird loosely after it browns because of the juice in the brine.

http://www.melindalee.com/recipes/brine-ultimate-brine-for-turkey/

[Silentgypsy]

Same to you and yours, JT.

[Silentgypsy]

Your wife sounds like a prize!

[oldvirginian]

She was.
The best 30 years of my life I spent as her husband.
Unfortunately for me God wanted his angel back. But its okay, I have many, many great memories.

[Silentgypsy]

Sorry for your loss and, yet, happy that you appreciated each other so much! God bless.

[oldvirginian]

Thank you.
She was a real peach.

[Liz]

Balsamic Cranberry Fig Compote is an upscale cranberry sauce and works well alongside the Thanksgiving turkey,
on a cheese plate, or a dessert garnish. I believe one of our expert cooking thread cooks posted this.

Balsamic Cranberry-Fig Compote
ING cup ea water, sugar orange, zested and juiced cup dried figs, chopped
cinnamon stick 10 oz fresh or frozen cranberries 2 Tb balsamic Pinch salt

METHOD Bring water to a boil. Offheat, stir in orange juice and figs. Steep 15 mins.
Return pan to med-high. Add sugar and cinnamon stick; BTB. Add cranberries;
simmer 10 min til cranberries start to burst. Offheat; stir in balsamic, orange zest, salt.

Cool completely; transfer to a jar. Refriges 3 weeks.

[lizma2]

“I could eat almost anything on a piece of crispy puff pastry...”

Made cream cheese and peach Danish to take my family on Thanksgiving. Ah... sorta already ate them all.

Scottish shortbread is what I’ll be taking now.

[Jamestown1630]

People like what they grew up with, and especially at Thanksgiving, they don’t want anything to change ;-)

[Jamestown1630]

Very pretty. I’ve wanted to try it for a centerpiece.

[Jamestown1630]

My husband loves Apple Cider, hard OR soft; I’ll save this.

[Jamestown1630]

For some reason, when I let my own Husband Unit loose in the grocery, he always brings home carrots and radishes - without realizing how many we already have. He’s a big Salad Guy ;-)

[Jamestown1630]

LOL! That pic is me, when I’ve been presented with Pimento Cheese Sandwiches. I really don’t like them, but they’re a staple at a lot of Southern celebrations; and good manners dictates eating with a smile ;-)

[Jamestown1630]

LOL!

[Liz]

Sugared fruit looks nice with low candles on a flat crystal or silver tray.

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve saved that. I like the idea of combining it with cream cheese for a cracker dip-spread.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I make a fresh cranberry sauce/relish with whole cranberries, sugar, a whole orange (peel and all) and a slug of Galiano — chop fine in food processor and chill. Keeps at least a week in the refrigerator (or ice box, if you prefer). ;)

[afraidfortherepublic]

I make something similar but add Galiano liquer to taste. I think the original recipe came from Joy of Cooking.