Monthly Cooking Thread, Thanksgiving Edition, November 2019

[Jamestown1630]

I originally began this cooking thread because – during my many years as a ‘lurker’ here before signing up – I greatly enjoyed the annual Thanksgiving cooking threads that I would see. (Somewhere on my hard drive, I’m sure I have many Freeper recipes that were posted over the years before I officially arrived on the scene.)

Now, the holiday season is getting into gear, and Thanksgiving is on the near horizon once again. Please share with us your family favorites, traditions, and your memories of this very American of holidays.

We’ve noted many times before that people really don’t like Thanksgiving to ‘change’ - we enjoy, and enjoy looking forward to, the traditional family specialties that we have always relished on that day. But I encountered a potato recipe that some of you might find interesting as a slight change-up to your annual fare - (and who said you can have only one kind of potato dish, anyway?)

Here, Chef John of Food Wishes, presents his rendition of Potatoes Romanoff:

https://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2019/10/potatoes-romanoff-this-didnt-stay-in.html

My husband and I were thrilled with the first wet-brined turkey that we made many years ago – but that was before we discovered dry-brining. We have used the Russ Parsons method for several years now, and it results in the best turkeys that we’ve roasted.

Here is the Parsons Method (also known as 'The Judy Bird'):

https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/good-food/recipe-russ-parsons-dry-brined-turkey-a-k-a-the-judy-bird

*****************************************************

I recently lost a very stubborn 15 pounds that always seem to creep up on me over time, by following a very low-carb diet. One of my favorite dishes for Thanksgiving is the ubiquitous Green Bean Casserole, and we found this recipe from 'Dot2Trot' for a low-carb version. Haven’t tried it yet, but it looks more promising than a lot of others we have seen. (As of the last time she posted the numbers, Dot had lost 145 pounds on the low-carb diet, and her website and YouTube channel have a lot of really good recipes):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP_lTI7Ji2I

(The painting at the start of this post is entitled ‘Home for Thanksgiving', and was painted by Anna Mary Robertson - “Grandma’ - Moses):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandma_Moses

-JT

[Flaming Conservative]

Isn’t Swan’s Down cake flour? I don’t know what makes cake flour different from regular.

[smvoice]

Wonder if Door Dash or one of the other delivery services goes to Popeye’s..?

[Jamestown1630]

I was wondering about that, too; I think ‘cake’ flour isn’t very different from other finely-sifted flours like White Lily.

I guess the best way to find out is to make biscuits :-)

[Jamestown1630]

In my area, they do; but they aren’t offering ‘The Sandwich’ on delivery, yet.

And I wouldn’t want to try it that way, anyhow. Our area used to be a ‘desert’ where all you could get delivered was pizza and Chinese. We can get a lot more now, but some things just aren’t as good when they’ve been driven around in a car for a half-hour :-)

(The delivery services still seem to have specialized menus that don’t always offer the full menu that you get in the store. But things are improving!)

[smvoice]

I know, I would rather eat it in the restaurant, too. I would love to try one, I’m just not feeling the safety of going into Popeye’s yet!

[Jamestown1630]

Go to Chick-fil-A, and take some hot sauce with you.

(I doubt it will be that much different :-)

[Liz]

Some say cake flour results in a super-tender texture with a fine crumb, and a good rise.

The primary difference between cake flour and all-purpose flour is the protein content (which becomes gluten).

The protein content of cake flour is about 8%, while the protein content of A/P flour is slightly higher.

[Liz]

APPLE PIE CAKE

ING 9 cups – sliced and peeled apples (about 9) 12 tb unsalted butter, 1/2 cup – plus 1/3 cup Splenda for Baking tsp – cinnamon
2 cups – Swans Down Cake Flour 4 tsp – b/powder tsp – salt 2/3 cup – milk 2 large – eggs 2 tsp – vanilla

DIRECTIONS
COMBINE in a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish apples, 4 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup Splenda, cinnamon, and 1¼ cups water.
COMBINE in 2nd bowl flour, ½ cup Splenda, b/powder, salt. Add rest butter and milk; beat on med 2 min. Add eggs,vanilla;
and beat 2 min. Spread batter over apples and bake 350 deg 35 min golden brown.

SERVE warm with lowfat vanilla ice cream.

[bgill]

I’ve never understood baby carrots. Too expensive.

[Flaming Conservative]

I’ve bought them for years, then one day, decided to buy the old fashioned carrots. I couldn’t believe the difference in the taste! It’s like night and day.

[Jamestown1630]

Yes; that’s why I thought that Swan’s Down cake flour might be a substitute for White Lily, at least in biscuits.

From the Swan’s Down website:

“The type of flour used will affect the finished product. Flour contains protein, and when it comes in contact with liquid and heat, it produces gluten, which gives elasticity and strength to baked goods. Different types of flour contain different amounts of protein. Therefore, using a different type of flour from what is called for will alter the outcome of baked goods.

Cake Flour – Has 6-8% protein content, made from soft wheat flour and chlorinated. Great for cakes (especially white cakes and biscuits) and cookies where a tender and delicate texture is desired.

Pastry Flour – Most similar to cake flour, although it has not been chlorinated. Has 8-9% protein content, also made from soft wheat flour. (Found in health food stores, mail-order catalogs.) Good for pastries, pies, and cookies.

All-Purpose Flour – 10-12% protein content, made from blend of hard and soft wheat flours. Can be bleached or unbleached soft wheat flours.

Bread Flour – 12-14% protein content, made from hard wheat flour. High gluten content causes bread to rise and gives shape and structure. (Comes as whole wheat, organic, bleached, and unbleached.)

Self Rising Flour – 10-12% protein content, made from blend of hard and soft wheat flours. Can be bleached or unbleached soft wheat flours. It contains a leavening agent baking powder, and salt.”

https://swansdown.com/faq/

[smvoice]

They’re cute. That’s just about it!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’m on the ‘real’ carrots bandwagon too, versus ‘Cutting Floor Sweepings,’ LOL!

My Mule agrees too, though he WILL eat ANY apple you give him, bruised, mushy or fresh. ;) He will also do anything for a scoop of dry dog kibble or a Milk Bone! When you’re raised with hounds...

My soil (no matter HOW well amended) has too much clay to grow a decent carrot. Luckily, Wisconsin is second in production in our nation for carrots, onions and potatoes. The entire mid-section of our state is nothing but sandy loam thanks to the Glaciers’ grinding, which is excellent for growing root crops without even hardly trying! :)

[lizma2]

All he cared about is talking to our injured and their families. He was kind and humbled. I was surprised how small he was!

Robin Williams always said he would show, security would get in place and he wouldn’t show. The security people couldn’t stand him.

[Flaming Conservative]

Oh boy, I wish. Our soil is all clay, it’s hard to grow much. I’m not much of a gardener, anyway. The mosquitoes get more to eat, off of me, than we get from my gardening. :(

[Jamestown1630]

I gather you mean that they couldn’t stand Robin Williams.

Unfortunately, by Williams’ time, we didn’t have that ‘Greatest Generation’ anymore.

[lizma2]

Question.

I have recipes that call for sifted flour. If I used cake flour do I have to sift it? Why do we have to sift any flour???

Great post. Makes me use my brain! But still don’t get sifting. But I learned about different protein content.

[lizma2]

Back then a bunch of the ‘Greatest Generation’ were still hanging around!! Their volunteers were a hoot!

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve always wondered, because recipes are often ambiguous as to whether you sift before or after measuring. (Sifting is going to change the weight, if you are baking according to weights instead of volume.)

I remember my grandmother sifting for pie crust; I still have her ancient sifter!

Maybe she did it because she was using flour that wasn’t really right for pie crust, and that was a way of conditioning it for the recipe.

I found this, from Epicurious:

https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/do-you-really-need-to-sift-flour-article

But this one from Bob’s Red Mill may be more instructional:

https://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/baking-101/how-to-sift-flour/

(For the record, I’ve never personally sifted; but now that I’m learning more about various flours, I might do.)

[bgill]

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