Conference turris::cooks

    Here's the one I always bring...
    
    		CREAMED ONIONS
    
    Small white boiling onions
    milk
    cornstarch
    salt and pepper
    butter
    
    Peel and halve the onions. Place in saucepan with
    water and boil. Cook until very soft. Drain and place back
    in saucepan. Add butter, salt and pepper. Mix some cornstarch
    with a little water. Add milk. Then add mixture to onions.
    Simmer on low heat till thickened.
    
    Sorry, I don't use exact measurements. Adjust to your taste.
    
    pat
    

    This is a tradition, we use it to stuff celery, but also tastes
    good served with raw vegetable, corn chips, in a sandwich or whatever.
    We call is "SMURKEE"
    
      3 Hard Boiled Eggs
      1 8 oz Pkg of Cream Cheese - room temperature
      1 Small Onion - finely chopped
    1/2 6 oz Jar of Green Olives - coarsly chopped
    
    Mash eggs, then mix in rest of ingredients.
     

My tradition is a sweet potato souffle..less sweet than the usual stuff.


Mix 2 cups mashed sweet potatos with 3 egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon
cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (or use pumpkin pie
spice), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup melted butter, and 1/2 cup heavy cream.
(cream is optional - depends on how moist the potatos are...)

Beat egg whites to glossy peaks, fold into sweet potato mixture, carefully
to avoid deflating egg whites....you know the drill, stir in a large
spoonful of egg whites to "lighten" the mixture and then fold in the rest
of the egg whites just until most of the white is mixed in.  Turn into
an oiled souffle dish or baking dish with deep sides and bake in a 325 - 350
degree oven until puffy and lightly browned on top (approx. 3/4 hour).
Serve immediately for maximum puffiness - but it's still good later.

This is also an alternative to pumpkin pies.

		A tradition in my family is Stuffed Artichokes. I am
    		the one that make them, because no one else seems to
    		know how. It is so simple, its scary!
    
    Any number of artichokes you care to stuff
    Tomatoe sauce
    Seasoned Bread Crumbs
    Olive Oil
    Water
    
    There are no exact measurements here, we don't use numbers in my
    family!
    
    Look over the chokes and remove any of the outside leaves that don't
    look nice. Trim the stem close to the flower so that the choke will
    sit straight. Turn the choke upside down and press down, and in
    a circular motion to open up all of the leaves.
    
    Put bread crumbs into a bowl and mix in olive oil until the crumbs
    are moist, not soggy. Take a choke and use a scooping motion to
    fill all of the open leaves with stuffing. Don't be afraid to pack
    the stuffing in. Put the chokes in a large pan. Drizzle a *generous*
    amount of tomatoe sauce over the chokes.
    
    Add water to the pan, about a quarter inch. Cover and steam, adding
    water frequently. The chokes are done when the bottom leaves can
    be pulled off with no effort.
    
    Serve with plenty of napkins because they will make a mess. Instruct
    the uninitiated to pull leaves off and scrape the stuffing and meat
    into their mouths using only their teeth.
    
    Heaven!
    
    

    Does anybody have any suggestions for Thnksgiving dinner INSTEAD
    of a turkey?  After a big discussion around our dinner table last
    weekend, it was the unanimous conclusion that NOBODY in the family
    would actually chose to eat turkey if given the option of eating
    something else.  This wil be a dinner for about 7 people.
    
    Any and all suggestions are welcome.

    I remember once when I was little, one grandmother had ham and the other
    had a roast pork.  That was only for one year.  The other ones were
    turkey.
    
    I think any large roast with with fixings would be good.
    
    Susan

How about roast duckling, with a cran-orange sauce?  Or a goose?

Or roast prime rib of beef, or roast loin pork (rolled and stuffed even), or 
lasagna (or, if you're Italian, AND lasagna).

						     
							- JP

After everyone in my family agreed that we didn't like turkey, we 
started doing Beef Wellington for TQgiving.  Great stuff -- I recommend 
it highly as a turkey substitute.  (It even looks sorta' kinda' like a 
turkey, but without drumsticks....)

				>>>==>PStJTT

re: .4

This may sound hoplessly naive, but don't you scoop the chokes out of 
the artichoke before you stuff them?  
					>>>==>PStJTT

    RE:.9  No. The tender leaves surrounding the choke are a treat.
    And the meat under the choke is fabulous! Our stuffed artichokes
    are actually 'stuffed artichoke leaves'.
    
    I have seen other recipes where the artichoke is hollowed and the
    cavity stuffed, but this is not one of those.

	 As turkey  alternatives,  my  family has had chicken (simulated
     turkey?),  crown  rib  roast, and standing rib roast.  We generally
     had  the  chicken  when  there would only be the 4 of us, with only
     one  person  to  eat the leftovers (me back to my own abode, sister
     back to school, and dad back on the road).

    Thanks for the ideas.  We have decided that we will have lobsters
    and bouilabaise (sp?).  Far from traditional, but heck, if you're
    gonna break tradition, you should break it 100%   ;')
    
    BTW  Thanks for all the suggestions.  We'll need them for Christmas
    (the other TURKEY meal of the year)
    
    

RE: .3 <Sweet Potato Souffle>
    
    I fixed this for Thanksgiving, as a change from the traditional candied
    sweet potatoes.  My husband, who claims to HATE sweet potatoes
    ("they're UNNATURAL"), teased me with disparaging remarks the entire
    time I was preparing the dish. He put a one-bite-size portion on his
    plate, and when he took his one and only bite his eyes got real big and
    he said "Hey, THIS IS GOOD!"  Needless to say he went back for two
    helpings, and we polished off the leftovers on Friday.  Thanks for a
    WONDERFUL recipe that will become a "regular" in the Resende
    Thanksgiving repertoire!! 
    
    							Pat

    This salad is eaten with the meal and is sort of like ice cream
    but not as sweet or as creamy.
                                                                   
    1/2 pint heavy cream(1 cup)
    1 tablespoon sugar---whip these together
                               
    8 ounces cream cheese
    8 ounce jar maraschino cherries(drained)
    1 cup crushed pineapple(drained)
    1 3 ounce package Cherry Jello
    2 tablespoons mayonaise
    
    
    Follow directions for Jello, using 1 cup hot water and 1 cup of juices
    drained from fruit for liquid. Set aside. Cream the cheese with the
    mayonaise. Dice cherries and add these with pineapple to cheese
    mixture. Add ONE CUP of Jello, mix.(refrigerate remaining Jello to
    eat later.) Fold in whipped cream and put into mold(I find the white
    tupperware mold with cover works well). Freeze on level surface
    for at least one day.
    TO UNMOLD: Remove mold from freezer, remove cover and let set for
    1 hour before serving.(The tupperware mold also has a small cover on top
    that should be removed just before inverting). When ready, invert mold
    onto plate(if mold sticks warm the sides with a hot towel, or replace
    covers and run under warm water for a few seconds).
    
    TO SERVE: Slice and place on individual salad plates over beds of
              lettuce.
    
                      
    
    
    
    TO SERVE: 
    
    
    
    

    I serve the following:
    
    	Starters - carrot, celery, radish, cuke, broccoli, etc with
    		a light dip (a mix of herbs, yogurt, and a little
    		miracle whip for taste, but you can use your favorite)
    		OR
    		crackers and cheese
        
    	Main course -
    		Turkey
    		stuffing - I always jazz up my stuffing, and it's never
    			the same twice.  See below for an example.
    		tossed salad with the works in it (not just lettuce!)
    		Green beans with almonds (mmmmmmm good!)
    		pan gravy made with defatted drippings
    		(baked squash or a savory squash pudding, if there
    		  are lots of people or if it's a special occasion)
    
    	Dessert - 2 hours later, usually.  Depends on the season.
    		Fruit is a good end for this meal, since the rest
    		of the meal can be pretty heavy.
    
    
    By the way, the reason I serve a starter is that the vultures always
    congregate in the kitchen way before the turkey is done, due to
    the delicious smells wafting through the house.  The starter keeps
    them out of my hair, and out of the salad!
    

    Stuffing for a small turkey:
    
    	4-6 slices of bread, toasted and cubed
    	2 onions, chopped
    	giblet and neck meat from the turkey, prepared as follows:
    		put 4 Cups water (about a liter) in a pot.  Add
    		celery, onion, carrot, whatever you've got.  Add
    		giblets/neck.  Cook 1-2 hours - until meat is done.
    		Save broth and meat; discard vegetables. Chop meat.
    	Herbs and spices - sage, pepper, and a few other assorted
    		herbs, whatever I fancy.
    	a few cloves of garlic, minced
    	a bit of butter
    
    Cook onion in the butter, add garlic and cook a few minutes more.
    Pour onion mixture in a bowl, add bread, herbs/spices, giblets,
    and a bit of broth.  Stir well.  Stuff into turkey right before
    cooking.  (DON'T let a stuffed turkey sit overnight in the fridge.
    You can make the stuffing the day before, just don't put it into
    the turkey until you're ready to cook, or you risk a horrible
    death according to the scare-stories I've heard lately.)
    
    This recipe can be varied widely once you get the hang of it.  I've
    used cheese croutons or crushed crackers for the bread.  I've used
    all sorts of veggies (water chestnuts are really interesting, and
    they stay crunchy).  I've varied the spices.  I've added a beaten
    egg to make the stuffing more cohesive.  All are good.  I've come
    to the conclusion that it's pretty hard to make bad stuffing.
    
    --Louise
    

		Try the Squash Casserole recipe in note 683. 
		Everytime my mother makes it (and she does 
		serve it with other dishes besides chicken),
		that dish is the first one to empty.

		Bon Appetit!

		-Marc.

    I made this over the memorial day weekend.  Cooking time ran about
    3-1/2 hours in mid-70s temperatures with a moderate breeze.
    
    My wife came up with an inspired vegatable accompaniment: steamed
    fiddlehead greens with a balsamic vinegar (1 Tbsp) and oriental sesame
    oil (1 tsp) "dressing". Great.
    
    A rather light '81 Hermitage from Ferraton went well with everything.

My sister and I, who are both very much into cooking, alternate having 
Thanksgiving.  Each year we swear we are going to do something different, 
but then when the time comes, we always end up with the exact same 
traditional dinner.

One of our staples is creamed onions with homemade croutons on the top (the 
best part).  Since my sister does the onions, I don't have a recipe.  I 
know you precook small white onions, make a bechamel sauce with a 
little bit of grated swiss cheese added and reheat together in the oven in a 
souffle-type dish with croutons on top.

This year I swear I am going to make one of the many cornbread stuffing 
recipes I keep copying from this Notes File, instead of our traditional 
bread stuffing.  And just maybe I'll find something else with other 
people's responses!

    I found these recipes in the Nov/Dec '92 Cooking Light.  There are a
    few, so I'll just post them as the next few replies.
    
    Gingered Cranberry and Orange Relish
    
    3/4 C cubed unpeeled thin-skinned orange
    1 1/2 C fresh cranberries
    1 C cubed unpeeled red delicious apple
    1 tbsp chopped crystallized ginger
    1/3 C honey
    
    Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add orange.
    Process 15 seconds or until finely chopped.
    Add cranberries, apple, and ginger.
    Pulse 6 times or until chopped, spoon into bowl.
    Add honey and stir well.
    Cover and chill 1 hour.
    
    Yeild 2 1/2 cups.
    
    Cals 58 (2% from fat)
    
    ~beth

    8 C peeled, thinly sliced sweet potato (about 2 1/4 lbs)
    1 C thinly sliced onion
    1/2 C low-sodium chicken broth
    2 tsp conrstarch
    1 C skim milk
    1/2 tsp sugar
    1/4 tsp salt
    1/8 - 1/4 tsp pepper
    1/2 C shredded reduced-fat swiss cheese
    1 tsp grated parmesean cheese
    vegetable cooking spray
    
    Cook potato in boiling water about 10 mins or until tender.
    Drain well; set aside.
    Combine onion and broth in a non-stick skillet; bring to a boil.
    Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 mins, stirring occasionally.
    increase heat to high and cook, uncovered, 1 min or until liquid is
    reduced to 3 tbsp.
    Place cornstarch in bowl; gradually add milk, stirring with wire whisk.
    Add to onion mixture; stir in sugar, salt and pepper.
    Bring to a boil, cook 1 min, stirring constantly.
    Coat and 11x7x2" baking dish w/cooking spray; pour half onion mixture
    into dish. Layer potato evenly over onion mixture; top with remaining
    onion mixture. Bake at 400F for 15-20 mins. Top with cheeses; bake 5
    mins or until cheese melts. 
    
    Yeild: 8 servings.
    
    NOTE: you can assemble and chill up to 24 hours before baking.
    
    Cals 186 (10% from fat)
    
    ~beth

    Suggestion of Cooking Light: "Rich and creamy, this puree is slightly
    sweet; serve it instead of gravy with turkey."
    
    3/4 lb fresh chestnuts
    2 C low-sodium chicken broth, divided
    2 tsp margarine
    2 C finely chopped celery
    1 C fnely chopped onion
    3/4 tsp dried whole marjoram
    1/2 tsp dried whole thyme
    1/2 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp pepper
    
    Use a meat mallet to tap a knife into flat side of chestnuts, forming
    an "X" in the shell. Place in saucepan, and cover with water to 1"
    above chestnuts. Bring to boil, reduce heat andsimmer, uncovered, 10
    minutes. Drain well. While chestnuts are still warm, peel hard outer
    shell; peel soft inner skin, using a knife to separate the skin from
    the nut.
    Bring 1 cup broth to boil in a saucepan; add chestnuts. Cover and
    reduce heat, and simmer 5 mins. Set aside.
    Melt margaring in a non-stick skillet over med-high heat.  Add
    remaining cup of broth, celery, and onion, and cook 12 mins or until
    liquid evaporates. (Do not allow mixture to brown.)
    Position knofe blade in food processor bowl; add chestnut mixture.
    Process 2 mintues or until smooth, scraping sides of bowl once.  Add
    celery mixture, marjoram, and next 3 ingredients; process 1 minute or
    until smooth, scraping sides of bowl once.  Serve warm.
    
    Yeild 3 1/4 C
    
    Cals 60 (20% from fat)
    
    ~beth

    2 pkgs dry yeast
    1 C warm water (105 - 115 F)
    2 tbsp honey
    4 C all-purpose flour, divided
    1/4 C instant non-fat dry milk powder
    1 1/2 tsp salt
    1 tsp EACH: whole tarragon, whole thyme, whole dillweed
    2 tbsl olive oil
    1 egg, lightly beaten
    1 tsp water
    1 egg white, lightly beaten
    Veg cooking spray
    
    Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Add honey; let stand 5
    minutes. Add 3 3/4 C flour and next 7 ingred., stirring to form a soft
    dough.
    Place dough in a large air tight container coated with cooking spray;
    turn to coat top. 
    Refrigerate up to 24 hours; dough will double in bulk.
    Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough 7-8 times;
    add enough of remaining flour, 1 tbsp at a time, to prevent dough from
    sticking to hands.  Divide dough in half; cut each portion into 15
    pieces. Shape each piece into a 6" rope; carefully tie each rope into a
    knot. Place knots on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Let
    rise, uncovered, in a warm place (85F), free fromdrafts, 1 hour or
    until doubled in bulk.
    Combine eater and egg white; gently brush over rolls. Bake at 400F for
    10 mins or until golden. Serve warm.
    
    Yeild 2.5 dozen
    
    Cals 76 (15% from fat)
    
    ~beth
    

    1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
    1/3 C cold water
    1/4 C chopped shallot
    1 tsp grated lemon rind
    1/2 tsp dried whole thyme
    1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
    3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
    1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    1 tbsp veg.oil
    4 C + 1 tbsp water, divided
    3/4 lb fresh small green beans
    1 tsp sugar
    1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cutinto 1/4" strips
    6 Boston lettuce leaves
    2 C thinly sliced Chinese cabbage
    
    Sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 C cold water in small saucepan; let stand 1
    minute. Cook over low heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves.
    Combine shallot and next 5 ingred. in container of electric blender;
    cover and process 15 seconds. Add gelatin mixture, oil, and 1 tbsp
    water; process until smooth. Cover and chill 15 mins.
    Wash green beans, trim ends,and remove strings. Combine remaining 4C
    water and sugar in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Add beans and cook
    2 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain well. Combine beans and bell
    pepper strips; toss well.
    Place 1 lettuce leaf on each of 6 salad plates; top each with 1/3 C
    cabbage. Divide ben mixture evenly among salads. Drizzle 2 tbsp
    dressing over each salad.
    
    yeild 6 servings
    
    Cals 54 (42% from fat)
    
    ~beth

    Can anyone give me quantities?  How large a turkey, how many potatoes?
    
    I'll be serving turkey, dressing & gravy; mashed white potatoes; peas,
    carrots and turnip (as the main meal).
    
    There will be four adult men, five adult women, and two kids.  (As
    long as there's cranberry, carrots and mashed potatoes the little 
    ones will be happy.)
    
    At first I had considered two small turkeys (12-14 lbs.) but my
    daughters though that idea 'strange.'
    
    Suggestions welcomed.
    
    Karen
    

    
    For a dozen people, all adults, my mom cooks a 30 lb turkey,
    a 5 lb bag of white potatoes to make mashed, 3 large butternut squash,
    4 lbs of fresh carrots, 2 cans of cranberry sauce, 2 turnips, and 24 
    rolls, and has on the side peas and kernel corn, just in case she runs out
    of food. (;  The stuffing is made outside the turkey, so as to be able
    to make homemade gravy.  Usually 2 bags of stuffing crumbs (1 lb
    bags)....
    
    I see nothing wrong with 2 12-14 lb turkeys.  Sometimes cooking the
    larger birds makes them too dry because of the long cooking time.
    
    Lynne

What Lynne says is about right.  Except my family always did Thanksgiving
"Italian style", which meant you add to Lynne's suggestions the following:

	5+ lbs cold cuts
	several jars of pickles/olives/marinated mushrooms/artichoke hearts
	3+ lbs cheeses cubed
	2 lbs tuna
	1 loaf italian bread

for the antipasto, plus:

	7+ lbs homemade meat ravioli in broth with sage butter
	1 lb fresh grated imported parmesano
	1 more loaf italian bread

for the pasta course, plus a large garden salad after the turkey, and about 12
different pies, cakes, and cookies for dessert.

Needless to say, there are no thin people in my family.  As a matter of fact,
the most difficult part of the holidays was always finding dressy clothes that
stretched a couple of feet.  On the other hand, the best part was always the
carbo-coma that the old folks lapsed into after dinner allowing all the "kids"
to get away with murder.

�The stuffing is made outside the turkey, so as to be able
�    to make homemade gravy.  
    
    Why does cooking stuffing inside the turkey preclude making gravy?  It
    hasn't stopped me.

    Re: .27
    
    Gee...this sounds familiar. The "pasta course" in my house was almost
    always home-made raviolis. My mother would be down in the basement a
    week or two ahead of time cranking out around 350 of the suckers (this
    is to feed 8-10 people). By the time the dozens of desserts were rolled
    out, everyone would be groaning in agony.

    
    Re .28
    
    Because very few of us like stuffing, and the gravy picks up the
    flavor of the seasonings etc. in the stuffing!!!
    
    

    Try making a stuffing you like - ever made conbread stuffing?  It's
    delicious!  Of course, you do have to start a day ahead in order to
    bake the cornbread and let it dry out so you can turn it into crumbs,
    but it is worth doing.  Most of the pre-made stuffings in bags overdo
    it on some of the seasonings, especially SALT.
    
    /Charlotte

    You would be better off buying one large turkey, rather than two small
    birds. The reason for this is that a turkey reaches full bone size
    while still very young. So you always buy about the same weight of
    bone, regardless of the size of the bird.
    
    Steve
    

    I have been invited to my brothers for Thanksgiving dinner.  His
    mother and father-in-law cook the turkey and stuffing.  His (3)
    sisters-in-law cook the desserts and he and his wife cook all
    the vegetables.  Years past I have contributed to the "food
    before dinner" snacks but we all pigged out on all of it so
    that no one ate THE dinner.  We don't do that anymore.
    
    I could bring the condiments (olives, cranberry sauce, etc.) but
    that seems so boring.  Has anyone a suggestion and/or special
    recipe that I could make and surprise everyone with something
    different?
    
    Thanks
    
    

    
    A couple of ideas (and you didn't say cost was an issue):
    
    o several bottles of wonderful champagne or wine to sip before/during
      dinner
    
    o a pound of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee to enjoy with the desserts
    
    o a bottle of fine port to enjoy after the desserts
    
    o a basket of perfect fruit (like from Harry&David's) and a selection
      of imported cheeses for those who'd like an alternative to dessert
    
    o several pounds of perfectly -cooked jumbo shrimp as an appetizer (or
      for cocktails, if your family decides to relax the "no pre-dinner 
      snacks" rule, once they see what you've brought)
    
    You get the general idea here.  Think special, luxurious, and decadent.
    Procuring the above items is easy enough, and all are eminently
    transportable.
    
    Sometimes the perfect dinner contribution doesn't come from a recipe!
                                 

    Look at the Jellow Mold in 1903.22 -- this could be substituted
    for the traditional cranberry sauce.  It goes great with a turkey
    dinner, and I'm sure everyone will love it.   I know everytime I've
    made it, I've had to give out the recipe.
    
    Julie
    

The shrimp mentioned earlier with some homemade dipping sauce seems like a yummy
"light " suggestion.

Or how about a Chinese Chicken Salad.  We usually have this and use turkey
instead of chicken since it's so plentiful.  The salad is also a nice "light"
addition to a big meal.

    More suggestions:
    
    How about warm fresh bread or rolls?  I buy frozen bread dough; it
    comes out great.
    
    Fresh fruit salad with sherbet

    Home made cranberry sauce.
    

    I always bring woup to my family's Thanksgiving dinner.
    
    Last year curried butternut squash soup was a *great* hit!  Easy, too.
    
    If your family drinks, consider some desert wines, apertifs or
    post-dinner cordials.  In my family, it is traditional after stuffing
    yourself to the waddle-stage (but before the passing-out-stage) to
    waddle in to the living room and sprawl and talk with various liquors,
    such as cognac, grand marnier, brandy, cream sherry, etc.  My uncle
    usually brings something "new" to try, which is fun.
    
    Or maybe an interesting salad - spinach, caeser, something not too
    filling, of course.
    
    D!

Hi

How about chocolate dipped fruit as an after dinner treat with some fresh 
percolated coffee??

Half dip fruit like strawberries, dried apricots etc in white or dark chocolate.


Regards
Dianne

I couldn't figure out where to put this question, and saw no notes for
candied yams or sweet potatoes, so please point me to an existing note if
I missed it.

I have a can of sweet potatoes that I was thinking about using this year
to make candied sweet potatoes instead of buying whole sweet potatoes,
cooking them, peeling them, and then candying them.  But I noticed that
the can of sweet potatoes says that they are packed in a light syrup, and
I'm wondering if that means I need to modify my regular recipe.  Or should
I just not go for the convenience and make them from scratch like I 
usually do.  Anyone used these before and can give me some hints?

Thanks,
Cathy

    Cathy,  I have used the canned sweet potatoes and made recipes
    from other sources.  They are in a "sauce" - and you can just
    heat them up and eat them that way.  The the sauce is watery
    thin so it won't fight (so to speak) with another recipe.
    
    I use the recipe in the Fanny Farmer cookbook - my mother does
    as well ... and just puts some marshmellows on the top (after
    they have baked) and sticks them under the broiler for about
    1 minute.  My Aunt mixes pecans in her recipe and they are
    scrumptious.
    
    Enjoy a nice Thanksgiving.
    
    

    See note 3323.. I just added .10 for poatao with apples and maple
    syrup.  YUM