Thanksgiving Meal 2020

Morning Glory said:
I note one big difference - the American menus seem not to feature gravy. Its a must here!
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Mom's gravy was always a homemade delicious dark brown made from pan drippings. I never understood that pallid yellow over-starched stuff I associate with school and workplace cafeterias that would get ladled over poultry and mashed potatoes.
 
mjd-lovescooking said:
That's interesting. Are those dill pickles? I've never seen pickles served with meat and potatoes except as an ingredient (for example, as in potato salad alongside BBQ). It looks delicious (I am going to gain a million pounds hanging out here ;-).
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It's not my pic but they seem like Russian type (lactic acid cured) pickled cucumbers which are seasoned with dill. It's common to have pickled cucumber, pumpkin, beetroot, sauerkraut (pickled cabbage) or else on the side with meat dishes here. Crushed lingonberries/cowberries/huckleberries or lingonberry jam is always served with this dish.

I have an Estonian acquaintance who worked in a hotel in Finnish Lapland for one winter. She said that she doesn't stand the sight of this dish anymore as it was served in the hotel (for British and Chinese tourists) day in day out 7 days a week. It's a Lappish dish as reindeers are herded up North but reindeer meat is sold (mainly as ready made dishes) in every supermarket and ready cut frozen shreds so people eat it often. Reindeer has a mild elk or moose like taste. Raw-cured and dehydrated reindeer tastes great as a sandwich topping. I posted the pick because it resembles Thanksgiving turkey regarding the potato mash and berries (cranberries are just substituted with lingonberries). Cranberries grow here too. When Thanksgiving is celebrated elsewhere, we have our best "Little Christmas (booze) party" season.

I spent one Thanksgiving in a plane somewhere over the Atlantic and had a complete Thanksgiving meal with lame turkey, lame starchy cream sauce, lame mashed potatoes and lame (straight from the jar) cranberry sauce - so I know what you guys are talking about when you're mocking the cuisine of your in-laws.
 
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IDK what we will be doing for Thanksgiving. Middle Sister usually hosts Thanksgiving. IDK if she will be able to do so this year. Her home suffered severe damage from a fallen tree thanks to hurricane Delta.
Our typical menu is as follows:
My Drunk Pork Roast, Oilless fried turkey cooked in an infrared fryer, roasted turkey, ham, savory sweet potato casserole, bean and corn casserole, spinach casserole, cornbread dressing, rice dressing, salad, homemade cranberry sauce, salad, a multitude of nibbles and deserts. Gravy from both the pork roast and the turkey. There are always some surprises. Maybe a plate of deviled eggs or candied bacon or baked brie or three cheese fondue. You never know what will pop up on the table.
 
I'll also have snacks out during the day, just the standard stuff of pickles, olives, raw veggies & dip, snack chips & dips, cheese & crackers, and nuts.
 
ElizabethB said:
IDK what we will be doing for Thanksgiving. Middle Sister usually hosts Thanksgiving. IDK if she will be able to do so this year. Her home suffered severe damage from a fallen tree thanks to hurricane Delta.
Our typical menu is as follows:
My Drunk Pork Roast, Oilless fried turkey cooked in an infrared fryer, roasted turkey, ham, savory sweet potato casserole, bean and corn casserole, spinach casserole, cornbread dressing, rice dressing, salad, homemade cranberry sauce, salad, a multitude of nibbles and deserts. Gravy from both the pork roast and the turkey. There are always some surprises. Maybe a plate of deviled eggs or candied bacon or baked brie or three cheese fondue. You never know what will pop up on the table.
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What, no dessert? :D

CD
 
Hemulen said:
It's not my pic but they seem like Russian type (lactic acid cured) pickled cucumbers which are seasoned with dill. Its' common to have pickled cucumber, pumpkin, beetroot, sauerkraut (pickled cabbage) or else on the side with meat dishes here. Crushed lingonberries/cowberries/huckleberries or lingonberry jam is always served with this dish.

I have an Estonian acquaintance who worked in a hotel in Finnish Lapland for one winter. She said that she doesn't stand the sight of this dish anymore as it was served in the hotel (for British and Chinese tourists) day in day out 7 days a week. It's a Lappish dish as reindeers are herded up North but reindeer meat is sold (mainly as ready made dishes) in every supermarket and ready cut frozen shreds so people eat it often. Reindeer has a mild elk or moose like taste. Raw-cured and dehydrated reindeer tastes great as a sandwich topping. I posted the pick because it resembles Thanksgiving turkey regarding the potato mash and berries (cranberries are just substituted with lingonberries). Cranberries grow here too. When Thanksgiving is celebrated elsewhere, we have our best "Little Christmas (booze) party" season.

I spent one Thanksgiving in a plane somewhere over the Atlantic and had a complete Thanksgiving meal with lame turkey, lame starchy cream sauce, lame mashed potatoes and lame (straight from the jar) cranberry sauce - so I know what you guys are talking about when you're mocking the cuisine of your in-laws.
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Ah, that makes sense. I read the thread on the UK-to-USA words but forgot about the "pickles". But, it makes sense to apply it to all pickled foods.

My family made deer meat when we were growing up but I've never had it. I have no idea why that is though.

I am not surprised that airplane food was lackluster. I used to travel for work every week and usually just passed on whatever they were serving. I quickly grew tired of airplane and restaurant food.

Fortunately, we lived out-of-state so never had Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws. I don't think I've ever had her cooking so I don't know if she would have ruined a holiday meal. Most likely if I had to guess. LOL
 
ElizabethB said:
Oh Please. An entire table of deserts. Standards are Mom's lemon squares and her mint brownies. I make ooey, gooey dark chocolate brownies. An assortment of other deserts - pumpkin and sweet potato bread and pie, a favorite is buttermilk pecan pie. The desert table is ridiculous.
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My ex-MIL was a great baker. She knew what everyone's favorite pie was, and made one of each at Thanksgiving. After dinner, it was pie-fest. It was like a pie buffet -- after a huge dinner.

When the wife and I got back to Dallas, we ate salads for a week. I gained at least five pounds every time we went to her mom's house for a holiday weekend.

Pecan pie is the State Pie of Texas, but it is just too sweet for me.

CD
 
caseydog
Most of my life I Swore that Mother's Pecan Pie was the best. It really was the best. A few years ago we made a Girl's Trip to Arkansas. No agenda except for a tour of P. Allen Smith's Moss Mountain Home and Garden. The tour included a farm to table lunch with Buttermilk Pecan Pie for desert. Sorry Mom. The BEST pecan pie I have ever eaten. It is now a required desert for our family holiday dinners.
 
There used to be a Mennonite restaurant near where I grew up. For desserts, they set up sawhorses with plywood laid across, and set out very small slivers of a good dozen varieties of pies and cakes. It was nice the way they cut them because you could have four or five pieces, a good sample, and not overdo it.
 
TastyReuben said:
There used to be a Mennonite restaurant near where I grew up. For desserts, they set up sawhorses with plywood laid across, and set out very small slivers of a good dozen varieties of pies and cakes. It was nice the way they cut them because you could have four or five pieces, a good sample, and not overdo it.
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That's kind of what Thanksgiving was like at my ex-MIL's house. Everyone had small slices of several pies.

CD
 
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