Thanksgiving feast questions from a Canadian to my American friends...

[The Crusher]

12 minutes ago, Trotter said:

Frangelico - priceless

don’t forget the galiano

Harvey Wallbangers was a Christmas thing for the old  man. He had like 3-4 those gigantic Galiano bottles on stands and shit. One with a spicket! Haha 

[Trotter]

5 minutes ago, JiF said:

This year, in addition to doing the turkey, I'm doing a wine pairing from w/ all the incredible estate bottles we purchased when we visited Paso/Sonoma/Napa during the harvest.  We will be starting w/ a delicious Rose, finding our way to a delightful Pinot w/ the Turkey and then busting out a 40 year old Port w/ dessert. 

 

Are you familiar with Jordan winery out of Sonoma?

picked up a few bottles but have not tried it yet

supposed to be good

maybe tomorrow

[The Crusher]

14 minutes ago, Green Ghost said:

Sounds like Thanksgiving at my grandparents house also.

We’d get in the car to leave Brooklyn stuffed to the gills, but by the time we got home to Long Island the smell of the Turkey and leftovers in the trunk made us hungry again.

We’d get in the house and start eating again.

Yeah, don’t you wish you had a clue how good it was back then? Geesh. 

[JiFtheOracle]

5 minutes ago, Trotter said:

Are you familiar with Jordan winery out of Sonoma?

picked up a few bottles but have not tried it yet

supposed to be good

maybe tomorrow

I enjoy their wines, I've been to their estate on my first visit to Sonoma during our honeymoon.  It's up there w/ the nicest I've been too, just a gorgeous property w/ some very elegant wines.  I'm a big fan of Russian River Chards and they have a very nice one from what I recall.

[Green Ghost]

11 minutes ago, The Crusher said:

Yeah, don’t you wish you had a clue how good it was back then? Geesh. 

It was the people who made it so special, crush.

As much as I love the Holidays and watching all the young ones make memories they’ll cherish, I wish we could have all those who are gone now back at the table again.

[Anthony Jet]

1 hour ago, Trotter said:

My uncle would drink paisano wine.

came in a gallon jug and he would drink it to chase down smelts

Carlo Rossi Paisano is a staple 

[Anthony Jet]

1 hour ago, Green Ghost said:

Turkey kinda sucks… it’s all about the sides on Thanksgiving.

Turkey gravy black pepper tiny bit of skin on fresh Italian bread ……..for days…..FTW

[GreenFish]

Best part of Thanksgiving are the sides. Green bean casserole and Mac and Cheese are a must. I dont really like Turkey. If it’s served, I’ll eat it. But at our place we take Turkey off the menu. 

[Anthony Jet]

1 hour ago, Green Ghost said:

Not that my family is too Italian or anything, but this year my niece decided that instead of an antipasto before the turkey dinner, she was going to make stuffed shells with a meat sauce instead. I asked, “why can’t we have both?”

After that it’s Turkey, ham, a sweet potato casserole, and an Italian mashed potato type thing we call potato pie made with mozzarella and salami covered with bread crumbs baked in a lasagna pan. Two types of stuffing, one in the turkey and one with sausage and cranberries baked in a pan, American style Mac and cheese, Italian style broccoli, a homemade cranberry thing, mushrooms, and candied carrots, followed by an apple crumb and a pecan pie and ice cream along with Italian pastries.

As we have dessert, the women will all talk about how “we made too much, next year we need to cut back.” They never do…

We use prosciutto instead of salami and call it potato pie 

[Beerfish]

49 minutes ago, Trotter said:

Frangelico - priceless

don’t forget the galiano

Frangelico is delicious indeed.

[Beerfish]

9 minutes ago, GreenFish said:

Best part of Thanksgiving are the sides. Green bean casserole and Mac and Cheese are a must. I dont really like Turkey. If it’s served, I’ll eat it. But at our place we take Turkey off the menu. 

Tell me why Green bean casserole is good, what all goes into it other than just green beans?

[Ken Schroy]

2 hours ago, Beerfish said:

So up here in Canada we have our thanksgiving a good month or more before the 'real' thanksgiving.  (Why this is I do not know.)

It appears to be a much bigger deal in the USA, here we have a day off and the feast but it seems a bit more low key.

So a few feast related questions:

- Is green bean casserole as vile as it sounds?  I mean I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy, potatoes and gravy, stuffing, turkey, cranberry sauce, even love ham if it is on the menu for a feast.  I do not want to use valuable 'plate space' on a green bean casserole.  I mean if you are going to force me to eat a veggie other than taters at least make it one of the good veggies.  The worst is if you have to be polite and try the stuff if someone has made it.  (I fully expect to be scolded on this and told how ya'lls aunts, wife's, mothers green bean casserole is divine.)

- I know we have a LOT of Italians on this site....(yeah....tomato gravy instead of tomato sauce).  Is there any traditional Italian dishes you prepare and have at thanksgiving?   I love Italian food but have rarely had the 'real thing' as opposed to simulated stuff.

- Who mostly prepares the feast?  Do you?  The wife?  Mother or mother in law?  Or have you finally trained your adult kids to invite you over so you can sit in the easy chair drink wine watch football and let everyone else do the work?

(And yes I do have friends don't be mean suggesting otherwise!)

I do the cooking for Thanksgiving and I don't do any bean casserole. I did for the 1st time, make a sweet potatoe casserole with the crushed pecans on top. I hope it comes out right. LOL

But I love my stuffing that was my Mom's recipe. She's been gone a long time now, but Thanksgiving is a special memory for me growing up.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. If you have family, enjoy them.

[Green Ghost]

4 minutes ago, Anthony Jet said:

We use prosciutto instead of salami and call it potato pie 

We call it the same thing. And yeah, we make it with prosciutto, salami or both.
Do you make them into a croquette shape and bread and fry them?

 I have no idea how to spell it, but we pronounce it bonsa duts

[Beerfish]

I do love sweet potatoes so I would easily go for that over green beans.

[Anthony Jet]

1 minute ago, Green Ghost said:

We call it the same thing. And yeah, we make it with prosciutto, salami or both.
Do you make them into a croquette shape and bread and fry them?

 I have no idea how to spell it, but we pronounce it bonsa duts

No but that sounds great. Ours looks like sloppy mashed potato’s. The look definitely doesn’t line up with the taste 

[Anthony Jet]

2 hours ago, Beerfish said:

So up here in Canada we have our thanksgiving a good month or more before the 'real' thanksgiving.  (Why this is I do not know.)

It appears to be a much bigger deal in the USA, here we have a day off and the feast but it seems a bit more low key.

So a few feast related questions:

- Is green bean casserole as vile as it sounds?  I mean I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy, potatoes and gravy, stuffing, turkey, cranberry sauce, even love ham if it is on the menu for a feast.  I do not want to use valuable 'plate space' on a green bean casserole.  I mean if you are going to force me to eat a veggie other than taters at least make it one of the good veggies.  The worst is if you have to be polite and try the stuff if someone has made it.  (I fully expect to be scolded on this and told how ya'lls aunts, wife's, mothers green bean casserole is divine.)

- I know we have a LOT of Italians on this site....(yeah....tomato gravy instead of tomato sauce).  Is there any traditional Italian dishes you prepare and have at thanksgiving?   I love Italian food but have rarely had the 'real thing' as opposed to simulated stuff.

- Who mostly prepares the feast?  Do you?  The wife?  Mother or mother in law?  Or have you finally trained your adult kids to invite you over so you can sit in the easy chair drink wine watch football and let everyone else do the work?

(And yes I do have friends don't be mean suggesting otherwise!)

There’s some type of “Italian food” and every gathering where food is involved. Even st pattys day there’s some type of focaccia or pizza 

[Anthony Jet]

4 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

Tell me why Green bean casserole is good, what all goes into it other than just green beans?

Not sure what if we do the same. But it’s string beans with bread crumb some olive oil maybe more. I don’t cook. But I sure as hell eat. It’s delicious 

Its crazy but the older I get the more I appreciate thanksgiving 

[Larz]

6 minutes ago, Anthony Jet said:

Not sure what if we do the same. But it’s string beans with bread crumb some olive oil maybe more. I don’t cook. But I sure as hell eat. It’s delicious 

Its crazy but the older I get the more I appreciate thanksgiving 

Agree it’s my favorite holiday now. The kids are older and just want cash for Christmas lol so thanksgiving is just getting together and having a good time with great food. 

[jetswin]

Turkey

Bloody Mary's

Pizza Rustica

Beer

Ribs

Stuffing

Martinis

Brussel sprouts

Capanata

Shrimp

Jack

Mac and cheese

Sweet potatoes

Espresso martinis

What did I forget?

[Green Ghost]

15 minutes ago, Anthony Jet said:

Not sure what if we do the same. But it’s string beans with bread crumb some olive oil maybe more. I don’t cook. But I sure as hell eat. It’s delicious 

Its crazy but the older I get the more I appreciate thanksgiving 

Thanksgiving is okay, so is Christmas Day, but they’re 3rd and 4th behind Christmas Eve and Easter (because of the 7 fish feast on the Eve and the Easter “breakfast”.

[GreenFish]

17 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

Tell me why Green bean casserole is good, what all goes into it other than just green beans?

There are probably a bunch of recipes. I love onions. So I think what makes it a key side for me is the crispy onions on top. I like green beans by themselves. So a green casserole just takes it to a new level. 

[Green Ghost]

2 minutes ago, jetswin said:

Turkey

Bloody Mary's

Pizza Rustica

Beer

Ribs

Stuffing

Martinis

Brussel sprouts

Capanata

Shrimp

Jack

Mac and cheese

Sweet potatoes

Espresso martinis

What did I forget?

Pizza rustica on Thanksgiving? Damn. I wanna go to your house!

[Trotter]

1 minute ago, Green Ghost said:

Pizza rustica on Thanksgiving? Damn. I wanna go to your house!

Me too

[jetswin]

1 minute ago, Green Ghost said:

Pizza rustica on Thanksgiving? Damn. I wanna go to your house!

My son insists lol

Wife was cooking all day, tomorrow will be a blast with big crowd of family. Truly the best holiday until I get wrecked and piss everyone off 😂

[Anthony Jet]

5 minutes ago, Green Ghost said:

Thanksgiving is okay, so is Christmas Day, but they’re 3rd and 4th behind Christmas Eve and Easter (because of the 7 fish feast on the Eve and the Easter “breakfast”.

Easter pie….minkyaaa

i like em all honestly. 4th of July my favorite. Obvious reasons. Always has been. Christmas Eve a close 2nd. But the appreciation for thanksgiving has multiplied tremendously throughout the years 

[jeremy2020]

2 hours ago, Sperm Edwards said:

Men who drink wine are insufferable.

well, there are no men who drink wine..

[Trotter]

15 minutes ago, jetswin said:

Turkey

Bloody Mary's

Pizza Rustica

Beer

Ribs

Stuffing

Martinis

Brussel sprouts

Capanata

Shrimp

Jack

Mac and cheese

Sweet potatoes

Espresso martinis

What did I forget?

Brioschi

lets see how many if you know what that is

i know @Green Ghost does

[THE BARON]

2 hours ago, Green Ghost said:

Any of you guys do the peaches in wine thing? Soooooo good!

I even have my neighbors doing it, and they’re from Georgia. They thought I was crazy when I first told them about it,

bosc pear halves poached in red wine.  Preferably Brunello... 

[jetswin]

1 minute ago, Trotter said:

Brioschi

lets see how many if you know what that is

i know @Green Ghost does

Lol I'm having flashbacks to my grand parents 

[Green Ghost]

5 minutes ago, Trotter said:

Brioschi

lets see how many if you know what that is

i know @Green Ghost does

Geez Trotter, do they still make that stuff? 😂

[Trotter]

Just now, Green Ghost said:

Geez Trotter, do they still make that stuff? 😂

Yep they do

[RutgersJetFan]

Green bean casserole is ******* amazing when prepared from scratch the right way. When it's prepared by the canned soup people that's where it goes wrong.

This is as good a thread to bring it up as any, but for those cooking this year please remember to go heavy on the eggs, butter, and stock in your stuffing. There's nothing worse than a dry stuffing at a Thanksgiving table. Prioritize fat and the mix looking like a bread pudding before it goes in the oven. Overdo it if you have to.

Best part about Thanksgiving is making a half year's worth of turkey stock the next day and freezing it. Sets you up for a delightful winter of soups and stews like no other. Nobody will ever convince me otherwise. So gelatinous. 

[Green Ghost]

6 minutes ago, THE BARON said:

bosc pear halves poached in red wine.  Preferably Brunello... 

hmmm. That’s new to me.Never tried it. I definitely will though! 👍

[TBJ]

3 hours ago, Seibelt said:

I’m an Italian from Jersey and the only Italian like tradition was the homemade Mac and Cheese.

That would be Baked Macoroni.

[THE BARON]

Giant antipasto plate to start things off while waiting for the soup. 

Chicken Soup first

Then Lasagna (my favorite) 

Then, bring out all the sides and the Turkey.  Every year, we give the turkey a name.  This year, I gonna recommend we call him Zach and then we stick a fork in him.  

Usual Sides: Cranberry sauce, mashed sweet potato, stuffing, stuffed mushrooms, corn, carrots, cream spinach, mashed potato, green beans, mac cheese.

Deserts... Pastries, pies, Italian ice. 

We usually have about 30 people and everyone makes one of the things above so no one person gets stuck with all the work.  I got off easy this year.  I bring the wine and other drinks.