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The favorite thing asked for by us 4 kids growing up was Grandmaās Turkey Dinner. It was almost a typical one w/ the bird, 2 veg, mashed pot, sausage stuffing, & 2 kinds of cranberry-- the jellied (yuck from me) & my auntās sort of chutney one.
I say āalmostā 'cause there a couple-three variations that Iāve never encountered elsewhere. since Great Grandma came over from Manchester & I assume taught Grandma Iāve often wondered if it was a UK thing.
First, one of the veg was always mashed together carrots & turnips. Just a 3/1 ratio of c to t & some butter. I have seen just mashed carrots which are pretty common. Was a bit surprised to learn of what an office mate called āTCP- turnips carrots & parsnipsā when planning an office Thanksgiving dinner.
Second, Grandma, after making the sausage stuffing, would pin the rest of the breakfast pork sausages to the turkey breast (4-ish) & also toss a few in the roasting pan. I looked more for them then the turkey 
I did see a brief mention on Chowhound of pinning calling it āthe Parsonās Necklaceā but couldnāt find anything else.
Third, and last, Her gravy was always a rich brown color & wonderful. Iām sure from the sausages.
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Either with a poker game that usually involves delivery or takeout, or going out with the gang to a favorite restaurant, either preceded of followed (or both) by a visit to our favorite bar in town.
If weāre traveling for my birthday, weāll usually make a rez at a favorite place wherever we are.
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Well, two are certainly common in the UK. Swede (rutabaga) is often mashed together with carrot. Sausages are an integral part of the British Christmas Day turkey roast (as are bacon rolls) - although itās becoming increasingly common to see them as āpigs in blanketsā, where the sausage is wrapped in bacon. Itās not an improvement on this houseās tradition of keeping them separate. As for the gravy, I doubt thereās a secret - just making the roux in the turkey roasting pan, making sure all the bits stuck to the bottom are scraped up and incorporated.
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I havenāt had one yet, but I think I will make or seek out a Swedish Princess Cake for my next birthday.
Princess cakes are the best!
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I know there was a bakery making them in Capitola. Unfortunately, Iām not aware of a bakery making them in southern Ontario. I will look into it! I ordered a Black Forest for my bday last year.
I donāt know if you have Eastern European bakeries there, but my Hungarian grandmother used to make a dobos torte for my birthday - so good especially the hardened caramel top.
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Oooh, I had to bookmark this post. I have never heard of dobosh torte. But sponge, chocolate buttercream and caramel? Iām off to google local bakeries that may carry this (I like to try the ārealā thing before attempting it myself),
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We do have a couple places that make Dobostorte in the Toronto area 
It is a lovely torte.
I have a goal to try all the regional tortes at some point. LOL.
Malakoff is good, too. Also, Prinzregententorte.
A quick search just revealed there are no Hungarian bakeries in the Philadelphia metro area 
Iād have to travel to NY or OH to find one? I guess I could order one from Swiss Colony, but I doubt it would represent the best version.
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Back when I was more ambitious, I tried making it. It was okay, but too much work, and it was nothing like hers. Iāve always thought that her secret cooking ingredient was the ash from the cigarette she always had dangling from her lip!
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Oh I agree that thereās no secret to her gravy & yes thatās exactly what Grandma did. Itās just when eating turkey dinner out the gravy is invariably the insipid pale yellow kind. Some times pretty good flavor though.
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Those of us from Manchester know āproperā gravy.
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My birthday was Friday. I helped a friend fix one of his AC units in the morning, then he helped me pick up a used washer and dryer set for my 3rd daughterās college apartment this fall.
The pair weighed in at about 350 pounds, so Saturday morning when I managed to lever myself out of bed, I celebrated with a bunch of ibuprofen in the morning and again in the early afternoon, and then some better, more liquid-form (and better tasting) anaesthetics in the evening.
Iām too old for this crap.
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Careful with the ibuprofenā¦itāll kill your liver. Speaking from experience, I warn everyone.
Some Austrian, Ukrainian, Russian and Polish bakeries make it in the Toronto region. We also have very few Hungarian bakeries. I live 2 blocks east of the old Hungarian neighborhood in Toronto, and only one mediocre restaurant has managed to survive. I would trust a good Austrian bakery in the burbs more than my neighborhood resto for a good dobostorte! It was made throughout the Austro Hungarian empire, so a Hungarian baker isnāt necessarily a necessity for a good one in North America. It was a favourite cake for my friendās Romanian Jewish grandmother.
When I lived in the city proper there were two very good Austrian bakeries. Alas, there seems to be no such establishment here in the burbs. There was an excellent German bakery nearby, but it closed several years ago when the owners wanted to retire.
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Most of the good Austrian, German and Czech restaurants and bakeries have closed in the Toronto area, too.
Maybe thereās a way to order a good one online? (Or save it for a visit to NYC)
