Thanksgiving 2017!

In my opinion, furikake is one of those products that is best shopped for in-person, not online. There is a huge variation from product-to-product which is easiest to compare by looking at the ingredients list side-by-side. I tend to avoid those made in China, which tend to have a lot of ingredients, favoring Japanese ones which generally have fewer, more recognizable ingredients. I also like furikake with bigger seaweed flakes and lots of sesame seed. I also don’t get turned off by MSG but I know many people avoid it (although it’s a naturally-occurring source of umami). One furikake I tried even had green tea powder as one of its ingredients. If you are looking for a veggie version, as @Ttrockwood writes, avoid those with bonito or other fish products. There should be a statement on the jar if the furikake was produced in a factory that processes shellfish.

Any mom-and-pop Asian grocery should carry at least a half dozen different furikake.

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Ttrock – DO IT!! Your office pals will thank you! :slight_smile:

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The Wegmans food court has a dish I have successfully winged. Saute peeled winter squash chunks with spinach and wedges of red onion, including balsamic vinegar and your choice of seasonings, tossing in some dried cranberries toward the end.

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The menu and guest list appear to be final! The remaining guests volunteered to bring a Brussels sprouts side and a gin and tonic pie (whatever that is!) so we will be MORE than set with desserts. After much discussion with DH and finding out that one of my guests is lactose intolerant, I decided to do a red curry coconut butternut squash gratin as my final vegetable side. I’ll also have a bag of pre-trimmed Costco haricots verts on hand in case we have a no show or a guest doesn’t manage to get their vegetable side to the table. :wink: Very easy to saute with some slivered almonds and preserved lemon for an easy yet delicious, last-minute green thing.

I try to keep appetizers simple with such a big meal so this year I’m just making baked olive cheese balls and spiced pecans to go with pre-feast cocktails, and maybe a batch of bacon popcorn the kids to nibble.

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@biondanonima what did you decide for turkey?

I’m going to do a small, whole bird (spatchcocked) and a couple of stuffed thighs as well. I have several white meat fans so I figured why not!

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So the gratin is nondairy? Just made with coconut milk…?? That flavor combo sounds wonderful with the red curry and squash. Smart move with the emergency haricot vert! You will have to let us know what that pie is like, i am having a hard time imagining that.

I turned down 2 invitations. I feel like cold #2 may be coming on and the circus cats med schedule makes it hard to be out late. Plus the retail holiday season gets me on human overload so I crave massive hermit time.

Ran lots of errands yesterday. Had thought to get a turkey breast but found a nice price and a smallish turkey which was less expensive than a breast. Since I prefer dark meat it was a no brainer!

So it will be turkey, stuffing, gravy, green beans in some fashion or spinach, sweet potatoes, maybe mashed potatoes since I’ll already be on carb overload, cranberry/orange relish and perhaps roasted carrots. Hot brown, cobb salad and sandwiches with stuffing will follow. A few plates made for leftovers for friends and neighbors dining out elsewhere. Much will be frozen and a nice batch of broth to can. I love Thanksgiving!

Giblets and turkey for the drunken sailor cat! Hopefully the aroma will get him excited and the healing power of poultry will kick in. As one symptom improves another worsens. But he remains in good spirits and takes his tumbles in stride. I’m becoming used to them so they aren’t quite as upsetting. Love our vet - we have several phone consultations a week after she watches the video I send of his coordination (or lack of) for the day. So happy to have finally found one who cares more about the animal than selling product.

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In our house on odd years we have an odd Thanksgiving. This year it’s going to be Italian (Hubby got to chose this time) antipasti, lasagna, stuffed mushrooms, cherry tomato salad and orange olive oil cake. I can much of ahead of time which makes me very happy.

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Oh i am so glad to hear you have such a wonderful caring vet to help you through this, it’s so difficult to have a sick family member.

Good call on the hot brown! I have never tried one (never seen a vegetarian version) but i actually picked up one of the stuffed field roast things earlier today for myself, seems easy enough i could make my own…

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Make an extra casserole dish of dressing and roast the thighs on a cooling rack placed atop the dish. The drippings basting the dressing make it taste like stuffing from the turkey cavity.

I will be alone and decided to try the frozen, phyllo-wrapped, stuffing-coated turkey breast tenderloin from TJ’s. I’ll roast Brussels sprouts and a chunked sweet potato.

I do the stuffed thighs sous vide, but this is generally how I do parts or a whole small bird - spatchcock and drape over the enormous roaster pan full of stuffing to roast. I typically remove the bird from the stuffing after an hour or so and put it on a baking sheet to finish cooking, then run the stuffing under the broiler to get the top nice and crispy.

Field roast is the best fake meat products I’ve tried. I love their chorizo sausage and use it frequenty especially in chilie. Great flavor and I think the heat would be within your comfort range. Dedicated meat eaters are shocked that it’s not meat.

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Thanks i actually haven’t tried their chorizo, i have always bought the soyrizo from trader joe’s- it makes a great taco filling but usually ends up in chili for me too.

I think I’m going to roast a duck. Make some Focaccia for the morning. Serve the duck with polenta and roasted vegetable. Couple people over with a good friend of mine is her birthday. Carrot cake for the birthday girl. I still need to find some kind of seafood item. Possibly crab. Sort of limited where to where I’m living for shopping. Cocktails during the day. It’s going to be raining and nice and toasty in the house.

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Report back - it sounds like it could be quite tasty. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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Each place has it’s provisions pluses and minuses…If your friends are traveling from the coast perhaps they could bring the seafood? How nice to host good friends in your new house. That’s the quickest way to make it feel like home!

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The advantage of the rack is that the Boston of the meat and the top of the dressing get crisp without having to handle them.

I was invited to a pot luck but the host got slammed in the hospital with pneumonia a couple of weeks ago and doesn’t expect to be out in time. None of the guests has enough room to host so I’m scrambling. I got one of TJ’s Turkey and Dressing en croute and may just go with that but I’m also considering a buffet at a German restaurant - herring and pate, fresh veggies and greens, salads and fruits, turkey, ham, roast beef, sausages, cabbage rolls, Veal Zurich, Austrian Beef Patties in Hunter Sauce, mashed pots, noodles, red cabbage, dressing and gravy, plus desserts. OMG.

Thanksgiving for one can be such a hassle :yum:.

Either option and I won’t have any leftovers for turkey sandwiches.

But I’ll be thankful for not having pneumonia.

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I did my first round of shopping today, with stops at Costco and Restaurant Depot. Butterballs for $.99 a pound at Costco still can’t be beat. I got the smallest one I could find, a 13.5 pound bird, and spatchcocked it and dry brined it tonight. It’s wrapped in many layers of plastic and hibernating in the fridge.

BTW, if anyone saw tonight’s episode of Bob’s Burgers, you know exactly what Thanksgiving is like when I am cooking. LOL.

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