So agree with you both @TheCookie and @biondanonima; very salt sensitive on the palate, Diamond Crystal is great, whereas I taste a harsh, industrial, metallic type taste with Morton’s. Interesting how we all respond to different tastes.
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How lovely! Not the broken arm. 
Since I used to be responsible for hosting or at least most of the Tday cooking, when asked what we’re doing every year I would half jokingly yell “Let’s eat out!” I always received groans and nooo’s! Now we go to my hubby’s cousins’ and just bring a dish and a bottle of bourbon. But I think it would be great one year to be served and catered to on Tday.
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Yep, I grew up with the girl with the umbrella on the box too, then we switched to sea salt like a lot of households. But when I tasted the flaky, savory Diamond Crystal I immediately tasted what the fuss was about. My cousin agrees with you, though. She likes that iodized almost metal quality of Morton’s.
So true. There’s a salt for everyone. 
Oddly enough, I like the flavor of Morton’s table salt, either the iodized or plain. It’s only the kosher I don’t like, both for the harsh metallic flavor you and Lambchop noted but also the irregularly sized crystals.
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We had an unconventional Thanksgiving since Mrs. P doesn’t like turkey.
In the afternoon Mrs. P made Creole BBQ shrimp inspired by Mr. B’s in New Orleans. For the main course we had Dungeness crab and Alaskan King crab claw. It all went great with Block 778 cabernet. For dessert Mrs. P made coffee ice cream with Medaglia D’oro coffee and dark chocolate covered espresso.
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Other than not arguing politics, the nice thing about a solitary Thanksgiving is flexibility. I WAS planning on making the TJ’s turkey and stuffing en croute, pending what surprises were in the community supported seafood and Misfits Market produce shares delivered yesterday. The latter include bell peppers, onions, carrots, and green beans, among other produce. I pivoted, and enjoyed monkfish curry over brown jasmine rice. It came out almost as good as delivery from the outstanding Thai place nearby. I think Calvin Trillin would approve. There’s enough that turkey is postponed until Sunday. Dried pears coated in dark chocolate, and shortbread, for dessert.
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Well, it’s all over but the leftovers - and the post-game analysis! Winners, losers, outright failures? Let’s hear it!
I didn’t attempt anything especially out of the ordinary or complex, therefore no failures, thank goodness. My stock, made with the wings and backs of two ducks and a small turkey and reduced overnight, was INCREDIBLE and made fantastic gravy. The sous vide duck breast was also a huge sleeper hit, so I think future Thanksgivings will always include duck. The turkey breast was also quite good done sous vide, even for a non-turkey lover like me.
Turkey and duck legs were a bit less successful, I’m sorry to report. Done sous vide, the meat was tender and came off the bone easily, but was a bit dry. I may try this technique again, but at a lower temp or for a shorter time. I also have enough duck fat in the freezer now to make confit the traditional way, so perhaps a comparison is in order.
My pies came out beautifully but I accidentally bought low fat cheddar cheese (THE HORROR) and didn’t realize it until after I had already melted some over my slice of apple pie. Very upsetting! I will remedy that with my breakfast slice today. 
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There is a stone that you can buy from kitchen supply place. I think mine came from pampered chef. It absorbs moisture to avoid sugar from getting hard. I used to place that stone and a folded wet towel inside my brown sugar but since I discovered Demerera sugar from Costco, I no longer had problem except the sugar I bought lasted me years. This summer, when I was baking a lot of zucchini bread, I run out and found out Costco no longer carries the demerera sugar but has turbinado sugar only. Well, I searched and found out Walmart carries it. So, I bought 3 lbs and realized after they arrived that they are not of the same quality as that of Costco’s which is darker and more crystal like. BUMMER!
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This!
Awww… when you get to certain stage in life the little things become a pleasure again. Bittersweet.
…Is that wine I see on the table? 
I need a good White Potato Latke recipe @phreddy! My girlfriend makes great latkes (super crispy, super savory) for her Hanukkah parties… but she continues to avoid giving me the recipe and I have yet to arrive early enough to spy on her. 
This is pretty much recipe I use and it does vary given my mood.
I use:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of Yukon Gold peeled and coarsely grated, (food processor works best)
1 medium yellow onion coarsely grated
2 or 3 green scallions chopped fine
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of matzoh meal
2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 table spoon of vegetable oil
2 or 3 tsp of kosher salt
1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
I take the grated potatoes and put them in a colander for 10 minutes and let as much moisture drain out as possible, Before using them I place them in a paper towel and squeeze out any remaining moisture . This step is real important because the drier the potatoes the crispier the latkes will be.
I take the grated onions and the oil and sauté the onions, but not caramelized, so just to take the bite out of the raw onion.
I then place everything in a bowl and mix together.
Using a nonstick 9 " fry pan, I use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of vegetable oil and bring it to about 300 degrees, or until a little piece of the latke mixture bubbles. (medium heat) I spoon about 3 tablespoons of the mixture into pancakes, larger if you like them bigger. Keep an eye on your heat and try to keep the temperature constant as it will drop as you add other latkes to the oil.
I let them brown on one side about 3 to 4 minutes and flip them only once. When the second side is done I place them on a cooling rack to get rid of the excess oil. Additionally I add oil if necessary to the pan as you go along.
Once complete they can of course be eaten immediately or cooled and gently re-heated at 250 degrees in the oven for about 20 minutes. Wrap them air tight and freeze.
Variations: I might add some parsley for color, use shallots (not sautéed) for half the onion, I once tried curry powder, but did not really work for me, shaved carrots, add a sweetness and color, and once used frozen corn.
My family is most partial to the basic traditional ones.
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Amazing you know how to open and keep them in tact beautifully. I tried once… it was not easy.
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You are welcome…don’t do as I have done…make these with out a shirt on!(LOL)
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You can Shuck’em at my place anytime!
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.Today I am making what I’m calling a turkey thigh roulade, with cornbread stuffing.
Some Inspiration
Boned and stuffed.
Next;
Brush the skin side of the thighs with the olive oil. Lay the thighs seam side down in a small roasting pan or heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. Brush the thighs with the pan drippings and continue to roast until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, 15 to 30 minutes more
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