Thanksgiving Day Plans (1 Viewer)

detroitdad

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

doing anything special?

My wife, son, and I are headed to Rochester, NY tomorrow. We go every year to celebrate with my wife's sister and hubby. He cooks a great dinner. Honestly, I embrace it as a three day party. Its my way of getting winter started.

Last year we stopped and picked up two bottles of Moonshine. That was a mistake btw, lol.

B

Damn my wife is awesome. She called from work while I was typing this. Asked what kind of beer I wanted. Bells Two Hearted or Fat Tire (Bells all the way baby). Obviously someone wants to get lucky tonight :)
 
**Obligatory Canadian rib** . . . we enjoyed turkey and all the trimmings last month with family from the wife's side, and saw my side during the weekend. Especially nice because my brother-in-law got married two weeks later.

Happy Turkey Day cousins !!! you may be late, but at least you do it up right. ;)
 
Turkey's going to start brining tomorrow and then I'll bake the pies (pecan and pumpkin) and then a couple loafs of bread. Then it's up an at 'em to get the turkey going. Family will probably arrive late morning for drinks and snacks and we'll eat sometime in the early/mid afternoon...turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, bread, and pies. We've been hosting for 9 years and I love every minute of it.
 
Tomorrow I start cutting the wood that will smoke the turkey, make the cranberry sauce, and meld bacon to shrimp with transglutaminase. Thanksgiving at my house is more of a production than a dinner - but what would you expect from a guy that is building a food-themed poker chip set?
 
Turkey's are thawing out in a cooler and finishing up the construction of the new deep fryer. 2-18lb birds will be fried for 1 hour to a golden delicious brown. Along with that will be all of the sides you can handle. Everyone should arrive at 3:00 PM for wine / drinks and dinner at 4:00 PM. 14 People should be in attendance. Will be a blast.
 
Tomorrow I start cutting the wood that will smoke the turkey, make the cranberry sauce, and meld bacon to shrimp with transglutaminase. Thanksgiving at my house is more of a production than a dinner - but what would you expect from a guy that is building a food-themed poker chip set?

Because when I think of zombies I always think gastronomy [emoji13]
 
WTH is transglutaminase? I love bacon and shrimp...so this intrigues me greatly.

I will be smoking two turkeys and 2 pork butts, as we have three different family get togethers planned for the extended weekend.

Yummy!
 
It's a food-safe "binder" or "glue" for meats and the like. Most uses are in commercially processed foods but modern molecular gastronomists (think el Bulli, etc.) are finding new ways to use it.
 
So its tasteless? Just used to adhere one to another? Is it clear/transparent? Amazing what you learn some places...
 
So its tasteless? Just used to adhere one to another? Is it clear/transparent? Amazing what you learn some places...

Before cooking, it is a white powder (can be dissolved in water). Completely odorless/tasteless. Same meats "glued together" are indistinguishable from a whole piece of meat. I use iyt to fuse bacon to everything, without having to deal with annoying toothpicks, or bacon falling off after the toothpick is removed.
 
I definitely will have to try this, as bacon is my favorite food group. :cool:
 
Driving 9 hours to the parents house in Joplin, MO. Taking a nap, getting up for dinner with the family, passing out for a couple hours, then getting back in the car to drive 9 hours home. My brother and his GF both work Friday morning and I didn't feel like making the drive by myself so I am stuck with a whirlwind trip instead. It will most definitely be worth it though!!!


Though it will not trump the trip I took one Thanksgiving with my cousin down to my grandma's in Monterey, TN. I got off work at about 5 am, we jumped in the car and hauled ass down there. We had dinner and visited for a little while then jumped back in the car and really hauled ass as I had to be back to work that night. Made the drive from Monterey to Northwest Indiana in 6.5 hours. And that was with getting pulled over once in Indiana for speeding. :cool:
 
Eating turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, unbutton pants, watch TV. :cool:
 
Flying LAX-ATL-HOU to overnight with my crew in Houston on Turkey Day. Divorced so I alternate holidays with my sons. I've gotten into the habit of picking up trips from guys that aren't senior enough to have holidays off and pick up their trip so they can spend time with their family. Kind of fun to see what the hotel offers![emoji41][emoji15]

Two years ago I got into Omaha by noon and was playing a Tournament that evening at the Horseshoe![emoji41] Heaven!
 
My son is making a Pumpkin Cheesecake from scratch. As he was taking it out of the oven he dumped about half of it onto the oven door.

He was very bummed. I suggested we scrape it back into the pie pan, and try to fix it. Wish us luck. He worked his ass off on it.
 
Wish everyone safe travels. Too many people are in a rush. Tonight, some tool ran a red light and smashed into my cousin's car. Thankfully she is OK!
Just be extra cautious! Especially if you are in an area that is getting the rain/snow/sleet.
 
My daughter's fourth grade teacher throws a Thanksgiving picnic for her class and parents every year, and we spent the afternoon there today. The weather was awful this morning, rainy and cold, but the sun came out right on schedule. Sorry if I'm bragging to those of you who don't live in Florida and are buried under feet of snow. :)

Tonight, the turkeys are in the smoker and Mrs. Schmendr1ck is in the kitchen while I hang out with the kids. Good times.
 
Annual turkey-day trip to Steak & Shake with the wife and mom-in-law, followed by leftover birthday cake and football on TV. Just glad to have the day off. :)
 
We are (per usual) hosting here. However we're a bit shy on people due to "life". Normally we have 20+ but this year more like 10. Still the SEAHAWKS play the 49'ers and that should be fun to watch during "seconds" or "thirds". :)
 
I have been tempted to do that as well, but I don't care for the "bandaged" look it gives the bird. I have given some thought to placing bacon inside the bird though, letting it flavor from the inside out, but that will be an experiment I will save for a poker night.
 
Problem with bacon on the INSIDE is that your stuffing turns into a soggy mess. Alternatively, fats not absorbed by the bird pool in a disgusting pool inside. Season the skin of the bird as you normally would and "bandage" that baby up. Season the bacon with the same rub and you won't even notice. It will almost seem like extra thick and crispy bacon flavoured skin. How could you NOT love it?

Wife will not cook a bird any other way now.
 
I have been tempted to do that as well, but I don't care for the "bandaged" look it gives the bird.

Can't you use that transglutaminase stuff to fuse the bacon to the turkey, eliminating the wounded bird visual?

Better living through chemistry....

 
Problem with bacon on the INSIDE is that your stuffing turns into a soggy mess. Alternatively, fats not absorbed by the bird pool in a disgusting pool inside. Season the skin of the bird as you normally would and "bandage" that baby up. Season the bacon with the same rub and you won't even notice. It will almost seem like extra thick and crispy bacon flavoured skin. How could you NOT love it?

Wife will not cook a bird any other way now.

The pool of fats in the bird cavity is my biggest concern. My thought on that is to "stand" the turkey upright for the final 15 minutes or so to drain the grease. Every pic I've seen of bacon wrapped turkey looks like a turkey mummy though, and I'm a sucker for that bird presentation.
 
We are (per usual) hosting here. However we're a bit shy on people due to "life". Normally we have 20+ but this year more like 10. Still the SEAHAWKS play the 49'ers and that should be fun to watch during "seconds" or "thirds". :)

Going to celebrate at my sister's place. We will be 10 this year instead of the usual 15, but am really excited for the family, feasting, and Niner game.

My assignment is the potato dish, because, well - it's hard to screw up mashed potatoes.

Here's a shot from Thanksgiving Past. Will try to get a shot of the entire spread this year.

IMG_0140_zps2cbef030.jpg


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
 
Standard fair here with lots and lots of good wine. My three bottle contribution this year is 1998 Chateau Smiuth Haut Lafitite, 2003 Pride Cabernet, and 1999 Ridge Montebello. All should be quite good.

Looks like we are going to have some touch football in the street around noon with the neighbors. Should be a good Thanksgiving overall.

Cheers!
 

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