Tonight the only major road in the south-east of the county was shut down because I guess some people's fireworks got out of hand or something. Watching three thousand cars trying to shuffle through a one-lane village street is a great way to spend an evening.
(Guy Fawkes is basically the same as thanksgiving in that they're both november holidays from other cultures).
I got to explain Guy Fawkes to someone Friday night when we were out for Halloween. Of course, given this was in San Francisco, it's far more likely he was a jackass from the Internet than interested in celebrating the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot, but hey, I try to make my drinking adventures fun and educational.
hahaha the only time I cooked a turkey, I rubbed butter and thyme under the skin and filled the cavity with apples, onions, carrots, and I think rosemary
this will be my second year cooking thanksgiving dinner for my family.
last year I made a ham, meh.
decided to go the traditional route with a turkey this year. kiiiinda nervous. never cooked a turkey before.
+1
Lord_AsmodeusgoeticSobriquet:Here is your magical cryptic riddle-tumour: I AM A TIME MACHINERegistered Userregular
I loved mashed potatoes and gravy
and Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Icecream is probably one of my favorite combinations of things of all time.
Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if Labor had not first existed. Labor is superior to capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. - Lincoln
this will be my second year cooking thanksgiving dinner for my family.
last year I made a ham, meh.
decided to go the traditional route with a turkey this year. kiiiinda nervous. never cooked a turkey before.
you'll do fine!
just make sure to rub butter (and preferably an herb) UNDER the skin and stuff the cavity full of either the holy trinity (onion, celery, and carrots) or even apples and onions or citrus!
then just cook it for as long as it says and let it rest a bit after bringing it out of the oven.
This used to be my favorite holiday for many years, just because it was every delicious food, all in a single holiday. I'm not sure which holiday is my favorite now, but Thanksgiving still ranks up there pretty high. It is the only day of the year I will make or eat gravy, and I LOVE gravy on the turkey. Mashed potates are delicious by their delicious selves.
Last year I hosted a Thanksgiving potluck thing with a bunch of friends...I made a turkey for the first time, and made gravy for the first time! And everybody brought a very heavy but delicious dish. We're thinking of doing it again this year - it was a great hit last time and I'm probably still burning off that meal.
the bestest, moistest turkey i've ever had was one that was drenched in butter, cooked low and slow, then sat in foil to cool to room temp over the course of a couple hours
then sliced sandwich meat-thin and served with piping hot gravy
I'm having thanksgiving with my friends this year. These are people who have been more like a family to me in the past 3 years than my actual family has ever been and I'm really really really happy I get to eat an obscene amount of food with them.
I love Thanksgiving. It's by far my favorite holiday. There's none of the stress of Christmas and buying presents and being broke. It's a day that's entirely about gathering with the people you love, cooking an obscene amount of food, and reflecting on the good things in your life. That's a concept that I can absolutely get behind.
The bad news is that I'll be missing out on Thanksgiving proper this year as I'll be out of the country. The good news is that I'll be in the Bahamas alternating between watching basketball and sitting on the beach with a rum drink. So I might do a small Friendsgiving either before or after the trip so that I can get that turkey goodness. I highly recommend Alton Brown's turkey recipe. You brine the turkey overnight with ginger, allspice, brown sugar and some other stuff, and then stuff the cavity with aromatics before you roast it. You end up with some ridiculously juicy, flavorful meat.
Also, if you don't make Thanksgiving leftover burritos then you need to get on my level.
This will be the first time in ten(ish?) years that I haven't cooked Thanksgiving dinner. I might have to do one anyway just for the leftovers.
This year I'm going with the more traditional "awkward family event" with the ladyfriend at her parents' place. I hope I remember how to do this. Do we start drinking before we get there or just as soon as we walk through the door?
This will be the first time in ten(ish?) years that I haven't cooked Thanksgiving dinner. I might have to do one anyway just for the leftovers.
This year I'm going with the more traditional "awkward family event" with the ladyfriend at her parents' place. I hope I remember how to do this. Do we start drinking before we get there or just as soon as we walk through the door?
The only family that lives near me is my stepbrother, whose basement apartment I rent. His wife is from Mexico, and every time he suggests doing something for Thanksgiving, she replies that she doesn't give a crap about his stupid festival of gluttony, American football, and genocide erasure. As a compromise, I usually take them and their kids out to an all-you-can-eat buffet, which has worked pretty well for the last four years. But now a bunch of relatives who are close enough to drive here within a day are trying to shoehorn in on it, and I'm getting cranky. I have no problem telling them that I won't be personally paying for anyone else, but without personal control of the whole bill, I can't be sure the restaurant staff is getting tipped to a degree that I feel is appropriate for holiday work. Some of them are pretty notoriously cheap, and I worry that a larger party of poorer tippers will ruin the positive relationship that we've built up with the staff there.
So now I have to decide if I pay for everyone, if I let some of them crap all over the excellent tradition we've built, or if I un-invite a bunch of them. That last option is currently the frontrunner, since I didn't invite most of these assholes in the first place anyway. I'll probably just phrase it like the restaurant is booked solid already, and they only reserved us our typical sized table.
Realizing lately that I don't really trust or respect basically any of the moderators here. So, good luck with life, friends! Hit me up on Twitter @DesertLeviathan
As I said, the concern isn't getting them to pay for themselves. The concern is that they're cheap, and I don't want the positive relationship we've built at this place ruined by their crappy tipping. For a large party on Thanksgiving, my own tipping will push past merely "extravagant" and into "Rap Video" territory.
Also, I frankly don't like most of them, and resent having them invite themselves.
Realizing lately that I don't really trust or respect basically any of the moderators here. So, good luck with life, friends! Hit me up on Twitter @DesertLeviathan
Right but you can tip highly on your bill. My advice would be to not have them over. If they have a problem with that... well they're already assholes for inviting themselves.
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KakodaimonosCode fondlerHelping the 1% get richerRegistered Userregular
As I said, the concern isn't getting them to pay for themselves. The concern is that they're cheap, and I don't want the positive relationship we've built at this place ruined by their crappy tipping. For a large party on Thanksgiving, my own tipping will push past merely "extravagant" and into "Rap Video" territory.
Also, I frankly don't like most of them, and resent having them invite themselves.
If you didn't extend an invitation to them, they're not invited. Who cares about their tipping habits. If you don't like them, don't spend time with them.
I can't remember last thanksgiving, I think it was around the time my family splintered. my stepdad is shitty
I remember when I did thanksgiving on my own though a couple years back: bought a rotisserie chicken, sides, and a pack of IBC black cherry soda.
oh and an entire pumpkin pie which I ate and do not regret.
This year will be a lot different. I don't think I'll be doing anything on thanksgiving day but hopefully sometime in December the three brothers can get together.
this will be my second year cooking thanksgiving dinner for my family.
last year I made a ham, meh.
decided to go the traditional route with a turkey this year. kiiiinda nervous. never cooked a turkey before.
you'll do fine!
just make sure to rub butter (and preferably an herb) UNDER the skin and stuff the cavity full of either the holy trinity (onion, celery, and carrots) or even apples and onions or citrus!
then just cook it for as long as it says and let it rest a bit after bringing it out of the oven.
will do. I just watched a video of how to get the compound butter under the skin, didn't realize it was that straight forward.
Any thoughts on cooking breast side up or down? I've been reading a lot that suggests that cooking breast side down keeps the meat more moist, since it will constantly be in the juices that collect in the pan.
I ZimbraWorst song, played on ugliest guitarRegistered Userregular
Breast side down is absolutely the way to go. The only downside is that you don't get the nice golden-brown crispy skin, but it improves the quality of the actual meat.
One of my favorite, relatively new things about Thanksgiving has been the emergence of Jurassic Park as a kind of Thanksgiving movie. At least, you always see it played on network tv around this time, if not actually on Thanksgiving day. I think I remember NBC playing it every year on Thanksgiving as a kid.
Many people love to fry their turkeys. The taste is good, but I find them dry.
Have you ever smoked a turkey? It's like that bird is flying to heaven through your mouth.
Hell yes!
But what kind of turkey will I be getting this year for the Thanksgiving of two days before since I work for the Hell Known to Men and will be going in on that night as the rumor states at 7pm to 7am
KakodaimonosCode fondlerHelping the 1% get richerRegistered Userregular
Pull off the crispy turkey skin, use the skin to make a bowl. Fill the bowl with mashed potatoes, drown with gravy. Eat it while hiding in the garage so no one can see your shame.
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(Guy Fawkes is basically the same as thanksgiving in that they're both november holidays from other cultures).
ALSO STOP
and read the OP!
hahaha the only time I cooked a turkey, I rubbed butter and thyme under the skin and filled the cavity with apples, onions, carrots, and I think rosemary
soooo good
Have you ever smoked a turkey? It's like that bird is flying to heaven through your mouth.
last year I made a ham, meh.
decided to go the traditional route with a turkey this year. kiiiinda nervous. never cooked a turkey before.
and Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Icecream is probably one of my favorite combinations of things of all time.
Once my belly is full, and the first effects of food coma begin to set in, I will have one (maybe two) cups of coffee with whiskey in it.
you'll do fine!
just make sure to rub butter (and preferably an herb) UNDER the skin and stuff the cavity full of either the holy trinity (onion, celery, and carrots) or even apples and onions or citrus!
then just cook it for as long as it says and let it rest a bit after bringing it out of the oven.
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
This used to be my favorite holiday for many years, just because it was every delicious food, all in a single holiday. I'm not sure which holiday is my favorite now, but Thanksgiving still ranks up there pretty high. It is the only day of the year I will make or eat gravy, and I LOVE gravy on the turkey. Mashed potates are delicious by their delicious selves.
Last year I hosted a Thanksgiving potluck thing with a bunch of friends...I made a turkey for the first time, and made gravy for the first time! And everybody brought a very heavy but delicious dish. We're thinking of doing it again this year - it was a great hit last time and I'm probably still burning off that meal.
then sliced sandwich meat-thin and served with piping hot gravy
holy shit was that a perfect turkey
hey satan...: thinkgeek amazon My post |
Holy hell yes I do
This year I'm going with the more traditional "awkward family event" with the ladyfriend at her parents' place. I hope I remember how to do this. Do we start drinking before we get there or just as soon as we walk through the door?
Yes.
So now I have to decide if I pay for everyone, if I let some of them crap all over the excellent tradition we've built, or if I un-invite a bunch of them. That last option is currently the frontrunner, since I didn't invite most of these assholes in the first place anyway. I'll probably just phrase it like the restaurant is booked solid already, and they only reserved us our typical sized table.
Also, I frankly don't like most of them, and resent having them invite themselves.
If you didn't extend an invitation to them, they're not invited. Who cares about their tipping habits. If you don't like them, don't spend time with them.
I remember when I did thanksgiving on my own though a couple years back: bought a rotisserie chicken, sides, and a pack of IBC black cherry soda.
oh and an entire pumpkin pie which I ate and do not regret.
This year will be a lot different. I don't think I'll be doing anything on thanksgiving day but hopefully sometime in December the three brothers can get together.
And guess who is the resident 'entertainment specialist but no title or pay bump' at the local department store?
Which is actually ok by me because, you know
family, right?
will do. I just watched a video of how to get the compound butter under the skin, didn't realize it was that straight forward.
Any thoughts on cooking breast side up or down? I've been reading a lot that suggests that cooking breast side down keeps the meat more moist, since it will constantly be in the juices that collect in the pan.
I've never had dry turkey either so I can't imagine it's that big of a deal.
I'm going to look in to it though cause it sure sounds different
My contribution to the thread: Serious Eats' Definitive Guide to Buying, Prepping, Cooking, and Carving Your Thanksgiving Turkey.
Gonna spend like thirty dollars just on that.
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
We only have time for delicious in 'Murica.
Hell yes!
But what kind of turkey will I be getting this year for the Thanksgiving of two days before since I work for the Hell Known to Men and will be going in on that night as the rumor states at 7pm to 7am
sweat down a couple onions and add in some minced up gibblets and rubbed sage with a bunch of homemade turkey stock and a splash of cream.
pour that over EVERYTHING
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