Thanksgiving and Attempts at Culinary Masterpieces, Anyone?

[Trethowan]

95% of my cooking happens in a wok with the aid of my trusty rice cooker. I've been known to pull off a little Southern cooking and boy do I make a mean fried chicken with gravy and all the fixins, but that's rare these days. I took a cake decorating class once. I don't bake. I don't do casseroles. They say it's easy but I'm just not really there, you know? It seems like a giant calorie dump and I already struggle with my weight.

I'm going to attempt baking some apple crisp sort of thing and a pumpkin pie for my family this year. I'm tired of being the one who brings ice and drinks. My sister makes amazing pies. I want to make an amazing pie, too! Yeah, I know. It sounds like sibling rivalry now doesn't it. It isn't, I swear. I lied, it totally is.

Who has what going on for Thanksgiving? Anyone attempting food things for the first time? If my attempts at baking suck monkey balls I'll be sure to let you know about it. hahahaha

[K2!]

I will be attempting the challenging task of ordering a Lou Malnati's deep dish pie with garlic buttercrust.
http://www.loumalnatis.com/chicago-west-loop

[Jobee]

It took me several attempts, but with perseverance, I was able to acquire a sugar-free pumpkin pie. Took a few days, a few trips, and a few different Walmarts, but I got it. I'm dying to crack into it tomorrow.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Trethowan - I find sticking the flour and butter in the freezer for about 20 minutes (and chilling the water/other liquid at the same time) helps make the pastry crust go really nice (I don't know specifically for pumpkin pie, but it works well for every pie, flan or tart I've done). You chop up the butter/shortning into small bits, mix with flour, and stick in freezer, then use the mixer to turn it into something resembling slightly damp sand.

K2 - garlic butter crust deep dish pizza sounds heavenly.

I will be ignoring it all together (what with living in the UK and all ) Although on Friday I might be trying a Middle Eastern food inspired lentil, chick pea and broad bean thing (no idea what, exactly, but it'll involve most of a jar of ras-el-hanout paste, passata and whatever else seems to fit.). If I remember to soak the chickpeas, it might happen tomorrow instead!

[kenaiqueen]

After many years of cooking for the DH and ungrateful child (who is not a child anymore), I have finally persuaded them to take me out to dinner on Thanksgiving. However, I will be making a pumpkin pie to take to a friend's house later in the evening.

I'm a pretty good cook/baker mostly from years of experience. Raised poor in a large family, so I learned how to cook things from scratch. Still can't make bread worth a darn tho. (Yes, I love my bread machine LOL!)

[Trethowan]

The more I stare at this seemingly simple recipe for an apple tart the more I think we really don't need another pie. hahahaha... curse my desire for parental pie praise!! Curse it!!!

I like the frozen butter idea. And the deep dish pizza idea. We're ordering Dominoes tonight. It's your fault, K2.

[Lamia of the Dark]

I'll be getting dragged to my brother's house for Thanksgiving Dinner-at-lunchtime, not sure what exactly will be served other than turkey...

[quidam]

I used to work hard at finding that "perfect" public pie recipe. Then I discovered the one on the stupid spice bottle, the one with 4 ingredients? Yeah, it's better than any other one I slaved over making.
1 can plain pumpkin, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 2 eggs, and 1 tbs pie spice. How easy is that? My counter is too small for rolling out a pie crust, so I buy premade with that. I do miss homemade crust, though.

I'm also making the mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. Usually I as do the gravy once i get to mom's house. The biggest secret for awesome turkey day dishes? Just go simple. Most of the time that super fancy, time consuming recipe will be a let down even if you do manage to do it right.

[Jobee]

My mom stuck an onion in the middle of the turkey this year. It worked well. Very tasty. She's a fan of simple too.

[victoriavictrix]

Dry brined turkey. 21.5 lb bird, which is now all GONE. One of the housemates carried off all the leftovers.

On the Saturday before, start your bird.
1 ice chest
1 turkey
1 cup of salt
1/4 cup spice mix (depends on what you want your bird to taste like. Traditional: poutry spice. Cajun: Cajun spice mix. Mexican: taco spice. Moroccan/Indian: curry mix)
1 giant zip-seal baggy, big enough to hold said bird.

Mix spices and salt. Strip protection from bird. Wet bird so spice/salt mix will stick. Put bird in giant baggy (no, do not try and remove the neck and the giblets yet). Pat spice/salt mix all over bird, turn, repeat until all is gone (don't worry about what falls into the baggy). Put bird in ice chest. Turn once in the morning and once at night until Thanksgiving. If you think it might be getting too warm, or the bird thaws faster than you thought it would, shove some more ice in the chest (I generally end up doing that about Tuesday night or Weds morning).

On Thursday, take bird out. Remove neck and organs from inside. Do NOT rinse. Roast as usual (I use a roasting bag) according to your time-honored roasting technique, or, if you don't have one, look up roasting times on the Butterball site. I do not stuff my birds, I make stuffing separate. You will end up with a bird so tender the meat falls apart, and so juicy and full of flavor NO ONE will complain, you will probably have to fight off people wanting to take some home, and all of it will be gone by Friday night. (I accidentally overcooked mine this time around, and aside from some bits on the legs, nothing dried out).

The science: as the bird thaws, the salt pulls all the water out of it, because, osmosis!, the outside is saltier than the inside. However, once it has thawed, the INSIDE is now saltier than the OUTSIDE, all that water gets pulled back into the bird taking the spice flavors with it. By the time you are ready to cook, there might be a bit less than a cup of spice/salt water in the bottom of the bag, don't worry about that, since most commercial turkeys are injected with solution before freezing; that's all it is.