USCHO Cooks: Maybe We Can Beat Bobby Flay

[goldy_331]

I got informed that I am smoking the bird again this year. Have to get going on the prep work soon, making garlic oil is first step as I will inject with that.

[walrus]

THis gal averages 2 hrs for the first visit and follow up visits usually at least 1 hr. I tell people don't bother to go unless you are serious because she is very intense and the lifestyle changes are intense. I have, however, seen people who have been incapacitated by their health who have become new people after getting their leaky gut straightened out.

Les
Can you give me a basic outline as to what this GI recommends, maybe move it to diet and exercise thread to not screw this one up, thanks

[walrus]

First time using a frozen bird this yr. Until now always had a fresh bird that I brined. This yr the farm sold out early and I decided to forgo the huge bill of a fresh turkey. We will see. Significantly less work except for having to figure out how to thaw the thing.

I still brine a frozen bird, just has to be thawed by weds. evening

[leswp1]

I still brine a frozen bird, just has to be thawed by weds. evening

This one comes brined. It was brined or 60c more a pound. On austerity measures this yr.

[leswp1]

Les
Can you give me a basic outline as to what this GI recommends, maybe move it to diet and exercise thread to not screw this one up, thanks

Forgot about that thread.
Have moved it over.

[bostonewe]

So, after not planning on doing anything for Thanksgiving, we're now going full on. I'm working Thursday night 7p-Friday morning 7a, so dinner is at 1300. Since we weren't planning on cooking anything, we missed out on a local, farm raised turkey. We're having an organic grocery store turkey, cooked spatchcocked style over stuffing made with homemade bread (rising now) with sausage, boniato (a South American white sweet potato), green bean casserole (smitten kitchen), curry carrot soup, and spinach salad. My mom made an apple pie for us as a gift on Halloween, so we're having that, plus pecan pie and pumpkin pie (miniature sized). It's just the two of us, maybe my MIL if she graces us with her presence.

[leswp1]

So, after not planning on doing anything for Thanksgiving, we're now going full on. I'm working Thursday night 7p-Friday morning 7a, so dinner is at 1300. Since we weren't planning on cooking anything, we missed out on a local, farm raised turkey. We're having an organic grocery store turkey, cooked spatchcocked style over stuffing made with homemade bread (rising now) with sausage, boniato (a South American white sweet potato), green bean casserole (smitten kitchen), curry carrot soup, and spinach salad. My mom made an apple pie for us as a gift on Halloween, so we're having that, plus pecan pie and pumpkin pie (miniature sized). It's just the two of us, maybe my MIL if she graces us with her presence.

Moan. That sounds good.

We are only having 8 so the yrs of huge dinner are passed ( )
Butternut squash, roasted onion and garlic dip
Homemade pita chips
Various veggies and dip
Cheese and crackers
various nuts

Turkey
Gravy
Fruit stuffing
Regular stuffing
Roasted Butternut squash
Sweet potato casserole (Cooking Light, no marshmallows-those do not belong on the dinner table)
Homemade mashed potatoes
peas and butter

Homemade pecan pie
Homemade apple pie
Homemade double chocolate brownies
Ice cream

Starting early because all of the people driving here are >80 yrs old and do not like driving in the dark. (Yikes, I didn't realize that until I was typing. They are not old acting! 2 of them still go to the gym regularly and one more walks and then bikes >9 miles a day )

[leswp1]

and the gut biome is not going to be impressed with this whole idea

[MissThundercat]

and the gut biome is not going to be impressed with this whole idea

One meal is not the end of your gut biome.

[leswp1]

One meal is not the end of your gut biome.

well, for some people it can take one meal to make them feel lousy for days. I will just feel bloaty from all the salt.

[leswp1]

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/stuffed-pumpkin.aspx

Anyone ever tried making one of these? I got a large acorn squash because they had no pumpkin. Want to try it but might not have room in the oven. One of the comments mentions a slow cooker but I can't find anything on how to do that.

[MissThundercat]

Well, I give dinner a 5/10. Sides were good, but the turkey needs work.

[ericredaxe]

The instructions that came with the turkey were off... Needed an extra hour before the thing popped....

Other than being an hour behind schedule, the meal was good.

[MissThundercat]

Next year, I'm printing Alton Brown's instructions for deep-fried turkey, setting up the rig in my front yard, and doing it.

[hockeyplayer1015]

We had a Mesquite smoked turkey on the boat. Came out incredibly great. I'd never tell my mom, but this may have been the best turkey I've had on Thanksgiving.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Okay, so we're doing Thanksgiving tomorrow, because of that Packer game we all insisted on not interfering with Turkey Day.

Mrs. EoDS, ever the iconoclast, wants to do Cornish Game Hens in lieu of the normal poultry arrangements (mostly because I refused to budge on some of the side dishes).

So here I am, with 10 thawed Cornish Game hens, ready to put my plan together for cooking them tomorrow... and only a faint idea of how I'll do it. What I do know:

• I'll put some fresh rosemary, butter and some dry seasoning between the skin and the breasts, then a light salt/pepper on the outside.
• I have a Nesco roaster, which would probably be better so I can keep my regular oven available for sides.
• Most recipes I see online call for a set amount of time (60-90 minutes, for instance) at a set temperature (say, 425), but...
• My best success with Turkey (that's required the least amount of basting) has been to cook it at a super hot temp for 1/2 hour, then turn it down and cook through. I'm wondering if there's a similar technique I can do with 10 ****ed hens in a roaster.

Any suggestions? Really the part that I'm stuck on is time/temperature. And maybe if I should throw some aromatics/lemon wedges in the cavity.

[leswp1]

I got nothin'. with that many I wonder if you need to put them in for a bit longer.

I usually put a clove of garlic, slightly mashed, a hunk of thyme and some rosemary in the cavity. You can also pour a little white wine in the cavity if you are really getting crazy.

[Timothy A]

Deconstructed turkey turned out awesome, the breast was a juicy as I have ever made one, even better than the deep fried one. The breast was a little behind schedule to get to 165, so I upped the temp 10 degrees with 45 minutes left and we only at 4 minutes late. Thighs were a tad dry, I should have temped them and pulled them ahead of the breast (breast had the hard wired thermometer for constant monitoring) . The stuffing was awesome with the turkey juices giving it awesome flavor. Pulling the entire breast off the bone and then carving is the bomb, so easy and less messy.

[jen]

If I can share one bit of holiday baking wisdom this year, it's this: avoid anything with the phrase "finely chopped dried figs" unless you are actually buying the figs already finely chopped. That is all.

[MissThundercat]

If I can share one bit of holiday baking wisdom this year, it's this: avoid anything with the phrase "finely chopped dried figs" unless you are actually buying the figs already finely chopped. That is all.

I'm curious as to how this wisdom came about...