Somebody has to ask...

[BigO]

...what's on the holiday menu?

We had the usual, but earlier since J has club level tickets to the Saints game tonight. Skybox, even. Lucky SOB.

Prime rib, shrimp rice dressing, green bean casserole with jalapenos instead of onions on top, shoepeg white corn, fresh Brussels sprouts simmered in butter, and Hawaiian rolls. A spectacularly rich and tasty key lime cheesecake for dessert.

I didn't invent key lime cheesecake, but I'd put my recipe up against the best of them. I made a 12 incher (which should theoretically be enough for 16) and it's half gone already and I haven't had any yet, shy of licking the knife before depositing it in the washer.

Having some barrel strength Maker's single barrel after dinner.

You? Traditional turkey, or something different this year?

After completing the stone wall tomorrow, the leftover roast will be sliced thin and made into cheesesteaks per family tradition. I'll be roasting a turkey to go with leftovers Sat. I have enough Chacherie Cajun butter injection to last the next 10 years.

[beevod]

I blacked out after a second helping of incredible chocolate cheesecake.

[BigO]

Well, you live in Ground Zero for the best cheesecake. The rest of the nation can only aspire to that greatness.

[jeepdad]

Just had slivers of pumpkin pie and apple pie for breakfast. Yesterday for Thanksgiving I smoked a turkey that I used a holiday brine I've used for years that I love. The sides were mashed potatoes and brown gravy, greenbean casserole, corn, deviled eggs made with sriracha and topped with candied bacon and a slice of jalapeno, Sister Schubert rolls, stuffing (made out of the bird since you can't stuff a smoked turkey), canned cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and pecan pie. For appetizers it was a marinated cheese that is damn delicious on crackers, pesto basil pinwheels and a pretzel cheese dip. My Bride made a batch of Cranberry martinis and Caramel Apple martinis.

[N8DCJ]

I had Costolette di Manzo con Spinaci, in other words beef short ribs with a spinach souffle.

Girlfriend had an off menu item which basically amounts to Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.

Both were very good.

Dan

[Jester]

Well, we went for traditional flavors for sure but we used a lot of canned and partials to pull it off. SU and I had just finished packing and departing SATx early Weds morning. The normal 11-12 hour trip to the Fl panhandle turned into closer to 14 as well due to traffic issues so I was beat on arrival in Fl. SU slept through most of Tejas on the way out so she started on the pumpkin pie (linked to in this room) shortly after arrival. I was wrecked, I'd pick up while she slept on Turkey Day morning.

It was all stuff my brother (not a cooking hobbyist) picked up in case he had to pull it off on his own due to our situation and timing leaving Tejas. So a rolled turkey boob (rolled boneless but with skin thankfully) and four thighs (I asked him to grab those for dark meat choice), canned green beans, two containers of turkey gravy (one came from the boob package), canned sweet potatoes and one real from Tejas, premade mashed potatoes (Bob Evans) and a box of turkey stuffing. Bro at least made actual Cranberry dressing.

It was a flavor concentration and augment day. Drive off canned liquids. Lot of saute, mirepoix, bacon (fat used too) same with turkey thighs (brown in pan to capture flavor and fat and finish in oven), butter and heavy cream. Lipids baby, gotta love them.

Not gonna go much on each detail since most here understand the task at hand but we pulled it off and it wasn't the normal two day evolution...actually it was a quite acceptable feast.

SU and I were challenged for sure, but thankful for the results.

Best,
J.