Food Network Thanksgiving shows

Harvest · 11-22-2008, 02:53 PM

I've been watching those Dear Food Network Thanksgiving specials.

I am trying to slog through the dessert episode. Tyler Florence's coconut cake looks exciting (he always excites me. I think I have a crush on Tyler. It's an instant reaction every time he starts talking about cooking.) But I really don't like the host of that episode, Ina Garten.

As for the turkey, I'm trying to get hubby to watch the "disasters" episode with the turkey pastrami recipe. I know he likes to grill, so we'll see if he is willing to give that recipe a try (if we can find juniper berries). However, I think he may want to dry-salt our turkey this year based on an LA Times article.

All I can say about Giada's cheesy mashed potatoes recipe (I think this was in the turkey episode) is what I always think: how does she stay so thin eating that, and omg, her head is huge!

In the turkey episode, glad to see Alton Brown is owning his new, balder, less bloated look. The motorcycle phase seemed like an unfortunate midlife crisis.

We have brined our turkey according to Alton's recipe for years. Now I think if we brine again we might use one of Guy Fieri's flavor profiles from the "disasters" show. I find Guy a bit irritating (such as continually calling a mortar and pestle a "mortal pestle"), but I did like the look of that turkey pastrami, and we liked the ingredients in his two brines.

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PWS · 11-22-2008, 06:41 PM

I'm always amazed when people experiment on Thanksgiving...other days, sure, but I'm still doing my mom's stuffing recipe and she's in her 90's! My guess--people fall into 2 categories---don't change a thing (except maybe to add yet another side dish) or treat it just like another dinner party.

Harmony2000 · 11-22-2008, 09:56 PM

My husband wanted to experiment! As we were driving home today from last minute grocery shopping, he informed me that he wanted to soak the bird in salt and water over night to make a brine then he turns to me and says "You have heard of that, right?" to which I replied, "Oh you mean like the salt you insisted on adding to the noodles that made them taste like sea weed? Don't you dare touch that bird!" LOL!! I should have known he got the idea from Alton, he is such a fan. I'm just scared to let him do it after the sea weed tasting spaghetti.

Anybody watch the Iron Chef Thanksgiving? I pretty much was grossed out by everything Cora and errr.. I can't spell his last name! made. But I wanted to eat everything Flay/Simone made. Yum and it was such a fun show with Ted Allen helping out. I'm sure they will rerun it.

Harvest · 11-28-2008, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PWS

I'm always amazed when people experiment on Thanksgiving...other days, sure, but I'm still doing my mom's stuffing recipe and she's in her 90's! My guess--people fall into 2 categories---don't change a thing (except maybe to add yet another side dish) or treat it just like another dinner party.

I do some traditional items and some change-ups. I get the turkey not for a dinner party, but because it is cheap around this time of year, and I can make stock and use the leftover meat to make any number of things. The dry-salt method worked very well.

myrosiedog · 11-28-2008, 08:41 AM

Alton will not steer you wrong on a brined turkey. I brined mine and it was delicious.
We are a traditional, do not change things on Thanksgivign family, but we will now always brine the turkey. But we eat the same menu every year. It's tradition.

But Christmas, that's another story. We never eat the same Christmas meal twice. I just refuse to have a repeat of Thanksgiving a month later, so we never do turkey on Christmas.

Oh and the brine doesn't make it salty. The salt works to draw the moisture out of the turkey causing a "vacuum" that then sucks into the turkey the flavored water solution and makes the turkey moist. It is NOT salty at all.

PWS · 12-06-2008, 05:53 PM

Or you could just cook the turkey upside down the first hour or two (aka breast down) (basting once first) with aluminum foil over it and then flip it, remove the alum. foil (and cover with butter/water soaked cheesecloth basting now and then until near done to prevent too much browning). That way the moisture from the dark meat runs into the white and "sets", making the white meat nicely moist. My mom figure that out more than 40 years ago. The flipping part can be a bit messy...

11-22-2008, 02:53 PM	#1
Harvest FORT Fogey Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: California Wine Country. Cheers! Posts: 1,290	Food Network Thanksgiving shows I've been watching those Dear Food Network Thanksgiving specials. I am trying to slog through the dessert episode. Tyler Florence's coconut cake looks exciting (he always excites me. I think I have a crush on Tyler. It's an instant reaction every time he starts talking about cooking.) But I really don't like the host of that episode, Ina Garten. As for the turkey, I'm trying to get hubby to watch the "disasters" episode with the turkey pastrami recipe. I know he likes to grill, so we'll see if he is willing to give that recipe a try (if we can find juniper berries). However, I think he may want to dry-salt our turkey this year based on an LA Times article. All I can say about Giada's cheesy mashed potatoes recipe (I think this was in the turkey episode) is what I always think: how does she stay so thin eating that, and omg, her head is huge! In the turkey episode, glad to see Alton Brown is owning his new, balder, less bloated look. The motorcycle phase seemed like an unfortunate midlife crisis. We have brined our turkey according to Alton's recipe for years. Now I think if we brine again we might use one of Guy Fieri's flavor profiles from the "disasters" show. I find Guy a bit irritating (such as continually calling a mortar and pestle a "mortal pestle"), but I did like the look of that turkey pastrami, and we liked the ingredients in his two brines.

11-22-2008, 06:41 PM	#2
PWS FORT Fogey Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 8,297	Re: Food Network Thanksgiving shows I'm always amazed when people experiment on Thanksgiving...other days, sure, but I'm still doing my mom's stuffing recipe and she's in her 90's! My guess--people fall into 2 categories---don't change a thing (except maybe to add yet another side dish) or treat it just like another dinner party.

11-22-2008, 09:56 PM	#3
Harmony2000 Crazy Shutterbug Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,500	Re: Food Network Thanksgiving shows My husband wanted to experiment! As we were driving home today from last minute grocery shopping, he informed me that he wanted to soak the bird in salt and water over night to make a brine then he turns to me and says "You have heard of that, right?" to which I replied, "Oh you mean like the salt you insisted on adding to the noodles that made them taste like sea weed? Don't you dare touch that bird!" LOL!! I should have known he got the idea from Alton, he is such a fan. I'm just scared to let him do it after the sea weed tasting spaghetti. Anybody watch the Iron Chef Thanksgiving? I pretty much was grossed out by everything Cora and errr.. I can't spell his last name! made. But I wanted to eat everything Flay/Simone made. Yum and it was such a fun show with Ted Allen helping out. I'm sure they will rerun it.

11-28-2008, 08:41 AM	#5
myrosiedog FORT Fogey Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: All jacked up on Gator Juice in the Swamp. GO GATORS!!!! Age: 47 Posts: 15,221	Re: Food Network Thanksgiving shows Alton will not steer you wrong on a brined turkey. I brined mine and it was delicious. We are a traditional, do not change things on Thanksgivign family, but we will now always brine the turkey. But we eat the same menu every year. It's tradition. But Christmas, that's another story. We never eat the same Christmas meal twice. I just refuse to have a repeat of Thanksgiving a month later, so we never do turkey on Christmas. Oh and the brine doesn't make it salty. The salt works to draw the moisture out of the turkey causing a "vacuum" that then sucks into the turkey the flavored water solution and makes the turkey moist. It is NOT salty at all. __________________ Que me amat, amet et canem meum (Who loves me will love my dog also)

12-06-2008, 05:53 PM	#6
PWS FORT Fogey Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 8,297	Re: Food Network Thanksgiving shows Or you could just cook the turkey upside down the first hour or two (aka breast down) (basting once first) with aluminum foil over it and then flip it, remove the alum. foil (and cover with butter/water soaked cheesecloth basting now and then until near done to prevent too much browning). That way the moisture from the dark meat runs into the white and "sets", making the white meat nicely moist. My mom figure that out more than 40 years ago. The flipping part can be a bit messy...