Friday, November 23, 2012
Beat the leaftover turkey blues and think beyond the sandwich with casseroles, turnovers and salads.
Turkey Day is over—now what? Thanksgiving leftovers can become a blessing or a curse. Turkey sandwiches can be good for a while, but they get boring fast. (For instant news updates follow Patch on Facebook and Twitter.) Leftovers should begin with a plan. Pick recipes that are easy to make while creating a new dish that isn't immediately recognized as including leftovers. Food historian Suzanne Corbett offered some tasty ideas during last year's Thanksgiving holiday. Here are a few options: Turkey Croquettes Mix two parts of leftover dressing with one part finely chopped turkey. Moisten with beaten egg and a little milk, broth or leftover gravy. Shape into balls and roll in Panko-style crumbs. Place on a baking pan, lightly spray with oil…
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Fifty turkey experts will answer questions on meal prep and turkey emergencies this holiday season.
It's Thanksgiving, the guests are only hours away and your turkey still is frozen. (For instant news updates follow Patch on Facebook and Twitter.) What can you do? Have no fear, the Butterball Turkey talk-line is open and ready to help. For more than 20 years Butterball representatives have talked turkey. The questions run the gamut, from experienced cooks simply looking for tips to make the perfect bird, to panicked hosts trying to avert disaster. "We have many different hats that we wear," said Tara-Rose Groberski, who has worked on the turkey talk line for 10 years. "We're there to alliviate their angst. Will tell them to take a deep breath and walk them through what they have to do." The first turkey talk line had six home economists …
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Post your family recipes—at least the ones you're willing to share!—in Patch's announcements section. It's free, easy and instant. Don't forget a photo!
If you're like me, you spend the week before Thankgiving scrolling through recipes, looking for tips and tricks on cooking this once-a-year meal. (My sweet potatoes will never be the same after learning this Patcher's famous recipe!) As a Patch reader, you're connected to a network of local news junkies just like you looking for the same thing. So this year, we thought we'd find a way to help each other! We're putting out the call: Share your recipes with us! Post your recipe for your favorite side dish, drink, dessert or family tradition as an announcement on Patch, and let us share it with neighborhoods around St. Louis! You'll be giving other families recipes they can trust while finding new inspirations for your own Thanksgiving table…
Friday, November 25, 2011
Is the thought of endless turkey sandwiches making you lose your appetite for leftover Thanksgiving turkey? Beat the leftover turkey blues and think beyond the sandwich with casseroles, turnovers and salads.
Thanksgiving leftovers can become a blessing or a curse. Granted, the venerable turkey sandwich is a treat, but after a day or two, they're boring. While turkey sandwiches might be the perennial favorite, there are dozens of ways to use up leftover turkey. Leftovers, or what some cooks refer to as "planned over" meals, begin with a plan. Pick recipes that are easy to make while creating a new dish that isn't immediately recognized as including leftovers. Chili, enchiladas and pastas are excellent examples ways to use leftover cooked turkey. Think past the turkey. Thanksgiving's traditional sides can find new life in countless recipes. For example, I use leftover sweet potatoes to make a cream of sweet potato soup and those mashed potatoes…
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Patch editors share their embarrassing holiday fails and invite you to add yours.
The Turkey That Wouldn't Go Away I was a newlywed, cooking my first Thanksgiving dinner for extended family. My mother, my sister and myself were crowded into a tiny kitchen at our University City apartment, bumping into each other and generally getting into each other's way. Bags and boxes and pans were stacked in any available inch of space. My husband's grandmother had given us a large covered roaster pan, and for seven months, it had been taking up space in the cabinet. Now, I finally got to use it. Not well, however, as I remember the turkey was rather dry. But we could always count on my mother's dressing being perfect and the sweet potatoes having just the right amount of marshmallow topping. We gave the kitchen "a lick and a …
The romanticized image of pilgrims gathered around the table set with an oversized turkey and pumpkin pie is how we define Thanksgiving. In reality, venison along with lobsters and scrawny wild turkeys are the elements of Plymouth's 1621 feast.
"Visitors to Plimoth Plantation are often surprised when we don’t look like a Hallmark card, dressed in big hats and with buckle shoes," said Kathleen Wall, who oversees Plimoth Plantation’s colonial foodways programs. "They’re also surprised to learn that the 1621 Thanksgiving doesn’t resemble the holiday that’s celebrated today." In 1621, Thanksgiving was a harvest festival in the early fall, probably October. It celebrated the economics of having enough to eat, a serious concern for the settlers who nearly starved to death during their first year. Plimoth's harvest festival never was a day of thanksgiving; a day of thanksgiving was a religious day of prayer and fasting. Another historical fact that seems to upset visitors is that …
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thanksgiving turkey no longer has to be roasted. This year, expand your turkey repertoire and try brining, frying or smoking this Thanksgiving bird.
The Thanksgiving countdown has begun. Time to tackle the turkey. It’s a task many avoid, since the thought of preparing a whole turkey seems to be an unattainable culinary feat. However, cooking turkey isn’t difficult, it just takes a little planning. Begin by deciding on the cooking style: traditionally roasted, brined or fried. For those looking to save time, consider fried turkey. Frying takes about 60–90 minutes as compared to the hours it takes to roast a stuffed whole turkey. If you’ve never deep-fried a turkey, here are the basic rules. Follow the operation directions on the fryer/cooker and check with your local fire department for safety tips. While electric turkey fryers are available and are safer, most gobblers are still fried …
Friday, November 18, 2011
Deep-fried or roasted, these recipes will produce a tasty turkey for your Thanksgiving table.
Southern Deep-Fried Turkey Thaw turkey completely. Clean out cavity, discarding giblets and neck. Cut off wing tips and tail. Rinse under cold running water and pat dry. In a medium bowl, combine vinaigrette, sherry and seasonings. Strain the marinade, then place in an injection syringe. Inject the marinade in the turkey breast, thighs and legs. Place turkey in a food-safe, plastic bag and refrigerate for 2 hours. Turn the bag over and massage the turkey to work the marinade into the meat. Remove form bag, drain and pat dry. Place fryer/cooker outside, placed on level ground and in an open space away from the house. Never use a turkey fryer indoors, in a garage or under a covered patio due to potential fire hazard. Add oil to a 7 to 10 …
Friday, November 19, 2010
Tips and recipes to help make Thanksgiving dinner a little easier for both the experienced and inexperienced host.
No matter how experienced the cook, Thanksgiving dinner can be overwhelming. There's always so much to do. Many of us work for weeks planning and prepping the traditional meal. However, this Thanksgiving could be different if you consider economizing on the holiday's most important ingredient—your time. I prefer to economize my time by creating a menu that's simple. Switch to time saving recipes and consider incorporating a few store-bought specialties into the menu. Yep, I said store-bought. No need to feel guilty about buying anything store-bought as long as you're selecting quality products. "You can order the entire Thanksgiving Day from us," said Steve Roberts, manager at the Straub's Town & Country location. "Or, if you just need …
