Holiday Cooking Projects 2009

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chefmike

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I am wondering what folks are cooking this year. I imagine several of us are planning food and beer for the holidays.

I started tonight:

2 turkeys- one for the smoker, one to fry (wife's request)
5lbs of pepperoni- simple ground beef recipe
Fattys- testing one this week with ground turkey, yams, cranberry and mashed taters in the middle.
Oysters- 200 at the roast last week, more to come.

The Pumpkin Ale is drinking well, the ESB is about ready (RIP Rover), and there is Graff to go around as well.

I would love to see who is doing what.
 
I am changing the fatty to ground turkey with some pork sausage filled with stuffing, mashed taters and cranberry sauce. Maybe a couple sweet tater pieces.


The meat is mixed for the pepperoni. I linked the wrong recipe... I add more spices than the one above. It is in the fridge to mellow for 24 hours.

and fatties are yummy for sure. I get requests for them ALOT around the holidays.
 
brisket. good.

might have to add that to the list... the butcher had a slab of strip steak, a couple racks of beef side ribs and a nice full brisket. Mmmm beef on smoke. Good.
 
ohhh.. brisket! There's absolutely nothing better. Up here in Cleveland, that's not really a traditional holiday dinner. Wish it was! I'll be frying up a turkey next Thursday and the SWMBO's mother is cooking the "standard" thanksgiving dinner.
 
I made a pumpkin cheesecake a few days ago, making chili in a day or two, other than that... heading to Florida for Thanksgiving and leaving the cooking to family. :)
 
is the pepperoni made from a kit? i was thinking id suprise they better half. she loves the pepperoni.
 
I will be brining my turkey and prepairing a compound butter with dijon mustard, fresh rosemary, 8 whole cloves worth of vermouth roasted garlic, and black pepper, and pack the butter between the skin and the meat, rub the last 1/4 of the butter on the outside, fill the cavity with onion, celery and carrot and toss it on the smoker in a drip pan, I fire it with white oak and a few pieces of pecan, serve with mashed yukon gold potatoes made with heavy cream, a fresh cranberry apple compote, and the rest of the usual sides. served with a few bottles of Sangiovese, and a keg of Lake Walk pale ale, too bad there is only 6 of us this year!
 
is the pepperoni made from a kit? i was thinking id suprise they better half. she loves the pepperoni.


no, it is based on this recipe.

I have not tried cooking in the oven though. I make them on the smoker.
i also leave out the liquid smoke for this reason. they are not exactly the same texture as store pepperoni, but awesome with crackers, etc. never any left. I did 4 lbs into 3 sausages.
 
Thanksgiving meal:

Smoked Turkey
Sweet Potato Something or Other
Hazlenut Stuffing
Grilled Vegetables.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Northwest Hops Cheesecake. (muhahahahaaaaaaa)

Porter
Mead




Holiday gift baskets:

Porter
Mead
Lemon Pepper Spice
Powdered Hops ( with recipe book )

Pepperoni, Jerky and Sausages ( homemade )
Banana Bread
Tamales
 
bacon roasted turkey
real mashed taters
turkey gravy
green bean casserole
whipped fruit salad
strawberry and cherry cheesecakes
(this just what i'll make for our small gathering, my sister in law is also cooking for the big gathering in kazoo)
 
We are not hosting this year as we still need to get a table cover for the pool table to have a big enough table, but I am thinking of frying a turkey at the in-laws this year, it turned out so darn good last year. I will also be bringing some homebrew of course.
 
We are doing an early celebration with some friends this weekend before everyone leaves to do family stuff next week.

Food I'm providing:
Deep fried turkey with a creole rub/marinade (made this last year, it is delicious)
Ham with an apple butter glaze

On Tap:
Dry Stout
Pliny the Elder

In Bottles:
Nothern English Brown Ale
Apfelwein
Misc other Wines
 
My ex-husband is providing a turkey. My daughter and her fiance are plucking it on Sunday, and I'll brine it a few days before Thanksgiving. Then, we'll grill it on the Webber. We'll have honey whole wheat bread, pumpkin cheesecake, dutch apple pie, and the rest of the regular stuff. My husband makes the cranberry chutney every year.

For dinner wine, we have a dry crabapple wine. For beer, stout for my future son-in-law, Irish red for my husband, and IIPA for me.
 
I'm going with a smoked turkey, a smoked ham, copious amounts of greenbean casserole, and dressing/stuffing. My parents are providing several pies and home-made mac'n'cheese. In-laws are bringing jalapeno cheese bread and sweetpotato casserole.

Beer will be whatever is on tap. I've been going through it slowly lately (and haven't had a chance to brew) so likely the last of B's Honey Wheat and possibly a bitter. I might buy a few bottles of something bigger (RIS or a nice Belgian) for Dad and I to enjoy after dinner.
 
This year the menu in our house will look like this for Thanksgiving:

Smoked Turkey Breast with Juniper berries
Gorgonzola and Bacon Smashed Potatoes
Bourbon Caramelised Carrots
Grilled Asparigus
Harveys Bristol Cream Stuffing
Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake



Beaujolais Nouveau is the traditional drink for thanksgiving in our house...
 
Starting the brining for 2 turkeys in a few hours.
Thanksgiving is Saturday for the family.
Traditional smoker for one and grill smoking for the other.
Butter and Jalapeno baste.
Sunday is a sausage making party. (Italian & Christmas Breakfast Sausage)
 
The usual Texas thanksgiving. Brisket, beans, ribs, etc.

say's the guy with a Turkey avatar :rockin:


fried turkeys two in fact I am going to the farm this weekend and picking them out. They butcher them pretty much on the spot my daughter went once:D

Homemade lasagna,escarole soup, venison sausage, assorted other crap. lots of Italian pastries

Lots of beer and Apfelwien.
 
Here is our Thanksgiving feast menu. All German food this year from recipes that came out of a 1960's era German cookbook.

• Sausage and cheese
• Cream of Cauliflower soup
• Saddle of venison with red wine sauce
• Game birds with burgundy
• Hot potato salad with bacon
• Mushrooms with Tomatoes and bacon
• Dumplings
• Onion rolls (bread)
• Sauerkraut
• Beans with fruit and vegetables
• Black forest cherry cake
• Rum cake

There are a few German wines coming with guests and I brewed Edworts Bavarian Hefeweizen on Nov. 1st. It's been on CO2 for a couple of weeks now and should be tasty.
 
All German food this year from recipes that came out of a 1960's era German cookbook.


• Hot potato salad with bacon

Care to share this recipe? I am a big fan and have not yet found the perfect variation for my taste.

Great looking menu.
 
I love german potato salad, with the bacon, and sweet/sour, its awesome. I have my german grandmothers recipe, I can post it up later if you would like
 
I love german potato salad, with the bacon, and sweet/sour, its awesome. I have my german grandmothers recipe, I can post it up later if you would like

Please do, I love german potato salad, and can't find a good recipe (and my grandmother passed before I could get hers).
 
a wee bit late for those who are interested:
German potato salad
2-3 lbs of red potatoes, peeled and sliced, cooked but not falling apart
2-3 medium yellow onions thinly sliced (basically one per lb of potatoes)
1/2 lb bacon chopped, cooked crisp and removed from drippings, add the onion to the drippings and cook slowly till translucent.

sweet sour mixture:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar (cider vinegar is good also)
1/3 cup water
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
simmer til everything is disolved, ad to warm potatoes and onion, add bacon back to pan and simmer on low to allow potatoes to absorb liquid and for the flavors to blend.

I prepair a day ahead and refrigerate, then warm up the next day for serving.
 
Annually I do a Jamaican Spiced Plantain/Banana Bread as gifts for co-workers and such. They have become a Christmas Legends, amongst my friends and co-workers. It's because they are really just a vehicle to soak up the spiced rum/banana wine mixture I spray on them for a few days before wrapping.

Today I baked the first 20 mini loaves of about 60 that I will have done by next weekend.
 
a wee bit late for those who are interested:
German potato salad
QUOTE]

Not too late. I got busy and neglected checking on this thread.

Thanks so much for posting this. I am going to try it as soon as I can. Man... I am getting hungry reading food threads tonight.

Who had the Hop cheesecake... that is the other one someone mentioned that really piqued my interest.

But german potato salad. and brats.
 
christmas eve for swmbo's family will either be a

Crown rack of lamb with red quinoa and pine nuts
-or-
Roast duck with sauteed greens and slivered almonds.

damn I love holidays. Its the only time I get to cook meat for more than one!
 
I am not sure if I would like the duck or the lamb more.... they both sound so good!

I am heading out to eat breakfast at a local place that makes the best biscuits... Martin's

Then to the store for groceries. Tonight is the MIL's meal: standard american holiday fair.

Tomorrow I am making a timballo (pasta, eggplant, sausage and cheese stuffed in a pie crust and baked. like this only I sure dont use turkey sausage!!)

Making eggnog if I make it to the liquor store today.
 
Christmas Menu:
Carne Adovada
Chicken enchiladas
Cheese enchiladas
Zucchini and green chile tamales
Apricot pork tamales
Chile relleno casserole
Fresh flour tortillas
 
Ragutis-
sounds fantastic... there is nothing in the world like a fresh tamale.

what beer you serving with it all?
 
Pork Wellington. Basically a pork tenderloin stuffed with dried apples, flavored with thyme, wrapped in proscuitto, seasoned with salt, pepper, and mustard, and then wrapped in puff pastry. Starts at 4:50...

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Pork Wellington. Basically a pork tenderloin stuffed with dried apples, flavored with thyme, wrapped in proscuitto, seasoned with salt, pepper, and mustard, and then wrapped in puff pastry.

Nice. I'm doing a traditional Beef Wellington (with homemade mustard), maple glazed turnips and carrots, and balsamic-glazed brussel sprouts.

I made eggnog for a party the other night.. might make it again for Christmas if I feel like it. My fiance is in the kitchen right now making Belgian pearl sugar waffles (Gauffres de Liège) which are amazing.
 
Ragutis-
sounds fantastic... there is nothing in the world like a fresh tamale.

what beer you serving with it all?

I have a nice Belgian Tripel brewed last Summer along with a Northern English brown ale for home brew. I also have a good supply of New Belgian Abbey, Avery Celebration Ale and Rogue Dead Guy.
With a snow storm on the horizon, it should be a good time to hole up for a couple of days.
 
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