What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[nismaratwork]

I watched the history of thanksgiving on the history channel last night. I thought I knew all of the myths. Seems that the indians were not invited to come dine. The stupid pilgrims had made a show of power and the indians decided something needed to be done, so 90 of them descended on the pilgrims who happened to be having one of their festive dinners. Long story short, the meeting was peaceful and the indians went and killed 5 deer which they added to the dinner. All of this is from the only written eye witness account of the non-event.

It's definitely a very ugly history, but the modern holiday is a lot of fun. Good thing for written accounts eh?

 

[OmCheeto]

Wasn't sure if this should go here or in Random Thoughts, but I decided this morning that I had not missed a calling as neither chef nor surgeon, as there is a Frankenturkey cooking in my oven.

 

[Evo]

Wasn't sure if this should go here or in Random Thoughts, but I decided this morning that I had not missed a calling as neither chef nor surgeon, as there is a Frankenturkey cooking in my oven.

Is this similar to the lentil brick or the mashed meat *thing*?

 

[lisab]

Wasn't sure if this should go here or in Random Thoughts, but I decided this morning that I had not missed a calling as neither chef nor surgeon, as there is a Frankenturkey cooking in my oven.

Pix?

 

[OmCheeto]

Is this similar to the lentil brick or the mashed meat *thing*?

The lentil brick mashed meat thing neither looked good, nor tasted good. I still have residuals from that disaster waiting to be eaten. (It morphed into: OK, maybe I can mix it with something and call it spaghetti. nope. OK, maybe I can mix it with something and call it Spanish Rice. nope. OK, maybe I can mix enough chili sauce into it and just call it chili. nope.)

I expect the Frankenturkey to be very tasty. Though it will be another 8 hours before it's finished cooking.

I was in line last night at the store and the checker and lady in front of me gave me "no way" comments when I asked if they thought my 20lb frozen gobbler would be done in time. I told them that they should never underestimate the abilities of a man with a microwave and a porch full of propane torches.

They did not respond.

 

[Evo]

The lentil brick mashed meat thing neither looked good, nor tasted good. I still have residuals from that disaster waiting to be eaten. (It morphed into: OK, maybe I can mix it with something and call it spaghetti. nope. OK, maybe I can mix it with something and call it Spanish Rice. nope. OK, maybe I can mix enough chili sauce into it and just call it chili. nope.)

I expect the Frankenturkey to be very tasty. Though it will be another 8 hours before it's finished cooking.

I was in line last night at the store and the checker and lady in front of me gave me "no way" comments when I asked if they thought my 20lb frozen gobbler would be done in time. I told them that they should never underestimate the abilities of a man with a microwave and a porch full of propane torches.

They did not respond.

I thawed a 13 lb turkey in a couple of hours using my warm water method. Hey, if you thoroughly cook it as soon as it's thawed it's ok in my book.

 

[Borek]

I have never bathed with a frozen turkey.

 

[Evo]

I have never bathed with a frozen turkey.

Jacuzzis are good for more than bathing.

That reminds me of years ago when the manager of the grocery store came into the pharmacy I worked in and told me they had just caught a woman walking out of the store with a frozen turkey held between her thighs. She was a very fat woman.

 

[Borek]

Jacuzzis are good for more than bathing.

 

[OmCheeto]

Pix?

For some unknown reason, there is always twice as much stuffing as there is space to put it in the turkey. Given that the stuffing is the most delightful thing in whole wide world, my solution is, every year, to stuff it under the skin of the turkey, and sew it up with random bits of bamboo skewers and butchers twine.

It always makes the turkey look like it has hideous cancerous tumours when finished.

But I don't care. It is very tasty.

And no, I don't need to cook it in or on some other type device. I cook my turkeys like my chickens, at ~200'F, for as many hours as it takes them to cook. Usually overnight.

per the USDA:

http://www.ochef.com/418.htm
Meat Internal Temp. Centigrade
Fresh ground beef, veal, lamb, pork 160°F 71°C
Beef, veal, lamb roasts, steaks, chops: medium rare 145°F 63°C
Beef, veal, lamb roasts, steaks, chops: medium 160°F 71°C
Beef, veal, lamb roasts, steaks, chops: well done 170°F 77°C
Fresh pork roasts, steaks, chops: medium 160°F 71°C
Fresh pork roasts, steaks, chops: well done 170°F 77°C
Ham: cooked before eating 160°F 71°C
Ham: fully cooked, to reheat 140°F 60°C
Ground chicken/turkey 165° F 74°C
Whole chicken/turkey 180° F 82°C
Poultry breasts, roasts 170° F 77°C

hmm...
oven temp = 200°F
initial core temp = 65°F at 8:30am
current core temp = 130°F at 2:30pm
distance to core of bird is ~6"
a. what is the thermal resistance coefficient of a turkey?
b. when will the core temp reach 180°F

 

[Evo]

I thought you were kidding when you said you were going to cook your bird for 8 hours.

Wow, that looks a bit, uhm, scary, yet nice. Love your skewer work.

 

[HeLiXe]

We're alive!

It's very simple. Boil some macaroni until it's almost soft, and drain it. Layer it in a casserole dish with some slices of sharp cheddar cheese, dusting each layer with a little flour. Then add milk until you can just see it under the top layer of noodles and cheese. If you want a little extra "crust" for the dish, crumble Saltines on the top. Cover the dish and bake it until the cheese is melted, remove the cover and put the dish back in the oven until the top is golden brown. Done!

My wife and I like to add chopped onions and chilies to our mac'n'cheese, too.

I've made this many times, and it's probably the best I've ever eaten.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/index.html

Thanks turbo-1 and nismaratwork
I made it using this recipe http://southernfood.about.com/od/macaroniandcheeserecipes/r/bl01011c.htm" the only things I did different was adding heavy cream instead of half and half, I didn't have any flour, so I used the mortar and pestle on some barley cereal , and I put some very finely chopped habaneros in there. It came out perfect! I think all the biology labs are paying off

I'll try the recipes you both recommended. They both look very good! *insert drool emoticon*

 

[lisab]

Oh boy! Turkey is starting to smell goooooood :!).

 

[Evo]

My bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers before going into the oven the other night. They didn't last long enough to be photographed when they came out.

Oh, oh baby!

 

[turbo]

My wife and I are doing the Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow instead of tonight. Instead, we had a light snack of baked escargot in garlic butter and stuffed Portobello mushroom caps topped with a nice creamy white wine sauce.

 

[DaveC426913]

I'm just eating nuked pasta and broccoli in front of the TV.

But I'm getting fat and sleepy just reading y'all's posts.

 

[HeLiXe]

*gives Dave an ultra fattening slice of sweet potato pie*
*and a brownie*

 

[DaveC426913]

Potato pie?

If you're going to have pie, why woould it be potato? I mean, that's like a chocolate bar - of carrots.

 

[lisab]

Potato pie?

If you're going to have pie, why woould it be potato? I mean, that's like a chocolate bar - of carrots.

Ah no, sweet potato pie. Made from sweet potatoes - yum! It's a traditional African American dish.

 

[HeLiXe]

It's a traditional African American dish.

I didn't know that! LOL I got the recipe from TV eons ago and the woman making it was white...I just thought it was a Southern thing.

 

[HeLiXe]

that's like a chocolate bar - of carrots.

Sounds good to me!

Here's what it looks like: http://www.firehow.com/images/stories/users/683/6inchsweetpotato.jpg" It's similar to pumpkin pie but less spicy.

 

[DaveC426913]

Sounds good to me!

Here's what it looks like: http://www.firehow.com/images/stories/users/683/6inchsweetpotato.jpg" It's similar to pumpkin pie but less spicy.

I do like potatos, (card-carrying Irishman here), and I do like sweet potatos. It just ssems kind of a waste of pie.

Actually, I'm not so much a pie person anyway, so that's OK. Pie has a low yummy/sweet-filling-to-crust/container ratio.

I prefer cake. Ironically, considering my earlier disparagement of carrot chocolate bars, carrot-cake is my favourite cake of all. In fact, carrot is the only food that I will actually pass up chocolate for.

 

[lisab]

I do like potatos, (card-carrying Irishman here), and I do like sweet potatos. It just ssems kind of a waste of pie.

Actually, I'm not so much a pie person anyway, so that's OK. Pie has a low yummy/sweet-filling-to-crust/container ratio.

I prefer cake. Ironically, considering my earlier disparagement of carrot chocolate bars, carrot-cake is my favourite cake of all. In fact, carrot is the only food that I will actually pass up chocolate for.

Carrot cake is food of the Gods.

 

[lisab]

For some unknown reason, there is always twice as much stuffing as there is space to put it in the turkey. Given that the stuffing is the most delightful thing in whole wide world, my solution is, every year, to stuff it under the skin of the turkey, and sew it up with random bits of bamboo skewers and butchers twine.

It always makes the turkey look like it has hideous cancerous tumours when finished.

But I don't care. It is very tasty.

And no, I don't need to cook it in or on some other type device. I cook my turkeys like my chickens, at ~200'F, for as many hours as it takes them to cook. Usually overnight.

per the USDA:



hmm...
oven temp = 200°F
initial core temp = 65°F at 8:30am
current core temp = 130°F at 2:30pm
distance to core of bird is ~6"
a. what is the thermal resistance coefficient of a turkey?
b. when will the core temp reach 180°F

So...have you eaten yet, Om ? What did you put in your stuffing, btw? I had sourdough, hazelnuts, pecans, butter, Granny Smith apple, celery, onion, sage, thyme. Maybe more, who knows. It was pretty good.

 

[DaveC426913]

... food of the Gods.

...pass up chocolate for.

Same thing, different words.

 

[OmCheeto]

So...have you eaten yet, Om ? What did you put in your stuffing, btw? I had sourdough, hazelnuts, pecans, butter, Granny Smith apple, celery, onion, sage, thyme. Maybe more, who knows. It was pretty good.

Yes and no. The turkey is still cooking. It's only been 12 hours. But I boiled the neck and got all the meat off that. I also had some cheese and crackers. I experimented by mixing phili cream cheese, blue cheese, and feta to make my own cheese ball. I ate about half of that. Then I had some Heath bar ice cream.

My stuffing recipe is my mothers. I'm the only person I know that likes it. It's a bit simple:
2 bags of seasoned stuffing croutons
1 cube melted butter
liver, gizzard, and heart cubed and prefried
raisins
and of course, water.

Most people can't tolerate the liver. But that just means I get to eat it all myself. :!)

 

[HeLiXe]

I do like potatos, (card-carrying Irishman here), and I do like sweet potatos. It just ssems kind of a waste of pie.

Actually, I'm not so much a pie person anyway, so that's OK. Pie has a low yummy/sweet-filling-to-crust/container ratio.

I prefer cake. Ironically, considering my earlier disparagement of carrot chocolate bars, carrot-cake is my favourite cake of all. In fact, carrot is the only food that I will actually pass up chocolate for.

Ahhhh ok...so what you really want then are chocolate carrot cake swirl brownies

 

[HeLiXe]

Most people can't tolerate the liver. But that just means I get to eat it all myself. :!)

lolol

 

[OmCheeto]

Ok. After 14 hours, the turkeys done. Everything tastes A-OK.

Btw, does anyone else cook birds this way? My theory was that if you kept the temperature below boiling, the bird won't dry out.

edit: just had seconds. oh my god.

edit: just had thirds. I think I'm going to die...

ok. time for bed.

:zzz:

 

[HeLiXe]

My mom cooks hers differently, but it's never dry. The first time I had dry turkey was when my aunt cooked some for Thanksgiving and brought it over. I was only 9 at the time, but it left a lasting impression.

Glad you enjoyed your multiple dinners
Sleep well :)

 

[nismaratwork]

Ahhhh ok...so what you really want then are chocolate carrot cake swirl brownies

How about semi-sweet chocolate brownies swirled with a cream-cheese and (very fine) carrot cake elements? That would be doable... although it makes me think of something you'd do to cover the taste of the marijuana in brownie... truly that has to be stoner food!

Oh, and I am now a convert to creamed onions as a side dish after this thanksgiving... YUM!

 

[nismaratwork]

Ok. After 14 hours, the turkeys done. Everything tastes A-OK.

Btw, does anyone else cook birds this way? My theory was that if you kept the temperature below boiling, the bird won't dry out.

edit: just had seconds. oh my god.

edit: just had thirds. I think I'm going to die...

ok. time for bed.

:zzz:

What you're doing is something restaurants and other food-service in the high-end of things do all the time: par-cooking and finishing... you're just doing it all at once. I think it's a great way to cook a bird, and to make it bulletproof I'd use a simple (even unflavoured) brine.

 

[OmCheeto]

What you're doing is something restaurants and other food-service in the high-end of things do all the time: par-cooking and finishing... you're just doing it all at once. I think it's a great way to cook a bird, and to make it bulletproof I'd use a simple (even unflavoured) brine.

Wow. I just searched the forum, and that's the first time par-cooking has been mentioned. I'll have to research 'brine' next. I'm pretty sure I've heard my brother mentioning that in regards to his birds. Thanks!

 

[Evo]

Wow. I just searched the forum, and that's the first time par-cooking has been mentioned. I'll have to research 'brine' next. I'm pretty sure I've heard my brother mentioning that in regards to his birds. Thanks!

I knew i should have bumped the "Romancing the Bird" video.

Anyway, here you go, turkey brining.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiSfKDiUavo

I love the highly technical visual aids.

 

[OmCheeto]

I knew i should have bumped the "Romancing the Bird" video.

Anyway, here you go, turkey brining.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiSfKDiUavo

I love the highly technical visual aids.

Yay! That was a very good video. I almost understand the chemistry (NOT!).

And just so no one else has to do the transcription:

Ingredients:
1 gallon vegetable broth. NOT low sodium.
1 cup sea salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger

boil and stir
let cool and refrigerate

empty into large clean container
add 1 gallon heavily iced water
add cleaned turkey, breast first
soak for 6 to 8 hours
turn turkey over once in the middle of the soak

It shouldn't take me more than a month to eat 20lbs of turkey. Maybe I'll try this for Festivus.

ps. The USDA temp I listed earlier may be a bit old. I went to the USDA website and they list the safe temperature for the Turkey core as 165°F. I could have started stuffing myself 3 hours earlier if I'd known that.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/lets_talk_turkey/index.asp"
# If you choose to stuff your turkey, the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time; however, keep wet and dry ingredients separate. Chill all of the wet ingredients (butter/margarine, cooked celery and onions, broth, etc.). Mix wet and dry ingredients just before filling the turkey cavities. Fill the cavities loosely. Cook the turkey immediately. Use a food thermometer to make sure the center of the stuffing reaches a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

# A whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook turkey to higher temperatures.