What would turkey day be without turkey and all the trimmings? Surely we have all been very happy to see Grandma come through that door with her oh so delicious dressing (here in the south it is not stuffing!) How about Aunt Bessie’s sweet potato casserole or Uncle Smitty’s corn pudding? Emilie’s pumpkin cake, Pam’s chess bars, Becky’s dream turkey (Long, sad story. Short version: Thanksgiving dinner was very late that day!) It would be so wonderful to have some regional favorites throw in. What part of the country actually roasts chestnuts by the open fire? I always pictured a snowy scene outside a large picture window in the background, with gently rolling wooded hills. How far off is my childhood mental image?
We Treepers wish all of you a fun filled week of holiday preparations. These are the best of times!
DH had never had this till I/we moved back home. I don’t have a recipe, per se, but this one comes close…I don’t use the crackers;
He sho ‘nuf <3s it.
Oyster Dressing
Ingredients
Cornbread:
1 cup self rising cornmeal
1/2 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Dressing:
7 slices white bread, dried in warm oven
Cornbread
1 sleeve saltine crackers
2 cups chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
8 tablespoons butter
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
5 eggs, beaten
2 pints or 1 quart oysters, drained
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the cornbread, combine all ingredients and pour into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
To make the dressing, crumble dried white bread slices, cornbread and crackers. Mix together and set aside. Saute chopped celery and onion in butter until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over corn bread mixture. Add stock, mix well and add salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Add oysters and mix. Pour into a greased pan. Bake for about 45 minutes.
We don’t make fancy oyster dressing around here, just plain ol’ sage cornbread dressing.
I have no recipe though, I just watched it being made all my life and add everything to taste and chicken broth until it looks good.
My husband would never eat dressing until he ate my dressing. I tasted his Mom’s dressing one time and figured out why, dressing without sage just ain’t dressing.
michellc: That’s how I make my dressing to lol!
I use a dab of this and a dash of that….. you know how some older people teach you ……..
ummm I wasn’t implying anything “fancy” michelle, just regional favorite, as the thread implies.
Yes, I usually make “plain ol’ dressing, with lots of sage, sliced boiled eggs and slice green olives.
Very few things that I cook do I have a “by the book” recipe. I might have started out years ago using a recipe I found for something, but over the years I adapt it, add this, take away that, and measuring? meh, who needs it?
I <3 me some wild duck dressin'!
Just playing around kelly. Honestly oysters wouldn’t be fancy to me, I hate those things.lol
My dressing though is very basic, cornbread, celery, onions, broth(sometimes I add some turkey or chicken), sage(usually more than I would normally add because my dh always does the taste testing and he loves him some sage when he learned what it was..lol), salt, pepper, dash of sugar(just because that’s what I watched my mom do) and eggs.
I make mine that way too, though I like to add mushrooms to mine, along with some celery (not my fav) and onion. I sometimes also add the gizzard, heart, and liver (cooked first and chopped).
I like traditional sage stuffing too, with one exception…I add sausage. It is also excellent on sandwiches. I just never got into all the extras in stuffing…celery, apples, rice, raisins etc. Just plain old Pepperidge Farm stuffing for us.
Amen to good ol’ cornbread dressing. That Yankee white bread dressing is slick as … well, you can tell I hate it. At our house we think the only reason to cook a turkey is so you have an excuse to make cornbread dressing. I’ve never seen a recipe. The young’uns just have to watch their elders make it.
That’s funny because I feel the same way about cornbread dressing.
DH would concur yankeeintx. He loves most of my cajun cookin, but one thing he has not grown to love is cornbread. He says it’s the texture in his mouth he dislikes. I’ve even tried fine ground corn meal. Nyet. Ain’t happenin. I find it amusing that he will take some on his plate, so as not to hurt my feelings, but if I watch closely I’ll see that he barely tastes it, and it goes down the garbage disposal.
<3 <3 <3 that man!
During the holidays, God love 'im, he'll eat a very small portion of my dressing, just to be nice, but he prefers the smaller pan I make for him, using white bread, bread crumbs and crackers.
Last night he asked to just skip the "yankee dressing" altogether and go for the oyster dressing, which I will make with no cornbread, just for him.
I did all my shopping yesterday, hoping to beat the rush. Obviously I wasn't the only person with that bright idea.
DH volunteered to go today to get the oysters, bread crumbs, etc. for me.
I love cornbread, but just not for dressing. There are certain things that are just tradition and are too good to change. My DH loves it too. He said he grew up eating too much cornbread and beans when times were tight.
My dad made oyster dressing a couple of times (he was a good cook), and it was good. He lived in Mobile AL for a while growing up, so maybe that’s where he picked that up.
Yup – oyster’s popular in places where you can get the beasties fresh.
Oh they *must* be fresh. None of that nasty canned “smoked oyster” stuff in dressin!
Of course, sweet potato pie is favored here, over traditional pumkin pie. Again…I have no recipe…I’m a dab of this and a dash of that kinda cook…but if anyone is interested I could come up with one.
And somewhere around here, I *do* have Mom’s pecan pie recipe…actually got her to write it down before she passed away.
I love to cook myself, and learned it from both my Mom and Dad. I know better than to call either one and ask specifics about a dish.
Typical answers to questions:
How much do I use? Just enough
How long should I cook it? Until it smells like it’s done.
When I first got married I wanted to make biscuits and gravy. My mom always made gravy and never allowed us to touch her gravy, she was kind of funny about letting us cook anything, so most of what I learned was by watching except I never watched her make gravy.
So I called her up and asked her how to make gravy, her instructions were you mix flour and grease and milk and cook it until thick. I asked how much and she said I don’t know, about half of my flour scoop and just add the milk until it looks good. How much is your flour scoop, I don’t know.
I came out with a mess.
Through trial and error and a lot of waste poured in the trash can, I finally figured it out.
I would love that pecans pie recipe. Yum.
Me too
Here’s my pecan pie recipe(actually the family pecan pie recipe, but I do the cooking these days, so it’s now mine.lol).
1/3 c firmly packed brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp. flour
1/2 c dark karo syrup
3/4 c light karo syrup
1-1/4 tsp vanilla
3 eggs(beaten)
2 tbsp melted salted butter
1-1/2 c pecan halves
1-9″ pie crust
Mix sugar, flour and syrup, heat over medium heat, temper eggs and add to mixture, stir in vanilla, butter and pecans. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes with crust covered with foil, bake last 20 minutes with crust uncovered.
If you like rum pecan pie, you can add a little rum to it. I was always just told that was too taste. lol
Thx Michelle!!
mmmkay, so I guess I ain’t gotta dig Mom’s recipe out….
Your mom’s is probably different, so dig it out, I like trying different pecan pie recipes myself.
I had my recipe book out today because my sister was wanting my recipe for yeast free rolls and I can never remember because I don’t make them very often and I had just finished giving it to her when I read this thread and saw the request for pecan pie recipe.
K, Menage….I’ll go through my family recipes tonight and find it.
We use the recipe on the Karo label — we like the light corn syrup better than the dark. And everybody in our extended family thinks this is the best pecan pie ever.
(chuckle) I use the dark Karo…again DH doesn’t “cotten” to pecans, so he scoops off the top and just eats the Karo/sugar “jell” underneath, along with the crust.
I gitz da stuff he scoops off!!
cajunkelly : That’s so funny…. because my youngiest son always ask for pecan pie and scoops off the the top. ” I gitz da stuff he scoops off also ” because I love pecans .
That means you get the GOOD stuff! Well, it’s all good, really. Pecan pies are not just for Thanksgiving and Christmas around our house. We buy loads of shelled pecans every year and keep them in the freezer so we can make a pie whenever we want. We also prefer sweet potato pie to pumpkin pie, but that’s because my grandmother always made sweet potato pies that were oh, so yummy.
texasconnie: I use to have two pecan tree’s in my yard before I moved , I sure do miss them.
I’m gonna try my hand with two recipes for this week at the apartment, shepard’s pie and egg drop soup.
You gotta red and white checkered Betty Crocker cook book?? Shepherd’s pie is called hamburger pie or casserole in that. My child’s favorite.
I still rely on Betty Crocker for lots of things!
Thank heavens for the Betty Crocker cookbook! After 41 years mine is still the go-to resource!
My family insists on green rice – no green bean casserole or sweet potatoes allowed.
And I’m still working with my 1973 edition!
Myself!!!
Mine is a 1973 edition!!! It was a wedding gift from my fav aunt. It is just about falling apart, stained, ragged-eared, but still my all-time favorite.
Same here!!! Wedding gift from mother….who knew I couldn’t boil an egg….literally.
Aw hell, mine is 1973 too! Amazin ain’t it….
I have a *very* old Betty Crocker cook book…need to did that thing out….it has commentary about how the “good wife” should have the meal hot and ready to eat when the hard working husband steps through the door.
T’would give someone like Allred a case of the vapors. (snork)
….that’s the greatest description….THE red and white checkered Better Crocker cook book is EXACTLY where it’s at! Whatever Mom didn’t give us, we’ll find there.
Made a sheperd’s pie last night. Didn’t come out too bad, but it could be better.
What would you change? I have found that leftovers make a good shepherd’s pie. I found a new recipe for roast beef that I tried, and the liquids left over in the crock pot with the vegetables made a very savory base to add some ingredients to.
hubba, I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never made a Sheperd’s Pie. My ex MIL (RIP sweet lady) could make an awesome one though.
Something else she was awesome at makin was a Coconut Pie. Never made one of those. I don’t care for a lot of coconut. Ex DH loved ‘em, so as he did with the Shepherd’s Pie, he went to Momma for it.
That dear woman was an awesome cook. I have her recipe…and before you scoff, read on..for fruit cake. She cooked them as gifts during the holidays, and somehow Govenor Edwards got a taste of one of ‘em, and requested one. Sooooo my beloved Ex MIL’s fruit cake has been served in the Governor’s mansion for Christmas.
They are *not* your run-of-the-mill fruitcake. They’re moist and lack a lot of the dried fruit that makes ‘em less delicios…example; no dried orange peelings. Only cherries and pineapple, along with pecans..lots of those…some coconut…not lots…and the batter.
Those puppies weigh about 7 lbs each…baked in a tube pan.
Come to think of it…I’ve never made one for DH…hmmmm…just maybe I will. A lotta work…LOTTA work, but worth it.
One year my BFF and I decided to do a Christmas bake-a-thon. We went shopping on Friday night – starting at the state liquor store. (Hey, you can’t make bourbon balls, rum cake, or fruit cakes without bourbon, rum or red wine, right????) We farmed the kids out for the day and started in bright and early. First the fruitcakes. Decided that since nobody liked the dried fruit, so we’d just skip that. Used cut-up gumdrops instead. And maybe substituted a little rum for the water in the cake mix. Turned out pretty good actually, but the scissors were a holy mess after cutting up several packages of gumdrops. We then went to sugar and gingerbread cookies. No alcohol in those recipes, but we had a little glass of sherry (ok – two-ish) before lunch. After lunch we tackled rum cakes. By the time we got to the bourbon balls, we had probably had a bit more holiday cheer than the recipes called for. The bourbon balls were beyond soggy, but very popular at every gathering we were invited to that year.
I haven’t done any Christmas baking since then. Hmmmmmm…..
Sounds like our Christmas tamale marathon. “Start with a cold beer…..”
Tamales take awhile.
The End.
Ta-maaaaaaaa-les….. God’s gift to my hips and thighs.
Well Hellz, yeah!!
A friend brought me some tamales to try since I had never had any. I brought they home for everyone to try. The next day I told her they were great, but didn’t know if I had reheated them wrong since the outer layer was very hard to chew threw. Once she stopped laughing she called me a gringo.
Oh…that’s hilarious!
Hard to chew…..
ok…..that’s just funny, that is. Good grief…LOL
(chuckle) You reminded me of the time then husband, the kids and I went to Long Island to visit one of his former Navy buddies at Easter.
Her DH went to bed VERY early because of the long commute into the garment district for work.
She and I stayed up late to die the eggs and prep the Easter baskets for the kids’ early Easter morning wake-up.
Ahem, we got into the wine.
Remember the “shrinky dink” designs you put on boiled eggs?
Warning;
Never try to salvage the boiled eggs that crack during cooking by peeling them, then placing a shrinky dink on them and dipping them into the hot water.
We got in trouble by her DH for waking him up with screaming laughter when the boiled eggs *squished* out each end of the shrinky dink when it performed exactly as it was designed to do. Hey, it *was* hilarious to two women who were on their (I’ll be conservative) 4th or 5th glass of wine.
Great memories.
Looking forward to this week . Fried Turkey , Collard greens, Potato salad , Ham, Dressing , Giblet gravy , Baked sweet potatoes , Rice , Macaroni and Cheese, Green lima beans with ham hocks , Butter milk biscuits , Corn on the cob . Haven’t thought much about dessert’s yet working on it…..( I miss my mother in law .) She made the best dressing in the world to me. Happy Thanks Giving to all of you !
You, too, Hon! Save me some mac & cheese!
Of course I will…….
Sounds yummy and similar to my menu,Sha except no ham and I make sweet potato cheesecake which are so delicious and chocolate sour cream pound cake for dessert, and sweet tea, the champagne of the South! ! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
Angel : Don’t you know there would be a riot in my house if there wasn’t any sweet tea… your desserts sound awesome.
“your desserts sound awesome”
Sha,
They are awesome if I do say so myself. The chocolate pound cake lasts for about two days. Getting ready to make it in an hour or so after butter is softened. It takes a while to make too. Yeah, I try not to indulge in sweet tea too often but sweet tea with a touch of lemon is a touch of heaven as my sister says when she drinks mine
Hello fellow Chefs – I am glad to see this thread again. Was just going to copy down some yummy recipes I saw here, incl. Cajun’s oyster dressing, and michellec’s pecan pie, Angel, I make a mean pumpkin cheesecake, I’ll have to try a sweet potato version next time. And the sweet tea – my redneck hubbie likes “a little tea with sugar water”. Ha – I can drink it if the ice cubes have diluted some of the sweetness. Sha, your menu sounds very close to what’s on mine (except for Lima beans – yuk!)
Happy cooking, and God Bless all you Treepers with much to be thankful for each and every day.
thefirstab : I don’t make my tea to sweet ….. I don’t like alot of sugar . I tried leaving those lima bean’s out one year and doing speckled butter beans and they lost there mind’s . These ladies know how to cook …… good gosh they had me so hungry earlier , I had to start cooking and then peek back in here. lol !
“Angel, I make a mean pumpkin cheesecake, I’ll have to try a sweet potato version next time. And the sweet tea – my redneck hubbie likes “a little tea with sugar water”.
I have heard that pumpkin cheesecake is divine. I may try that next year if you want to share your recipe. The sweet potato cheese cake I started making a few years ago and my friends are hooked so I keep making them. Just got my chocolate pound cake made (took over 1 hour to make) and I know from licking the bowl (yeah, I still lick the bowl – LOL) it is going to be divine! Happy Thanksgiving thefirststab and to all!!
I’ll share if you share! Chocolate pound cake, that is.
Rampin’ up in the kitchen now. Happy Turkey Day!
Ever tried “Watergate Salad”? It was da bomb when my kids were little.
Ambrosia is another dish that has always been a staple here in the south.
Cajun,
How did this get its name?! I grew up with this on every pot luck and holiday table -
More of a Christmas treat than Thanksgiving, something I always crave around the holidays is Tourtière. The smell of one baking brings back wonderful memories.
yankeeintx : What is Tourtiere ?
It is a French Canadian Pork Pie. It is finely chopped pork, simmered with onion, cinnamon, cloves (some add allspice, brandy, or celery). After simmering it, you add mashed potatos and bake it in a pie crust. Some people eat it with ketchup or molasses on it, but I love it plain. It is very different than an English Pork Pie, and we usually only had it on Christmas Eve. The smell of it cooking is incredible.
Man! Sounds like one ‘a them Natchitoches meat pies. Which.Are.Awesome.
I don’t know about that. But I do know how to pronounce Natchitoches!
In the Dallas area there are Baker’s Rib restaurants that have added fried pies. They are too greasy for my tummy, but the Natchitoches meat pies sound tasty. I had to look it up and they compare them to an empanada. My grandfather was a French chef, and passed along the love of cooking to my mom. To be honest I don’t see what everybody loves about French cuisine because I find it to be rather bland. Maybe I just loved the tourtières because they had flavor? Now, when it comes to the desserts and pastries my mom cranked out (homemade eclairs to die for) that’s a whole ‘nother story!
French “country” cooking is excellent stuff.
Warren Le Ruth was the master, and before it closed, his restaurant, Le Ruth’s, was a must visit for me every time I went to New Orleans.
I guess growing up with it took all the “special” out of it. As I grew up and traveled, I discovered I liked food with more kick. Mom was not an adventurous kind of cook. I didn’t have my first taco until I was in high school!
Well, the Cajuns originally came from French Canada, so maybe there’s a link there somewhere.
The Times Picayune was one of my clients for many years and I went to New Orleans every 6 weeks, always flying in on Thursday, visiting the newspaper Friday, and stayed at the Marriott on Canal Street until I left on Sunday. I learned about their food and ate more than my share..
I still consider NO to be the greatest place on earth to eat, and that is after having traveled around the globe.
There is a lot of difference between their style of French country cooking, and Cajun and Creole dishes. I grew up in the low country of SC.. dishes there are very similar to those found in LA with rice being required in at least one meal each day, so after mastering their version of roux, cooking their dishes was fairly easy.
Emeril came in as the head chef at Commander’s Palace, left and became famous for changing Old New Orleans recipes. Many of his first cookbooks use the designation NNO, which means New New Orleans dishes…., What an ego, he has but he is damn good….on a par with Paul Prodhomme.
The Cajuns came from Acadia; hence the name. They were expelled by the British during the French and Indian War.
Sorry to get carried away.
yankeeintx: That does sound awesome. My country crowd won’t the same starch filled meal every year. I try to throw something new in once in a while, but they look at me like I’m crazy.
That’s what make it a tradition. About 12 years ago I added green bean casserole, and I know that look you are talking about. But, my secret was I added a cup of crumbled bacon to the recipe…everything’s better with bacon.
Even……recipe threads!!!
I love those dancing Hotdogs!!!
Look closer….they iz BACON!!!
Okay…just for you….super secret enlargement photo…
Thats me favorite
That is even better, I love Bacon!!!
Thank You
I’m behind as usual. Thanks so much for all these great recipes, and food memories! This little guy dancin’ around (I’ve named him Kevin haha) brought back one of my faves. Anybody remember movie actress named Frances Langford? She had a great restaurant called The Outrigger in Jensen Beach FL that served rumaki, chicken livers with water chestnut wrapped in bacon. Some type of teriyaki flavor to the livers, man were they good. Easy to make, too.
Absolutely
!!!
To cool Ad rem…….
yankeeintx: You just made me laugh…. I just bought 5 packs of bacon. I’ll remember that when I try to sneak something in on them lol !
Canadian Christmas food
I got nothin’ cuz I ain’t allowed in the kitchen til el nuevo año. So I stopped and picked these up.
You do, too. I seem to remember a cooked bird…..
Are you gonna be one of those tin-foil folks who believes everything they seez on the interwebs??
Why, yes. Yes, I am!!!
http://bacontoday.com/bacon-pumpkin-pie/
“1 packaged Cinnamon Sugar Bacon”
I don’t know how much that is, but it doesn’t sound like it’s nearly enough. Go big or go home!
We are ~ 1 hr. from Natchitoches…On Sat. open market day, several people come up from Natch with fresh-made meat pies. Hmmm, hmmm! They are GREAT. Melt in your mouth crust, moist and meaty filling. Market is closed for the season; we are all in withdrawal.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
I didn’t know there was a “season!”
No,no…not a season on the meat pies, a season for our open market. We would NEVER commit the unforgivable—-eat pre-frozen ones. {{{Shudders}}} Christmas is coming, so we’ll be heading to the Natch festival 12/01, and sure will bring home several bags of those goodies. Ah, the joys of Christmas.
My brother and one of my sisters was in yo neck o’ da woods today dmosey!
Just a day trip…she did a bit o Christmas shoppin while there, at some very old hardware store brother told her about.
Of course I’m assumin you mean “Nackadish”, Louisiana.
That’s how we pronounce it folks Accent on the Nack.
Not to be confused with Nacogdoches, TX…which we here in the cypress knees pronounce as NACK a DO ches.
I get a kick out of newcomers trying to pronounce Ouachita….it’s not ouwa cheeta…
it’s WASH uh TAWH.
That’s what every body calls it, The Old Hardware Store. It’s the K-F General Mercantile–it’s suppose to be the oldest general store in LA. A really neat place—worth the stop-in if ya happen to be going thru Natch. We always check it out when we are there during Festival time. A person could easily wile away the time looking at all the stuff in there.
We took to calling it Natch years ago; at Festival one year, some people not from the deep South had us laughing so hard. They kept saying, “but it’s Natch, not Nack. How did they get Nack from Natch?” From then on, it’s been a long-running family tradition. It’s Natch, Natch (naturally!)
No bread in the dressing. please and FRIED cornbread makes it authentic. My Mom either fried cornbread or made biscuits every night for dinner.
Here is My Mom’s Cornbread dressing which I had to create from her telling me because no actual recipe exists.
Simmer giblets, except for the liver, along with a small chopped onion and some celery for about 2 hours in salted water. Then add liver and simmer another 25 minutes. Save all of the stock.
Either bake a pan of cornbread or fry 2 whole cakes in a cast iron skillet. See recipe below for fried cornbread.
Cool the stock and chop up all of the giblets.
Melt some butter in a skillet over medium low heat; cook 2 chopped onions and some celery until tender; combine with crumpled corn bread, 2 or 3 chopped eggs, chopped giblets, seasoned salt, poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Add reserved stock as needed, tossing lightly to moisten. Spoon into a buttered baking dish. Cover tightly and bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes. May also be cooked inside the chicken or turkey.
Crispy fried Cornbread
This recipe is for making pancake size fried cornbread. To make it for dressing, just pour enough mixture to almost cover the cast iron skillet. Leave just enough space to insert a spatula so you can turn it and also so the oil will cover the edge. When you turn it, remove it first and add more oil. Then return it to the skillet.
2 Cups of self rising white cornmeal
1 Egg
1 Cup of Water
Salt
Place cornmeal in a mixing bowl. Add the egg and a cup of water. Mix well with a spoon or whisk. Let the mixture set for about 10 minutes so the cornmeal can absorb the water. You will need to add more water and mix again. You want to have a thin consistency something like turkey gravy. Next, spray your iron skillet with a non-stick spray and place the pan on medium high heat. Add enough Crisco oil in the pan so the oil is about 1/2 inch deep. Let the oil get hot. Put 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan keeping the batter together like you would if you were making pancakes. Continue adding the batter in different areas of the frying pan being careful not to overcrowd. The batter is going to spread out some and in a large pan you should be able to cook 4 at a time. You will probably have to add more oil. The oil needs to cover the edge of the batter.
Once the cornbread starts frying, you should see little holes forming around the edges. When you see this, you will know that the bread is browning and crisping on the bottom. Take your spatula and run up under each piece to make sure that it is not sticking. When you see the edges browning, flip them over and press the cornbread down with the spatula and brown on the other side.
Once the other side has browned, remove the cornbread from the pan and place on paper towels to drain. Lightly salt each piece.
You will need to add more oil to the pan before you cook the next batch.
This mix should cook about 12 pieces.
jordan2222 : Dang , That sound’s good. I use to put the giblet’s in my dressing because that’s the way I was taught , But I quit because the younger crowd wouldn’t eat it. I still use a cast iron frying pan and I gave my oldiest son one to take with him when he got married.
I own some pretty fancy… and expensive… cookware but I use my cast iron stuff more than any of the other stuff. A house guest once put one of my cast iron skillets in the dishwasher. I know he meant well, but you can guess what happened next.
jordan2222: Oh ! No !
Have you tried rubbing crisco all over it and placing it in the oven to seal it again .
Ah, and do you, after a few years of cookin in your cast iron, take it outback and place it in a ‘burn pile’…leaves, limbs, etc. and burn off all the outter “cake”? Of course then you must re-season ‘em, but Mom did it, so I do it as well.
BTW, I read somewhere that “let ‘em eat cake” referred to that build up.
My absolute go-to cast iron piece is 12″ Griswold skillet. It has rounded edges like a wok.
And Sha, I’m bettin you also have your designated cast iron “bread skillet”. Frying something in the cook’s bread skillet is as great a sin as putting cast iron in the dishwasher ’round here.
The bread skillet is smooooth as a baby’s bottom.
cajunkelly : I do have my favorite and it’s a 12″ also , you sure we aren’t related lol ! Love that pan ….. it make’s everything taste better. They last forever if you take care of them.
cajunkelly : No…. I don’t do mine that way I cheat and put it in the oven. That sound’s pretty cool and alot more fun.
Am I missing something here?
Cast iron is the orignal “stick-free” cookware. This may help:
http://www.southernplate.com/2009/02/how-to-season-a-cast-iron-skillet.html
By putting a cast iron frying pan in a dishwasher, it strips the protective coating, meaning it then needs to be re-seasoned.
*Reads article*…hmm…methinks I should get me a skillet or two.
I’ve got a dutch oven that is over 100 years old and a few frying pans almost as old. You’d be starting a tradition that can be passed on to generations. So much safer than cookware that is coated in deadly chemicals like teflon.
I have my grandma’s skillet from the 1930′s. Use it all the time.
aliashubbatch: You just got to get one !
Thanks. All Southerners know that lard is the best way to season cast iron cookware. It takes time to restore it to “well used” condition. I left that part out but my point was this person had no clue. We had some harsh words, and I think he learned something but it was unfathomable to me that anyone could do that. Damn Yankees.
I’m a proud Yankee and we use lard too, imagine that? Now, if you were to say “damn liberal Yankees”, I’d agree. You refer to your guest as a “he/him”, so maybe it is more of a gender thing, than it is a regional thing, but let’s not claim all Yankees don’t have a clue. Happy Thanksgiving!
Sorry, I did not mean to offend anyone and should have added LOL. to Damn Yankee.. It is a southern thing and we made no distinction about Damn Liberal Yankees when I was growing up.
We have things to say about those who hail from below the Mason/Dixon line too, but my mother taught me that ladies don’t repeat them.
LMAO.. yes, I know but wasn’t it a lady who first said, ” Damn Yankees?” Scarlett O’Hara?
I’m sure the expression was uttered and exclaimed many times before the fictional Scarlett O’Hara! LOL! The rest of the world considers all Americans to be “Yankees”, so we should all be proud of that distinction.
Ok yum (cue dancing bacon….turkey?) Thanks jordan!!
My all time favorite pie recipe, second favorite dessert (I have cookies that I can only make once a year or I’d not fit through doorways).
Derby Pie
1 stick butter
1 package chocolate chips (smallest package)
1/2 cup self rising flour
1 cup sugar
2 eggs well beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Deep dish pie crust
Pour choc chips into bottom of pie crust. Melt butter and add to flour and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and nuts. Pour over choc chips and bake at 350 degrees 40-50 minutes. Note about baking time: it varies according to your oven. If you cook the pie just the way I like it, it has a melty caramel center. A little more done and it is like a big chocolate chip cookie. Best cooled completely. Not good hot or warm, believe it or not. Great with cool whip!
Update: I revised the time downward from 45-55 to 40-50. Just got my pies out at 45 minutes and they are more done than I like them. Oh well.
Menagerie: That’s sound’s way to good. Oh my gosh ! I gotta start cooking …………..
I’ll boil the wild duck tonight too….making wild duck dressin’ this holiday. Will do chicken dressin for Christmas.
Thought about makin wild duck gumbo but I ain’t got enough duck…just a few squealers.
Oh, I’ll also make two skillets of cornbread this evening.
I guess I’ll be doing the Southern version of “sous chef” duties tonight. Pullin double duty, as I’ll be da chef-in-chief tomorrow!
My husband has quite a few ducks in the freezer, and I make gumbo with them too. I haven’t found anything else that I like the duck or most other wild fowl in. Got any other good duck, gooose, or dove recipes, Kelly? I love the deer and the salmon he brings home, but I have not yet learned to love the birds, but I ain’t about to throw them out!
Oh I have a very simple way to cook dove breasts.
Put a wedge of onion inside the breast cavity, wrap the whole breast in a couple strips of ….BACON!
Marinate it over night in “rooster shire” sauce, and GRILL ‘em on an outdoor grip.
Awesomness!
LOL, back before they were protected I made gumbo with sand hill crane. Caught a lotta flack for that from family/friends…*until* they tried it.
P.S. Quail breasts can be cooked the same way I cook dove.
outdoor grill*
We used to make variations of dove pirlau, not to be confused with bogs, but a bog might work, too.
“rooster shire” sauce,
Is that the same as Wuz dis shere sawz?
Allegedly created by black man who lived “on the bayou” and spoke Cajun. or so goes one legend.
Flour??? How much? Could rice crispies substitute fpr the nuts (allergies)?
“for” Sorry.
Ah heck, Auntie, I was rushing! Sorry bout that, I fixed it. I don’t see why you cant just leave the nuts out, although you might try adding the rice crispies. I think they would get lost in the very heavy batter though. This pie, when cooled, has a thick chocolate layer on bottom, then a caramel like layer then a crust like top. The trick is to cook it just right, and boy is it hard to figure out. My cooking time even varies in my own oven due to ? who knows what, maybe humidity. Even if you get it more done, it just tastes like a big cookie and is still good. However, it is the only pie I think I have ever made that cannot be served warm. It just isn’t nearly as good.
Thanks – it really sounds yummy good and simple enough that there’s a reasonable chance I can make it without ending up with a mess. (See previous comment about my baking skills.
.)
Check my update – I changed the time on ya!
I’m going to try this this weekend. I’m not on dessert duty for tomorrow. Whew!
Yum this thread is hard on the waistline!!
What is missing is the Parade.
http://vimeo.com/24693682
and the Movie. You know what I mean? Happy Thanksgiving!
http://www.youtube.com/user/classicmovies434/videos?view=0
That is because they have a unique history and heritage to be proud of, just like us “Yankees”. When it comes to loyalties, I identify myself as an American first and foremost.
Sorry, this is in reply to Menagerie:
“I know we are known as Yanks to the rest of the world, but you will never convince a Southerner to willingly embrace the term Yankee.”
Oh I do! I’m married to the bestest Yankee in the world!
Islip, New York born and bred, he is.
Many of my friends are Yankees but decided they like the South and Florida, in particular, better.
They all now eat grits. I introduced them to my many variations plus red eye gravy and grits but have never revealed to them how to make red eye gravy, which as you probably know is pretty damn simple, compared to most gravies and roux.
eyyyyyup, and most don’t realize red eye gravy was an invention born of necessity…abject poverty.
True that.
We had our own lyrics for The Battle Hymn of the Republic, and all “Yankee” songs especially those sung during the War. Later we did the same to Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Bear in mind that I am 66, grew up in SC, the first state to secede and fire the first shots and the War Between the States was still a common topic. We still believed back then (fifties and early sixties) that we could regain our freedoms and our rights to govern ourselves via the tenth amendment.
It was much like many of us feel/’think today after the election. Try to think of it in those terms for a moment. Are you angry today? Does this make our anger any more understandable to you?
We felt that anger for a very long time. Please also take notice of how the South has historically voted until the Progs effectively usurped the power of the vote.
Yes, I am angry. I would love to think that there is a way to take back our country as a whole first, before we just give up and break apart. If the time comes that I might have to choose sides, I will choose whoever believes in the Constitution.
I don’t it is fair to think that all Yankees are Progs, anymore than I think all of the south is conservative. I consider being a Yankee to be more of a spirit of grit and determination/preservation than anything political.
Many of my friends are Yankees who have converted. I have had to reeducate them about the War Between the States and have been successful at that. or so they say. They also now know that the South had the Constitutional right to secede and that slavery per se was not the root cause of the war and became a political issue for Lincoln.
I think I said earlier they all now eat G R I T S which today means:
Girls Raised In The South.
If you were to read the Confederate version of our Constitution.. (how and why they made changes, along with their arguments) .. you will find that they foresaw many of our problems today. For example they knew back then that there was something wrong with how long anyone could serve. Term limits will probably never be imposed now.
I think we just define the word “Yankee” differently. I should probably add that I was raised in New Hampshire. The state with NO sales tax, NO state income tax, and where an adult doesn’t even need to wear a seatbelt, and we have open carry laws. The state motto is “Live Free or Die”. It is my belief that the only reason that the state went blue is because of all the liberals that have moved from Massachusetts and they brought their skewed ideologies with them. Looking at the voting statistics, it looks like we have to educate half the voting public, not just Yankees. I guess I just don’t paint with such broad strokes.
But…This Yankee wishes you and yours a Wonderful Thanksgiving.
I do not think the term Yankee is used in a derogatory sense by anyone today, at least not in the South. People outside of the US, however, may still do but they are referring to our entire country.
In Florida, like NH, we have no state income tax but, yes, we have sales taxes, which vary around the state, but food and some other items are not taxed. Originally all items that are essential to life and/or health were not taxed.
We have concealed carry permits but are still working to restore open carry laws.
Of course, our entire state has changed over the years as more and more people from other states migrate here, bringing their bad habits with them while ridiculing us and complaining about our pay rates. I always say that half of their wages are paid in sunshine and if you don’t like the way we do things, then leave.
Unfortunately they decided to STAY AND CHANGE US, which sadly they have accomplished in much of the political arena as evidenced by the elections.
We used to be a bunch of ultra conservative Florida “:crackas,” but the old crowd is dying out. I think Sundance might be one of them. We are now much like a bunch of cur dogs and are undergoing an identity crisis.
I arrived here in 1969, courtesy of the USAF, and, boy, have I seen a lot of changes, few of which have been for the best.
I hope you have a great meal today and a totally happy Thanksgiving with your folks.
Au contraire! As noted above, my husband was born and bred in Islip, New York….and they don’t come any more “non-prog” than him. In fact, progs would call him a radical right-winger. (smirk)
You said: When it comes to loyalties, I identify myself as an American first and foremost.
I wish I could believe that there is ONE America but I cannot do that any longer.
Maybe John Edwards did actually know something.
Emeril’s teaching the contestants how to make gumbo on Top Chef, Bravo Channel,
if any of you are interested….also doing cornbread dressing,
This is off topic but did anyone else get this on Monday?
New post on The Last Refuge
Wow! Im getting paid! Awesome!
by stellap
YUMMMY!!!! You Treepers have me starving and waiting for tomorrow to hurry up!!! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
(chuckle) We didn’t wait….DH and I had a big ole hunkin slice of tater pie tonight.
And I nibbled on the squealer breasts I boiled for the dressin, as I chopped ‘em up.
Decided, after watching Top Chef tonight, to add mashed taters to the menu. I’m bettin no one else here makes ‘em like I do. I add….drum roll….Miracle Whip Salad Dressing. Not much…just enough for that tangy flavor.
Side note: Mayonnaise has no place in this household. If the kids are coming in from out of town I’ll buy a tiny lil jar for them. That stuff is *nasteh*. First time I opened the fridge at DH’s condo, when we first met, and saw Salad Dressing, I knew we were gonna get along just fine.
ummmm sounds good to me
A DEAR FRIEND SENT THIS TO ME… I WISH YOU LOVE, FAITH
Thanksgiving greetings and pumpkin pie
TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING,
BUT I JUST COULDN’T SLEEP.
I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS,
I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP.
THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED -
THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE,
BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION
WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT.
TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION,
THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION.
SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR,
AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE.
GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES,
PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES
I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND,
‘TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND.
I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY,
WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE.
BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES….
HAPPY EATING TO ALL – PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE.
MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,
MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES ‘N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS.
MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!!
Oops… forgot the card.
http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=HY27482779