Your Holiday Table

[3113]

Us Americans are having Thanksgiving this week, and then come the holidays (for most of us here).

And so, I present the yearly thread for recipes, ideas, tips, questions, etc. etc. regarding the holiday table. Anything from decorations to folding napkins, cocktails to hot chocolate, Chanukah latkes and traditional plum pudding, cooking up a goose or the right appetizers and champagne for New Year's. What to serve, how to make, and all the rest.

Discuss. Enjoy. Discover.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i190/thirteen1031/th_figpudding.jpg

 

[3113]

Johnnycake Bread

To get things started, I've a question. There's a recipe for Thanksgiving dinner for "Johnnycake Bread" that I found and really want to try. Johnnycake is a corn pancake, very rustic, Americana breakfast food (Abe Lincoln was said to love 'em).

This bread is essentially a cornbread (quick bread) made with cornmeal and molasses, eggs, milk, sugar, etc. and a hint of maple syrup. Which makes it really perfect for Thanksgiving which always features "Americana" type foods like pecan pie and succotash.

However, I won't be either attending a Thanksgiving dinner where such a baked good would be required (else I'd offer to bring it)—nor am I planning on making any turkey dinner of my own. So. Thoughts on a meal (holiday or otherwise) where this bread might work? What would be a good main course for it to compliment?

 

[jomar]

Had a Johnny cake the other night. Topped with grilled chicken and the restaraunts chili and pepper jack cheese. Mmm good.

 

[PennLady]

I'll put in a fruit dip recipe my mom found; it's really good.

1 15oz can pumpkin or pumpkin pie mix
1 8oz container whipped topping
1 envelope instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp nutmeg (or cinnamon)

Mix it all together -- ta da! It's great with apples and pears. It's sweeter if you use the pumpkin pie mix, but I like it with the plain pumpkin better.

It's also good on Oreos, and ice cream, and my mom served some graham crackers with it. I also liked it on pancakes.

 

[3113]

Had a Johnny cake the other night. Topped with grilled chicken and the restaraunts chili and pepper jack cheese. Mmm good.

Good idea. I don't have a grill-grill, just a grill pan, but maybe keeping it simple as that would work.

 

[3113]

I1 15oz can pumpkin or pumpkin pie mix
1 8oz container whipped topping
1 envelope instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp nutmeg (or cinnamon)

I'd go for plain pumpkin, too. But this sure looks easy. Nice idea for an alternative to rich or carb-heavy desserts. Fruit and dip sounds more refreshing, especially after a heavy meal.

Be great to offer a real variety of seasonal apples and pears to dip. Very autumnal.

 

[Aurelius_PG]

My father was in the British military, and in the 1970's our family relocated to USA on a secondment for a few years. I was 12.

We moved into our suburban house in Virginia Beach in November 1972. Late November I can safely say, because in the next few days our neighbours across the road (strangers at the time) invited our family to join them for Thanksgiving lunch. Isn't that what it's all about? I have fond memories, not just of that day but of the next few years in the neighborhood.

I wish all our American friends across the pond a Happy Thanksgiving. Safe travels, and hope you all have a wonderful day!

 

[MSTarot]

I'll put down my recipe for dressing.

Now these is stuffing and dressing. They are basically the same thing except dressing is cooked like a casserole and the other is cooked (not always) in the bird.

This is a mixture of my Mom's dressing recipe with my tweaking. Is not a low calorie recipe.

Ingredients

Two whole chicken breasts

Two large loafs of corn bread. (I use a 10'' cast iron pan to make the corn bread.)

1 (0.62 OZ )jar of Rubbed Dalmatian Sage (McCormick's brand)

8 pieces of toast

6 eggs

a stick of butter (real butter please)

salt to taste.

(if you like onion or celery both can be added, say a cup of each)


Alright cut up and cook the chicken in a large pot with the butter and salt. (add any vegetables about twenty minutes latter.)

When the chicken falls apart it's ready. Take off the heat. You should have a huge pot full of buttery, salty, chicken stock filled with shredded chicken.

Add the sage. The whole jar.

Add crumbled corn bread, both loafs, to the pot maintain a soupy consistency. Add water if needed. Then add the crumbled pieces of toast.

Stir till thoroughly mixed. Add the eggs and stir some more.

Pour mixture into a buttered metal or glass casserole pan. ( I use metal, I like the outside to get a little crispy at the corners.) Fill to near the top, it will not rise.

Mixture should be wet, not watery but like thick soup.

Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes. Check with a toothpick, like you would with a cake. Needs to be dry on the edges and a little wetter in the middle. If not done put back in for twenty more minutes and check again.

The cook time can vary depending in the thickness (depth) of the pan you are cooking in.

Let cool. Enjoy.

 

[PennLady]

I'd go for plain pumpkin, too. But this sure looks easy. Nice idea for an alternative to rich or carb-heavy desserts. Fruit and dip sounds more refreshing, especially after a heavy meal.

Be great to offer a real variety of seasonal apples and pears to dip. Very autumnal.

I actually think it's even better with pears than apples, but both are good. Might also work with strawberries or bananas, if you like that kind of thing.

It makes a lot, which was why I was trying it on things like pancakes, just to see what might work so I could use it up. But you could make a half-recipe and freeze the leftover pumpkin or something like that.

 

[3113]

I wish all our American friends across the pond a Happy Thanksgiving. Safe travels, and hope you all have a wonderful day!

Thank you so much!

 

[3113]

Graham Cracker Crust

Okay, I just had this pie with awesome graham cracker crust. It was from a restaurant so I could ask what they did to make it so good. I'd like some thoughts on what they might have done. It tasted more nutty and caramel than the usual such crust. And was very crunchy.

Ideas?

 

[desertslave]

Okay, I just had this pie with awesome graham cracker crust. It was from a restaurant so I could ask what they did to make it so good. I'd like some thoughts on what they might have done. It tasted more nutty and caramel than the usual such crust. And was very crunchy.

Ideas?

My guess would be that it had some finely chopped nuts in it (I've used pecans and walnuts in the past), and possibly some brown sugar. My usual graham cracker recipe uses butter and white sugar. My favorite switch-up is to use gingerbread cookies instead of graham crackers.

 

[Weird Harold]

Okay, I just had this pie with awesome graham cracker crust. It was from a restaurant so I could ask what they did to make it so good. I'd like some thoughts on what they might have done. It tasted more nutty and caramel than the usual such crust. And was very crunchy.

Ideas?

I concur that it probably contained nut flour or finely crushed nuts -- probably Pecan or Almond.

It also probably substituted brown sugar and used more butter vs the common graham cracker crust. It was probably also pre-baked to keep the filling from making it soggy.

 

[3113]

My guess would be that it had some finely chopped nuts in it (I've used pecans and walnuts in the past), and possibly some brown sugar.

It also probably substituted brown sugar and used more butter vs the common graham cracker crust. It was probably also pre-baked to keep the filling from making it soggy.

Thank you both! I kept tasting small bites, and kept thinking "these flavors are familiar...darn it what are they?" but I couldn't pinpoint them. Pecan perhaps, or maybe hazelnuts? The extra butter might have been browned. And I think you're right about the brown sugar as I kept thinking there might be a tad of molasses in the flavoring.

I'm going to have to experiment to see if I can re-create it. And, yes, W.H., that crunchy it probably was pre-baked. I'll bet that not only added to the crunch but also to the caramel aspect. Twice baked and the sugar in the crust deepened in flavor.