Cookaholics Bulletin Board

I dunno. I'm going to try out the "perfect turkey" button on my electrolux stove. Curiosity is overcoming "don't experiment when guests are coming" common sense.

I'm also altering the menu somewhat to accommodate our farmers market haul. The standbys include make-ahead gravy (CI recipe, only made in the PC with turkey parts instead of the giblets), make-ahead baked Mac and cheese, home-made cranberry sauce, and bread stuffing - all happily in the fridge now. Sides from the farmers market will be roasted new potatoes (a mix of red and yellow), roasted baby carrots, steamed green beans, and focaccia bread. I also bought an apple rhubarb pie from the Hutterites, that Ill be unimaginative with and serve it warm with vanilla ice cream. I hope it's good. Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canucks!

A little off topic, but I loved the show about the Hutterites. I'd never heard of them. Very interesting.


fitzie

Carey,

Please let me know how that turns out. My SIL has an Electrolux range, and she is not comfortable in the kitchen. If it works for you, I'd love to tell her about it.

Amy

we had turkey and ham at my sister-in-law's yesterday, I made arancini (rice balls) and bought a pumpkin pie. Today went to my mom's and had turkey and a whole lot of starches. She made twice baked potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, rice stuffing...I made bread stuffing (or I guess dressing since it was not in the bird), mashed sweet potatoes and braised brussel sprouts. Also brought the second pumpkin pie I bought.
I may never eat again.

Jean,

I think I just gained ten pounds reading your post...

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian friends.

Amy

Jean,you're the only one I know that has more potatoes with turkey than we do. We have mashed, gratin and sweet potato casserole.

fitzie

Update on the 'wined' turkey"

Coming out of the 4 hour, room temperature marinade (3 parts, soya, 1 part bbq sauce, and 4 parts merlot) I had one ugly bird on my hands - 'purple' sums it up nicely. But after a loving round of heat and smoke there was a gorgeously browned, classic Thanksgiving Turkey gracing the table. I meant to take a photo but mouths were waiting. Also, the resultant gravy was devine!!

Sometimes 'good luck' tastes great!

I was brought up with Good Luck.

Being just two of us, we did a SV turkey breast, some stuffing, cranberry and mashed. Still stuffed, and eating it for lunch today

Amy,

The perfect turkey button actually works great. You stick the probe in the turkey thigh, click it into the port on the stove, and hit the perfect turkey button (no preheating the stove). The oven seems to cycle between a convection roast setting and the upper element (at 325 F), and automatically switches to a 180 degree keep warm setting when the probe reads 180 (in the thigh). The turkey came out gorgeously brown and juicy. The only small thing was that I didn't read the instructions carefully enough...I figured a half hour per lb at 325....it actually takes 8 - 10 minutes for n unstuffed bird. Oops. I also skipped using the broiler pan/rack combo suggested (i thought it would make a mess) and just used my roasting pan with a v rack. The turkey was done much earlier than anticipated, but fortunately held well under aluminum foil and a bath towel until the sides were done and everyone was ready to eat.

The only thing for a not experienced cook is that you still have to check temp in all parts of the bird to make sure all of it is done (my oven is hotter towards the back, so that side of the bird was done faster than the other, which I would not have known if I hadn't double checked with my thermopen). I also covered the legs and breast towards the end with foil to keep them from drying out (I hate dry drumsticks, so I'm paranoid about that). Plus, with a small turkey it's not hard to accidentally get the probe hitting bone, which is another argument for double checking with the thermopen in a bunch of spots. But even with that it was super easy and turned out juicier and with equally crisp skin as birds I have done the CI high heat way. I'd use it again for sure. Good results with no fuss at all. Everyone was impressed.

My mom bought 4 fifty pound bags of potatoes in September of last year and was finished by end of January. We really really love potatoes. I did point out that both mashed and twice baked was probably not needed, but she made everyones favourites and won't leave a grandchild out.