I'm thinking Thanksgiving already

Are you Greg?

Can you give us an idea of what you like and what you have had in the past?

I just want to do something interesting and new this year, R2.

My head is spinning with ideas.

Maybe a traditional New England clambake, because supposedlly lobsters were on the menu at the first Thanksgiving.

I think there were also some other exotic items originally served, which are not "traditionally" thanksgiving.

That's why I'm thinking a clam flavored stuffing, or a seafood item, or other new things like that.

Cranberry pie could be an interesting change-up.

Thank you! Wil be watching this thread closely, OP, as I am one of the poors but I stated my boundaries and insisted the family all get together for the first time since Mom passed a few years ago. Dad's mental health is terrifying me and I desperately want at least one more old fashioned holiday.

Died.

R4, I don't want cranberry pie!!!

A traditional home style Thanksgiving on a budget, R5.

Sounds perfect!

We always have an seafood platter on Thanksgiving, to go with the pre-dinner warmup spread. It's always oysters, shrimp, clams, and lump crab dip, and aspic. Then the usual vegetable, pickles, olives, and deviled eggs platters. There is also the cheese, meat, chips, and dips. It sounds like a feast for FAT WHORES, but Thanksgiving is an all day deal with my family. People start to come over at 11:30am and hang out until dinner at 7pm. Something my family always makes at thanksgiving is tomato aspic, with baby shrimp. It's served with grated horse radish and its delicious!

OP, if you had the clam bake, would you still have turkey?

As much as I love shellfish, I think I'd still miss the traditional fall stuff.

What about a roast beef? IME, people like turkey but seem to miss beef or ham.

My favorite side dish that I make is Brussels sprouts (halved) with blue cheese, celery, peeled apples, and vinaigrette (room temperature).

Yikes. More than two months in advance? Through everything out the window and be completely non-traditional or don't bother.

Invite your guests to the best, old-fashioned Chinese restaurant with dragon lamps and red lacquered everything and a dragon lady hostess who will hiss at you if you don't followly quite briskly enough to the table she has in mind for you.

Or a Middle Eastern restaurant where you can pre-order endless plates of appetizers and a variety of main dishes and knafeh or baklava or whatever for dessert. Or an Indian restaurant. Or something not vaguely Thanksgiving-ish.

I maintain that your enthusiasm for Portuguese stuffed quahogs now (or whatever variation) exceeds your guests' then.

Do your own version of Betty Draper 'Around the World Dinner Party' with nothing Thanksgiving about it except dinner and the gathering of friends and family.

Fuck Thanksgiving food. Don't tweak around the edges of a traditional Thanksgiving, toss out expectation. Thanksgiving dishes are very nearly all awful (if these favorite dishes were really so favorite, people would be eating them more than once a year) and boring and sets an expectation for the the social occasion as much as the food. The only thing people are more bored with than tradtional Thanksgiving dishes are toyed with traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Keep the idea of having a meal with people you love -- and change everything else

Ugh. The Brussels sprouts cuntmittee weighs in.

Yikes. *Throw everything (not through)

Maine lobster tails (and claws) sound good, though, OP.

[quote]Thanksgiving dishes are very nearly all awful (if these favorite dishes were really so favorite, people would be eating them more than once a year) and boring and sets an expectation for the the social occasion as much as the food. The only thing people are more bored with than tradtional Thanksgiving dishes are toyed with traditional Thanksgiving dishes.

The only things I like on the American Thanksgiving Table are stuffing, cranberries (not from a can), and (good) mashed potatoes. The rest can to straight to the garbage, without first passing through me. Especially pumpkin pie.

I love OP's seafood idea.

I love r11's idea of doing something entirely different. One of my favorite Thanksgivings was just grilled cheese and tomato soup (homemade). Another was lasagne alla Bolognese, followed by salmon, green beans, and a salad. Tradition, schmadition. I want food I can feel thankful for.

Not ideal, R8. By budget I'm looking at about $800 $1000 for

Tuesday: "Arrival dinner" of ham, brisket, collard greens, mac & cheese, green salad, corn bread and and (Dad's favorite) pecan pie bars.

Wednesday: Biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, and muffins for breakfast, leftovers for lunch supplemented with the Pastitsio recipe posted here a few years ago, and a "friends neighbors and family" open open house dinner for about 25 people consisting of a charcuterie and pulled pork, jerk chicken and carne asada with a grilled vegetable platter, shrimp fried rice, a quinoa/sweet potato/pecan salad, and some kind of slaw and/or (Dad's favorite) carrot & raisin salad. Brazilian cheese bread and a lemon, a rum and a chocolate bundt cakes for dessert.

Thursday breakfast will be "egg dish"--one of those time-saver 70s recipes Mom always made, not my favorite but other people's--and baked oatmeal. For the big meal for 12 I'm planning turkey and lime/ginger beef tenderloin, Mom's pork sausage & cornbread stuffing, parsley potatoes , green beans w/bacon (Dad again), rolls and sweet potato pie

Friday tradition is we get the side room at the hole-in-the-wall local seafood shack with family style mountains of fried fish, clams, shrimp, French fries and hush puppies & sweet tea.

Sweet Jesus. R16's itinerary and menu are frightfully exhausting just to contemplate. Does he have the place settings, silver patterns, and soundtrack planned? Of course he fucking does. Will a place setting be laid for the dead mother?

[quote] charcuterie and pulled pork, jerk chicken and carne asada with a grilled vegetable platter, shrimp fried rice, a quinoa/sweet potato/pecan salad, and some kind of slaw and/or (Dad's favorite) carrot & raisin salad. Brazilian cheese bread and a lemon, a rum and a chocolate bundt cakes for dessert.

This meal, in particular, sounds like too much stuff. Especially following biscuits & gravy & pastitsio earlier the same day.

I need to put in my order free-range, organic, heritage turkey. With inflation, they’re only about $200.

You’re one of those queens who watched Christmas in July specials on the hallmark channel, aren’t you?

^We all did, darling. It was called “Uncoupling” with Doogie Howser.

Here's a wild thought, OP: think about your guests. What would they enjoy eating? None of my friends or family would touch all that seafood -nor anything in aspic. If they are coming for Thanksgiving dinner they are likely expecting a few traditional items like cranberries and pumpkin-something. If you really want to break with tradition, do a pumpkin bread pudding or a pumpkin cheese cake. Make a different kind of stuffing (chestnuts, anyone?). Make some Hollandaise sauce for your vegetables. You can have guests over for a totally wild meal anytime -holiday meals come with major expectations, and a good host won't disappoint.

[quote] If you really want to break with tradition, do a pumpkin bread pudding or a pumpkin cheese cake.

Why hasn't anyone responded positively to a Cranberry Pie?

I think it sounds perfect for Thanksgiving.

R9, can I please join your family?

R16, can I attend your dinner?

Both of your families sound just like mine.

Seafood in stuffing sounds gross.

Also, I assume that it wouldn't last very long in the fridge, because seafood goes back very quickly.

Start with wine, end with wine.

Speaking of seafood, I was at Whole Foods yesterday and they had huge pieces of lobster tail meat, cooked and removed from the shell, for $59.99 a pound. I had never seen that before, and it looked delicious so I decided to treat myself. It was fucking dry and awful. I’m so mad at myself for wasting my money.

R27, what kind of lobster was it? Maine or spiny? Sorry it was so awful. If possible, I would take it back to the store for a refund. WF supposedly takes pride in its meats / seafood. I know you probably just wanted to dump it all in the trash, though.

[quote] Start with wine, end with wine.

That's my motto.

Every day.

I think I’m experiencing existential ennui—Thanksgiving? Again?

R23, I think your cranberry pie sounds wonderful. For years, I made Martha Stewart's cranberry tart in a perfect nut crust, and people loved it.

Not everyone likes pumpkin pie.

R31, I made that pie and it was the worst dessert I've ever made. Martha's recipes are so hit and miss, and mostly miss. On the other hand, you can't go wrong with Ina Garten's recipes. Ina's tastes are consistent with the general public and she tests and re-tests her recipes till they are foolproof.

[quote]I'm thinking Thanksgiving already

Surely there's a pill for that.

I was in Walmart today and they already have their Christmas Trees up for display.

It's not too early to think about it, R34.

Halloween is only about a month away, and after that the holiday season is in full swing.

I'm getting a hankering for some turkey and stuffing right now.

For sides: Ocean Spray does a nice canned cranberry jelly. Mashed potatoes: Hungry Jack brand has a nice instant kind.

Main course: Turkey, definitely.

Dessert: M&Ms, peanut or plain. Either sort are delicious.

R3 You're going to do a clambake INDOORS? Make sure to alert your local firehouse beforehand.

I would order crab or lobster bisque or crabcakes from one of those New England places. Mashed russet or sweet potatoes start with nuking potatoes in a microwave. The russets go through a ricer Real cranberry sauce with orange juice and peel and spices can be nuked too. Costco has a decent frozen turkey breast that has to be thawed and reheated. WFoods for stuffing and key lime pie. Oh, and maybe some creamed spinach. This would be done over several days so it's not an ordeal. If you're spending four hours cooking and one eating, your ratio is off.

Seafood stuffing sounds gross.

Does lobster go with turkey?

Apparently, the Pilgrims thought so.

I saw a nice stuffing with clams recipe on DDD yesterday.

It was a New Orleans chef who made a roux, then added onions, garlic, bell peppers, stock, clams, and bread.

I hate turkey, so I'm roasting a 14 pound quale with chestnut stuffing.