Dedicated to the premise that life would be better if we all took ourselves a little less seriously.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Aaaagh!
I saw this and decided that TJ would approve. Behold, the man in charge of our planet's 8th largest economy at work in his previous job, which clearly demonstrated his aptitude for his current position.
You mean Freddy Mercury on roids? That guy was hilariously poorly cast. But his henchmen were great. There was the guy who clinked bottles together in The Warriors and the giant African American guy who was a classic 80's "that guy". And don't forget Rae Dawn Long Chong Silver in the midst of her "I only date white men in my movies" heyday.
And Danimal - Milano was no more than 13 years old in that flick. Don't get too Roman Polanski on us.
or bob evans...my wife's mom actually does that. she & her sister, b/c they don't and can't cook, buy everything from bob evans. it's thoroughly depressing but i will admit it's not bad. thank the lord baby jesus we aren't going there this year.
TJ- to your previous comment about Kemba Walker, I did see that he went off in the 2nd half yesterday. A nice follow up to his 43 on Vermont from last week. I'm pretty jacked for the Walker-Kalin Lucas matchup tonight. Kentucky-Washington should be fun too. Terrence Jones is very, very good. UW has to be bitter they lost him. And though it's a day away, Duke-KSU looks to be fantastic. Mmmm, feast week.
Zman: The turkey, while the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table, is virtually nobody's favorite part of the meal. Keep it moist via basting and not overcooking and you're good to go. Have plenty of gravy, and make sure it's good gravy.
Stuffing (also known as "dressing" in high-fallutin' snootie patootie families) is your bread and butter, no pun intended. Pepperidge Farm if you don't have the wherewithal to go homemade. Add in goodies like sausage if you like, but don't let them dominate. No olives. No nuts. For fuck's sake, no mushrooms.
A close second to stuffing is your mashed potatoes. I prefer redskin for multiple reasons, but whatever you use, mash them well by hand and don't be afraid to cream and butter them up. People are divided on lumpy or creamy. Go whichever route you want.
Green beans. Straightforward. Other veggies are your call.
Some Martin's potato rolls for leftover turkey/stuffing sandwiches.
well done igor. well done. i like starting the day off with 2-3 bloody's. i prefer to make the mix myself cuz i have a very discriminating palate, AND it's just impossible to find a pre-made mix out there that is to my liking. UNITL NOW! (for me anyway) if you're not adept at making your own - ZingZang is by far and without question, THE best bloody mary mix on planet earth. the wife is picking me up some today.
Wow, Danimal, completely agree on the ZingZang. Forever we were stuck with the likes of Mr. and Mrs. T (pity the fool), Major Peters (good name), and Tabasco Brand Bloody mix (meh). The best will always be your own concoction (I use V8, lots of Worcestershire, and more horseradish than most folks prefer, among other details), but the ZingZang has stepped up the premix game several notches. Good call.
Hopefully the woman with the bacon blog will chime in.
The zwoman has the mashed and sweet potatoes covered. The zmom has the stuffing (insert joke). The zin-laws have dessert, Swedish meatballs, and stuffed mushrooms.
I'm in charge of the bird, the gravy, and the green beans I don't want to drop the ball.
Don't overcook the turkey. Meat thermometer is good. Remember to take out the giblets. No one likes cooked plastic.
If you overcook it, gravy is your friend. Take it up a notch and add brandy/beer/red wine. Adds flavor, and the alcohol cooks off.
If you do box stuffing-don't tell anyone. Add chopped apples, canned oysters, raisins, bacon, sausage. (Not all in 1) Anything tasty. Everyone will praise your homemade stuffing.
Mashed taters, add cheddar cheese, cream, bacon, and sour cream. No one will notice lumps then.
It began yesterday when I went to L. Simchick, my local butcher, to pick up my turkey. The guy came out holding the bird in one hand and the gizzards (or whatever that stuff is) in the other. The gizzards wound up inside the bird. There was no plastic. I also picked up a quart of gravy. Total cost: $69.
Good God, all this Thanksgiving talk is making me hungry. And these pretzels are making me thirsty!
I like the idea of adding bacon and sour cream to mashed potatoes. That's my only responsibility on Thursday. I might have to prepare some extra so I can experiment. The future wife always makes toasted raviolis (cheese and meat) as an early Thanksgiving appetizer/snack. It goes well with the whiskey.
Another turkey suggestion - layer slices of bacon betweeen the skin and the breast meat. Use toothpicks to keep it in. The bacon fat will help keep the bird tender.
The key to cooking a turkey is brining. It makes the bird unbelievably moist. If you cook chicken and turkey a lot and are unfamiliar with brining, you are doing yourself a great disservice. Look it up on the ghooghles. A 12-15 hour brine from Wednesday evening until oven time on Thursday will do wonders.
i just heard some copy room discussion on bringing. i thought the guy was talking about making pickles until the turkey entered the story.
igor is nuts about the mushrooms and the stuffing. put a shitload of sausage, mushrooms, nuts, and whatever else in the stuffing. catherine makes little stuffing "cupcakes" in the cupcake molds and bakes them so everyone gets lots of crunchy bits.
she also makes some really good carrot soup which goes with everything. my granmother makes cranberry salad (with celery, apples, etc.) and catherine doesn't like it so there's a passive aggressive conflict going on-- i think she's going to bring her own cranberry sauce to my parents' house. should be good drama-- maybe her and my grandmother will get into a fist-fight.
If your stuffing sucks, if it's little more than glorified soft crouton loaf, by all means, jazz it up with that crap. But why not deliver some kick ass stuffing with a hint of sausage (precisely what I offered the coeds back in the day)?
a couple of you gtbr's have dabbled in triathlons...you others are just sports nutty. in any event, read through this old SI - 1978...in it is a story on the 2nd Ironman race ever held (pg 88). Had never seen this 'til today. amazing what it was and what it is now. i think you can all appreciate it despite your current levels of lactation. http://tinyurl.com/3xx2pod plus it's kind of cool going through an SI from 20+ yrs ago.
Since we're exchanging recipes like a fucking sewing circle, I'll ask, anyone have any good drink recipes for Thanksgiving? If not, no problem...I'll just stick to whiskey.
Zman, listen to TR and put the bacon on the bird. And if you're feeling a little crazy baste the bird with maple syrup on top of the bacon and skin towards the end. It will make the bacon and skin crispy.
Mark, only drink recommendation I have is to make them all 'college' size/style. Big and full of booze.
mark..hopefully it'll get a bit nippier outside for these, which i like me some of... 1) Hot Whiskey...boil water, throw in a glass (like an irish whiskey glass) add a shot or so of your fave whiskey...i always go w/irish whiskey here...add a tbsp of sugar and a slice of lemon... 2) Wassel...ghoogle wassel recipes...find one you like....add whiskey. 3) Whiskey. Add to glass. Drink.
Drinks depend on the weather. Usually, it's chilly and a nice toddy will do the trick.
1 1/2 oz bourbon whiskey 1/4 oz lemon juice 3/4 oz sugar syrup 1 slice lemon 1 clove 4 ozhot water
...I rarely use the clove and more bourbon, less water.
Then again, even when it's cold you only feel like one, maybe two of those. And it's fucking 78 degrees here in SE VA right now. No toddies unless you are in points north.
So I'd echo Dan's sentiment and recommend some brown liquor over ice. Maker's Mark or Jameson; if you have the means, they are so choice. (Or whatever Ferris Bueller said.)
Here's what I need from facebook: Some sort of tool that will allow me to see the bikini pics of girls I am barely friends with without having to click through 5 photos from baby showers and weddings.
I have a friend who makes "Turkey Cups" - stuffs cranberry and stuffing into individual balls of turkey, puts them in a cupcake pan and bakes till warm. Gravy optional. They are delicious, though I can't tell you the exact recipe. Because then I'd have to kill you.
I did enjoy that clip very much.
ReplyDeletecommando was my first ahhnuld movie. alyssa milano co-starred...need i say more?
ReplyDeletea non-screem quote should be in this collage - "geeve da people dare ayah!"
The bad guy in that movie wore one of the most ridiculous outfits I've ever seen...it was gay chainmail basically.
ReplyDeletehttp://bit.ly/fOyvBP
ReplyDeleteYou mean Freddy Mercury on roids? That guy was hilariously poorly cast. But his henchmen were great. There was the guy who clinked bottles together in The Warriors and the giant African American guy who was a classic 80's "that guy". And don't forget Rae Dawn Long Chong Silver in the midst of her "I only date white men in my movies" heyday.
ReplyDeleteAnd Danimal - Milano was no more than 13 years old in that flick. Don't get too Roman Polanski on us.
I wrote this six years ago? Jesus Christ time flies...
ReplyDeletehttp://bit.ly/gEgfvI
I'm cooking my first Thanksgiving turkey in two days. Does anyone have any suggestions? Apparently I need to get a meat thermometer.
ReplyDeleteDeep fry that bad boy.
ReplyDeleteI have no outdoor space, otherwise I would.
ReplyDeleteZman - two words, chinese takeout.
ReplyDeleteor bob evans...my wife's mom actually does that. she & her sister, b/c they don't and can't cook, buy everything from bob evans. it's thoroughly depressing but i will admit it's not bad. thank the lord baby jesus we aren't going there this year.
ReplyDeleteTJ- to your previous comment about Kemba Walker, I did see that he went off in the 2nd half yesterday. A nice follow up to his 43 on Vermont from last week. I'm pretty jacked for the Walker-Kalin Lucas matchup tonight. Kentucky-Washington should be fun too. Terrence Jones is very, very good. UW has to be bitter they lost him. And though it's a day away, Duke-KSU looks to be fantastic. Mmmm, feast week.
ReplyDeleteZman:
ReplyDeleteThe turkey, while the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table, is virtually nobody's favorite part of the meal. Keep it moist via basting and not overcooking and you're good to go. Have plenty of gravy, and make sure it's good gravy.
Stuffing (also known as "dressing" in high-fallutin' snootie patootie families) is your bread and butter, no pun intended. Pepperidge Farm if you don't have the wherewithal to go homemade. Add in goodies like sausage if you like, but don't let them dominate. No olives. No nuts. For fuck's sake, no mushrooms.
A close second to stuffing is your mashed potatoes. I prefer redskin for multiple reasons, but whatever you use, mash them well by hand and don't be afraid to cream and butter them up. People are divided on lumpy or creamy. Go whichever route you want.
Green beans. Straightforward. Other veggies are your call.
Some Martin's potato rolls for leftover turkey/stuffing sandwiches.
Cranberry sauce. No cans.
Bourbon. Lots of it.
Happy T-Day, Z!
well done igor. well done.
ReplyDeletei like starting the day off with 2-3 bloody's. i prefer to make the mix myself cuz i have a very discriminating palate, AND it's just impossible to find a pre-made mix out there that is to my liking. UNITL NOW! (for me anyway) if you're not adept at making your own - ZingZang is by far and without question, THE best bloody mary mix on planet earth. the wife is picking me up some today.
Wow, Danimal, completely agree on the ZingZang. Forever we were stuck with the likes of Mr. and Mrs. T (pity the fool), Major Peters (good name), and Tabasco Brand Bloody mix (meh). The best will always be your own concoction (I use V8, lots of Worcestershire, and more horseradish than most folks prefer, among other details), but the ZingZang has stepped up the premix game several notches. Good call.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the woman with the bacon blog will chime in.
ReplyDeleteThe zwoman has the mashed and sweet potatoes covered. The zmom has the stuffing (insert joke). The zin-laws have dessert, Swedish meatballs, and stuffed mushrooms.
I'm in charge of the bird, the gravy, and the green beans I don't want to drop the ball.
Now I'm hungry.
I prefer to roll with ZigZag myself.
ReplyDeleteMark, as you might suspect, I also have man love for Cuse freshman Fab Melo.
ReplyDeleteBacon blog here. I agree w/Igor's comments.
ReplyDeleteDon't overcook the turkey. Meat thermometer is good. Remember to take out the giblets. No one likes cooked plastic.
If you overcook it, gravy is your friend. Take it up a notch and add brandy/beer/red wine. Adds flavor, and the alcohol cooks off.
If you do box stuffing-don't tell anyone. Add chopped apples, canned oysters, raisins, bacon, sausage. (Not all in 1) Anything tasty. Everyone will praise your homemade stuffing.
Mashed taters, add cheddar cheese, cream, bacon, and sour cream. No one will notice lumps then.
You'll do great!
zman, please live blog your cooking adventure.
ReplyDeleteIt began yesterday when I went to L. Simchick, my local butcher, to pick up my turkey. The guy came out holding the bird in one hand and the gizzards (or whatever that stuff is) in the other. The gizzards wound up inside the bird. There was no plastic. I also picked up a quart of gravy. Total cost: $69.
ReplyDeleteLook at us. You can't pigeonhole Gheorghe: The Blog. Today we're sharing recipes, and just last week we were . . . talking about The Pigeonhole.
ReplyDeleteseriously foks. north korea. what's up with that?
ReplyDeletez-those gizzards make for some good fryin!
Good God, all this Thanksgiving talk is making me hungry. And these pretzels are making me thirsty!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of adding bacon and sour cream to mashed potatoes. That's my only responsibility on Thursday. I might have to prepare some extra so I can experiment. The future wife always makes toasted raviolis (cheese and meat) as an early Thanksgiving appetizer/snack. It goes well with the whiskey.
Fry the turkey neck. You won't regret it.
ReplyDeleteThe gizzards will likely become t-gives treats for the cats.
ReplyDeleteToday's topic: turkey necks
Saturday's topic: chicken heads
I want these toasted raviolis you speak of, in massive quantities.
ReplyDeleteFuck, now I'm starving too...
I wish my name was Fab Melo. And that I had a friend that could do backflips.
ReplyDeleteI got rob an early xmas gift:
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/2cc4qay
Another turkey suggestion - layer slices of bacon betweeen the skin and the breast meat. Use toothpicks to keep it in. The bacon fat will help keep the bird tender.
ReplyDeleteThe key to cooking a turkey is brining. It makes the bird unbelievably moist. If you cook chicken and turkey a lot and are unfamiliar with brining, you are doing yourself a great disservice. Look it up on the ghooghles. A 12-15 hour brine from Wednesday evening until oven time on Thursday will do wonders.
Mmmm. Bacon. Mmmm. Breasts.
i just heard some copy room discussion on bringing. i thought the guy was talking about making pickles until the turkey entered the story.
ReplyDeleteigor is nuts about the mushrooms and the stuffing. put a shitload of sausage, mushrooms, nuts, and whatever else in the stuffing. catherine makes little stuffing "cupcakes" in the cupcake molds and bakes them so everyone gets lots of crunchy bits.
she also makes some really good carrot soup which goes with everything. my granmother makes cranberry salad (with celery, apples, etc.) and catherine doesn't like it so there's a passive aggressive conflict going on-- i think she's going to bring her own cranberry sauce to my parents' house. should be good drama-- maybe her and my grandmother will get into a fist-fight.
by bringing i meant "brining."
ReplyDeleteno keyboard excuse available here.
I don't think I have a container or a refrigerator big enough to brine a turkey.
ReplyDeleteIf your stuffing sucks, if it's little more than glorified soft crouton loaf, by all means, jazz it up with that crap. But why not deliver some kick ass stuffing with a hint of sausage (precisely what I offered the coeds back in the day)?
ReplyDeletezman - bathtub.
ReplyDeletei prefer your sausage in a casing.
ReplyDeleteWasn't "The Sausage Casing" one of the bar names inspired by your soccer post?
ReplyDeletea couple of you gtbr's have dabbled in triathlons...you others are just sports nutty. in any event, read through this old SI - 1978...in it is a story on the 2nd Ironman race ever held (pg 88). Had never seen this 'til today. amazing what it was and what it is now. i think you can all appreciate it despite your current levels of lactation.
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/3xx2pod
plus it's kind of cool going through an SI from 20+ yrs ago.
If I wasn't so busy lactating and looking up turkey recipes, I'd note that 1978 was 30+ years ago.
ReplyDeleteyeah, and it's page 108 not 88...
ReplyDeletetechnically, 20+ works...it was 32 years ago, which is 20 + 12.
i feel much older than i already did.
about every other page of mag is comment worthy....
Since we're exchanging recipes like a fucking sewing circle, I'll ask, anyone have any good drink recipes for Thanksgiving? If not, no problem...I'll just stick to whiskey.
ReplyDeleteZman, listen to TR and put the bacon on the bird. And if you're feeling a little crazy baste the bird with maple syrup on top of the bacon and skin towards the end. It will make the bacon and skin crispy.
ReplyDeleteMark, only drink recommendation I have is to make them all 'college' size/style. Big and full of booze.
mark..hopefully it'll get a bit nippier outside for these, which i like me some of...
ReplyDelete1) Hot Whiskey...boil water, throw in a glass (like an irish whiskey glass) add a shot or so of your fave whiskey...i always go w/irish whiskey here...add a tbsp of sugar and a slice of lemon...
2) Wassel...ghoogle wassel recipes...find one you like....add whiskey.
3) Whiskey. Add to glass. Drink.
also spelled wassAIL. also...meaning, pretty much always.
ReplyDeleteDrinks depend on the weather. Usually, it's chilly and a nice toddy will do the trick.
ReplyDelete1 1/2 oz bourbon whiskey
1/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz sugar syrup
1 slice lemon
1 clove
4 ozhot water
...I rarely use the clove and more bourbon, less water.
Then again, even when it's cold you only feel like one, maybe two of those. And it's fucking 78 degrees here in SE VA right now. No toddies unless you are in points north.
So I'd echo Dan's sentiment and recommend some brown liquor over ice. Maker's Mark or Jameson; if you have the means, they are so choice. (Or whatever Ferris Bueller said.)
ReplyDeletethis car is...so choice. if you have the means, i highly recommend picking one up...
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed this:
ReplyDeleteBrad Childress (St. Paul, MN) Is ESPN hiring?
Bill Simmons:(2:48 PM)Come on, there's no way we'd hire someone who failed miserably as an NFL coach or GM.
Here's what I need from facebook: Some sort of tool that will allow me to see the bikini pics of girls I am barely friends with without having to click through 5 photos from baby showers and weddings.
ReplyDeleteThat should have said 500 photos...I'll happily click through 5.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who makes "Turkey Cups" - stuffs cranberry and stuffing into individual balls of turkey, puts them in a cupcake pan and bakes till warm. Gravy optional. They are delicious, though I can't tell you the exact recipe. Because then I'd have to kill you.
ReplyDeleteNo that's not it. I just don't know it.