Thanksgiving Dinner: Two Words

[MineralMan]

Mincemeat Pie.



That is all.

[GummyBearz]

1. Uhg

Meat pies are gross... give me some good quality meat first, and a pie with fresh fruit in it next... no meatballs as a topping! :p

[MineralMan]

2. There's no meat in most mincemeat pies.

There used to be, but that's pretty much olden times. It's good with meat, but it's not necessary.

[GummyBearz]

6. Now I am completely confused

Take this chance to educate me on what exactly is in a mincemeat pie, and why it is tasty

[MineralMan]

10. Originally, mincemeat pie did include meat,

but that's been pretty much discarded. Principle ingredients are apples, raisins and other such fruits, like currants. Plenty of spices, including allspice, cinnamon, etc. Ingredients vary with the recipe, and everyone has their own favorites. You're likely to find vinegar and molasses as ingredients in most recipes, along with orange juice or grape juice. It's sweet and savory at the same time, and is an old-fashioned sort of treat.

When meat was used, it was usually finely diced beef and beef suet, mixed with the other ingredients. I've had that traditional mince pie, too, but it tastes about the same.

It can be served hot or cold, with or without whipped cream or ice cream. Double crust or lattice crust.

There are many, many recipes for the filling, as a Google search will reveal.

[Historic NY]

26. I making my cousin promise to make a real one...

for years only one or two older family members would eat it. I think some nice suet and crumbly bits of meat would make it tast a whole lot better.

[MineralMan]

29. I've made a couple with meat from the leftover

roast and a bit of suet. It was tasty. I used some of the extra browned bits from the roast.

[CurtEastPoint]

3. Two more words: oooooo-kay

[handmade34]

4. awesome...

but NEVER from a jar... only homemade!!!

[MineralMan]

7. Pretty, that pie.

My mom always used Nonesuch in the box. It's what I'm used to.

[Nay]

33. I like Nonesuch in the box, but I can't find it anymore. For the past 2 years I've

had to use the Nonesuch in the jar. Mr Nay is happy either way.

[MineralMan]

37. It's still available here in Minnesota. I went with the

Crosse and Blackwell's though, this year.

[Texasgal]

5. Ewwww!

No way!

I'll take my pumpkin pie and mashed potato's!

[yuiyoshida]

8. I think I will pass on that .. I prefer Pumpkin Pie!

[MineralMan]

38. What can I say. You also enjoy reconsituted,

glutinous spheres of tapioca in your tea. I rest my case.

[yuiyoshida]

39. true dat....

I am living the boba Life!!

[MineralMan]

41. To each her own, indeed.

Enjoy!

[justiceischeap]

9. Two other words: F'n gross!

This is the real Thanksgiving dinner winner:

[MineralMan]

11. I like pumpkin, too, but if I can only have one, I'll

take mince pie, thanks.

And don't suggest anything like pecan pie. Can't stand it.

[justiceischeap]

18. Nope, not gonna suggest pecan, I can't stand it either

For Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, I'm exclusively pumpkin pie--I'm monogamous that way.

[MineralMan]

20. Pie made from some giant orange squash is fine, if you like that sort of thing.

I suppose. I eat that, too, as long as I have ample whipped cream to top it with.

[longship]

12. Wonderful stuff.

My mother made it during the holidays all her life.

She also made a wicked plum pudding, from scratch in early autumn so that it could properly age. It was amazingly delish! And yes. You set it on fire with brandy when it is served. (For those ignorant of it, it is not made from plums. Plum == rich. And yes, it has suet in it.)

She also made fruit cake, again from scratch. Sorry fruit cake haters. It was also delish.

Some traditions are really good. Mincemeat pie was one in my family. I could do without the lutefisk though. I prefer pickled herring on knackebröd. Great any time of the year. Unlike lutefisk which is inedible any time.

[MineralMan]

14. I like lutefisk OK. I suppose that comes from some marauding Viking

back in my ancestor's day. There's a red-head gene in my family, that probably also comes from that visit, I suppose.

Gjetost on black rye toast for me as a snack.

My Mom also made wonderful, dark fruit cake. I'm still a fan.

[longship]

16. Sounds yummy.

Goat cheese is the bomb.

longship == Viking ship. I am half Norge; half Suomi. (Norway and Finland, for those who don't know.)

My mom was the Finn. She was a helluva cook.

[hatrack]

13. Two better words:

Oyster Stuffing.

Do you yield?!!??

[MineralMan]

15. I do not yield, sir.

Now, prune stuffing in a goose...but that's more a Christmas thing. Living far from the ocean, as I do, I fear the oysters in Minnesota.

[longship]

19. Now in the Rocky Mountain states they have oysters of a different variety.

Possibly fearful by some.

[MineralMan]

21. I would not stuff a turkey with those oysters either.

Ish da!

[longship]

24. My mother had a rule about the stuffing.

"You cannot put in too much sage."

And yes, her stuffing was great, and had quite a zip to it. We often had many guests during the holidays and the stuffing always disappeared first, no matter how much was made. Leftovers without leftover stuffing was never as satisfying.

My father always made the rutabaga, another favorite in the family.

Yummy!

[MineralMan]

27. And how did he kill the rutabaga?

Sage, yes. More is always better, I agree. It is the smell of Thanksgiving and Christmas, in my opinion.

[longship]

30. It was very messy.

Rutabaga blood all over the kitchen!

It was served mashed, like potatoes, with lots of butter. Delish plain, but one smothered it in gravy anyway.

Oh my! I miss these things.

Thanks MM, for bringing back great memories! It is a good thing.

[MineralMan]

31. I've always liked a dish of roasted

root vegetables, and rutabagas are always part of the mix. Salsify, too. It's less common to serve mixed root vegetable today, though, except in some restaurants, where they're making a comeback.

But I'm weird. I like roast mutton. Not that I've had a chance to eat any for years, now.

[longship]

34. My dinner this evening will be lamb chops.

From Australia. Wonderful! I have some great green beans and jasmine rice to go with. And a Bombay Sapphire martini to prime the pumps.

Sadly, I am alone today. But I will be in touch with friends (on holiday) and family (all distant). And then there's my good friends here on DU. So life is still good.

My best to you and yours, MM.

[MineralMan]

35. And to you, as well.

I'll be with my wife's mother and sisters today, at the assisted living place where her mother lives. We're having turkey and the rest there, cooked at my house and taken over ready to eat. I'm not cooking a whole turkey, though. Just a couple of turkey breasts. We've also cut down on the number of side dishes, due to lack of space.

It will be a different afternoon, but a good one, I'm sure.

[IDemo]

23. There is a huge yearly ball here

For those who may be confused:

Nothing says Eagle like a piping-hot plate of deep fried gonads. Since the 1950s, Eagle has hosted one of the world's largest Rocky Mountain oyster feeds. And even though Eagle has thrown on a pair of fancy underpants since the event's humble beginnings, the town still knows how to go nuts.

More than 1,000 people are expected to go balls to the wall in Merrill Park for the event, which is also referred to as the Eagle Nut Feed. This year's event will host a six-on-six coed volleyball tournament, offering a minimum payout of $600. Hamburgers and garden salads will also be available for those who don't want to testes their gag reflexes.

http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/rocky-mountain-oyster-feed/Content?oid=1634822

[MineralMan]

28. I'll have none of your Idaho balls, thank you very much.

I do not dance, so don't ask me.

[hatrack]

22. Hah! You refuse my courtesy! Very well . . . .

Walnut Pie!!

[MineralMan]

25. I shall have satisfaction, sir. Shall we meet at

dawn on the village green? Walnut pie, indeed!

[hatrack]

42. Do you challenge me? Very well! Sawed-off shotguns at two paces!

Mincemeat - pah!

My second shall deliver my terms once I have emerged from tryptophan haze, thou churl!

[MineralMan]

44. You call me a churl, you lout?

I'll see you on the morrow, and for the last time.

[840high]

17. Oyster dressing

[Nay]

32. Yes! Mr Nay's favorite is my Sour Cream Mincemeat Pie. It's hard to keep

him out of it long enough for it to be seen, whole, on the Thanksgiving table.

[MineralMan]

36. I've already removed one wedge of my pie.

Just to make sure it's OK, you understand. I approve of it, but I may have another small test portion at lunchtime, just to make sure it hasn't spoiled in the interim. It's not a favorite in my wife's family, so there will be plenty for me tomorrow, too.

[Nay]

48. I get it! Mr Nay would like to test it, too, I'm sure, but no one eats it but him

(I'll have a piece, I like it, but pumpkin is better) so he's gonna have nearly the whole pie to himself for leftovers. He sounds like that Youtube cat eating its dinner (nom nom nom mmgh nom) when he eats a piece, so I make sure he has at least one pie every holiday.

[MineralMan]

49. I think I like your Mr. Nay.

A man after my own tastes.

[stone space]

40. We spent all day yesterday making tamales.

Wrapped in banana leaves, and tied with string.

Not only enough for thanksgiving, but enough to last for the rest of the semester.

[MineralMan]

43. Tamales are a Christmas Eve tradition in my family.

Everyone gets together a week earlier and creates an assembly line to make at least 20 dozen. Ours, though, are based on Baja California and western Mexican tradition. They're wrapped in corn husks and use finely-ground masa. We use shredded pork shoulder and a red chile-based pork gravy as the filling, with the same gravy used as a sauce to be poured over the tamales after they are steamed and unwrapped by the people eating them.

I crave them, but do not have enough people near me in Minnesota to make up the assembly line. Fortunately, there is a fine tamale factory here in St. Paul, MN. I buy mine from them now.

[stone space]

45. We'll probably do it again over Christmas Vacation.

We made almost 50. It was a lot of work.

Colombian tamales (from Valle) are huge. One tamale is pretty much considered a meal in itself. (I rarely eat more than 3 at a single sitting...lol.)

They are very convenient once they are made. All I have to do is grab one from the freezer and plop it into a pot of boiling water.

[MineralMan]

46. Yours look wonderful. I've had similar ones.

It's interesting how tamale recipes differ in different places. I'll try any tamales I can find, and have eaten many different varieties.

[csziggy]

47. Mincemeat pie is great - especially with LOTS of hard sauce!

Mom used to make great hard sauce with rum. My tea totaling great aunt loved it and always wanted the recipe from Mom, but Mom was embarrassed to give it to her since she knew it violated the great aunt's principles.

Hard Sauce

1/2 cup soft butter
1 1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons rum

Cream together the butter and sugar, blend in the rum. Chill and serve over choice of dessert.

[MineralMan]

50. Sounds yummy!