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Food Thread: Pre-Pre Thanksgiving Fodder Edition

I am not a big fan of turkey. I think it's boring and bland, although the gravy can be damned good. But it's a tradition for Thanksgiving in America, and it's probably a better choice than the actual food the Pilgrims ate. Salmon, lobster, venison maybe, cod, ducks, geese, or maybe not much at all!

Well, maybe not. I would be very happy with venison or duck!

Anyway, turkeys are big, and they are a pain in the *ss to roast. So either fry them and risk burning your house down, or spatchcock them to make the roasting much easier and far more consistent.

And the bonus of the the turkey backbone is not to be dismissed. Roast it and use it for your gravy!

I think you will be pleased with the end result, which is a moist breast, legs and thighs that aren't underdone, and a large amount of crispy skin. Yup, the spatchcocking exposes more skin to the drying heat of the oven, and you won't have to fight over it...as much.

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This is stupid on many levels. It's obviously a money grab for a a few plaintiffs, probably put up to it by a law firm. But the idea that anyone with two neurons to rub together thinks that Kraft Mac & Cheese is anything "natural" is sort of scary. It is absolutely delicious, and far, far from natural. And that is perfectly okay with me. Besides, has anyone read the text on the box? I really doubt it. The product is instantly identifiable, to which any mother with eight-year olds in tow at the supermarket can attest.

Federal Judge Orders Kraft Heinz to Face Lawsuit Over Mac & Cheese Labeling

A federal judge on Nov. 13 ordered Kraft Heinz to face a proposed nationwide class action lawsuit over allegedly defrauding consumers by falsely labeling its macaroni and cheese as a product with "no artificial preservatives."

I hope Kraft wins this one, and not because I have any particular affinity for them. It's just transparently dumb, and an affront to the concept of a thinking people.

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Oranges? 2/$5? Screw you Joe Biden/Barack Obama!

Same store a few years ago they were 3/$2. Now I know that math isn't your strong suit, or even allowed, but that sounds like inflation to me!

The orange peel went into the stew that you will see below, but what am I going to do with the rest of the damned thing? Well, besides using the rest of the peel in cocktails. Maybe a pork marinade? Suggestions?

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Yup. I threatened to make stew and that's what I did yesterday. And while stew in general is an easy dish, it requires a fair amount of cleanup and a fair amount of time if you want to do it correctly. I browned the meat, and as everyone has been warned 962 times by every chef on the planet, crowding the pot will steam the meat, and it won't brown. That means to do it correctly takes a long time! Five batches to be accurate. And those five batches sprayed fat all over the stove and countertop.

Yeah...cooking can be messy!

Oh, it looks a lot better in person. The color is sort of washed out in the photo, but I'm still looking forward to eating it this evening.

What? Of course I am baking a fresh loaf of sourdough to go with it...I am not a savage!

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From lurker "RS," who has sent me all sorts of interesting food stuff...

Just thought I'd toss this into the mix, I know it's early for the Thanksgiving Side Dish Thread, but what the heck.

Spouse decided to grow yams in pots on our front porch, Pulled them today. About 1.5 pounds, I think..

Anyway, I peeled them and cut into 1 inch cubes and boiled them until soft. I mashed them and added them to some leftover canned pumpkin, a chopped poblano chile, 1/4 sick of butter with salt, pepper and real maple syrup to taste.

Throw into a buttered casserole to warm up later

Darn good, if I may say so, and I loathe sweet potatoes and yams normally.

I feel almost the same way about sweet potatoes and such. They are usually far too sweet, and far too redolent of baby food!

That maple syrup crap though? Nope! Disgusting!

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From the vast and fast kitchens of WeaselWorld comes this video.

It's pretty interesting, and as much of a food snob as I am, I like that bright yellow mustard. It has its uses.

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"Kathy" sent this along, and while it is of course clickbait, it's sort of interesting, with a few glaring issues.

A Guide to 11 Beloved Regional Chili Styles in the United States

Skyline Chili is not chili, and it's debatable whether it is food! There's one more in there that's problematic, but I'll let you find it yourself.

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[Oops! That was commenter "fd's" lunch!

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What the hell happened to all the vegetables? And send me garlic that isn't grown in heavy metals and human waste in China, well-marbled hanger steaks and elk chops to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.

Who are those poor deluded souls We know who shake their Manhattans! These are the same people who drink fine bourbon with coke, and probably shake red wine with ice too.

$1,200 for a bottle of bourbon is just stupid, insulting, and a ghastly affront to most people's palates and wallets. I think the sweet spot is $40-$60 for excellent and interesting bottles, and bumping that to $100 gets you an incremental improvement in quality, but nothing mind-blowing. More than that and I think you are paying for hype and rarity, which may look good in your liquor cabinet, but doesn't translate to more quality in the bottle.

The problem...or the solution...is to buy lots of bourbon, take tasting notes, and eventually arrive at your favorites! It should take forty of fifty years, but it is worth it!