Festive Meals for the Holidays (Rosh HaShanah, Diwali, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.)

[Gator Pam]

Two nights ago I attended the community festive meal for Erev Yom Tov Rosh HaShanah at Chabad of Kirkland, so last night we cut into the challah and honey cake I made for the holiday. We had a marinated flank steak, so it was a great opportunity to try the corn I grew in my raised beds as roasted corn on the cob for the first time.
 

 

Four ears of my corn experiment, grown in my raised beds at Marymoor Community Gardens.

 

 

I did hand pollinate, but still have gappy corn. However, the ear in front was nearly perfect!
 

 

Buttered and seasoned with dill weed.
 

 

I’m pretty pleased with the interior crumb of the challah.
 

 

Here’s my first slice of the challah I made.

 

 

The interior of the upside down apple honey cake.
 

 

My slice of honey cake with homemade whipped cream.
 

A very happy and holy Days of Awe to all!

Edited October 4, 2024 by Gator Pam
Forgot to name the holiday 🤦‍♀️

[magickallight]

I so LOVE your posts - but they keep making me hungry and I have to go fix something to eat! You are worse than Food Network!

[Hubbalance]

Looks so good!!

[Gator Pam]

Happy Diwali! 
 

While I don’t celebrate this holiday, I would love to read about menus for those who do.

[Gator Pam]

14 lb (or so, it’s not labeled) frozen bird is now defrosting on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. On Saturday night I’ll rub it with sage and bay salt dry brine rub and place it in a food safe bag for another three days. The bird gets massages all over once a day over those three days.

 

Wednesday morning I’ll put the bird on a roasting rack uncovered, pat any moisture not reabsorbed off via osmosis off with paper towel, and return it to the bottom shelf until Thanksgiving itself.

[magickallight]

On 11/17/2024 at 12:31 PM, Gator Pam said:

14 lb (or so, it’s not labeled) frozen bird is now defrosting on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. On Saturday night I’ll rub it with sage and bay salt dry brine rub and place it in a food safe bag for another three days. The bird gets massages all over once a day over those three days.

 

Wednesday morning I’ll put the bird on a roasting rack uncovered, pat any moisture not reabsorbed off via osmosis off with paper towel, and return it to the bottom shelf until Thanksgiving itself.

 

Any good recipes for chopped liver? I would really like to make it correctly for a change.

[tracy0504]

On 11/17/2024 at 1:31 PM, Gator Pam said:

14 lb (or so, it’s not labeled) frozen bird is now defrosting on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. On Saturday night I’ll rub it with sage and bay salt dry brine rub and place it in a food safe bag for another three days. The bird gets massages all over once a day over those three days.

 

Wednesday morning I’ll put the bird on a roasting rack uncovered, pat any moisture not reabsorbed off via osmosis off with paper towel, and return it to the bottom shelf until Thanksgiving itself.

So I’ve never let a turkey sit in the fridge that long prior to thanksgiving… I’m assuming this is not your first rodeo with a turkey and therefore it does not spoil thawing this far in advance… is this because of the dry brine?  I am now thinking about getting my turkey tomorrow instead of Saturday when the stores will be extremely crowded because of your post… 

[Gator Pam]

On 11/19/2024 at 12:10 PM, magickallight said:

 

Any good recipes for chopped liver? I would really like to make it correctly for a change.

If I remember, I’ll find my recipe on my laptop when we get power restored. I’m only bringing my phone out with me to recharge at places like the library while our power is still out.

[Gator Pam]

12 minutes ago, tracy0504 said:

So I’ve never let a turkey sit in the fridge that long prior to thanksgiving… I’m assuming this is not your first rodeo with a turkey and therefore it does not spoil thawing this far in advance… is this because of the dry brine?  I am now thinking about getting my turkey tomorrow instead of Saturday when the stores will be extremely crowded because of your post… 

We keep a refrigerator out in the garage for such tasks. Although it’s not set to the lowest temperature, things take a long time to defrost in that refrigerator. It can take three days to a week to defrost a five pound chicken, so I expected a 14 pound bird to be fine, before our power went out due to the bomb cyclone which blew through last night. All should be well, if power is restored soon. But current updates from PSE are not looking hopeful.

 

 

That said, I’m seeing fresh turkeys currently for sale at Trader Joe’s with use by or freeze by dates of December 1st. As long as your refrigerator stays at least 40 degrees F or lower, a turkey for use on November 28th should keep fine.

[tracy0504]

On 11/20/2024 at 7:44 PM, Gator Pam said:

We keep a refrigerator out in the garage for such tasks. Although it’s not set to the lowest temperature, things take a long time to defrost in that refrigerator. It can take three days to a week to defrost a five pound chicken, so I expected a 14 pound bird to be fine, before our power went out due to the bomb cyclone which blew through last night. All should be well, if power is restored soon. But current updates from PSE are not looking hopeful.

 

 

That said, I’m seeing fresh turkeys currently for sale at Trader Joe’s with use by or freeze by dates of December 1st. As long as your refrigerator stays at least 40 degrees F or lower, a turkey for use on November 28th should keep fine.

Oh no! If power is still out for you I hope it’s restored soon!! 

[Gator Pam]

On 11/20/2024 at 4:33 PM, Gator Pam said:

If I remember, I’ll find my recipe on my laptop when we get power restored. I’m only bringing my phone out with me to recharge at places like the library while our power is still out.

So, my laptop says I actually use Jeffrey Eisner’s recipe for Instant Pot Chopped Liver on his Pressure Luck Cooking website. He uses the IP only to cook the hard boiled eggs; otherwise his version if very traditional.

 

The one change I make to his recipe is to add a tiny bit of sugar to taste once it is all mixed up and before putting it into the refrigerator overnight. The sugar cuts the bitter taste of liver and reinforces the sweet. The overnight rest allows the flavor to meld together perfectly.

 

 I chop my eggs coarsely by hand, and hand stir them in for a less puréed texture.

 

 I hope you enjoy!

 

 

[Gator Pam]

Thanksgiving prep has begun.

 

 

Giblet broth simmering away.

 

Finished broth waiting to be added to Instant Pot bone broth 1/2 & 1/2 for gravy and to moisten stuffing.

[Gator Pam]

Thanksgiving prep continued today. Cranberry sauce is made. Compound butter to rub on the turkey is made. Since I use roasted garlic and onion with a little broth to thicken my gravy, similar to how bean soup is thickened with some broth and the beans rather than with a roux or a slurry, I roasted them at the same time I roasted the sweet potatoes for the sweet potato casserole.
 

Ingredients for the cranberry sauce
 

Orange zested before juicing
 

Dry ingredients for the sugar syrup
 

Wet ingredients added (fresh squeezed orange juice and water)
 

 

Simmering away to become syrupy
 

Some of the aromatics removed before adding the cranberries
 

In go the cranberries
 

Simmering away so they burst and thicken
 

 

I had yet to remove the cinnamon stick and cloves before adding the zest and rose water

 

Cranberry sauce finished and ready to refrigerate overnight
 

Onion, spring garlic, and elephant garlic packaged for roasting for the gravy
 

Gravy thickener (roasted onion and garlic) and sweet potatoes for the sweet potato casserole 

 

The sweet potato purée contains:

Butter

Crushed pineapple 

Shredded coconut 

Brown sugar

Ground allspice

Ground cloves

Ground nutmeg

I forgot to add a splash of vanilla extract 

 

After baking for 45 minutes to heat through and meld the flavors, the casserole will be topped with mini marshmallow

[Gator Pam]

Christmas dinner menu is being discussed. I’m planning on our usual reversed seared standing rib roast with au jus and copycat Arby’s horsey sauce. Vegetable is up in the air.

 

Usually I do either baked potato, baked sweet potato, or garlic mashed potatoes for our starch. However, since the first night of Hanukkah falls at sunset on Christmas night, I think this year our starch will be latkes. I’ll definitely have both sour cream and apple sauce available, and maybe I’ll get some caviar as well for an extra festive touch.

[Gator Pam]

My plans for the next couple of days. More for myself so I hopefully don’t forget anything.

 

Today:

Get up and have coffee to function 

Start the “oxtail” au jus, although I use beef shank bones rather than oxtail. For less than half the price per pound, the shank bones work great

Beorn’s Hanukkah gift finally arrived and his holiday package is ready to be mailed. Stand in line at post office while au jus gently simmers and reduces

Make copycat Arby’s horsey sauce

Cool: au jus and refrigerate 

Make béchamel for incorporating into dinner

Layer and then bake lasagna for dinner

Enjoy lasagna for dinner

Put together and refrigerate overnight french toast casserole for brunch Wednesday morning

Make garlic and herb paste to season standing rib roast overnight, then apply to roast

Put individual apple sauce cups in refrigerator to chill

 

Tomorrow:

Get up and have coffee to function 

Listen for others to awake, if not already. Pull french toast casserole out of refrigerator to take the chill off while preheating oven and opening stockings, if we’re doing them

Bake casserole while opening gifts

Serve french toast casserole and have second cuppa

Since it gets dark so early, light Hanukkiah and gift Hanukkah presents

Make note of time and start reverse sear process on roast at appropriate time 

Grate potatoes and onion for latkes

Prep honey-maple glazed carrots 

Pull roast from oven to rest

Clear Hanukkiah from table and set for dinner

Start carrots and finish au jus about half an hour before final sear

Preheat oven to 550 degrees F

Make latke batter and heat oil for cooking

Brush herbs off roast so they don’t burn and turn acrid during sear

Make latkes and put roast back in oven for 10 to 15 minutes 

Remove roast, turn off oven, and put plated latkes in cooling oven to stay warm

Put au jus, horsey sauce, apple sauce, and sour cream on table if not already done

Slice roast, plate carrots and latkes, and serve

Relax, possibly enjoying any received gifts

Enjoy Brenda’s homemade pumpkin pie!

 

Thursday:

Relax, until last minute notice of errands needing to be done is received 

Enjoy any planned overs

Package what’s left of the roast and freeze to be pulled for beef stroganoff on either NYE or NYD, depending on what we choose to do

Light second night Hanukkiah candles

 

Sunday:

Attend giant menorah lighting by CHABAD of Kirkland at Totem Lake

 

At some point later during the following week, possibly on NYE or NYD, try my hand at sufganiyot