Book Giveaway: At the Kitchen Table
The Craft of Cooking at Home.
CONTEST CLOSED! Thanks everyone.
Greg Atkinson is so modest (and handsome…). As a chef and writer, Greg truly cares about the source of the food he works with. Having spent time visiting local vineyards and working with local fisherman gives him a seed-to-table perspective that I admire. But according to him, the measure that’s most valuable is the amount of heart that brings people together for a meal. Ain’t that the truth.
His new book is sort of a valentine to home cooking. The menus are laced with stories of preparing meals with family and friends. Greg is a well known chef in the Puget Sound area (one of the first to source local ingredients) but his recipes are anything but chef-y. They’re simple and divine and just what you want for your next family meal.
He has a brand new restaurant called Marche on Bainbridge Island. He’s always there and always smiling. And when he isn’t flipping the saute skillet or greeting each customer warmly, he’s making his staff a special meal so they feel taken care of. This guy is a peach. I hear the vegetable plate at Marche is all the rage. See what I mean about finding flavor in simple good food?
Want a copy of Greg’s book? Sure you do. And we’re giving away TWO. Yes TWO. Here’s how to enter to win:
1. Be a subscriber of Cookus Interruptus Not a subscriber yet? Type your email address in the subscribe box right up there on the right above the blue navigation box. There’s also a place to subscribe on our home page (upper left).
2. Be a friend on Cookus Interruptus facebook. Not our facebook friend? Easy. Go to the Cookus Facebook page and click the thumbs up “like”.
3. What was your FAVORITE Thanksgiving side dish as a child? Do you still make it for your family? I’m boring - love mashed potatoes. Practically survived on them as a picky-eater child. And yes I do still make them every year. With plenty of butter and cream and salt and pepper. Okay. Your turn. Type your answer as a comment to this post.
4. Contest ends at 5pm on November 18th. Check your email on November 19th. The winners will be chosen by random.org. If you don’t respond to your “winner” email within 48 hours, we will choose a new winner (tough love…).
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My favorite Thanksgiving dish as a child was…everything! My dad did most of the cooking for this Holiday using recipes passed down from his Southern family. He still continues this tradition, and now I’ve added my own (healthier) contribution — green beans with caramelized onions and almonds. As an added bonus, my dish has a new family story attached to it: I went into labor with my first child after making this dish for the family (and right after stuffing myself with our Thanksgiving feast!)
Comment by Melissa C. — October 30, 2012 @ 2:50 pm
I still enjoy the dressing as my mother made it. Simple with celery, onion, butter, broth and seasonings, sometimes adding neck meat.
Comment by Joanne Flagel — November 14, 2012 @ 8:29 am
Do you consider pumpkin pie a side dish? I did and still do
Comment by Libby — November 14, 2012 @ 9:17 am
Easy. Mashed potatoes with turkey gravy. Probably still my favorite dish, even now that my whole family’s vegetarian and the gravy is made with mushroom stock and red wine.
Comment by Christina — November 14, 2012 @ 9:17 am
As a kid I loved everything served at Thanksgiving except for the cranberry out of a can. My absolute favorite thing was the rolls. They are perfect with butter, for sopping up the gravy and with jam. Yum!
Comment by Emily — November 14, 2012 @ 9:18 am
My mom always made the best apple pie …. Lots of crumb topping over tart Granny Smith apples sliced thin, layered in a buttery homemade crust. I have no recollection of ice cream needed! As my friends will attest, I have a thing for pie. I make mom’s version as well as a few others - deep dish, free-form tart style, stewed apples over a gluten-free nut crust - depending on the audience
Comment by Theta Michele — November 14, 2012 @ 9:20 am
I loved everything for Thanksgiving, and unfortunately still do - since I shouldn’t eat that much. But, I think dressing is my favorite. I like to add apple. I also love cranberry sauce with succulent turkey - and gravy, and green beans in that old silly mushroom soup casserole — why is it that you can eat healthfully on a daily basis and resort to food that you would never make for holiday meals? But, there it is! Fortunately, we have switched over the roasted vegetables except for the green beans!
I’d love a copy of the book. Please put my name in the hat. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
Comment by Marilyn McClellan — November 14, 2012 @ 9:21 am
My favorite were the homemade noodles over mashed potatoes. I still have the mashed potatoes, but no more noodles for me, as I found out a year ago that I have Celiac Disease. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
Comment by Tracy P — November 14, 2012 @ 9:21 am
I loved the whole combination of Thanksgiving dishes melding together: the turkey and gravy, the mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. Yumm!
Comment by carol — November 14, 2012 @ 9:22 am
Grandma’s sage dressing was most memorable.
Comment by Susan T — November 14, 2012 @ 9:23 am
I loved the canned cranberry “sauce” - nothing more fun then sliding it out of the can and slicing it up - yum!
Comment by Kiki — November 14, 2012 @ 9:23 am
Ooh, mashed potatoes! Definitely my favorite. But I also love the cranberry relish my mom makes: chopped cranberries with orange zest, a little orange juice, and sugar. So much more refreshing that the jellied stuff!
Comment by Morgan O. — November 14, 2012 @ 9:24 am
My favorite Thanksgiving dish was the after-the-meal turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberry sauce. Yummy! Still have one in the evening after Thanksgiving dinner (which we usually have around 2:00 in the afternoon). After that sandwich, the holidays are officially off and running.
Comment by Candice Lyons — November 14, 2012 @ 9:25 am
I loved the crispy bits of turkey skin I could steal when Mom wasn’t looking. Now it’s a toss-up between the crispy edges of stuffing muffins and crispy roasted Brussels sprouts. It’ s a crispy thing, and some things never change.
Comment by SeattleDee — November 14, 2012 @ 9:29 am
Mashed potatoes. Lots of butter, no gravy. Still one of my favorites.
Comment by SHELLY Z — November 14, 2012 @ 9:30 am
My mid-western granny made the best wild rice casserole every Thanksgiving.
Comment by Jessica — November 14, 2012 @ 9:30 am
Buttered Peas. We grew up on canned peas, and Grandma always served frozen, which I always thought tasted soooo much better.
Comment by Stephanie — November 14, 2012 @ 9:32 am
It’s also a toss up for me between Mom’s sage stuffing and the candied yams. I don’t candy the yams anymore but serve them roasted instead……….can’t understand the whole marshmallow bit now.
Comment by Jeanne Garthwaite — November 14, 2012 @ 9:36 am
I always love the green bean casserole with the fried crispy onions on top. I know they usually make this dish with cream of mushroom soup from a can, But I have seen other, healthier versions around these days. Will try to find one of those for dinner this Thanksgiving. I usually make it the old way, have about a quarter cup, then don’t eat it again till the following Thanksgiving. But for some reason, it just reminds me of my childhood and it makes me feel happy when I eat it.
Comment by Angela — November 14, 2012 @ 9:38 am
Mom’s homemade cranberry sauce is still my fav.
Comment by Leslie — November 14, 2012 @ 9:39 am
Ahhh, Thanksgiving. Many family traditions have been served up on out table. I love to cook and try different things, so Thanksgiving gives me lots of opportunities to create sometimes memorable surprises. It seems the tried and true recipes are still the biggest hit of the day though. I always ‘brine’ the turkey. Cranberries are simmered on the stove and combined with mandarin oranges. Ive taken quite a few liberties with the stuffing recipe, but the favourite is always the basic with celery and onion, and lots of oregano, basil and cilantro. So what’s my favourite Thanksgiving ‘dish’? It has to be just family and friends crowding around the table and sharing a fabulous meal…
Comment by Gary — November 14, 2012 @ 9:41 am
I loved my Grandma’s oyster stuffing! I also had to compete with her for the honor of eating the turkey tail! Some people would think that’s disgusting, but……….you asled!
Comment by Julie Murdock — November 14, 2012 @ 9:44 am
When I was a kid, I always wanted to go up to Arlington and have Thanksgiving dinner with my great-aunt Lucille because she made my two favorite side dishes. One was a candied yam thing with marshmallows on the top and the other was some kind of fruit salad with canned fruit cocktail and lots of Cool Whip (and I think jello). Oh, I just loved that stuff.
I could never convince my mother to make any of it; she considered marshmallows and Cool Whip to be junk food. I remember getting in trouble for telling my mother the junk food was actually her dressing because she put the turkey liver in it.
Comment by Katherine — November 14, 2012 @ 9:44 am
My favorite dish was the creamed corn casserole that my mom made every Thanksgiving. She would make it with fresh corn she had frozen, a few eggs, cream, butter and saltine crackers. YUM!
Comment by Christina Todd — November 14, 2012 @ 9:51 am
My favorite side dish was always (and still is) my Mom’s lemon-lime jello salad, made in one of those round plastic Tupperware jello mold dishes with the interchangeable lids on the bottom so you could have a Christmas Tree or a star molded in the top of the jello when it popped out of the mold onto the serving plate. She makes it with cottage cheese, a small amount of mayo, and crushed pineapple (from a a can of course!)It sounds weird but it’s pretty tasty. The recipe came from one of those jello mold recipe books that were popular in the 60’s. It’s hard to find the original lemon and lime jello now, the one made with sugar instead of artificial sweeteners because I can’t eat the artificial stuff. She manages to find it though and still makes the jello for me every Thanksgiving, in the same plastic mold.
Comment by Kimberly Harmeling — November 14, 2012 @ 9:51 am
My favorite thanksgiving dish is the homemade stuffing from inside the bird.
YUM!! I save up stale bread all year in the freezer in order to make it now for my family!
Comment by Jennifer — November 14, 2012 @ 9:52 am
I ALWAYS loved the green bean casserole, but I NEVER liked the canned cranberry jelly. Now, I ALWAYS love homemade cranberry sauce!
Comment by Nan — November 14, 2012 @ 9:56 am
My favorite dish was candied yams with marshmallows. And yes, I still make it. Sometimes I try to health-ify it, but it’s never the same gooey experience as the real thing. All that sugar and butter. Mmm.
Comment by Tami — November 14, 2012 @ 9:58 am
Pumpkin pie was my favorite with lots of home made whipped cream. My father and I would eat it for breakfast the next day and my mother would sigh and mutter about how he was NOT a good example to the kids.
Comment by Betty Taylor — November 14, 2012 @ 10:02 am
Always has been and always will be my mother’s dressing…simple but yummy…..bread, celery, onion, sage, celery seed, broth & butter. She would stuff the bird and also have as a side dish. This was and is closely followed by her cranberry orange condiment. No cooking involved; just raw cranberries and oranges chopped fine in food processor and a little sugar added to taste. Sometimes we would add a little cherry liquor to this for a little extra kick.
Comment by Jane — November 14, 2012 @ 10:03 am
My favorite was also the candied yams. I have morphed that version into a healthier yam, apple and pecan casserole that still provides that sweet and savory combination.
Comment by Taryn — November 14, 2012 @ 10:04 am
So many good options, but my favorite is probably cranberries. There is something so great about simmering cranberries on the stove with a bit (or a lot) of sugar mixed in. Love it! It is great on the day off, but possibly even better the next day on turkey sandwiches.
Comment by Lisa Keosababian — November 14, 2012 @ 10:08 am
My favorite side dish was the gravy! Gravy on turkey, gravey on mashed potatoes, and gravy on the stuffing. Oh yum.
Comment by Margo — November 14, 2012 @ 10:11 am
Stuffing! I love the recipe on the bags of Grand Central Bakery’s Rustic Stuffing, but I use twice as much broth.
Comment by Kath — November 14, 2012 @ 10:13 am
Pumpkin Pie is still one of my all-time favorites. And my stepmother also used to make a sweet potato and carrot purée that was just fabulous. I think it may have had a dash of heavy cream as well. Mmmm! I still love sweet potatoes in anything, especially in Cynthia’s sweet potato and kale dish!
Comment by Jen — November 14, 2012 @ 10:18 am
creamed pearl onions. I don’t make them any more, but this has me thinking…maybe I’ll make them this year!
Comment by libby — November 14, 2012 @ 10:20 am
Hands down - the lumpy mashed potatoes! Comfort, comfort, comfort …
Comment by Beth — November 14, 2012 @ 10:22 am
I LOVE cranberry sauce. It goes so nicely with turkey and breaks up the whole landscape of the Thanksgiving plate, but it is extra wonderful on a left over turkey sandwich!! P.S I’m a fan on FB and a subscriber. One of your biggest fans
Comment by Kelli — November 14, 2012 @ 10:25 am
family fav is my dad’s cranberry relish: frozen cranberries, dates, golden delish apples, pinneapple, oranges, orange/pinneapple juice, sugar (if you don’t put in enough dates/pinneapple). chop everything in the cuisinart and let it sit in the fridge for a few days. the longer it sits, the better it tastes!
Comment by sarah — November 14, 2012 @ 10:26 am
my favourite was and still is the stuffing. I must say Holly’s pilgrim stuffing recipe with sourdough bread is the absolute best!!!!!
Comment by marilyn — November 14, 2012 @ 10:27 am
Moldy Green Salad, of course! That’s what we called it, though it was actually likely “molded green jello salad.” Yes, that’s right, jello. Consisted of lime jello, cottage cheese, horseradish and pineapple. Haven’t had it in years, but it was strangely tastey.
Comment by Alli Dennis — November 14, 2012 @ 10:40 am
Oyster stuffing with gravy, turkey dark meat, creamed onions! Consomme with mushrooms to start and pumpkin pie to finish. Heaven.
Comment by Em — November 14, 2012 @ 10:40 am
My grandmother’s cranberry relish. . . I haven’t made it in a few years, but think I might bust it out again this year!
Comment by Carrie @ Rhubarb Sky — November 14, 2012 @ 10:41 am
Sweet potatoes. Always. Then and now.
Comment by Theresa — November 14, 2012 @ 10:46 am
I loved my mom’s cranberry-orange relish. I still make it, and love to eat it straight, w/ a spoon.
Comment by Michelle — November 14, 2012 @ 10:48 am
Even though I almost always avoid boxed/prepared/canned foods, I absolutely LOVE the Jiffy Corn Souffle my grandmother always makes (and now I make it too!)
Comment by agoodcooker — November 14, 2012 @ 10:55 am
Our family favorite is Rice Broccoli Casserole and I still make it every year for my kids and family. They love it!
Comment by Kelley — November 14, 2012 @ 10:58 am
Creamed rutabaga. My mom would shred it on a box grater, simmer it in chicken stock until tender, drain, and mix in an herbed béchamel. So delicious!
Comment by Kate — November 14, 2012 @ 11:07 am
I love(d) stuffing. It was Stove Top as a kid (my mom was never much of a cook) but now I love making it differently every year. Last year was cornbread with chorizo. This year…its still up in the air. Thinking chanterelles. The one thing my mom did make from scratch was creamed celery. I thought it was gross then and I still do.
Comment by tina — November 14, 2012 @ 11:07 am
Stuffing! Some years I have made two different kinds because I love it so much!
Comment by Kathy — November 14, 2012 @ 11:12 am
My mom’s stuffing — wild rice and sausage — and her dutch apple pie.
Comment by Susan — November 14, 2012 @ 11:12 am
Thanksgiving has always been a favorite family holiday and I am a fan of stuffing of any kind. As a kid I was a purist for simple and plain, but as an adult I love nuts and dried fruits in my stuffing.
Comment by Danielle — November 14, 2012 @ 11:19 am
broccoli casserole…my Chinese mom did not make it like the mush green bean casserole that I have seen/eaten. fresh broccoli steamed lightly but then yes, the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, cheddar cheese with the fried onions on top. I usually only get this at Christmas with my sisters/mom. otherwise, if I make it for my family, I will be eating the whole casserole since hubby doesn’t eat it.
oh, and loved stuffing, too. mom made it from scratch. I remember sitting and rubbing the bread with my fingers to make bread crumbs. hers was dense–equivalent to a full meal, I think!
Comment by sophia — November 14, 2012 @ 11:24 am
My favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal was the next day’s turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Comment by Michael Bird — November 14, 2012 @ 11:26 am
Stuffing made with celery, shredded carrots, onions and dried apricots….yum can smell the aroma of it baking as I type.
Comment by martha — November 14, 2012 @ 11:27 am
Well, if I ignore the obvious answer of stuffing, it was rutabega. My grandma always served it for Thanksgiving–just cooked in water with some salt and butter–and it was a refreshing taste amidst all the heavier traditional offerings.
Comment by Elisa — November 14, 2012 @ 11:30 am
I love sweet potato casserole! Super unhealthy! I still make it, but use coconut oil instead of butter and increase the amount of sweet potatoes vs. fattening stuff.
Comment by Amy G — November 14, 2012 @ 11:32 am
My favorite dish was the pumpkin bread my mother would make in the old Folger’s tins. Besides being delicious, I thought I had the coolest mom on the block for her ingenuity in using coffee cans. On another note, thanks for all the laughs. I really enjoy your videos. Happy Thanksgiving!
Comment by Pamela — November 14, 2012 @ 11:36 am
My mom’s Spinach Madeleine. It turned spinach haters into spinach lovers. Unfortunately, it’s made with that nonperishable “cheese” in a tube. I don’t eat cheese anymore, and especially not the nonperishable kind! But it’s not the same dish without it, so I haven’t had it in years. I even won a contest to have a Whole Foods chef try to make a healthy version of it. What they came up with was tasty but just not Spinach Madeleine. :/
Comment by Faith — November 14, 2012 @ 11:39 am
Lefse! With butter and sugar! You can tell my heritage! YUM!!
Comment by Elizabeth Ramstad — November 14, 2012 @ 11:47 am
Gravy!! It goes with everything… well almost everything. My mom would use the drippings from the turkey, make a rue, add fresh herbs and some chicken stock.
Comment by Ava — November 14, 2012 @ 11:53 am
Stuffing with turkey gravy! It isn’t holiday dinner without it. Loved the cauliflower gratin recipe/video.
Comment by Jacquelyn Witte — November 14, 2012 @ 12:00 pm
I might be “weird” as conventional Thanksgiving food is not my absolute favorite. But my mom’s homemade cheddar onion biscuits are the absolute best. I live far away from home now and don’t have a family of my own yet, but may be making them this year for my Thanksgiving dinner/potluck with friends! Otherwise, they are a special treat when I go home for the holidays.
Comment by Marisa B — November 14, 2012 @ 12:06 pm
I always loved the stuffing, cooked inside the bird. It had apples, celery, raisins and onion, and often accompanied lesser roasted bird dinners throughout the year. Sadly, my mother passed away before I had a chance to host Thanksgiving myself, and I thought the recipe was lost… until my sister-in-law served the stuffing of my youth at the big family dinner two years ago. Turns out, “Mom’s Famous Stuffing” was the recipe found in “The Joy of Cooking!” I remember the big smile on my face when I bit into that delicious stuffing two years ago, and learning that I could recapture a bit of my family history.
Comment by Erin H. — November 14, 2012 @ 12:07 pm
I used to love the sweet potatoes (canned) with marshmallows on top. I still serve sweet potatoes, but prefer a less processed approach…
Comment by Julie Dirr — November 14, 2012 @ 12:07 pm
My mom was shocked when we went to a friends for Thanksgiving dinner, and all four of her kids gobbled up the creamed onions. She’d tried for years to get us to eat onions to no avail. Needless to say, they became a regular on our Thanksgiving table. Sadly, my son and husband are nearly as taken with them as I am, so I’ve stopped making them, but they live on with the rest of the family.
Comment by Gail Cunningham — November 14, 2012 @ 1:13 pm
Stuffing, but only at my Irish Grandmother’s house. My Italian Grandmother added strange, unnamed organs to her stuffing and it scared us.
Comment by Sara — November 14, 2012 @ 1:26 pm
My favorite Thanksgiving side dish as a child was the traditional (made by my grandma) green bean casserole, hands down. Oh, and 10 black olives. I always had to put them on my fingers before eating them. These are still a part of my family’s Thanksgiving dinner. We like to try new and different things, but some traditions just stay… and now, I’m the one who makes the green bean casserole.
Comment by Barb C. — November 14, 2012 @ 1:29 pm
I loved my mom’s rolls, they were called Moravian Love Buns - what’s not to love with a name like that! They were very lightly spiced with orange and lemon zest and nutmeg and mace. A little mashed potato in the dough ensured they were always moist and tender. I still ask my mom to make them on Thanksgiving!
Comment by Kate — November 14, 2012 @ 1:47 pm
Bread dressing was the best!
Comment by Annette — November 14, 2012 @ 1:58 pm
My favorite dish was mashed potatoes! Now that I am grown, and vegan, I still make them but just use Earth Balance and rice or almond milk. They are just as delicious as always!
Comment by Bridget Joyce — November 14, 2012 @ 2:11 pm
Roasted brussel sprouts….with a bit of garlic and maple syrup!
Comment by Lois Wessel — November 14, 2012 @ 2:26 pm
The book sounds awesome - thank you for another great giveaway!
My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the sides! However the mention of possibly leaving out the turkey this year drew a surprising ‘no way’! (However we will still have polish sausage as a second ‘main’. Love the corn, potatoes and stuffing — but my favorite side and we always have to have them for Thanksgiving are deviled eggs.
Comment by Jaclyn — November 14, 2012 @ 2:26 pm
My favorite Thanksgiving side dish growing up was Sweet & Sour Beets. I printed the recipe on a recipe card when I was young and still follow it. It used canned, sliced beets combined with a Sweet & Sour
Sauce–you can add raisins or not. The trick is to balance the sweet (sugar) and sour (vinegar). A wonderful
family memory. Very simple but delicious!
Comment by Carri Martin — November 14, 2012 @ 2:55 pm
My favorite Thanksgiving side dish was the sweet potato casserole. My mom would smother those puppies with tons of mini marshmallows! And, yes, I make them every year… even when it’s not Thanksgiving.
Comment by Rachel Francisco — November 14, 2012 @ 2:56 pm
I’m a subscriber and a fan! My favorite Thanksgiving dinner side dish was a toss-up (not literally) between mashed potatoes and stuffing.
Comment by Eileen — November 14, 2012 @ 3:02 pm
Growing up, it was always mom’s stuffing and now it is Holly’s Pilgrim Stuffing and some Maple Sage Sweet Potatoes…MMMMM!!!!!
Comment by Kathy Coffey — November 14, 2012 @ 3:03 pm
My mom made the most amazing scalloped oysters - only at Thanksgiving! It was made with oysters, oyster stew, crackers, butter, and parsley. I requested (and received) the recipe a number of times, but mine never turned out the same. I’d give my left arm for a dish of my mom’s scalloped oysters this Thanksgiving.
Comment by Kristen — November 14, 2012 @ 3:14 pm
No question about mashed potatoes being my fav! They were my first food and I’ve loved them ever since. Although I love all the other T-day menu items too. It’s the best meal of the year!
Comment by Jaime Jean Klocek — November 14, 2012 @ 3:20 pm
Does Pumpkin Pie count as a side dish?
If not then I’d have to say my favorite was always the stuffing and gravy.
Thanks for the chance to win this great cookbook!
Comment by Liz — November 14, 2012 @ 3:56 pm
My favorite side dish was (and still is) mashed potatoes made with the skins on, lots of butter and topped with salt and black pepper. Yum!
Comment by Zephyr — November 14, 2012 @ 4:17 pm
A favorite is hard to pick, but I do remember loving cranberry sauce — the canned kind! Now I make my own with cranberries from the coast, honey, fresh squeezed orange and lemon juice and lemon zest.
Comment by Jen Anonia — November 14, 2012 @ 4:26 pm
My mother’s cranberry recipe…. Always ground by hand by the grandchildren… always fun for them ,and so
sweet and good.
Comment by Mary — November 14, 2012 @ 4:32 pm
Cranberry sauce! As a kid I loved the jellied stuff popped right out of the can and would turn my nose up at that “weird whole-berry stuff.” Thankfully, my taste has improved and while I still love cranberry sauce, I now make my own which is worlds better than the canned stuff.
Comment by Tiffany — November 14, 2012 @ 4:33 pm
oh, gosh
as a kid - probably the corn out the can!
My taste buds have since changed
Comment by Denise — November 14, 2012 @ 5:05 pm
Mashed potatoes were always my favorite too! Still look forward to them every year!
Comment by Heather — November 14, 2012 @ 5:06 pm
Dad’s homemade rolls, warm from the oven, with butter melting into them.
Comment by Laura P. — November 14, 2012 @ 5:31 pm
My favorite side dish was my mom’s homemade bread! Delicious!
Comment by Julie — November 14, 2012 @ 6:06 pm
That was funny - I thought too hard about this at first! LOL My little self made herself heard. tho: …STUFFING! Oniony, sagey, buttery…mmm!
But the next runner-up is Rutabaga Souffle - which I learned to make from my mother-in-law, mmm, again!
Happy, happy Thanksgiving, all!
Comment by Heather R — November 14, 2012 @ 6:11 pm
Mashed potatoes for me too!
Comment by Paula — November 14, 2012 @ 6:22 pm
Sitting at the kid’s table when my grandma bought olives without pits so the parents couldn’t count how many olives we ate (after playing with them on our fingers, of course)
Comment by Becky — November 14, 2012 @ 6:42 pm
Stuffing! Oh, yes, glorious stuffing!
Comment by Florence — November 14, 2012 @ 6:58 pm
My favorite item at Thanksgiving was the pecan pie. The first time I tasted it I thought I had died and gone to heaven, it was the most delicious thing I had ever eaten. I was so surprised when I first made it on my own and found how easy it was to make.
Comment by JeanetteB — November 14, 2012 @ 7:25 pm
My favorite side dish as a child was my mother’s/grandmother’s/aunt’s bread dressing. It was a simple version made of dry bread cubes, butter, broth, cooked gizzards, sauteed celery, onions, salt, pepper and summer savory. I recall preferring as little green stuff as possible
Happy Thanksgiving!
Comment by Maureen Rigert — November 14, 2012 @ 7:30 pm
Aunt Margaret’s sweet potatoes - topped with butter, karo, brown sugar and walnuts. Aunt Margaret was my great-Aunt and is long gone, but I still make them every year.
Comment by Melissa T — November 14, 2012 @ 7:33 pm
Old fashioned bread/sage dressing with a glop of turkey gravy on top- yaaaah!
Comment by kyozen — November 14, 2012 @ 7:42 pm
As a kid my favorite side dish was egg nog! I know, not really a side dish, but it was the way I drank it! My second favorite was the homemade stuffing! I make my own every year.
Comment by Jess Lamson — November 14, 2012 @ 7:53 pm
Add Lefse to the T-day classics —friends in Pt Townsend and Seattle make and share it —a labor of love. I am especially thankful when at their tables!
Comment by Pat — November 14, 2012 @ 8:04 pm
My favorite TG dish is macaroni and cheese!
Comment by Camille Seaberry — November 14, 2012 @ 8:06 pm
My favorite side dish for Thanksgiving when I was a child was my Moms’ fruit salad. I think she used a creamy coleslaw dressing over apples, bananas, and marshmallows. I have not made it or eaten it since I was a kid. How sad is that?!
Comment by stacy b — November 14, 2012 @ 8:58 pm
I love the gravy. It is the only time of year I have gravy and there is something about mashed potatoes and gravy that just says thanksgiving.
Comment by Lynn — November 14, 2012 @ 9:16 pm
Mashed Potatoes just like Cynthia said. Simple, hearty, and I always loved way more than the turkey. A big cloud of comfort!
Comment by Colleen — November 14, 2012 @ 9:35 pm
Sausage bread stuffing cooked in the turkey! Yes I know some are afraid of it but I have eaten it every thanksgiving for probably 52 of my 54 years! I still love it. I even eat the stuffing by itself with added veggies (whatever veggies are left in the refrigerator) throughout the year. I do compromise now and use a lower fat sausage.
Comment by Cynthia Kopperstad — November 14, 2012 @ 9:50 pm
Mashed Potatoes just like Cynthia said. Simple, hearty, and I always loved way more than the turkey. A big cloud of comfort!
Comment by Hayes — November 14, 2012 @ 10:32 pm
Stove Top stuffing. I know, it’s so laden with artificial stuff. But I loved it, all the same!
Comment by Erika — November 15, 2012 @ 6:25 am
Stuffing was my absolute favorite! My Mom didn’t really cook so it was usually just stove top but I loved it. Now I make homemade stuffing…this year I’ll attempt a wheat free version as it’s been almost a year wheat free for me. Any ideas?
Comment by Terry — November 15, 2012 @ 8:15 am
Shredded Brussels Sprouts!! Braise in stock then add little mustard and crumbled bacon.
Second favorite would be oyster stuffing.
Comment by Jim Heath — November 15, 2012 @ 10:24 am
My favorite as a kid was mashed potatoes. I can’t get my kids to eat them at all.
As an adult I learned to appreciate in-the-bird stuffing, gravy and cranberries. We are a divided family when it comes to gravy. All of us “kids” (those under 60) like gravy without the yucky stuff like liver. The “adults” all like what we “kids” always call “yucky gravy.” Pass the “good” gravy please.
Comment by Alisa — November 15, 2012 @ 10:29 am
My favorite was stuffing! I’m from Maine and we made ours with potatoes, bread, poultry seasoning, onions and celery. Yum!
Comment by Margaret Pauly — November 15, 2012 @ 10:32 am
My Dad’s stuffing/dressing with giblet gravy. I still make it the same way he always did, with stale bread cubes, celery, peppers, onion, butter, and turkey broth, only now it’s gluten free. The giblet gravy is a must as well (also gluten free), all lumpy and rich, soaking into that stuffing. After the customary Thanksgiving nap, we were always going back for more stuffing and gravy. And next day sandwiches always include stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, some token turkey, mayo, and lettuce–that is, if you can get your mouth around it!
Comment by Sarah Winnett — November 15, 2012 @ 10:34 am
The sweet potatoes cooked with mini (and often multicolored) marshmallows. And great grandma’s rolls!
Comment by Seth — November 15, 2012 @ 1:51 pm
My favorite dish was always the greenbean casserole. My family has always made it with the crunchy onions on top (although they don’t end up very crunchy at all in the end!) and a can of cream of mushroom soup.
Maybe this year I’ll find a good alternative recipe that doesn’t come in a can!
Comment by Danae — November 15, 2012 @ 3:14 pm
Pumpkin Pie is a trigger food for me. If it’s in the house, it won’t last long! Breakfast, lunch AND dinner…nom nom nom…. My next favoritest Thanksgiving dish would be mashed potatoes and gravy but it’s got to be homemade, pan scrapings gravy, not that pre-made canned cr*p. I’m drooling just thinking about it. :p
Comment by Robyn — November 15, 2012 @ 4:22 pm
It’s all about the oyster stuffing and the pecan pie. I remember sneaking and hiding one of the pecan pies under the sofa so I would be sure there would be a pie left for me!
Comment by Katrina — November 15, 2012 @ 6:16 pm
Yup, I go for the stuffing and mash potatoes for sure!
Comment by Leslie — November 15, 2012 @ 8:21 pm
mom’s homemade not too sweet, not too sour cranberry sauce on top of everything..yummm
Comment by annie — November 15, 2012 @ 9:01 pm
The stuffing or dressing. Inside the bird it’s stuffing, in a pan it’s dressing. Mom used to cut up bread into chunks and leave out to harden a bit. She would saute celery, onion, green peppers in butter with some poultry seasoning and salt and pepper. That would get added to the bread in a bowl along with an egg or two. Stir-it-up then stuff the bird and bake. I like it so much that when we had left overs, some of that stuffing went on my sandwich(yes with bread) and turkey and cranberry sauce. Yum, Yum.
I still make it today but I use mostly cornbread and I add chili peppers!
Comment by lynnita ellis — November 15, 2012 @ 9:15 pm
Had to be the dressing, with gravy on top, of course!
Comment by Candy — November 15, 2012 @ 9:23 pm
This one’s EASY: candied sweet potatoes. My brother and I used to fight over them during the holidays. I’d slather them with butter when they hit my plate and ooooooooh that sweet and savory mix was like a holiday in itself.
Even though hubbo and the kid don’t like them, yes, I still make them and eat them all myself! (This year I found a new version I may have to make; sans marshmallows and brown sugar, this recipe calls for orange juice and zest with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar over the top, baked. Hmmm…)
Comment by Jennifer B. / Brooklyn — November 16, 2012 @ 4:10 am
Mincemeat pie. My grandmother, Jessie, made this pie from scratch, for both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. She passed away more than forty years ago. But the sight, smell and taste of mincemeat pie never fails to bring back fond memories of her and of family gatherings around the holiday table.
Comment by Kelly — November 16, 2012 @ 8:17 am
Mashed rutabaga. It’s just not Thanksgiving without them!
Comment by Rachel Turner — November 16, 2012 @ 8:20 am
I grew up in Japan, so didn’t have thanksgiving meals until I was an adult. But, as an adult, my favorite is mixing all the different foods–turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, sweet potatoes–and eating them all mixed up. Kind of like a Thanksgiving version of fried rice : )
Comment by Michelle U. — November 16, 2012 @ 9:37 am
The stuffing!!! forfet the turkey and mashed potatoes. I’ll take a plate of stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie - please and THANK YOU!
Comment by Leticia H — November 16, 2012 @ 9:40 am
Apple Pie with a scoop of ice cream - I’d give thanks for that every day
Comment by Jessica S — November 16, 2012 @ 11:42 am
My favorite Thanksgiving meal is, was and ever shall be STUFFING. Straight out of the bird, if you want to know particulars. YUM.
Comment by Steff — November 16, 2012 @ 12:14 pm
My favorite Thanksgiving dish was always the gravy, which I’d put on pretty much everything except dessert. Gravy on the turkey, gravy on the mashed potatoes, gravy on the corn and green beans . . . To this day it’s still one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner with my family.
Comment by Courtney — November 16, 2012 @ 8:27 pm
scalloped potatoes. I grew up in Germany and we don’t have thanksgiving dinners as such. First thanksgiving dinner I had was in Canada and that was the first time I ever had scalloped potatoes.
Comment by melanie barfels — November 16, 2012 @ 9:06 pm
This is a hard question for me to answer. There are so many that I love (the crunchy stuffing straight from the bird, mashed potatoes when the gravy is good, deviled eggs), but in truth the amount of food overwhelms me and I end up barely nibbling most years. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is really the company, and my best memories from childhood are those when our home was packed with more than 30 friends. Most without families nearby. I miss that patchwork group of people, we are mostly with family now.
Comment by Jennifer — November 16, 2012 @ 11:02 pm
I gotta say my favorite all-time T-day side dish was a fancy stuffing that my first husband, a fabulous cook, found in a froofroo cookbook - with apricots, almonds, sausage (we used vegetarian sausage), and an entire bottle of Grand Marnier poured over it. Yum. Leftovers made an entire lunch in one dish for a week.
But my CHILDHOOD favorite T-day “side” dish would have to be the appetizer course my mother served (for Christmas too… because her motto was you just cannot spend enough time on a holiday cooking and eating. Big cold shrimp, served shrimp cocktail-style with my father’s secret special sauce (which was pretty much the only thing he “cooked” in our household).
Comment by Anne Welsbacher — November 17, 2012 @ 10:15 am
My all-time favorite Thanksgiving side dish is stuffing. Yes, simple, yummy stuffing.
Comment by Isabel Lau — November 17, 2012 @ 11:23 am
Mom’s cranberry relish. If I had known what she put in it, I never would have eaten it as a kid. Walnuts!? Yuck. Celery!? Yuck. Now, red jello; jello I can handle. Oh, and the canned black olives I could stick on the tips of my fingers.
Comment by Eileen — November 17, 2012 @ 11:44 am
I enjoyed everything because so many dishes were only served on a holiday celebration, so I can’t pick just one. But my husband’s “must have” dish is the canned cranberry sauce. He always thought that his mom had a special mold that made the grooves that it had in it - but it was just the way it comes out of the grooved can!
Comment by Molly B — November 17, 2012 @ 12:26 pm
Giblet & breadcrumb stuffing. Delish!
Comment by Melissa — November 17, 2012 @ 3:00 pm
My favorite dish was/is sweet potatoes! Although now that I’m “grown up” I like them simply roasted with coconut oil and sea salt rather than the more traditional marshmallow-topped dish.
Comment by Sara W — November 17, 2012 @ 3:56 pm
My mom always made what we called Turnip Fluff! We still have it every year. Turnip is boiled, mashed and then mixed with egg, cream, bread (cubed like you would with bread pudding), butter, sugar and spices (I’m not sure of the exact recipe). Then it would be baked like a casserole with a nutty topping. So good!
Comment by Allison Roberts — November 18, 2012 @ 5:26 pm