November 16, 2006

Curious George: The Dish that Passeth Understanding What does everybody know you're bringing this year?

OK, we've had a lot of food/recipe threads here on MoFi. Can we stand another one? Since we're coming up on U.S. Thanksgiving, and Canadian Thanksgiving was just a few weeks ago, and winter holidays are just around the corner, everyone I know is going to some sort of dish-to-pass function. The church suppers of my youth were fond memories indeed, and we always looked forward to a repeat of everyon'e signature dish. So, give, Monkeys: Is there something you usually take to one of these dos? Do you have a signature dish? My cranberry chutney is simmering on the stove as we speak, replacing my usual green bean casserole. I feel like such a rebel!

  • Strangely enough, we're known for cranberry chutney. Wait. Are you my wife? Oh no
  • After countless years of being told by the family to bring only wine or bread, I finally put my foot down this year and insisted on bringing something I cooked because dammit, I *can* cook! I was assigned the sweet potato dish, which is my least favorite of the bunch. So I thought I would find a recipe with a bit of a twist: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000129.html If it goes over well, this will become my signature dish. Or else I'll skip everything and just bring the bourbon.
  • I'm not going to post now that I know you're a secret lesbian.
  • Nobody knows I'm bringing anything, because I'm not, because we don't have this holiday festival in my country.
  • did someone mention bourbon and secret lesbians????? serious. I don't really have a sig dish, since I don't cook, altho I have a pretty good reputation for making great salads. does that count?
  • Yes.
  • I'm not going to any Thanksgiving dinners, but if I was, I'd make a pumpkin pie. My secret ingredient is raisins, and a ton of fresh ginger.
  • I fast on Thanksgiving. I think, if you're really thankful, and willing to thank, shouldent you fast instead of stuffing yourself fuller with food?
  • I'm one of those people who looks up internet recipes at the last minute for potluck thingees. The last time I went to one, I made deviled eggs.
  • My Mom and her sisters always brings the same thigns to each respective holiday function. For Thanksgiving, Mom makes a meat pie, and an apple pie. Since she's the only sister who makes two pies, she's allowed an easy out for her "dinner" dish. We bring the peas.
  • Yeah, no Thanksgiving here either. I'm too fond of candied yams so I may have to make those just for the heck of it this year. But who wants a huge roast dinner in the middle of summer? It's bad enough doing that at Christmas.
  • Mmm, peas-n-pies! As for the rest of you... ya bunch of unmutuals! Be seeing you! *hops on pennyfarthing bike, tools off the the Village picnic*
  • Candied yams are too sweet for us, so we do a dish with yams, a bit of honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, onion and garlic. Or, sometimes, curried yam latkes. I've never been in a potluck environment for holiday dinners. My mother always did the whole thing till she got too old, when I took over. I cut it off however, after the year when 17 showed up for Thanksgiving and 22 for Christmas. Now, it's usually just 3 of us. Not as festive as in the days of yore, but I don't get so tired that I can't eat what I slaved over. I'd add recipies, but I was so scared by the ire over recipe threads some time ago that I afraid to.
  • Moderation is key. I think. What about digging up an old share-your-recipes thread?
  • You mean, like La Gatta's?
  • Um. Yes?
  • Ach. Fact: I'm a lousy cook. The kitchen gods bring the mouth-watering viands, but all I manage is to bring a good appetite.
  • And, come to think of it, I'm not sure why the anti-recipe feeling is (or was) so intense. If someone could ignore additions to an old thread, why couldn't they ignore them here? There's plenty of recurring stuff in FPPs that I find not to my taste, but if others care about it I don't (usually) complain. I don't have all the posts archived according to subject, so finding an old recipe thread would be difficult Anyway, if anyone is interessted in the yam recipies, email me.
  • Please come share your recipes in The Monkey Kitchen! No Thanksgiving here either, but my Yule-tide signature dish is pickled herring salad with beetroot.
  • I usually bring either fudge (slightly spiced with cinnamon, pepper, and chili powder) or brownies. No special recipes, mostly just "from the package" (of Eagle Condensed Milk for the fudge, the mix for the brownies).
  • I used to do onion bhajis for this sort of occasion, but I haven't had chance recently.
  • Jaffa Cakes and Spray Cream®!
  • I frequently make Dirty Mashed Potatoes for Thanksgiving ... potatoes boiled & mashed with skins on, plus a bit of garlic (and of course butter and milk). Always a big hit, and wicked easy.
  • I generally make a tofurkey of sorts if there's a family meetup at Thanksgiving (October) or xmas, but these holidays are both somewhat religious in nature and thus losing their appeal more every year to atheist me. Thanksgiving in particular is becoming tiresome, with one relative *insisting* on a turkey every time, though that relative is the only one who enjoys it, whereas another must roast chicken on account of not tolerating turkey. All but the turkey tyrant seem to enjoy the tofu, though. I am thankful that it comes but once a year!
  • My signature dishes are everything but the turkey. I am not allowed anywhere near the turkey since the pickle juice basting fiasco of 1993. The moral of this story? Never make the family vegetarian cook the bird.
  • Pumpkin pie with Jack Daniels in it. Many benefits. Also, yummy.
  • Mmm. Pickle juice!
  • Please come share your recipes in The Monkey Kitchen! Holy crap! I didn't know we had that. /hunts for two-way chicken recipe
  • All good Dutch cuisine being Indonesian, I make a giant pot of kick-ass Nasi. It's not popular, because people don't know what the fuck it is, so I end up taking it all home again. Which is perfectly fine by me. Credit for potluck, and the best of the goodies all for myself.
  • Where I worked in Swizterland, the staff canteen served what we called "Nasty Goreng" - a bad version of that. I'm sure yours does indeed kick arse. The canteen also served Fleischkaese... *shudders*
  • ...pickled herring salad with beetroot.... Waste of a good beetroot there, queen. I made a nice lasagna and took round to somebody's house once. Does that count?
  • See, my husband believes "with enough bourbon, any woman can become a lesbian." Though offensive, one look at those "Girls Gone Wild" video commercials might beg to differ...
  • Nasi Goreng kicks ass, especially with sambal. I was introduced to it years ago by my Dutch great-aunt. I'll be needing a recipe, Louis. I usually make a chicken & pepper alfredo for potlucks. Thanksgiving & Christmas I just bring the wine, since there are far better cooks in the family.
  • Blanky, funny you mention JD - I have a great recipe for a Jack Daniels chocolate pecan pie that I've always brought to the office potluck.
  • Yeah, you don't put much Jack in but it makes all the difference-I never thought of using it with chocolate pecan pie (which sounds really good).I love food.
  • Booze and emotional baggage.
  • My potluck specialty is chicken with a lemon-tomato sauce. I have some currently simmering in the slow cooker for a dinner tonight. Always gets rave reviews, takes some 30 seconds of preparation. Captain, bring some of that Indonesian for the next TO meetup. Can't get any of the good stuff here.
  • So where are these ^^^ recipes on this so-called MoRecFi thingie?
  • Try here.
  • I joined the MoRecFi thingie today, and in doing so, found that this is the (one of many???) place(s) that Tricycle spends his time with needless blogging, when he should be busy with his homosexual partner, #2, making a new MoFi. J'accuse!
  • People actaully need a frickin' recipe for this???
  • I just gained ten pounds reading MoRecFi. Where should I send the invoice for my new industrial-strength girdle?
  • Ha ha! I'm not bringing anything; living on a different continent from my parents, I've been throwing my own Thanksgivings since the turn of the millennium. Got 16 people this year for mulled cider, turkey, sweet potatoes (roasted with paprika and rosemary), mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, vegetarian stuffing, cornbread, someting else vegetarian, speedlime's glorious cranberry-apricot-Amaretto tarte, pumpkin cheesecake, and who knows what else.
  • Well Pallas, I see you've already got plenty of food, so I'll just come by and eat.
  • Lara, click on mothninja's link, above.
  • I've been known to bring a pot of chile, veggie or carny depending on the crowd, to a potluck and/or 'herbal' brownies, again depending on the crowd. For Thanksgiving with the family though, I just bring the beer and my tipsy self.
  • Yes, Pallas, I'll pop round about 10am with my dish, K?
  • muteboy, StoryBored: delighted! See you there. ...does this mean I have to make poutine?
  • What I'm saying is that a lot of recipes in this particular thread have not been put there. Yet. Get on it!
  • Update: The chutney was a crashing success.