Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

@ mr guy- I agree, the brining doesn't do much for me either. I've done it the past two years, and if you ask me it's a big pain in the ass for little results. Expensive too.

Don't be hating on me, but Campbell's creamy onion soup is far superior to use in casseroles versus the cream of mushroom. When I took over Thanksgiving duty from my MIL, that marshmallow sweet potato monstrosity was banned from my menu. As well as the canned cranberry "sauce", I make my own SF version from the real cranberries from the produce section.

People, people. Stop tormenting yourselves on a quest for kolaches when they clearly are geographically limited, and even those of varying quality. Just saw a feature on Food Network on a primo place called FruhStucks near Houston that not only has a huge local following but they do mail order! You can get them anywhere in the country now. The show left us salivating to try them. Wish we'd known about them during the 5 months we worked in Houston. What a loss that we can now make up for by mail.... http://www.fruhstucks.com/

If anyone else orders them up -- from here or elsewhere -- report back on favorite flavors and quality.

I miss "Microwave Master" with Donovan Jon Fandre, "Capril's Kitchen" with Caprile Pence, "Cooking Monday Through Friday" with Michelle Urvater and "Sunshine Cuisine" with Jean-Pierre Brehier.

As far as the worst, I would rather watch the chef on "The Muppet Show" than Alton Brown. David Rosengarten was so much more professional and didn't rely on forced humor.

I will give the ABSOLUTE greatest crock pot chili recipe EVER!!!!!

Ingredients:
-3 lbs. Lean Groud Beef---
-2(28 oz.) cans of Chunky Crushed Tomatoes---
-1(28 oz.) can Peeled Tomatoes----
-2 (12 oz., give or take) cans Red Kidney Beans
-3 Green Bell Pepers (abaout 2 lbs.)---
-1 Red Bell Pepers (about 3/4 of a lb.)---
-1 large Onion---
-2 Jalapeno Peppers (about 1 1/4 lbs.)---
-2 cups Rice(any style)
-2 large Tomatoes--
-8 table spns. Chili powder--
-3 table spns. Flour--
-3 table spns. Salt--
-5 table spns. Crushed Red Peppers--
-2 table spns. Pepper--
-3 table spns. Basil--
-3 table spns. Oregeno--
-1 table spns. Sugar--
- 5 table spns. Extra Virgin Olive Oil---
-8 table spns. of finely Chopped Garlic(sorry i don't know how many cloves exactly, but $1 worth of garlic is plenty---

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

-1. Fist put the two cans Crushed Tomatoes and 1 can Peeled in the crock pot on HIGH. Just let it cook.

-2. Cook the Ground Beef on a medium high flame until browned, add 2 table spns. of Chil Powder to the meat as it cooks. When ground beef is fully cooked DRAIN it and add it to the crock pot that already has the cans of Crushed + can of Peeled Tomatoes already cooking.

-3. Cook the Onion(Chopped), Green Bell Peppers(chopped), Red Bell Pepper(chopped), 8 chopped tblspns. chopped Garlic, Jalapeno Peppers, and 5 table spns. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Cook until ALL ingredients are glazed/tender/slightly browned.-------and add it to the crock pot that already has the cans of Crushed + can of Peeled Tomatoes, and ground beef already cooking

-4. mix 6 tblspns. Chili Powder with 3 tblspns. Flour with *about* 5 tblspns. water. thouroghly mix the Chili Powder + Flour + water ( it should be a little thinner than a tooth past consistancy) ADD that mixture(RUE) to the crock pot.

--5. Add Basil, Crushed Red Pepper, Oregenp, Salt, Pepper, Sugar, to the Crock Pot.

--6. Chop the 2 Tomatoes into fairly large pieces. Add the chopped Tomatoes to the Crock Pot.

--7. *DRAIN* the 2 cans Red Kidney Beans

I had no idea green bean casserole was so popular (or traditional). I have never tried it and have no desire to eat it. Now, green beans sauteed in butter, with crisp fried shallots? Mmmmm...

When I was a kid, I adored the cranberry jello in a can -- I'd always ask for third helpings of the stuff, and even have it for dessert. My mother seemed to buy it solely out of deference to tradition. I make mine from scratch now, and add orange zest.

I don't understand the disdain for giblets (turkey gizzards), but it wasn't until fairly recently that I realized I grew up eating and enjoying things that would make most Americans flinch: chitlins, head cheese, maws and tripe, tongue, and so on. My mother used to chop up the giblets, boil until tender, and add them to her stuffing.

I can do without the turkey, though. This year, my bf and I are roasting a chicken.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving foods is definitely the green bean casserole! BUT, I don't like mushrooms. So I always make the casserole with cream of CELERY instead of cream of mushroom soup. YUMM!

Don't be intimidated by the foodie snobs, particularly at Thanksgiving. Eat what tastes good to you, and damn the apologies. It's about tradition and family and memories, and I can say with assurance that every time (over the past 35 years) I have tried something trendy, in fashion, better for us, whatever at Thanksgiving, the dish has crashed and burned. No one was rude enough to say at dinner, "Blech, what's this," but their avoidance of the dish spoke volumes. The green bean casserole, cornbread dressing and jellied cranberry "sauce" always disappear.

What? You hate turkey? I could not disagree more. Why do you think we all look forward to Thanksgiving?! And we actually do have turkey on all our other holidays (that, or brisket), thank you very much.

Hillary
Chew on That

Mashed potatoes - one more Thanksgiving food that I love to hate. I grew up on my great uncle's roasted new potatoes and onions. I've never understood the charm of mashed potatoes. My sister-in-law who grew up enjoying mashed potatoes with her Thanksgiving dinner makes wonderful mashed potatoes. I've tried them and I can say with certainty that if I liked mashed potatoes , I would love hers (creamy, buttery, not lumpy). Give me roasted new potatoes with my turkey and canned cranberry sauce.

I love canned jellied cranberry sauce. I've actually made it myself (straining out the skins and seeds like somebody else mentioned) it's great on so many things besides turkey. (try it on grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches!)

We had our share of canned soups growing up, as our neighbor supplied us because he was retired from Campbell's soup. I don't like green beans, so I've never liked green bean casserole. (the only way I can eat green beans without gagging is in tempura.)

Also, the giblets are good for many things- on Thanksgiving they usually end up in our gravy. Other times of the year they can end up in different things, stuffing, and sometimes they even get fed to the cats as a big treat.

The cranberry sauce just kills me! As an adult with a freezer of my own, I keep cranberries just in case there's a turkey breast or roast turkey dinner sometime in the off-season. Canned cranberries should be banned!!!!