THANKSGIVING HELP REQUIRED!

Some staples are Turkey, Stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, pumpkin pie.

What is sweet potato casserole ?

a little bit of heaven in your mouth.

What is sweet potato casserole ?

a little bit of heaven in your mouth.

+1

I'm an American in Cambridgshire! But I can't take you on base or supply you with stuff from there - sorry. That could cost me my base access. Where are you? I'm near Huntingdon. Honestly though, I very rarely shop on base anyhow. Last year I made a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with stuff I got at Tesco and Sainsbury. Turkey, pumpkin soup, corn pudding, cranberry relish, stuffing, and Yorkshire puddings.

Turkey:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe.html

It is the moistest, best tasting turkey ever.


Pumpkin Soup:

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• 2 cups fresh pumpkin, roasted and diced, see note below
• 1 tablespoon sage leaves
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup cream
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
In a stockpot over medium heat, melt butter and saute onion, carrot, apple, roasted pumpkin, and sage until all are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Puree the mixture in a food mill; if you do not have a food mill, then puree in a food processor or blender. Return the puree to the stockpot, add the chicken stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the cream and simmer for 5 more minutes, lowering the heat if necessary so it does not boil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Divide soup among 4 soup bowls and serve immediately.
Cook's Note: To roast pumpkin, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut whole pumpkin in half and then cut each half into several pieces. Discard seeds or reserve for another use. Place pumpkin on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tender but not falling apart, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool, peel away skin, and dice.


Corn Pudding:
Classic Corn Pudding ~ Made From Scratch (Gluten Free or Not)
Yield: 8-12 servings

4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 (15 ounce) cans creamed corn
4 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup brown rice flour *
2 tablespoons potato starch *
6 tablespoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

* if you are not in need of a gluten free recipe, substitute 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons AP flour for the items marked with an *

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large cast iron skillet (or a 9x13 baking dish) and set aside. Whisk together the eggs and the sugar and then add in the sour cream, creamed corn and butter, stirring between each addition. Whisk together the dry ingredients and then add to the corn mixture. Stir until well combined.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, depending on your pan. When the pudding is golden brown and slightly firm to the touch, it is done. Let cool at least ten minutes before serving. Scoop with a spoon or slice into squares to serve. Enjoy!


Cranberry Relish:
1kg fresh cranberries
1-2 apples
1 cup toasted walnuts
100% pure maple syrup

Cook the cranberries in syrup Peel and dice apples and add to cranberries when they are just starting to soften. Add chopped, toasted walnuts. A dash of orange peel gives a nice finish but isn't necessary. The perfect consistency is when about half the cranberries have burst and turned pulpy, thickening the syrup. The other half will burst in your mouth. It's divine.

I go over to Lakenheath/Mildenhall about every other month or so. We're at Alconbury and they don't have anything there. It's absolutely pathetic. I don't mind much though. The local foods are much healthier, fresher, and often cheaper anyhow.

Hi Everyone, I live in England but my boss is from San Francisco.... As most of you know we Brits dont really celebrate Thanksgiving. Ususally my boss gomes home to her family every year but due to work commitments this year she is stuck in blighty with us!
A few of us wanted to get together and do something nice for her to celebrate even though she will be at work. We were planning to decorate her office with Autumn leaves and banners and make some Thanksgiving food and decorate one of the meeting rooms like a big family dinner table. Here is where I need help!
Any suggestions of what we can do? Food, Decorations etc... Please bear in mind we dont have as cool food as our lovely American counterparts (unless there are any Americans in Cambridgeshire who want to take me on base!) and American imported food is EXPENSIVE!
Any help gratefully appreciated. We dont want her to feel too homesick at Thanksgiving.
Thank You

That phrase sounded really odd in my head. heh.

pumpkin pie is normally on the Thanksgiving table.

Green Bean Casserole is my fave holiday side dish.

In terms of the sweet stuff, I think cinnamon is like a Thanksgiving requirement. Put it in your sweet sides and in your desserts, and it will be very reminiscent of an American autumn. Bonus spices include nutmeg, cloves, or allspice. Doesn't matter if it's apples, pumpkin, sweet potato, custard, bread pudding-y casserole stuff....... if it has those spices, she will be transported to TG. :-)

I forgot to mention spice cake. Also an acceptable fall/thanksgiving dessert. Yum.

So very thoughtful of you! :drinker:

Consider making side dishes that are more traditional for you in England. I try something new every year (I hate green bean casserole) and have fun!

Any help gratefully appreciated. We dont want her to feel too homesick at Thanksgiving.
Thank You

I am American who lived in Europe for several years. My extended family always got together to celebrate Thanksgiving. Of course, it was a normal work day for me. It was one day I dreaded every year.

You're very nice to think about that. If her family is close or has strong traditions around the holiday, it can be a tough day even for someone who is well-adjusted to their new home.

As for food... roast turkey is a must. I've done many roast turkeys. I prefer to buy fresh ones, but will get a frozen one if needed. Make sure to allow several days for it to thaw in the fridge. Exactly how many days depends on the size.

My advice - don't try roasting a turkey with stuffing inside. That is tricky and potentially dangerous if not done right. Stick to a simple recipe. A meat thermometer is really helpful to ensure it is cooked thoroughly, but not overcooked.

You should be able to get cranberry sauce pretty easily. That is traditionally served at Thanksgiving as a side for the turkey.

Pumpkin pie would be a nice touch. Tesco has the filling on their website:

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/search/default.aspx?searchBox=pumpkin+pie&icid=tescohp_sws-1_pumpkin+pie

The pie is easy to make. Here is a link to some recipes:

http://libbyspumpkinpie.com/

The traditional Thanksgiving pairing with turkey is dressing and brown gravy. Honestly... I'd just skip the dressing. Dressing recipes have a lot of variations and don't suit everyone's palate. Likely to be more trouble than it is worth.

Sides are pretty flexible. As mentioned above, families have different traditions. Assuming this isn't a surprise, just ask her. My thought would be mashed potatoes, green beans, and a nice dinner roll. Perhaps a green salad, also.

Plan on shopping ahead for any unusual ingredients that will keep - pie filling, turkey, etc. My experience in Europe was that these items didn't have much stock. It made the day less stressful when you know I had the ingredients at ready.

When we did cook a big Thanksgiving in Europe, we usually did it on Saturday following the actual day. That way we could invite friends over and make an afternoon of it.

Good luck!