What? Lumpy means undercooked? I simply don’t “smash” all the pieces. Big difference.
Made the corn dish for a small potluck this afternoon and it was delicious and a hit. These lifelong New Englanders had never heard of it.
I used only a half stick of butter, since the queen of butter, Paula Deen, limits it to that. And added 1T sugar, a little shredded cheddar in and a sprinkle on top. Still, I think I’d doctor next time, not sure what. Maybe a different cheese?
I am thinking of making an apple pie, but the last time I did, the apples didn’t get soft. at all. I’ve always used Granny Smith apples and I’ve never had that problem before. Do you cook the apples on the stove first? I never have, but the last pie was pretty awful. Does anyone have a fail-safe recipe?
@lookingforward , I have been making the corn casserole for 30 years. I always use sharp cheddar cheese. Depending on the rest of the menu, I have added a small can of chopped green chilies and a little garlic powder. I never have added sugar, but I always use Jiffy brand cornbread mix which is already sweet.
^^^I think having SHARP cheddar cheese is key. Need the sharp(ness) of the cheese!
I did use Jiffy and sharp cheddar, but will have to check how sharp. I think I wanted some tang to it. so maybe that would be the chilies. I also wondered about using more sour cream- and though it might end up creamier, that’s ok. It’s very good and different. Thanks, all.
Consolation, DH swears by that brisket recipe (we’ve made it at shul, too). Slicing the meat and then putting it back is the key. He also finds that serving it the next day also improves the taste. He also does the short rib recipe several times a year. Is doing it tomorrow, in fact, so we can schlep a couple quarts (frozen) to my BIL and SIL when we drive up for Thanksgiving.
@Consolation Nach Waxman for Brisket. Will google and make sure I slice and return.
I use Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese in the mash pototaos. It’s a Gournay -best price for it is Trader Joe’s.
I need a white wine suggestion with turkey. One of my assignments this year is white wine and DH and I don’t usually drink white.
White wine can be tricky. How about some Washington dry Riesling or Oregon Pinot?
That could work.
We hve found Conundrum works well for a white at Thanksgiving. We do tend to prefer the Pinot , though.
I had my first t-day meal last night. My male childhood friend came over. I made matzah soup to begin with, and he didn’t get beyond that. He had 2 bowls, 6 matzah balls, plus biscuits. At least he tasted the cranberry/orange relish.
Tonight I’ll,have another male friend over.
I will join in the mashed/whipped/lumpy potatoes discussion. Having been raised in the PA Dutch culture, mashed potatoes have to be smooth. A few weeks ago, my daughter asked me how to make mashed potatoes, and I sent her a very detailed and long email that included all the tips I have learned over the years to ensure the potatoes are lump free. One of those tips includes not using a Kitchen Aid mixer, by the way. A Sunbeam mixer works. But you also need to cook the potatoes “to death”. Also, the milk needs to be heated before adding to prevent the potatoes from stiffening after serving.
I think mashed potatoes have very personal preferences, and I’ve learned there’s not a lot of appreciation for my style of mashed potatoes outside of our culture. But we love them and will often make 2-3 times the amount necessary so we have lots of leftovers.
@musicmom1215, my apple pie recipe (which is my mom’s apple pie recipe) calls for a mix of apples. It calls for 7-10 cups of sliced apples (about 10 apples) and I usually use 3 granny smith, 3 honey crisp or gala, and 1-2 other varieties to round out the recipe, depending on how big the apples are. The softer nature of some of the others creates more juice and seems to soften the granny smith slices, thought they retain their crispness the most. I have never pre-cooked the apples and the pies are delicious. They have “structural integrity” but do not feel uncooked. Recipe is:
7-10 cups sliced apples (about 10)
3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Spritz of lemon juice
Mix sliced apples with lemon, then toss with sugar and cinnamon
Pile into 9" pie shell
Top with:
Streusel:
1/3 C butter, cut into small cubes
1/3 C brown sugar
3/4 C flour
Using your fingers, blend together butter, sugar, flour until it resembles coarse meal, spread over pie at bake at 400 degrees for 45-75 minutes or until juices are bubbling. Consider baking on a cookie sheet to prevent spillover.
@FlyMeToTheMoon mentioned leftover mashed potatoes. While I will, no one else will really eat them leftover! The consistency seems to change. I will add a little more milk/butter to warm up but apparently only the fresh stuff is the real stuff in our family!
You definitely need to add more milk when reheating mashed potatoes.
@abasket I love leftover mashed potatoes. Use them for Shepherd or Cottage Pie, boxty (potato pancakes) or fish cakes depending on what I have on hand. If it is not a fancy occasion, I only add cream, butter and a little salt to the mash.
Thanks for the wine suggestions. Will bring a cheat sheet to the store.
@runnersmom Yesterday, I had the best apple pie ever. Loaded with cinnamon, the apples were medium chunks and finished on the soft side of al dente, medium soft. She said she used no lemon (though it had that touch of tart.) The problem: all she knew was the apples were green but not Granny Smith. ?
And I suspect she used lots of sugar. Lots.
If you let the chunks sit in the sugar for 10-20 minutes, at the start, it draws moisture from the apples, the sugar turns a bit syrupy (depending on how long,) and the apples start to soften. We do this for another recipe.
Green but not Granny Smith would maybe be Green Delicious. I think they’re too soft for my taste, but whatever works! Those are the only truly green apples other than Granny Smith that I know of.
I also use a mix of apples but do not use any Granny Smith. Depending on what’s in the market. I use a mix of pink lady, honey crisp, Jonagold and winesap. Sometimes I add some Cortland instead of winsap that add the soft juiciness in the texture of the whole pie. No precooking but I now use a spiralizer to have a pile of thin slices in the pie. They cook nicely that way.