As the holidays approach it brings to mind such sweet memories of Thanksgivings past. Here is a little peek into my holiday memories.
Gina B. – Team member of Cooking Queen
Each year, Americans celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on the fourth Thursday of November. Most families follow traditions begun on the first Thanksgiving, but many have their own traditions that they follow each year. One such tradition in my family was the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade! Thanksgiving was my daddy’s favorite holiday. Thanksgiving morning , my sisters and I would lay across the living room floor and watch the parade with my parents. We never missed it! We loved seeing our favorite balloons appear on the parade route…and seeing all the performers. My dad used to say that if we watched till the end and saw Santa waving at us, that he would know exactly where to find us on Christmas day. That was back in 1973- Today I still can’t miss the parade. I watch it every year no matter where I am. The first few minutes of the start of the show, as they are announcing the special guests…I am in tears remembering those past thanksgivings with my daddy and how much he loved my mom’s cooking and Thanksgiving. Today I share this same tradition with my own children. We all snuggle up, with coffee or Hot chocolate and tune in. We don’t start our day until the parade is over. Thanksgiving is my absolute FAVORITE holiday.
Traditional foods are a large part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Many families include the entire family in the food preparation. Traditional foods include turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Many people serve pie for dessert at the end of the meal. Popular pie flavors are pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, and apple. In my family , growing up with a mom from Jamaica and a father who was American, our Thanksgiving feast was a tasty combination of food that became our favorite tradition day one! Of course no meal is complete with out the traditional ,Roast Turkey and Gravy but mom also made a Brown-Sugar Glazed ham and Roast Beef . Instead of mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes as most would have …we had sliced Cranberry, Cucumber Vidalia Salad, Homemade Stuffing and Coconut Rice or “Rice and Peas” , as they would call it in Jamaica. Coconut rice is delicious! It is rice cooked with coconut milk instead of water and either Black eye peas or Red Kidney beans are added. The end result is amazing and really compliments the trio of meat and other sides. I hope you enjoyed this trip into my Thanksgiving Traditions and I hope you try the recipes!
Combine chick peas with onions, peppers, celery, garlic, red pepper flakesand rosemary in a medium bowl. Dress salad with vinegar and oil, salt and pepper. To add some carbs to this colorful meal, try some of the savory variations of Beer Bread Mix
So we did take our trip to Germany with the wiener schnitzel and warm German potato salad. It was yummy. Too tired and lazy too take pictures this time plus it wasn’t that pretty. I definitely need more practice cooking in butter. I had a hard time keeping it the proper temp. I got to hot and they turned really brown not burnt just not pretty. Where shall we go next? It was super good though. The potato salad was a big hit.
Wiener Schnitzel Copyright 1999, Hans Rockenwagner, All rights reserved
Prep Time: 0 min Inactive Prep Time: 0 min Cook Time: 0 min Level: Easy Serves: Ingredients
Directions Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Pound the veal cutlets to an even, approximately 1/8-inch thickness, or have your butcher do this for you. In a dish, sprinkle the cutlets with lemon juice and let stand for 30 minutes. Season both sides with salt. Place the flour on a flat plate, and place the egg/water mixture in a wide, shallow bowl. Add the oil to the egg mixture and beat in with a fork. Spread the bread crumbs on a large plate. Dip the cutlets lightly into the flour, making sure to coat all surfaces, then gently shake off the excess flour. Dip the cutlets into the egg mixture, letting the excess drip away, and then dredge them in the bread crumbs. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Heat your largest, heavy skillets over medium-high heat and add the butter. When the butter is quite hot and the foam starts to subside, add the veal (cook in batches if necessary – but don’t crowd them in the pan). If the butter browns too much after cooking the first batch, you may need to discard it, wipe out the pan, and add more butter for the next batch. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, until golden brown, and turn with a spatula (don’t use a fork or tongs, or the breading may be pierced). When the second side is golden, the schnitzels should be cooked through. Transfer to a warm platter and keep warm in a 250 degree oven while you cook the second batch, if necessary
Warm Potato Salad c.1997, M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger, all rights reserved
Prep Time: 30 min Inactive Prep Time: 0 min Cook Time: 40 min Level: Easy Serves: 6 servings Ingredients
Directions Steam potatoes until just tender. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels and drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add celery to skillet and saute until softened. Add jalapeno, green onions, cumin and sugar and stir 1 minute. Add vinegar, broth and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil.
Combine warm potatoes and bacon in large bowl. Add hot dressing and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cilantro and toss again. Serve warm.
Bullet Points
. In Germany, potato salad is served as an accompaniment to bratwurst, Wiener Schnitzel, sweetbreads, and other hearty meat dishes.
. German potato salad is different from American potato salad because it doesn’t use mayonnaise as a big part of the dressing.
. German potato salads are best served lukewarm, because the potatoes have a chance to absorb the dressing.