What's on Your Thanksgiving Dinner Menu? Depression Glass, America's Test Kitchen

What's on Your Thanksgiving Dinner Menu?

Roasted turkey

Thanksgiving is upon us, and I'm excited about selecting my dinner menu. My family won't be joining me this year, so rather than cook, I've decided to purchase prepared food. I'm going to miss cooking this year, but because I'm burning the candle at both ends this semester, I look forward to just eating and curling up on the couch all day long! Thankfully, one of my favorite gourmet grocery stores, Whole Foods Market, offers delectable alternatives to my traditional home-cooked holiday meal. This store carries great prepared foods year-round, but their holiday menu is awesome. Check out their mouth-watering selections. The great thing about shopping here is you can sample anything before you buy, eliminating the risk of wasting money on an unfamiliar dish that you don't like. I will order the herb-roasted pork loin with green beans, pecan cornbread stuffing, roasted brussel sprouts, and my favorite seeduction rolls! I'll also be adventurous and try something new like the orange mashed yams with cranberries. When it comes to dessert, I'm not a huge fan of traditional holiday pies, so I will purchase a small Italian cream cake from my favorite dessert shop, Dessert Gallery.  FYI - leftover roast pork loin makes a great sandwich. Try it thin-sliced on whole grain bread with your favorite toppings (don't forget the dijon mustard). I guarantee that pork will taste better than the day before!  What's on your Thanksgiving dinner menu this year?

Depression Glass

Sugar dish, creamer, and butter dish--Depression glass

I'd like to share a pic of a serve ware set that my grandmother gave to my mother, and my mother in turn handed down to me. It includes a sugar dish, creamer, and a covered butter dish. Initially, I just thought of it as a treasured family heirloom, but when I learned of Depression glass, I did a little research and found that this set shared the same characteristics and was likely manufactured during the depression era. Depression glass is clear or colored translucent glassware that was distributed free, or at low cost, in the United States and Canada around the time of the Great Depression (1930 - 1940). The Quaker Oats Company, and other food manufacturers and distributors, put a piece of glassware in boxes of food, as an incentive to purchase. Movie theaters and businesses would hand out a piece simply for coming in the door. (Wikipedia.org) I tried to find this pattern online to no avail. However, I did find a website, Kejaba Treasures, which carries similar collections from this era. Some of the patterns are very intricate and fun to look at. I guess this means I own a piece of culinary history! Do you own any heirloom cookware or utensils that you'd like to share with us?

America's Test Kitchen

I've watched America's Test Kitchen many times on PBS, but last week I discovered the America's Test Kitchen website. It is a comprehensive website that covers seemingly everything food--even food science. The feature that I enjoyed most is America's Test Kitchen Radio. You can browse episodes and listen on demand to a whole host of topics. Episodes are also available via podcast. This weekend I heard an interesting discussion on the secret to making a good hamburger. The hosts informed the audience that freshly ground chuck works best--not the pre-ground beef that comes in the roll. They also discussed the differences in meat grinding processes and what type of grind works best for a desired outcome. In addition, the hosts offered tips on how to handle ground beef while seasoning--the more you work the meat, the tougher the burger.  Also available on demand at America's Test Kitchen TV are recently aired episodes. Overall, I think this site is vibrant,engaging, and a great resource for recipes and encyclopedic culinary information. If you register and create an account on the website, you can elect to receive a FREE issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine! Check out the website and let us know what you think.

Karen's Homemade Hamburgers - While growing up my mom made homemade burgers and fresh cut french fries for the family. We enjoyed every scrumptous bite, but didn't really appreciate it. Nowadays with food preparation being so convenience-driven, a homemade hamburger is a real treat. Here's my burger recipe:

• 1 lb. freshly ground chuck (80/20)
• 2 T worchestershire sauce
• 1 t dried thyme leaves
• 1 t Wright's liquid smoke
• 1 t dried granulated garlic
• 1 t dried granulated onion
• 1 T sea salt
• 1 t freshly ground black pepper

Gently combine all ingredients and shape into four patties. Cook to medium well or whatever your preference. (I like to cook burgers on my George Foreman grill.) Allow burgers to stand undisturbed for 5 minutes so the juices can redistribute. Serve with your favorite bread and toppings. Enjoy!

What is your take on a good homemade hamburger?