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Happily Ever After – Grateful Anyway

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by Valerie Nusbaum

This column is for the November issue, so it should be about Thanksgiving and/or being grateful for what we have. In truth, I’m writing this in early October and Thanksgiving is just a blip on my radar at this point.

I’m in the middle of getting things ready for Randy’s and my 24th wedding anniversary (October 15), and I’m hoping the weather will cooperate enough for us to get away for overnight or at least for a day trip. I’ve bought a couple of things for Randy and I got him a nice card, but remembering where I’ve put them is something else entirely, and I fear that the hunt will involve me cleaning up my studio.

Writing this column, I know Catoctin Colorfest is coming up and the town is busting loose, so I need to be aware that I can’t come and go as usual for the next few days.

I’m planning a Halloween get-together for my cousins and extended family, and we’re also preparing for trick or treat. Trick or treat would be a no-brainer for most people, but we have between 300-400 little goblins that descend upon us each year and that takes a lot of candy, not to mention that we try to do some yard decorating and that Randy wears a costume while he passes out treats and takes abuse from the little darlings.

It’s been a crazy week, and I haven’t had much time to get things done at home. Mom, Randy, and I have all had doctor’s appointments this week. I also made a pilgrimage to a new dentist because I will most likely need a root canal. The exterminator was here on Tuesday and the air conditioner repairman came on Wednesday. In between all of this, there was work, the yard guy was here, and I took Mom to Walmart. If the mailman is Randy’s nemesis, Walmart is mine.

Maybe that’s why I was thrown for a loop when I ordered a Southwest salad at the McDonald’s in Brunswick and was given a spoon for eating it. Seriously? The store was out of knives and forks. The kid at the cash register couldn’t think to tell me that when I ordered my salad? Needless to say, this didn’t end well and I can’t go back to that McDonald’s.

Sensing that I was gearing up for a meltdown, Randy thought he’d distract me with an episode of the Halloween Baking Championship on the Food Network. I love those shows. One of this season’s contestants is a young man with a lovely Carribbean accent. As we watched this guy bake, Randy looked over at me and said, “Well, that makes no sense at all.”

I asked what he meant, and he said that he’d been sure this particular contestant was from Jamaica. I still didn’t understand what he was getting at, so he explained. “The guy just said, ‘We don’t do dat in Ireland.’”

The guy actually said, “We don’t do that on our island.” And this is how we watch television at our house. One of us interprets for the other, and we take turns doing it.

Now, I wouldn’t want you to think that I’m not even contemplating Thanksgiving. I have given it some thought. In fact, I posed a question to my Facebook friends and asked them to tell me their preferred way to cook a turkey. More than one person responded that they prefer their turkey to be cooked by someone else. A few offered up smoking as a method of choice, but most people told me that they’ll do a turkey the traditional way by roasting it in the oven with something stuffed in the cavity. A lot of us do a covered roaster method to make broth for use in gravy and dressing.

I also asked people to name their favorite Thanksgiving side dish. A surprising number of people said sweet potatoes. I like sweet potatoes done many different ways, but my favorite way is mashed up in a casserole with a crunchy, sweet pecan topping. Randy prefers them on someone else’s plate, but he’ll eat them if I go to the trouble of making them. The sweet potato casserole I like best takes two days to make from scratch, or I can buy a very similar one for $3.49 at Aldi.  It fits perfectly in my fancy white casserole dish, and no one knows the difference.

We had a debate over the difference between dressing and stuffing. Dressing wins out at our house. I don’t stuff my turkey.  Randy and I like dressing with lots of celery and onions. If you’re in a pinch and can’t make your own, Mountain Gate has a delicious stuffing/dressing.

Also, I can’t stress enough that a fresh turkey tastes best.  For us, part of the tradition of Thanksgiving is standing in line on the Wednesday before the holiday at Hillside Turkey Farms to pick up our fresh bird. I have nothing against a frozen turkey. I’ve cooked my share of them, but once a year I like to go for broke.

No matter what your food preferences are or how frantic or unsettling your lives have been recently, I hope you’ll join me in taking a few minutes to realize that we all have things for which we are grateful. For me, it’s family, friends, and all of you who read my words each month.

Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S.  Thank you, Barb, for the delicious banana crème pie!

 

The Supermarket Gourmet

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Get Out of the Thanksgiving Box

by Buck Reed

If Thanksgiving is a celebration or thanks for the bounty of the season, then why do we limit the foods we eat to the same thing every year? Why not add a dish or two to your table? A new dish might add a little pizzazz to your holiday and get you into the mood for a fabulous fall. Just don’t mess with the turkey or screw up the gravy.

Keep the traditional stuffing next to the turkey, but maybe think about adding another bread-based dish to your meal: bread pudding. It’s easy to add a bread pudding with pumpkin or maybe cranberries or apples to your dessert table, so take the plunge and give a savory bread pudding a try. Make a standard custard and pour it over some stale bread cubes laced with onions and filled with sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or cooked and mashed winter squash. With a little imagination, you can put a grand spin to this idea.

Another dish that could make its way as a new tradition is roasted apples stuffed with sausage. Let’s face it, “anything” and sausage is welcome on my plate. Also, consider roasted Brussel sprouts or cauliflower to add a different flavor. For the beer lovers on your guest list, try a beer and bacon vinaigrette drizzled on your roasted vegetables.

Maybe a great corn dish could find its way to your home. Corn bread (yawn) is a good start, but spoon bread is another southern favorite, or perhaps a corn soufflé or pudding could be an elegant, yet easy, dish to prepare. Don’t overlook grits, as you can add to them almost anything to transform them into a fantastic side dish. Or take a lagniappe from our Cajun friends and try corn Maque Coux.

Maybe you want to finish your meal with a bang. Got an ice cream machine collecting dust? Break it out and try your hand at making a pumpkin or cranberry ice cream. Or make a cheese cake with a cranberry curd. If we are pushing cranberries away from being a mere side dish next to turkey, let’s try a cranberry pecan trifle or a parfait featuring this berry. A sweet potato cake with spiced whipped cream might even break you out of the cranberry funk I just put you in. Note to self: Cranberry Funk would be a great name for a band.

You don’t have to make an extraordinary effort to add another dish. Perhaps you can make something that can be set up a few days in advance, or better, put your slow cooker or grill to work for you. Ladies, what better way is there to get the man in your life involved than to have him fire up the grill? For especially large families that require more than one turkey, perhaps a grilled turkey could fit the bill.

With a little planning and some thinking outside the box, you can perhaps add a little spark to an otherwise dim holiday meal. Heck, forget outside the box, step out of it and kick it away. Or if you really want to be different, head to the local Chinese restaurant for some Peking turkey.

Need a recipe for any of these Thanksgiving ideas drop me an email at RGuyintheKitchen@aol.com. Otherwise have a great holiday.

Thurmont Ambulance Company Opens Event Complex

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Deb Spalding

The members of the Thurmont Community Ambulance Service, Inc. have officially opened a large facility for public event rentals and their own fundraising activities. This 28,600-square-foot venue was designed by Company member, Jim Rice. It is situated on 21.5 acres of ground, adjacent to the Thurmont Little League baseball fields in Thurmont, and accessed by Lawyer’s Lane off of Route #550.

The 10,000-square-foot main room seats eight hundred people spaciously, and can accommodate many more, standing. The stage is 46’x18’ and is accessed by stairs or a lift. Five ambulance bays, a storage bay, and a huge, and a fully-equipped (thanks to a gracious donor) kitchen complete the spacious facility. From the main room, there are several serving windows, including a self-serve soda fountain and two bar windows.

Future plans include the use of the grounds for festivals, weddings, and outdoor events. In the future, pavilions and amenities will be built on the grounds for that purpose. The water wheel from the former Cozy Restaurant will eventually be installed in some manner for all to enjoy.

The Company’s president, Lowman Keeney, said, “The construction took two-and-a-half years, and there were many road blocks. Our own membership did a tremendous amount of the work.” Donations and grants were heavily relied upon throughout the process. Funding was provided through Frederick County Bank, with Denise Guyton Boyer and Roxan Welch managing the allocation. “Thanks to all who volunteered to make the project come to life,” expressed Keeney.

Renters may either arrange that the Ambulance Company to cater their events or rent the facility and contract their choice of caterer. The Ambulance Company has a full liquor license for events they sponsor. The Ambulance Company has planned sportsman dinners, seafood feeds, bingos, and concerts inside the complex, beginning with an Open House for the community to tour the facility on February 11, 2017, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Upcoming events include a Turkey, Ham & Oyster Dinner on February 18, a Wing & Fried Shrimp Feed on March 25, a Pot Pie & Fried Chicken Feed on March 31, and the band, The Amish Outlaws, on November 11.

“We appreciate when citizens attend a function, because their participation comes back as a donation for the community to provide emergency services. The alternative is paying taxes for the services. We do have twelve-hour career staff from 6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday,” said Keeney.

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The spacious main room at the new Thurmont Community Ambulance Event Complex is shown.

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Pictured is the grand, fully equipped kitchen at the new Thurmont Community Ambulance Event Complex.

Happily Ever After

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The Perfect Thanksgiving

by Valerie Nusbaum

When I’m writing, I dictate my notes and thoughts into a digital recorder to be organized and typed at a later date. I carry my recorder with me at all times, because I never know when a good idea will hit me. I’m well aware that as quickly as an idea comes, it can disappear even more swiftly in the sieve that is my memory. I dictated this entire column while I was walking on the treadmill.  Only this morning as I sat down to type my notes, did I realize that my batteries were dead. Apparently the batteries were dead while I was making my audio notes. Just like that, a very funny column is gone, and I’m left with a thread that I can’t quite grasp. Trust me, you would have laughed a lot.

I intended to give you, dear readers, some tips and pointers on creating the perfect Thanksgiving.  What qualifies me to give that kind of advice, you ask? At least twenty-five years of less-than-perfect meals and celebrations. I’ve learned from my mistakes and failures. The following suggestions should—at the very least—give you something to chew on.

Thanksgiving is about two things:  food and football. Don’t let all that family stuff fool you. Uncle Bob only shows up for the sweet potato casserole. Concentrate on getting everyone fed and parked in front of the television, and you’ll avoid a lot of the drama.

Since turkey is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal, you’ll want yours to be a stunner. The problem is that the turkey is supposed to look gorgeous and still be moist and tender. Here’s how to accomplish that feat: In early September, craft a papier mache turkey from aluminum foil and paper. Paint it a beautiful golden brown and use varnish to give it that glistening, buttery effect. You can make the turkey as large as you want. It won’t be heavy at all. Store your fake turkey somewhere safe. Meanwhile, go ahead and cook a real turkey on Thanksgiving morning (or overnight if that’s the way you do it). When the time comes to start eating, have all your guests be seated around the table. Stand at least ten feet away in the doorway while holding your stunning fake turkey on a platter, surrounded by plastic fruits. Give everyone a few seconds to “oooh and aahh,” then announce that you’ll be carving in the kitchen. Make appropriate sounds with the cutlery while your guests pass the rolls and argue about who should get the tea set from Aunt Frances. When you come to the table carrying the platter, holding your sad, overcooked bird, everyone will think it’s delicious because it looked so lovely. Please remember not to serve the plastic fruit and to hide your faux turkey. If Grandpa finds the fake one—no matter how much he’s already eaten—he will break off a leg and try to eat it.

If you have an after-dinner activity planned for the lull before dessert is served, this will give your relatives something to do other than grill the girlfriend who’s joining the family for the first time. Pass out sheets of white paper and crayons and have everyone draw a “hand” turkey by placing the non-dominant hand on the sheet of paper, with the thumb extended and the four fingers slightly spread. Have your guests trace around the outline of the hand and then color in the “turkey.” Just make sure you’re using a tablecloth you don’t care about. This activity will keep folks occupied long enough for you to medicate yourself with your favorite cocktail or the leftover cooking sherry. You can offer a prize for the best turkey or you can let everyone make fun of each other.  If you really don’t care about your tablecloth, you can also let guests connect the dots, i.e., gravy spills and cranberry sauce stains.

Speaking of cranberry sauce, don’t fool with making it from scratch. It tastes awful and hardly anyone likes it. Open a can and save yourself some heartache. Use a frozen sweet potato casserole and make it your own by putting it in a lovely baking dish. Ditto the mashed potatoes. Bob Evans makes very good microwaveable potatoes.  Add some sour cream and chopped chives on top. They’ll think you’re a gourmet. Seriously, older people don’t see well and little kids only want dessert. Why stress yourself?  Mountain Gate has delicious stuffing and you can buy it by the quart.

I agree one hundred percent that homemade tastes best, and if that’s what makes you happy, by all means do it all yourself.  Sometimes I prefer to go that route, too. Sometimes, cooking seems like the right way to show my loved ones how much they mean to me.

I’ve never actually seen the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, because I’ve spent the last twenty-five Thanksgivings either in the kitchen or on the road, but I plan to check it out this year.   Whatever you do, I hope your holiday is all you want it to be and more. Happy Thanksgiving!

Speaking of things we’re grateful for, I had the pleasure of meeting fellow-leftie Janet Owens and her sister at this year’s Catoctin Colorfest. Thanks, Janet, for your kind comments about my column. I’m thankful for all my readers.

Roasting Up A New Tradition

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Buck Reed

The Supermarket Gourmet

November brings us Thanksgiving—either our most favorite or most feared holiday for cooking. I guess I shouldn’t be allowed to say that, as those who like to cook love this holiday, and those who do not make sure they are in a relationship with someone who does.

I could talk about roasting a turkey, but that’s been done to death, much like most turkeys are cooked in many homes. Seriously, Butterball has a hot line for those who feel that ruining a turkey every year is a tradition. This month, I would like to talk about adding a new dish to your holiday table, roasted vegetables. I know, I know, adding a new dish to your list of chores may seem like madness, but just hear me out. Roasting a vegetable can bring not only an innovative dish to your family (imagine Martha Stewart smiling down on you as you serve it), but it also might solve a couple of problems you might traditionally be dealing with. Just what are you going to serve those vegetarians or gluten free members of your brood? Imagine Cousin Moonbeam finally not lecturing you about the murdered feathered spirit on your plate, as they marvel over a delightful dish of roasted acorn squash with apple stuffing.

One of the first things you lose as you roast is the water in the vegetable, which intensifies the flavor of your dish. This technique also adds a deep caramelized flavor to your plate as well. Also, there is a variety of vegetables that easily lend themselves to this method.

Roasting winter squashes is easy. My favorites are acorn and butternut squash. Most people will tell you to cut the hard peel off the squash, cut it up, and roast away. But, of course, we all know these people would be wrong. Just cut the whole squash in half, remove the seeds (roasting these is good, too) and “guts,” brush the cut side with a bit of oil, and place skin side up on a sheet pan. Poke a few holes in the skin to allow the steam to vent and roast in a hot oven until tender. The best part is that this can be done a couple of days ahead, setup and ready to reheat after the turkey is roasted and resting.

Another idea is pumpkin. I know, we already have pumpkin spice lattes, beer, candles, bread, cookies, even pumpkin spice shampoo and conditioner—you name it and we can add pumpkin spice to it. So I am sure we can make room for a nice roasted pumpkin spice soup. Make sure you get a pie pumpkin, as any old Jack-o-lantern will not do. Roast the same way you would a squash, and make a soup you can serve as a first course. Imagine how fancy everyone will think you are.

Finally, my all-time favorite is roasted Brussel sprouts. You should be able to find them fresh this time of year, and they are easy to prepare. Just slice in half, toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until tender. This also works with broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus.

Keeping up with old traditions is all well and good, but starting a new tradition can be an exciting way to spice up the holiday. And with so many different vegetables available this time of year, maybe your tradition can be to try a different one every year.

Need a recipe or an idea for this Thanksgiving? Email me at RGuyintheKitchen@aol.com.