IMPROMPTU TURKEY non-challenge CHALLENGE

ghinson

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Use this thread to post pics of your offering to the gods of gustation. Use your best camera or your iPhone. Process the heck out of it, or upload it SOOC. Compliments only. No judging. Nothing to win; not even bragging rights. No one allowed to post "this is what I'm thankful for" posts either. Just unadulterated food porn.

I'll start with an iPhone-captured Breakfast of Champions pic.



(taken with the Best Camera app on the iPhone)

The 28-lb Heritage Turkey bought from a local farmer is out of the brine, and about to go in the smoker. Photos (hopefully drool-inducing ones) will follow once it is tanned and crispy.



(One last rule. You don't have to submit this today. Afterall, today should be a day for family.)

divamum

Sadly, hubby put the spice-rubbed turkey into the smoker (yes, it's an experiment this year!) before I was up, so no pictures of the nude bird before it's reduced to blackened tastiness (we hope :uhoh)

But I'm sure I'll have other items to offer up as soon as they finish baking..... GREAT idea for a thread! (Gastroporn! Gastroporn! )

divamum

Phase 1: Chaos (and breakfast)

ghinson

That's the spirit!

We bought a bird too big for our oven, and too big for our electric smoker, so it is smoking/roasting on the big manly grill. Here it is about halfway done:

divamum

Cranberry/walnut/shallot biscuits being mixed


and baked


Smoky the Turkey

heatherfeather

I'll join the rest of you sick people and confess that I am checking Dgrin on Thankgiving.

Two days ago, I set up my 9 year old daughter, Gracie, with a canon Rebel and a 28-135. I showed her a few basics and she has had a ball. Intermixed with photos of the dog, the TV and frames so close to each other it looked like a movie, were a few jems of our day thus far.


Whole wheat, coconut oil and tahini crust. Really yummy. (Apparently it is unanimous: pinkies have to be up while shaping crust.)


For the cranberry orange sauce. I love this shot, but just wish it was a scosh sharper. Still... what do you want from a 9 year old.



She also captured that most elusive photo of turkeys:
Muah.



Two fresh blueberry dutch cobblers one with pecans one without...
And two fresh apple dutch cobblers one with pecans one without...


As is tradition, I had a piece of the blueberry for breakfast. Fansmackintastic.

The oven is now occupied by a huge turkey, who's sole purpose is leftovers, since we are going to Grandmas for dinner.

ghinson

Looks good! I have brined and smoked the Thanksgiving turkey for several years. And I'm good at it. But this is the first year I have smoked it in the grill. It's "resting" right now. Looks good, but I am a little nervous. How was Smoky?

heatherfeather

Gorgeous photos you guys... I am thinking recipes are in order...

Diva, those biscuits look delishimo.
I have never had smoked turkey... or a grilled one for that matter.
It sure looks yummy! We got a smoker this year, so maybe next year.

ghinson

heatherfeather wrote:

Okay. If this was a competition, that just won! My mouth instantly watered when I saw this pie hole!

Keep it comin'. More food porn.

divamum

Go Gracie!! Those are such fun. Mine wasn't interested in shooting the process, although perhaps that's a good thing since UNlike certain supertogmoms who appear to be cooking wearing makeup and with perfect fingernails and looking supercute (ahem - that would be you, Heather ), I'm clad in paint-stained sweats with my hair hauled back in one of the child's ponytail holders looking more like a bag lady than anything more respectable!

Pumpkin cheesecake and more to come, but now... time to bundle it all up and take it down to my parents (we split the cooking, but are going to their house - saves me having to clean, and I'd always rather cook than clean!)

And Greg - I'm dying to know how that beeeyootiful bird came out. We didn't brine, only smoked/roasted, so we'll see! Can't wait to taste it

Happy tday everybody - enjoy these luscious meals and the time with your loved ones!

ghinson

The bird was perfect! Brined it for about 18 hrs in about 8 qts of water, 1 cup or so of kosher salt, a lb of honey, and peppercorns and fresh thyme. Then I let it dry in the frig for about 6 hrs. Then I smoked it at about 350 deg in the grill, with a few chunks of pecan wood, for about 5 hrs. (Goal was thighs at 165 deg, and breast at 145 deg.) Let it rest for 30 minutes or so. And then we dove in.

It was good.

And there will be enough leftovers for sandwiches and soup for several days.

heatherfeather

ghinson wrote:

The bird was perfect! Brined it for about 18 hrs in about 8 qts of water, 1 cup or so of kosher salt, a lb of honey, and peppercorns and fresh thyme. Then I let it dry in the frig for about 6 hrs. Then I smoked it at about 350 deg in the grill, with a few chunks of pecan wood, for about 5 hrs. (Goal was thighs at 165 deg, and breast at 145 deg.) Let it rest for 30 minutes or so. And then we dove in.

It was good.

And there will be enough leftovers for sandwiches and soup for several days.

Wow that sounds like a LOT of work. But it also sounds like it was worth it!

BradfordBenn

I made some Vegan Scones! Good and dense, enough that we could not finish them. Here are the left overs.

Some touch up in LR, learned that ISO800 looked better than flash and ISO200.

ghinson

Vegan scones? That's dedication. Looks good!

BradfordBenn

ghinson wrote:

Vegan scones? That's dedication. Looks good!

Thanks. I had to splurge a little, just cause it is vegan doesn't mean it is healthy. Think about the chemistry in Oreos.

Tango

cool shots, I wish I'd done one or two....

JAG

You all go full out for your meals! Everything looks yummy! I had taken only this picture of actual food....its my lil one's first pie. Alaskan highbush wild blueberry pie. Its really delicious and she was very proud of it.

ghinson

LOVE the excitement in her face!

divamum

Awww, Joyce, she's precious! What a great look on her face

Heather, here's the recipe for the biscuits - SERIOUSLY yummy. I would suggest making them thicker than the ones I have pictured; they were very good, but a tad crisper than I like because they were thin - I think if they're double that height initially they'll come out a bit fluffier. You also might want to try 2 shallots instead of one as listed; the flavour was there, but subtle, and I might have liked a slightly more assertive savory taste. But definitely one to keep and make again!

The smoked bird was fanTASTIC. Loved it. We didn't brine it, but just did a spice rub, stuck it in the electric smoker for about 5hrs, and then finished it off in the oven. Verrrry tasty, with just enough smokiness to taste like game rather than a confused chicken. Yum.

And a final item of gastroporn for your viewing pleasure: pumpkin cheesecake. And yes, as I was serving it I made everybody wait after I cut the first slice and took pictures of it. I am eeeevvvilll

sweet caroline

OOOOH! I was thinking about pumpkin cheesecake today! So, anyway, I was too busy eating to even get the camera out of its bag. Leftover photos?

Caroline

TPBinKC

More pumpkin cheesecake...


Actually from last week but I did eat a slice of it today...

divamum

TPBinKC wrote:

More pumpkin cheesecake...


Actually from last week but I did eat a slice of it today...

Wow - yours looks so much better than mine (both the photo and the cheesecake!!) WHat's the drizzle on top of it? Yuuuuuummmmmmmmmmm

Halite

ghinson wrote:

The bird was perfect! Brined it for about 18 hrs in about 8 qts of water, 1 cup or so of kosher salt, a lb of honey, and peppercorns and fresh thyme. Then I let it dry in the frig for about 6 hrs. Then I smoked it at about 350 deg in the grill, with a few chunks of pecan wood, for about 5 hrs. (Goal was thighs at 165 deg, and breast at 145 deg.) Let it rest for 30 minutes or so. And then we dove in.

It was good.

And there will be enough leftovers for sandwiches and soup for several days.

Similar approach (minus the drying time) resulted in a satisfied family:

jeffmeyers

Food porn! I eat this stuff up!











Gratuitous dog porn image:

ghinson

Jeff, what a beautiful spread!

TPBinKC

divamum wrote:

Wow - yours looks so much better than mine (both the photo and the cheesecake!!) WHat's the drizzle on top of it? Yuuuuuummmmmmmmmmm

Warm caramel, pecan something or other crust also, very good.

A friend of the family has a small business making cheesecakes, brownies, cookies and that sort of thing. I did some shots for her website, made a few dollars and got to keep everything I shot. My fridge was full for a few days, now I need to eat really healthy for a few weeks...

heatherfeather

divamum wrote:

Heather, here's the recipe for the biscuits - SERIOUSLY yummy. I would suggest making them thicker than the ones I have pictured; they were very good, but a tad crisper than I like because they were thin - I think if they're double that height initially they'll come out a bit fluffier. You also might want to try 2 shallots instead of one as listed; the flavour was there, but subtle, and I might have liked a slightly more assertive savory taste. But definitely one to keep and make again!

Thanks for the linkie!
Wow, the shallots didn't compute until I read the recipe... Interesting combo. I love to mix savory and sweet, so it would be a perfect recipe for me. If I didn't alreay have SO MANY leftovers, I might consider trying it for Turkey sandwiches.

And your pumpkin cheesecake looks sooo delish.

divamum

TPBinKC wrote:

Warm caramel, pecan something or other crust also, very good.

A friend of the family has a small business making cheesecakes, brownies, cookies and that sort of thing. I did some shots for her website, made a few dollars and got to keep everything I shot. My fridge was full for a few days, now I need to eat really healthy for a few weeks...

Ok, that makes me feel better - you were like, yanno, actually SHOOTING the food for somebody who makes it for pro rather than forcing delays on your ususpecting family.... Seriously - looks teh YUM. I think I might do a pecan crust next time; would be really good.

divamum

heatherfeather wrote:

Thanks for the linkie!
Wow, the shallots didn't compute until I read the recipe... Interesting combo. I love to mix savory and sweet, so it would be a perfect recipe for me. If I didn't alreay have SO MANY leftovers, I might consider trying it for Turkey sandwiches.

And your pumpkin cheesecake looks sooo delish.

Do it - you won't regret it! I bet they'd be good with whole wheat flour too (or maybe half white/half wheat) - the toasted walnuts add some really nice crumbly texture to them anyway so the more textured flour might just enhace it .... (sorry - love to cook and bake. Can you tell?! )

lizzard_nyc

I couldn't wait to post to this thread today--it was a great idea! I kept going to this thread yesterday while I cooked and this morning too--you guys have some great shots--beautiful table settings and the pies in the oven--man alive!
I also liked the kitchen shot of the aftermath of cooking.
I'm getting some ideas about putting the bird on the grill--great idea.


Ok my food shots were taken with a lensbaby, so....

This year there was two turkeys--we had 29 people over! loved it. The more the merrier is my family motto for sure.

I chopped off the bottom half of my turkey:( in my excitement to get a quick shot--it was my first time cooking a turkey--in brine all night and made with a chorizo stuffing mmmmmmm--and yes I chose film strip for this shot because I think it should be in movies:D .
1.


The spread was unbeleivable and left little room for a nice table setting.
2.


Cheesecake Flan!
3.

ghinson

Liz, #2 really says Family Holiday meal to me! Looks great. And 29 people AND you had time to think about these pics?!?