In which we answer two reader questions about Turkey Day.

Welcome back!
Well, well, well. The holiday season is officially upon us and we get to add a solid dose of World Cup soccer to the already packed schedule this year.
Alongside the U.S. mens national soccer team kicking off its World Cup campaign on Monday, theres a relatively large holiday next week that offers the uniquely American chance of gorging on foods that make you sleepy, napping it off and then waking up to do it all over again.
Combine the two, toss is a dose of football here, a basketball game there, a little bit of family time and hanging out with some good friends and youve got a truly special week on tap.
With that in mind we thought this weeks Mailbag should have a Thanksgiving feel.
Hey Mailbag, could you share some healthy Thanksgiving recipes?
Its worth noting the word “healthy” and this writers Thanksgiving traditions dont often cross paths. In my world we subscribe to frying it, covering it in gravy and eating it in large quantities.

Photo courtesy of The Daily Toreador
But the Mailbag couldnt leave a loyal reader without answers, so we reached out to our resident culinary contact, Texas Tech Universitys Executive Chef Dewey McMurrey, for some ideas that live outside our typical range.
As always, he delivered with a few delicious dining options of the healthier variety.
Hot Smoked Salmon
For this you will need 2 pounds of boneless and skinless salmon filets; 3 cups of brown sugar; 1 cup of kosher salt; 1 tablespoon of paprika; 1 teaspoon of dill (the dry spice); 1 tablespoon of garlic powder; 1 tablespoon of onion powder; 1 tablespoon of black pepper; and a ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
To prepare it, wash your fish and pat it dry. Mix the dry ingredients together very well and sprinkle over the salmon, covering it completely on both sides. Marinate the salmon in the fridge for up to 8 hours.

Using cold water, rinse the salmon after marinating. Ensure you rinse it very well. Let the salmon dry on a small sheet pan and allow a pellicle – the dry lather that surrounds the salmon – to develop.
Set your smoker to 120 F and smoke the salmon for 4 hours total but increase the temperature by 20 degrees every hour, ending with 180 F for one hour. Remove from the smoker and serve whole or slice into portions.
Quick Tip: For a quicker meal, smoke the salmon at 250 F until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 F.
Bread & Butter Pickles
For this you will need 1 large cucumber, sliced; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 onion, thinly sliced; 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds; 1 cup white sugar; 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar; 1/4 teaspoon celery seed; and 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

To prepare it mix the cucumber, salt, onion, mustard seeds, white sugar, distilled white vinegar, celery seed and turmeric in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 7 to 8 minutes, stirring twice, until cucumbers are tender and onion is translucent. Transfer to sterile containers. Seal and chill in the refrigerator until serving.
Asparagus Tip Quiche
For this you will need 2 gallons of eggs, beaten or blended; 6 fresh asparagus, blanched; 1 shallot, minced; 1 pound of diced mushrooms; 8 pie crusts; two tablespoons of white pepper; ¼ cup of kosher salt; 3 tablespoons of ground coriander.
To prepare, blanch the asparagus in the rubber band and shock in ice water. Cut the tips off and save or discard the rest of the asparagus for soup or filler in another recipe. Sauté the shallots and mushrooms until just tender. Add all of the ingredients to the eggs and season. Pour into the pie crusts and bake at 350 F until firm through the center and has an internal temperature of at least 145 F. Cut into 6 pieces for service.

Now that weve dealt with that bit of healthiness, lets answer a question more our speed.
Whats the key to hosting a great Friendsgiving?
There are many ways to answer this question and in truth, all of them could be right. But as a long-time host of an annual Friendsgiving, Ill give you the four keys Ive found.
Fry that Turkey
One of the things that makes our Friendsgiving a success is the annual frying of the turkey, in which a select group of friends wake up early on a Saturday, set up our frying apparatus outdoors and kick off the party hours before the others even arrive.
This takes a cultivated group. By no means should you invite the entire party to show up at 9 a.m., but the frying of the turkey is a great way to kick off the day.

It allows your closest-knit group of friends to spend a day together and all have a hand in the main course. And its honestly one of the easiest ways to cook a delicious turkey. We recommend using a liberal amount of a Cajun Injector (we have brand loyalty but arent at liberty to say which) to get the turkey ready for frying. Beyond that, follow the recommendations for minutes-per-pound in the fryer and it really should come out tasting great and ready for eating.
BY ALL MEANS, make sure that sucker is fully thawed before dropping it in the hot oil. If its still frozen your Friendsgiving will be a massive failure and the fire department might be needed. (Should we have put this as step one?)
Frying the turkey also leaves an oven open for warming up and/or cooking other dishes, and if your Friendsgiving is done right that oven should be busy most of the day.
BONUS: The frier setup allows you and your friends to find out what else can be fried. Its like going to the state fair in your own backyard.
Keep it potluck

Friendsgiving is a time of sharing with the family you choose, and one of the things we like to share is traditions. Keeping it potluck lets every invitee call their mother, father, grandmother or grandfather and get the family recipe they long for all year.
And then they get to make it and bring it to share with you!
We have friends who do great corn casserole, some who make homemade rolls and others that have an affinity for yams, green beans, fried okra, pies… you name it.
The trick is to send around a spreadsheet so you dont end up with six containers of mashed potatoes. Youll likely find that many of your friends have family traditions that you find rather delicious and it has often brought us a wide array of foods.
The potluck also takes some of the pressure off the host. The goal is to have fun, not spend all morning ruining your kitchen and then hastily cleaning it to have company over.
Cultivate the right group
Theres a time to have awkward conversations around the Thanksgiving table and there are times not to.
Friendsgiving is the latter.
Cultivating the right group also means inviting the friends you know will participate in the potluck.
Have games ready

Maybe youve got the right group together and the conversation flows and thats all you need, but having a few ideas for activities can help when the dialogue starts to lag.
Aside from the running game of “what can we fry next?” we recommend trying some outdoor games like Gourd Bowling, Giant Jenga or Backyard Footgolf. And, considering the time of year, having some indoor games like Puns of Anarchy, Wahoo, Cranium, or Unstable Topics – a new one were looking forward to trying out – on hand is a good idea as well.
More Mailbag

- Mailbag: Getting the Boot
How many citations until you get a boot on your vehicle? Is there a campus nurse? - Mailbag: Print the Legend
Is Texas Tech the second-largest contiguous college campus in the country? - Mailbag: Playing Chicken
Exploring the world of campus crosswalks. - Mailbag: Halloween Happenings
How best to celebrate All Hallows Eve. - Mailbag: Beyond Okay
Mental health, and what Texas Tech is doing to help. - Mailbag: Home for the Holidays
Planning your holiday travels? Weve got you covered. - Mailbag: Thanksgiving Extravaganza!
In which we answer two reader questions about Turkey Day. - Mailbag: Giving Thanks
The Mailbag stays in-house this week as we give thanks for the many blessings in our lives. - Mailbag: Highly Recommended
What to do when you need a letter of recommendation. - Mailbag: Let the Commencements Commence
Everything from parking at the ceremony to ideas about what to do afterward! - Mailbag: A Horse's A**
At issue is a certain horse's hindquarters, a college down south and if the two actually intersect. - Mailbag: Checking In
Parents with questions: where to see their student's grades and how to see TechAlerts. - Mailbag: Let's Get Judgy
What are Texas Techs world-class judging teams actually judging and how do they get judged themselves? Were here to find out. - Mailbag: Happy Snow Day
What a snow day looks like at Texas Tech. - Mailbag: Evermore
We look at Texas Techs award-winning magazine. - Mailbag: All About Love
Valentines Day is right around the corner, so were sharing some Texas Tech love stories. - Mailbag: The Hub for Success
The Raider Success Hub is a new tool designed to help students succeed. - Mailbag: The Hub for Success
The Raider Success Hub is a new tool designed to help students succeed. - Mailbag: All About Love Part II
Two weeks back, we shared a couple of stories of Red Raiders in love. We liked it so much were doing it again. - Mailbag: Here with the Wind
A little bit (maybe a whole lot) of West Texas coming at yall. - Mailbag: Spring Break Safety
Make good choices. - Mailbag: Service It Up
Take on the challenge and get those service hours counted. - Mailbag: More to Come
We hope you enjoyed our latest series, but were just getting started. - Mailbag: Was That Sky Water?
Talking about a rainy day. - Mailbag: Finish Strong
Were looking at a fine way to close out your first year on campus. - Mailbag: How and Why We Ranch Horse
In case you were curious, we build champions around here. - Mailbag: What's Not To Love?
A column in which we discuss a call with a friend. - Mailbag: Looks Like You Made It
Youre Red Raiders for life now, no take backs. - Mailbag: Building Up
Texas Tech hosted its first topping out ceremony of its second century, but it wont be the last. - Mailbag: Taking Over
What does it take to turn Dallas red? - Mailbag: Off to the Races
Texas Tech and LISD partnered on a STEM project involving races and student-built vehicles. - Mailbag: Everything Evermore All At Once
What does it take to become the best of the best? - Mailbag: Red Raider Community
In which we talk about what the Red Raider community is. - Mailbag: Happy Independence Day
Where we talk about summer, safety and making good decisions. - Mailbag: Two Mondays
A weird week of work and a couple other things you should know. - Mailbag: Why Semiconductors Matter
You may be surprised to learn how much is happening at Texas Tech. - Mailbag: Let's Go Dining
Were talking about food, so please enjoy. - Mailbag: Clarion Awards
Another round of awards and a night to remember. - Mailbag: Leading from Lubbock
After a whirlwind week in the Big 12, it is worth noting the huge role President Lawrence Schovanec played in the latest round of realignment. - Mailbag: Let's Talk About the Weather
Fake fall came and went, but we learned some things. - Mailbag: Day of Giving
Texas Techs second Day of Giving was a massive success, thanks to all of you, but how does the whole thing come together? - Mailbag: Whats Up With Hurricane Season?
Hurricane season is clearly here, so we asked why theyre hitting left, right and center. - Mailbag: Life Advice from Jimmy Buffett
A legend has passed, but we can all still appreciate what he brought us. - Mailbag: The Villain of the Housing Market?
Short-term rentals are feeling the heat, but are they the true villains? - Mailbag: Hard-Working People
When trouble hits, the Operations Division responds. - Mailbag: What Texas Tech Has Always Been About
President Schovanec's State of the University highlighted many records while emphasizing Texas Tech's priority: our students. - Mailbag: Fall Agritourism
It's that time of year, so enjoy it and be respectful. - Mailbag: Help Is Near
Lets talk about people, purpose and believing in good. - Mailbag: Get Out And Vote
Get to the polls and let your voice be heard. - Mailbag: Building a Reputation
With our hibernation over, were hungry and back on the hunt. - Mailbag: Texas Tech's Kansas City Connection
If youre wondering where our support will be Sunday, wonder no more. - Mailbag: Helping While Feeling Helpless
Our community is in distress, and all of us should be concerned. - Mailbag: The Pursuit of Prime
Chasing the best there is to chase.