Reba Epstein's Turkey Stuffing

November 21, 2006

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Favorite Turkey Stuffing from My Grandmother

I’m a Jew, we eat out, I don’t cook. I have a Jewish mother that does that. I’m a born defroster who can barely make oatmeal come out right using the directions off of the box.

But here you go...my grandmother (my Mom’s mom) Reba Epstein’s recipe for turkey stuffing that I think is just the best. Every year she would make the holiday meals and say to all of us, “You know, this could be my last year making this.” By saying this we always thought she would be around forever, that by somehow kvetching and saying it was her last year would give her immortality. Unfortunately several years ago was her last year but she has gained a kind of immortality by always being in our hearts and now my mother and all of us say, “This could be my last year making this.” And so far, God help us, we’ve made it to another Thanksgiving.

Disclaimer
This is from a recipe book my mother put out a few years ago for the family. (Yes, my family is very literate, well at the very least we own a lot of books because they look so nice on the shelves.) It was discovered that some of the recipes were not 100% accurate but I think that this one might be -- use at your own risk.

Turkey Stuffing
(Makes 6 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
3 Large onions
2 Stalks of celery
2 Sleeves of Saltine Crackers
4 Eggs
1 Teaspoon of sugar (helps the medicine go down too)
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Dice and sauté the onions and celery until golden brown.
Wet and crumble crackers in a bowl.
Into crackers add salt, pepper, sautéed onions and celery.
Add 1 heaping teaspoon of sugar.
Add well beaten eggs and mix thoroughly.
Fill turkey or pour into slightly greased pan. (If cooking in pan, bake at 400 degrees until bottom is brown – approximately ½ hour)

Notes from My Mother:
This stuffing is the best!! The crackers must be nice and soggy when you crumble them. When the turkey is done, the stuffing will come out of the turkey very easy and be in loaf form. This makes it very easy to slice and serve.