Let's Talk Turkey

The big day is only a few days away. Novice home chefs are probably becoming antsy. Even the experienced cook is getting antsy. The fear? The turkey itself. Roasting any meat and expecting it to come ut perfect is always nerve wracking. Your best way of dealing with it is know the bird, inside and out.

Surprisingly turkey is one of the easiest meats to cook.Before you do any of that, you have the choice of natural, basted or self basting,Kosher or heritage, The first has no artificial ingredients or preservatives.It tastes like it is supposed to taste, wild fowl.Unfortuntely most wild birds from turkey to pheasant have a very dry texture. If you biy this, baste often and liberally with butter.If you want more flavor, then buy the basted or self basting.It;s when the turkey is injected with a brothy solution to add moisture and taste to the meat.  Also these don't need to be home brined, making prep time easier.The downside of a self basting bird is that it is shot through with additives and artificial flavors. Kosher turkey is hand salted, rinsed and double inspected under rabbinical supervision. They are well seasoned and hand prepared. Be careful with these though. They are hand plucked and there may be a few feathers left on the turkey. One of the best kind though is the heritage turkey. They have a richer deeper flavor than the average fowl along with having much more dark meat. These are rare and  the more upscale markets sell them. Choose the best kind for your wants. Remember that it's one pound of meat for one person. A table of ten then demands a ten pound bird.

Prepping the turkey takes some labor. The first thing to do is remove the giblets, basically the bird's stomach; liver and heart.These usually come in a plastic bag and can be saved for the gravy.  For a golden brown crispy skin you can either rub oil, butter or margarine on the entire bird. Next season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper on every part , including the cavity. Some chefs recommend trimming the wings tip because they can burn. Also they need to be tucked behind the turkey's neck to keep  the entire bird stable in the roasting pan.. The roasting pan should have a rack in it.This prevents the bird from getting a soggy bottom . Most chefs prefer a V rack because this circulates air around it. As for dressing , some people like their bird stuffed.Most , like myself , prefer it cooked outside the bird. Both  dishes get crisper this way.Also  you may be setting yourself and your guests up with a nasty case of salmonella if you cook the stuffing in the bird.

The key to a good Thanksgiving meal starts with a good bird.Choose one that fits your needs and roasting skills..This insures a tasty dish that everyone will love.

A Quiet Autumn Meal

The holidays are here and with it comes all the stresses and agita of cooking and eating large.One of the best cures is just a quiet lunch or dinner.Make a simple meal with just simple ingredients. .Consider it a palate cleanser as well as a retreat during these crazy days, If you have free time, and you may after the holidays, nix the malls and big box stores for nature.If your area hasn't been hit by the lake effect, head to your local park or favorite nature spot ,and enjoy a turkey sandwich and thermos of hot tea.The solitude is great and you can enjoy a lunch without any noises.It's a chance to cleanse your mind .You'll even be more relaxed and that will reflect on your digestion.You won't gobble food down, distracted by family and friends.Also leave your phone in the car.That alone brings way too many distractions.Sit.Savor your sandwich's taste. After treat yourself to an apple or a pear.Don't bring a slice of leftover pie or cookies.They're too rich and too sugary.You want something just plain, not fancy .If you want something more bring some walnuts, pecans or almonds. this is a nice ,simple end.If you can't get away for lunch, then take a weekend afternoon and have a simple snack .Again, a hot herbal tea is good with shortbread cookies are always a treat.If the weather is bad, then retreat to whoever is your sanctuary. Brew up your favorite chai or herbal blend, and enjoy it with your favorite book or even poetry collection.If you feel peckish ,simple water crackers are a nice side.Stay away from chips and dips.You'll be devouring plenty of those in the weeks to come. What could be a memorable highlight of your holiday season? A simple meal of meat and veggies with no distractions. keep the rich sauces off the table.Think about just a roast chicken or London Broil with a side of green beans, succotash or just plain corn kernels with melted butter or margarine.Ask the kids to tone it down or make a game of who can be the most quiet eater.If it's the weekend,consider a homemade minestrone or chicken noodle soup with some Saltines.Also if you"re used to spending the weekends eating out, eat in for a change.Again stick with simplicity",If you don't feel like cooking just buy a rotisseries chicken from your supermarket and serve it with a plain green salad.Ban cakes and cookies, too much sugar will make the kids hyper, not what you need after a week of work and holiday shopping.Savor the simplicity of the gathering and being together, the old fashioned way.Simple food, simple conversation.It's a refreshing throw back to when life and eating was not as complex as it is today. We all need that quiet autumn meal to recharge our batteries and to give our over used palate a rest.Enjoy a slice of plain beef or chicken with some green beans. Watch wildlife as you munch on a sandwich and drink hot herbal tea.Do whatever you can to ensure a culinary respite from over rich over savory holiday foods.

Convenience Or Convention

With Thanksgiving kicking off the holiday cooking and baking season, it's time to ask the question, which is better?Convenience or convention. Do we use instant boxes of stuff or do we adhere to family traditions and make everything from scratch? it's basically a simple question of what works for you.

One of the most contentious holiday food fights is stuffing. Many families (including my own ) want homemade stuffing. Family recipes have more emotional weight. Sub in a store bought and it can be seen as a slight. However it is easier on the home chef to uses boxes of Stovetop Stuffing or Pepperidge Farms bread cubes, especially if there's a large crowd expected. Homemade stuffing is still good. You can make a mix of white and rye for something different, as well as throwing in walnuts , cranberries and spices.Store bought dressing can also be punched up as well with throwing in the same extras. This is true for rice dishes as well. Yes, you can make a tasty side pilaf by starting from scratch , yet if a packaged one, like Uncle Ben's or Rice-A-Roni  saves you time, then go for convenience. Some sides are better if they're made from scratch.This is definitely true for mashed potatoes and squash. To be honest both are easy to make and there's definitely a richer flavor with the homemade. Canned veggies like corn and green beans are fine. if you want in season veggies that have a fresh from the farm taste then go for stalked Brussels sprouts, kale and cauliflower.

What about the truly traditional foods like gravy and cranberry sauce. Homemade gravy is always the best .It has a purer flavor than the jarred or tinned kind. However the homemade does come with a caveat. Gravy can get very lumpy thanks to the addition of flour.If you're worried about this then try a flourless recipe and there are many. The main ingredient are the chopped giblets along with the neck bones along with the fat ,also a thickener. Do , however, have an extra jar for leftovers. Most of the gravy goes during the actual feast and then you're left with just turkey,Cranberry sauce  is another debatable issue.Many purists love to have freshly made sauce. The taste is indescribable, tart and sweet with a stinging freshness.There is one problem. Cranberries can be temperamental . They pop. They explode .Ocean Spray  has a good recipe that calls for gently cooking the berries for ten minutes. You can also zing it up with orange zest and fresh juice. However if you're rushed,then just get the canned.Slice it up and plate it with walnuts so it looks nice.


When you're a busy home chef it's easy to choose convenience over convention. Just remember that you will sacrifice flavor in some cases for ease. However do what ever ensures a stress free day of cooking and baking.

Rehearsal Dinner

Next week is the test for experienced and novice home chefs. If any one is having qualms about cooking a Thanksgiving dinner, them consider a kind of dress rehearsal. It not only hones skills at creating a particular dish , it acts as a gauge as to whether it will be a hot or not with your gourmands.

Cooking two turkeys in a week is madness however doing a try out with a capon is OK. It is more or less the same weight wise  about ten to twelve pounds. Capons (basically a castrated rooster) cook up the same  and have to be basted just as a turkey. Many supermarkets don't sell them however a poultry farm or dealer will have them.They're also great for leftovers , a boon during this busy  cooking week. This is also the time to try out new sides  too as well as understanding how to make them. This is great for those trying out stalked Brussels sprouts as well as experimenting with different types of stuffing or mashed potatoes. Experiment with spices now as well. Nothing is more upsetting or disheartening than someone not liking your creation on Thanskgiving because it's either too bland or too fiery. If you have enough you can make a few variations and have  a family vote on which  is the best. You may think those mashed parsnips are the bomb, your kids may want them liberally sprinkled with bacon.

You can also try rehearsal baking and dessert making too. This is helpful in making more intricate desserts such as souffles and mousses. The more you make them, the better the chance of creating the perfect one for the holiday. Also a rehearsal can let you experiment with different spices. Instead of the usual cinnamon you can sub in nutmeg and see what the reaction is. For first time pie bakers this is a plus. You can master the subtleties of a tender  crust or creamy filling. Thanksgiving can also be the tryout time for even Christmas cookies . Get familiar with  those Italian wedding cookies or chocolate swirls. Besides the kids would rather have cookies than pie to finish off the turkey dinner.Rehearsal times also means doing test runs with punches and mixed drinks, both alcoholic and non alcoholic.

Rehearsal dinners are important to any big holiday meal. They help you understand what to cook and how to cook or bake it. A try out is always crucial to creating memorable holiday meals.

Thanksgiving Plates Of The States

Thanksgiving is truly an American holiday.It's where we gather and be thankful for our freedoms and what we have. It's celebrated in every corner of the country from Maine to Hawaii, from Alaska to Florida. Best of all we are thankful the bounty that comes from these states. Each has their own special crops and dishes that symbolize both themselves and the country.

This was the topic of today's Food issue in the Wednesday New York Times.Literally every state is mentioned with some interesting and unique, sides, mains and desserts.It's the perfect guide for home chefs looking to make the unusual or varying on tradition. Some are a bit tongue in cheek like the Colorado entry which has a reference to the state's recent marijuana laws. The recipe? A stoner's dream T-Day treat , bourbon spiked pecan  pie bites dipped in turkey gravy -no fooling.The reason being is that the high  gravitate towards intense flavors, The combo of salty gravy and uber sweet pecan pie works. For more traditional, go for Oklahoma's green bean casserole.This holiday classic actually was developed in 1955 by the Campbell's Soup Company.It's a mix of green beans,mushrooms and soup, with a bread crumb topping. The Food section jazzes it up with Gruyere cheese and crème fraiche,making it perfectly elegant and even hip for a Manhattan Thanksgiving.New Hampshire gives us the traditional New England roast turkey brined in salt and sugar along with bay leaf.The cavity is filled with a savory mix of onions, carrots and celery, If you want recipes for leftovers then check out Nevada's Eric Klein a Las Vegas restauranteur  who gives his turkey au jus recipe, a take on the roast beef kind.

Many of the recipes reflect the state. There is mofungo from Puerto RIco, a traditional mash of plaintains, pork rinds and garlic, along with peppers and tomatoes. This can be served with turkey but would be excellent with a pork roast for any Christmas or New Year's. party. Louisiana gives us shrimp mirilton, with the mirilton squash indigenous to the area as is the shrimp. New Jersey's recipe  is manicotti, reflecting the state;s large Italian population. This is a great opener to the turkey dinner or better yet served the day after. I would add leftover turkey to it , although the airy light crepes are good just with the manicotti and the day after.Maine, of course, is lobster centric and the recipe is the lushly decadent lobster and mac. Again. like the manicotti would be a great day after dish, thanks to its' rich pairing of lobster and pure Cheddar. For dishes, less luxurious but just as representative of their state is Indian pudding from Rhode Island. This is a combination of both indigenous porridge and British hasty pudding with a blend of cornmeal , molasses , raisins and whole milk. Vermont gives us cheddar mashed potatoes a simple blend of the state's most famous cheese and spuds. California 's dish is its' traditional sourdough as a stuffing with kale, dates and turkey sausage. Georgia  has the ultimate traditional recipe in pecan pie.

We should be grateful that we live in the US. We actually do have a rich culinary tradition and a very good cuisine. It should make us proud - and well stuffed what Thanksgiving is all about,.

Rethinking Canned Dinners

Let's face it, canned dinners are seductive. They're easy to make ,without any fuss or pots . Open one for a quick lunch or dinner. However they,re not that perfect.Canned meals do have their downsides. what to do? Be choosy and informed the next time you shop for them.

Don't get me wrong.Some tinned dinners like Spaghetti-os are still quite good.They pretty much taste the same as when they first came out in the mid Sixties. For me, they're a great lunch and a throwback to my childhood.Other canned foods like Underwood 's devilled ham and devilled chicken are perfect. The meat tastes like it was freshly ground and has the perfect creamy texture for spreading. Both meats are my favorite to work with, and I love creating salads with them. The same goes for Swanson's chicken chunks.Add a cream sauce and canned veggies and it's perfect for Chicken a la King. The problem comes from the canned ravioli , namely Chef Boyardee''s version. The chicken stuffed ones looked good , on the picture. In reality , absolutely not. The sauce was as fiery as an arribiata , in fact so much so I had to scrape it off the pasta to eat the pasta.The sad part was that there was no warning. I just figured it was a regular sauce. It wasn't which ruined it for me.Then there was the ravioli's texture.It was mushy . The squares were starting to separate as it was being heated up and I ended up with goop.

I'm all for convenience over convention. However I think there are better alternatives to canned dinner You can try  the TV or microwave kind like Stouffer's. Their lasagna is actually pretty close to the homemade kind, full of meat, a pulpy sauce and chewy - not smooshy,  noodles. Also their meals for one are creative and well thought out, with both the execution and nutrition.Marie Callendars also has some excellent meals, from their pot pies to their signature Italian dishes .Again, like Stouffers, these have a homemade taste. You can make from  scratch instant meals. Stir fry is one of the quickest especially if you buy from the salad bar or already cut veggies. Just add soy and dried ginger. Minute rice is another easy meal to whip up. Add veggies, and any leftover meat. Spice up with saffron or oregano and voila  you have a tasty dinner. Eggs are one of the most versatile ingredients and the  simplest to cook up. Have breakfast for lunch or dinner with a quick scramble, bacon and toast. A frittata can be whipped up in seconds. Add Parmesan and mushrooms, and serve with rounds of toasted Italian bread.

 Be judicious when you shop for easy to prepare meals. Sometimes the best ones are the homemade kind. If you're too busy  to cook, then try the ones recommended. The last thing you need is a bad dinner after a frazzling day.

Snow Food in The House!

Even though it's mid November, many regions around the world are snowed in. Some even are iced in due to plummeting temps. If your area are under that threat , then there's one thing to do  - food shop.It pays to be ready  as well as prepared to be stuck in the house for a few days. Be well stocked . Be on the alert. Just don't be hungry.

What should a kitchen have in stock? Milk ,bread and eggs, basically the ingredients for French toast.It does make a nice breakfast on a snow day, especially after shoveling. The pantry should be also stocked with stock for making soups or gravies. Canned foods are another must. Buy up a variety of veggies and beans. These are the most versatile and can be turned into everything from salads to side. Olive oil, another basic should be on hand  along with margarine and/or butter. Think about keeping two or three boxes of different types of pasta around too. Placate restless kids with a special lunch or dinner of spaghetti . Also have tins of Spaghetti-os along with lasagna and mini raviolis. These are easy to cook and  not at all time consuming (which is great especially if you have to telecommute). Buy bags of fries and Tater Tots along with frozen burgers like Bubba's or the veggie kind from Morningstar Farms. Also make sure you have enough cereal, both hot and cold, along with orange juice. The mornings will be brutal  so it pays to send the family off with a breakfast that will stay with them.

Snacks are all important for those days stuck inside. The easiest and healthiest is pop corn, of course. If you're lucky to have a fireplace, buy a popping basket (Amazon and Sur La Table carry this) so you can have fresh from the fire  fluffy kernels. If not , the microwave kind or even the old fashioned cooked on the stove is also good. Nothing beats a bowl of it during a movie or game. The unpopped kernels can be used to feed the birds. Pretzels are another healthy and fun snack. Have cheese and mustard around for dipping.Nachos with salsa are another fun snowy day munchie. The fresh garden  taste of the dip will bring back memories of warm summer days. Hot cocoa is a must . It a great reviver, especially after some serious snowball fights and fort building. Also flavored coffees and creamers are nice as are herbal teas.The last is perfect for anyone starting to sniffle or dealing with a scratchy throat. Snow days are also good baking days. Make up a batch of slice and bake chocolate  chips or do a rehearsal bake session with any of your Christmas cookie recipes.

Don't panic when the first heavy snow of the season comes. You should have a well stocked kitchen and pantry all set to go for cooking and baking. You don't have to go out . Stay in and enjoy good food and drink