I have to roast my bird, how else would I get drippings for gravy? When I have a big crowd I'll often smoke one too, but this year it's the in-laws turn so we'll be down to one gobbler.
It may be a little late for these first two, but I thought I'd add them here just in case (and you can reference it next year!). The last story is about leftovers
If you're roasting a turkey on Thanksgiving, we've got some advice that might be helpful or that might strike you as really weird. The weird comes a little later. We start with Shirley Corriher, a cookbook author who writes about the chemistry of cooking. Last year, I spoke with another expert on the chemistry of cooking, Harold McGee, after the publication of his book "Keys to Good Cooking." He had some turkey advice too, some of it a little odd.
A cook's secrets are meant to stay in the kitchen. An off-recipe substitution; a unique addition; an improvised technique — they often come from inspiration, or just a sense of craft, that can make a home chef both proud and protective. Luckily for us, Chris Kimball of America's Test Kitchen is happy to share the secrets he's picked up in more than 30 years of cooking. As the host of America's Test Kitchen on PBS, and the editor and publisher ofCook's Illustrated, Kimball and his staff are constantly searching for secrets that can make cooking easier — and give the finished product a nuance of flavor, or a consistency of texture, that amateur chefs might find hard to discover on their own.
● Brie With Honey And Thyme — Cheap and Easy (Shh!) - using a microwave!
● Roasted Turkey With Herbs — Secret Compartments (not the cavity)
● The Stuffing — Codename: Cornflake
● Green Beans — Not Dry, But Shaken And Stirred
● Multigrain Rolls — The Proof Is In The Porridge
● Spiced Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake — 'The Squeeze Job' ("The secret," Kimball says, "is the way we wick away the moisture.")
● Get Your Own Secrets - Anyone looking for other tips, recipes or ideas for your holiday meal can find aThanksgiving Survival Guide at the Cook's Illustrated website.
For many Americans, the best part of Thanksgiving dinner happens on the Friday after the holiday, when the leftovers begin.
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
