The joys of a holiday meal with family and friends can be less than abundant if you're the one putting the meal on the table. But don't worry -- your loved ones are forgiving, and most any culinary crisis can be patched over. Here's our quick fix guide to the most common emergencies. The Pilgrims had the Wampanoag to help them through the first Thanksgiving; you have us.
The Turkey Is Still Frozen
Give it a bath. You can safely speed up thawing by soaking the wrapped turkey in a sink full of cold water. Change the water every half hour or so. If you're starting with a rock-hard bird, you'll need thirty minutes per pound, so give yourself some time.
I Don't Know If the Turkey Is Done
If you don't own an instant-read thermometer, now is a good time to pick one up. It's really the only foolproof method for checking doneness. The thickest part of the thigh should be at least 170 degrees F, the breast 160. If you have to improvise, try slipping a knife deep into the thigh; the juices should run clear.
The Turkey Is Unevenly Cooked
If the breast is ready but the dark meat still undercooked (it happens to the best of us), slice the legs off and give them some extra time in the oven, preferably in a small roasting pan.
Celebrity chefs -- they're just like us. Only with mega book deals, product lines, TV shows, a slew of sous chefs and a staff to clean up after them. Still, when it comes to food, most of 'em have a down home and humble favorite that defines the holiday. Over the next few weeks, we'll share must-have festive fare from Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, John Besh, Michael Symon and many more.
In this Slashfood exclusive, Chef Marcus Samuelsson explains why bad red wine is essential to his holiday happiness.
Buy Marcus Samuelsson's "New American Table" and read more about Glüewhein and Glogg.
Although I'm not proud to admit my initial exposure to any food was at a fast-food chain, my first memory of the parfait involves those creamy -- though perhaps closer to pasty than luscious -- plastic-cupped "Little Bucket Parfaits" at the Colonel's KFC. My childhood self was delighted by the layered varieties, gleeful with the prospect of crumbled cookies awaiting at the bottom. (It runs in the family: My father is so notorious for his love for the British trifle -- which is differentiated by its inclusion of ladyfingers -- that, at my sister's wedding in the British countryside, her husband's mother presented my father with a bowl of it as an edible good-natured gesture.)
Speaking as a coffee person, I can tell you that buying holiday presents for beanies can be difficult -- we can be very persnickety about what we like ("Oh, gee whiz, thanks for this... tub of pre-ground snicker-doodle-flavored coffee."), and many of us have everything ("Wow, thanks... another set of No. 4 cone filters.").
Read on after the jump for some suggestions to make your French-press fanatical loved ones happy this holiday season.
Each Tuesday until Turkey Day, we're bringing you preparation tips to ensure your Thanksgiving is as smooth as your gravy (should be). If you've been following our advice, everything should be under control. But with just two days to go, here's a final check list before the big day.
As we all get ready to sit down to a belly-bulging turkey dinner this Thursday with the ones we love, it's also time to remember the holiday is about giving thanks.
But during these tough economic times, many people will get their meals this holiday season from food banks and soup kitchens. Volunteering to charitable causes in a time of abundance gives others a reason to give back.
Said actor and writer Alan Bennett, "Life is like a box of sardines, and everyone is looking for the key." Alas, when it comes to the slippery fish, not everyone is interested in opening up that can. And it seems foodies have a love-hate relationship with the chow.
Even adventurous eater and ex-New York Times food critic Frank Bruni was under fire for rumors that he hated sardines. After further research on his praise for various plates of the dish, the final verdict was best summed up in his own words: "Sardines aren't for sissies."
What do you think? Take our poll and hit the comments to vent or rave.
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These cheesy mashed potatoes are rich with sour cream and cream cheese. Chives and bacon add a dash of color -- after all, you eat with your eyes first.
Get this mashed potato recipe along with many others after the jump.
Patented in Milan, Italy, in 1901 by Luigi Bezzera, the concentrated coffee drink has been endlessly expanded upon in a plethora of creative culinary delights. Chances are those of you who include the beverage in your daily routine have already gotten your fix today, but may we instead suggest you toy with the idea of getting your fix (or supplementing it!) from a different source -- ice cream, chocolate or a baked good, perhaps?
Or for seriously committed bean fiends, take our Coffee Meister's advice and research home espresso machines for at-home consumption. So perk up and drink (or eat) up!
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We'll take cue from a master, and agree with Julia Child that the traditional leek-and-potato vichyssoise "is the mother of the family in all her simplicity." The vegetables combine to a delicate smooth soup, and, wrote Child, "a bit of cream at the end is a nourishing touch, but by no means necessary." But dear Julia, since when were you one to go easy on the fat?
Created by the chef of New York's Ritz, Louis Diat, the soup made an appearance shortly after the restaurant opened in December 1910. Debatably a Franco-American hybrid, the soup was inspired by the cooking of Diat's mother: "One of my earliest food memories is of my mother's good leek and potato soup," he wrote. Although similar French potage recipes predate the chilled Vichyssoise as we know it, the temperature is what differentiates the refreshing dish.
And what better way to celebrate National Vichyssoise Day than with Louis Diat's original recipe from 1941's "Cooking a la Ritz"? Check it out, after the jump.
First there was the Halloween pumpkin shortage and now this.
Nestlé, the parent company of Libby's Pumpkin, said Tuesday that it might not have enough canned pumpkin for the Thanksgiving holiday.
"Our calculations indicate that we may deplete our inventory of canned Libby's pumpkin as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday," Paul Bakus, vice president for Nestlé's baking division, told the New York Times.
Each Tuesday until Turkey Day, we're bringing you preparation tips to ensure your Thanksgiving is as smooth as your gravy (should be). And guess what? There are only two Tuesdays to go! If you've been following our advice, there's no need to freak out, but even if you haven't, there's still no need to freak out -- just, uh, expedite.
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