_print me_ for take control of thanksgiving dinner (1.1)

8/12/2019 _Print Me_ for Take Control of Thanksgiving Dinner (1.1)

1/19

Print Me file for Take Control of Thanksgiving Dinner, version 1.1 Page 1Copyright 2007, Joe Kissell. All rights reserved. www.geekygourmet.com

www.takecontrolbooks.com/thanksgiving.html

PRINT ME FILE FOR

TAKE CONTROL OF THANKSGIVING DINNER VERSION 1.1Print this document and it to stay organized and on track while you plan and prepare your Thanksgiving

dinner. The directions on this page provide more details about how to use the paper sheets.

(Note: Bought before 28-Sep-07? Get a free update to version 1.1 of the book; click Check for Updates on the

cover of the PDF to access a free update. Also, dont print from Acrobat 5 as fractions may be wrong!)

Shopping Lists

If you have time before you shop, review these lists while you read Obtain Suppliesand Obtain

Ingredients(pages 1129 in the book). You may wish to cross out some items, or add others.

Supplies............................................................................................................................................2

Basic Kitchen Equipment ...............................................................................................................2

Special Kitchen Equipment ............................................................................................................2

Ingredients for the Basic Recipes ...................................................................................................3

Ingredients for Upgraded Recipes .................................................................................................3

Recipes If you have time before you begin cooking, sit down with a pen and this printout. Review the

longer, more detailed recipes in the book, and make notes on these shorter versions.

Tape your annotated recipe printouts up in your kitchen so youll have them handy when and

where you need them.

Brined Turkey ..................................................................................................................................4

Stuffing.............................................................................................................................................5

Turkey Gravy ...................................................................................................................................6

Cranberry-Orange Relish ................................................................................................................8

Candied Sweet Potatoes ..................................................................................................................9

Pumpkin Pie: Making the Crust ...................................................................................................10Pumpkin Pie: Making the Filling & Baking ..................................................................................11

Pumpkin Pie: Making the Whipped Cream ..................................................................................11

Roasted Turkey.............................................................................................................................. 12

Mashed Potatoes ........................................................................................................................... 14

Schedules

Keep the schedules handy as you review the book so you can see how it all works visually. If

you want to develop you own schedule, you can use the custom schedules (pages 18 and 19 in

this document) as a starting point.

When youre ready to start cooking, tape the relevant schedules up in your kitchen, so you can

quickly figure out what to do next.

What to Do Before Thanksgiving ................................................................................................. 15

Schedule for the Day Before Thanksgiving .................................................................................. 16

Schedule for Thanksgiving Day .................................................................................................... 17

Custom Schedule for the Day before Thanksgiving .................................................................... 18

Custom Schedule for Thanksgiving Day ...................................................................................... 19


2/19



SHOPPING LIST FOR TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER

You wont need to buy all these itemsyoull already have some, and others you can borrow. Be sure to consult

two sections in the book: Obtain Supplies(page 11) and Obtain Ingredients(page 20) for further details.

Supplies

! Aluminum foil

! Containers for leftovers: square or rectangular

GladWare or Ziploc containers, plus bags for guests

to carry home leftovers in

! Ice packs

! Kitchen string: 56 feet (1 m)

! Paper towels (at least one extra roll)

! Plastic wrap

! Stuffing bags (optional)

! Tablecloth(s), plus (optionally) a plastic tablecloth for

underneath the main one

! Tableware: plates, cutlery, glasses, napkins, and

placemats

! Turkey lacing kit (optional) or skewers

! Waxed or parchment paper

! Zip-top plastic bags: large (gallon/4 l)

Basic Kitchen Equipment:

! Casseroles or glass baking dishes such as Pyrex

13 x 9 inch, 3 quart/3 l baking dishes (at least two)

! Colander

! Hot pads or trivets

! Kitchen towels

! Knives for chopping vegetables

! Large cutting board

! Large stockpot

! Measuring cups

! Measuring spoons

! Medium saucepans (at least 2)

! Medium skillet

! Microwave oven (optional)

! Mixing bowls (several, with at least one made ofmetal)

! Potholders

! Serving bowls for mashed potatoes and cranberry

sauce.

! Serving spoons, 4 or more large ones

! Vegetable peeler

! Whisk

! Wire-mesh strainer (not needed if youre buying

premade gravy)

! Wooden spoon

Special Kitchen Equipment

! Brining container

! Carving knife, 810 inches (2025 cm) or electric

knife; carving fork

! Electric mixer, either handheld or upright (for

whipping cream)

! Food processor or meat grinder (for cranberry sauce)

! Gravy boat

! Instant-read thermometer

! Pie lifter/spatula

! One or more large pitchers for water

! Pie plates: one for each pie, such as 9.5-inch (24 cm)

Pyrex glass pie plates

! Rolling pin

! Potato ricer or masher (can skip if you have an

upright mixer)

! Roasting pan: an inexpensive one, such as a Granite

Ware; disposable pans are OK but harder to work with

! Serving platter for turkey

! Slotted metal spoon

! Slow cooker (optional)

! Timer

! V-rack


3/19



Ingredients for the Basic Recipes

Produce

! Potatoes: Yukon Gold, 6 lb. (2.75 kg)

! Sweet potatoes: 4 pounds (1.8 kg), ideally Jewel

(substitute Beauregard or Garnet if necessary; avoid

Jerseys)

! Celery: 4 large stalks

! Onion: 1 large (white or yellow)

! Parsley bunch: fresh, enough to make !cup (125 ml)

when leaves are chopped

! Oranges: navel if possible, 2 medium

! Fresh or frozen cranberries: one bag

(1216 oz./350450 g)

Dairy, eggs & meat

! Turkey (1315 lb./67 kg); fresh if possible; if buying

frozen, consider a basted Butterball

! Butter: unsalted, 1 pound (450 g)! Eggs: 3 large

! Half-and-half: 12 oz. (350 ml)

! Whipping cream: 16 oz. (500 ml); sometimes sold

as heavy cream

Bread

! White sandwich bread: two loaves (16 oz./450 g each,

or equivalent)

orPlain dried bread cubes: two 14-oz.

(400 g) bags

Canned/bottled/boxed goods! Low-sodium chicken broth: 64 oz./4 lb. (2 l/2 kg)

in boxes or cans

! Canola oil: 8 oz. (250 ml)

! Pumpkin: pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling),

one 15-oz. (425 g) can per pie

! Rice vinegar: small bottle (avoid seasoned rice

vinegar or rice wine vinegar); substitute plain white

vinegar if you cant find any

Spices & flavorings

! Cinnamon, ground ! Cloves, ground

! Ginger, ground ! Marjoram, dried

! Black pepper, ground ! Sage, dried (or rubbed)

! Thyme, dried ! Vanilla extract

Baking supplies

! Evaporated milk: one 12-oz. (350 ml) can per

pumpkin pie

! Flour: unbleached all-purpose flour, 4 cups (1 l; about

20 oz. or 600 g)

! Salt: at least 3 cups (750 ml) if using table salt

(double that for kosher salt)

! Shortening: 8 oz. (250 ml): ideally Crisco 0 Grams

Trans Fat Per Serving All-Vegetable Shortening

! Brown sugar: light brown (if you have a choice), 1 cup

(250 ml) or more! White sugar: 2 cups (500 ml) or more

Hors doeuvres & drinks

! Ingredients for hors doeuvres, such as mixed nuts,

Chex party mix, deviled eggs, vegetable platter with

dip, mini quiches, or savory tarts

! Paper plates and napkins

! Wine, beer, juice, or soft drinks

Emergency ingredients

! Gravy: packaged (look for McCormicks Turkey Gravy

or Knorr Roasted Turkey Gravy; get 34 packets)

! Pie crusts: refrigerated or frozen

! Whipped cream canister

Ingredients for Upgraded Recipes

! Apples: 2 medium

! Garlic: 3 large or 4 medium heads

! Mushrooms: !"lb.

! Unsalted butter: one additional stick

! Half-and-half: another 8 oz. (250 ml)

! Buttermilk: 16 oz. (500 ml)

! Dry white wine: one bottle

orLow-sodium chicken broth: another 8 oz. (250 ml)


4/19



BRINED TURKEY

In the days before Thanksgiving, be sure to read Prepare the Turkey(page 39 in the book), and determine what

container you will brine in and how you will keep your brining container cool, so youll be ready to follow the

steps in this recipe.

Special Equipment

Brining container

Fridge or cold-storage area (such as a deck) with space for brining container, or ice packs.

Ingredients

Your ingredients depend on how long you plan to soak the turkey.

Do a 46 hour soak if:

Its already Thanksgiving morning.

Its within 47 hours of when you want to go to bed on

the night before Thanksgiving.

Ingredients for a 46 hour soak:

Turkey (not frozen)

2 cups (500 ml) salt

If using Morton kosher salt instead of table salt, increase

amount to 3 cups (750 ml); for Diamond Crystal kosher

salt, increase amount to 4 cups (1 l).

2 gallons (8 l) of cold water

Do an 8- to 12-hour soak if:

Its 812 hours before bedtime the day before

Thanksgiving

Its nearly bedtime the night before Thanksgiving

Ingredients for an 812 hour soak:

Turkey (not frozen)

1 cup (250 ml) salt

If using Morton kosher salt instead of table salt, increase

amount to 1!cups (375 ml); for Diamond Crystal

kosher salt, increase amount to 2 cups (500 ml).

2 gallons (8 l) of cold water

Procedure

1. Combine the salt and the cold water. Mix

thoroughly.

2. Remove the fresh or fully thawedturkey from

refrigerator, place in a clean sink, and remove

any plastic wrap.

3. Remove the neck and giblets; discard the liver;

refrigerate the neck, heart, and gizzard. (See

the illustration on this page.)

4. Rinse the turkey well, inside and out, under cold

running water. If any pinfeathers are present,

remove them with tweezers or needle-nose

pliers.

5. Carefully submerge the turkey in the salt

solution. Add more brine if necessary to cover

bird by at least one inch of liquid.

6. Cover and refrigerate, or add ice packs as

needed and put the container in a cool place.

7. When the soaking time is completed, rinse the

turkey under cold running water.

8. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, inside

and out. Refrigerate overnight if possible, ideally

with no covering.

The neck is the

upside-down U-

shaped item (left);

The giblets are the

heart (top right),the gizzard (mid-

dle right), and the

liver (lower right).


5/19



STUFFING

Youll prepare the wet and dry ingredients separately the day before Thanksgiving, and then on Thanksgiving

youll combine them and stuff the bird, and bake the extra stuffing separately. See Prepare Stuffing(page 44

in the book) for background info.

Special Equipment

Stuffing bag (optional)

Instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

#cup (125 ml) unsalted butter (1 stick)

4 large celery stalks

1 large onion

1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried sage

1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried thyme

1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried marjoram

1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt1 teaspoon (5 ml) pepper

3 cups (750 ml) low-sodium chicken broth

2 loaves (16 oz./450 g each) white sandwich bread

or2 bags (14 oz./400 g) of plain dried bread cubes

#cup fresh parsley leaves

Only if upgrading

2 medium apples (replacing half the celery)

or 12 cups chopped fresh mushrooms

Procedure for Day 1

1. If using fresh bread, tear it into small

(1 inch/2 cm) pieces and dry it well. (Air dry

for 3 days, or oven dry at 300F/150C for

1520 minutes.)

2. Chop the onion and celery finely.

Upgrading:For variety, replace half the celery

with chopped, peeled apples, or add 12 cupschopped mushrooms.

3. Separately, chop the parsley finely.

4. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt

the butter. When it just starts to bubble, add

onion and celery and saut until very soft,

about 1015 minutes. (If the onions begin to

brown on the edges, consider them done.)

5. Stir in all the spices except the parsley

(marjoram, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper),

and the chicken broth.

6. Allow this mixture to cool slightly. Then trans-

fer it into a covered container and refrigerate.

7. In a very large bowl (or two smaller bowls),

toss together bread cubes and chopped pars-

ley. Cover loosely with a dry towel, and set

aside until tomorrow.

Procedure for Day 2

8. Warm the wet mixture slightly (in a saucepan

or in the microwave), just enough to liquefy

any fat on the surface. Combine the wet mix-

ture and the dry mixture, and mix thoroughly.

9. Following the directions in the Roast and Carve

the Turkeyrecipe (page 71 in the book),

microwave about 6 cups of stuffing until itreaches 130F (54C). Then spoon it into the

turkey (or into a stuffing bag in the turkey).

Put the remaining stuffing in a casserole or

glass baking dish and cover, but dont

refrigerate.

10. When the turkey has been roasting for 2 hours,

optionally drizzle about 4 tablespoons of butter

over the remaining stuffing, cover with foil or

a glass lid, and put it in the oven.

Bake for about an hour, so the stuffing will be

ready when the turkey has finished resting after

it comes out of the oven.


6/19



TURKEY GRAVY

This recipe is from Make Gravy(page 48 in the book). Youll do most of this the day before Thanksgiving.

Special Equipment

Wire mesh strainer Glass measuring cup or second saucepan

Wooden spoon Large saucepan (avoid a nonstick pan)Whisk

Ingredients

Turkey neck and giblets

2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil

5 cups (1200 ml) low-sodium chicken broth

3 cups (700 ml) water

5 tablespoons (75 ml) unsalted butter

#cup (125 ml) all-purpose flour

salt and pepper

Only if upgrading

1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine

1 cup (250 ml) additional chicken broth

Procedure for Day 1

1. Remove giblets and neck from refrigerator.

Discard the liver (large, brown, and oblong).

Cut gizzard in half. Optionally use a cleaver

to cut the neck into three or four pieces.

2. Put the oil in a large saucepan, apply medium-

high heat, and after about a minute, add the

turkey parts. Cook for 10 minutes, or until

nicely browned, stirring occasionally.

3. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and

cook for another 20 minutes.

4. Turn up the heat to medium-high; pour in thechicken broth and water. This will loosen the

fond (browned bits) from the bottom of the

pan; scrape it off with a wooden spoon.

5. When the broth comes to a boil, reduce the

heat to medium and continue simmering for

30 minutes (but look ahead to the next step,

which happens halfway through this time).

As the broth simmers, a foam will form on

top. Skim this off with a slotted spoon.

6. Decide on a container to use in the next step.

Read Steps 79 before you make your

decision. Assemble the container and a wire

strainer so you are ready for the next step.

7. Turn off the heat, and pour the broth through

a wire strainer into a suitably large container,

such as another saucepan or a glass

measuring cupideally, something from which

you can pour the liquid easily (a few steps

ahead). Discard whats left in the strainer,

and rinse out the saucepan.

8. Put the saucepan back on the stove, drop

in the butter, and cook over medium-low heat

until the butter just melts completely. Slowly

add the flour, stirring vigorously and constantly

with a whisk, getting into the sides of the pan.

Whisk for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the roux

turns light brown, but look ahead to Step 9.

9. About 5 minutes into the roux cooking time,

ask your helper to take that container of

broth and add a bit of heat. (If you put it in

a saucepan, heat it over medium on a stove

burner; if its in a microwave-safe bowl, nuke

it for 1 to 2 minutes.)

10. When the roux is light brown and the broth

is just about boiling, slowly and with rapid

and continuous whisking, add the broth to

the roux (or have your helper do so).

11. Leave the mixture on medium-low heat for

a half hour to thicken, stirring occasionally.

If a film forms on the surface, simply stir it

back into the gravy. Turn off the heat, put the

gravy in a covered container, and refrigerate.


7/19



Regular Procedure for Day 2

1. While the turkey is resting, reheat the gravy

in a saucepan over medium heat until moder-

ately warm, stirring occasionallyabout 510

minutes.

2. If, after its thoroughly heated, the gravy

seems too thick, add just a bit of water or

broth.

Upgrading Procedure for Day 2

To add an extra punch of flavor (and a bit

more volume) to the gravy, you can perform

a few extra steps after you take the bird out

of the oven, adding turkey drippings to the

existing gravy:

1. Take the gravy from Day 1 out of the

refrigerator. Put it in a saucepan, but dont

put it on the stove yet.

2. After removing the turkey from the roasting

pan, remove the V-rack. Carefully pour the

drippings from the pan through a strainer into

a large glass measuring cup or a mixing bowl.

3. As the drippings sit for a few minutes, the fat

will separate and rise to the top, so you can

later skim off the fat using a large metal

spoon, gently tilting the cup if necessary.

4. Take the gravy you made yesterday (already

in a saucepan, from Step 1) and put it on

the stove over medium heat. Heat until mod-

erately warm, stirring occasionallyabout

510 minutes.

The next three steps apply only if you have a

roasting pan with a solid, thick bottom. If you

have a disposable foil pan or are running short

on time, skip Steps 57 and jump to Step 8.

5. Put the nearly empty roasting pan on the stove

top, across two burners. Turn both burners to

medium-high. Pour in a cup of wine and a cup

of chicken broth (or 2 cups of chicken broth,

if you prefer). Using a wooden spoon, scrape

off as much of the fond as you can.

6. Within a minute or two, the liquid will boil.

Keep it boiling for about 5 more minutes,

during which time a good bit of it will evap-

orate. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat.

7. Pour the liquid in the roasting pan through

the wire strainer into the gravy. Stir well.

8. Pour the skimmed drippings from Step 3 into

the gravy you reheated in Step 4. Taste it,

adding salt and pepper until you like the

flavor.

9. Heat until you see just the first hint of boiling,

stirring frequently.


8/19



CRANBERRY-ORANGE RELISH

Make the cranberry sauce (at least) a day before Thanksgiving. Make Cranberry Sauce(page 55 in the book)

has more information.

Special Equipment

Food processor (or meat grinder)

Ingredients

1216 oz. (350450 g) fresh or frozen cranberries

2 medium oranges

1 cup (250 ml) sugar (reduce to $cup/180 ml if using

12 oz. of cranberries)

Procedure

1. Wash the oranges and cut into small pieces

but dont peel them. If youre using seeded

oranges, remove the seeds.

2. Rinse the cranberries. Discard any mushy or

discolored berries, along with any stem pieces

you find. (If using frozen cranberries, rinse

them, but dont thaw them first.)

3. Put the orange pieces in a food processor and

run it until all the pieces are quite small. The

time will vary depending on the power of your

food processor and the size of the pieces, but

it could be as little as 10 seconds or as long

as 30 seconds or more.

Note:If you are using a meat grinder, simply run all

the oranges and cranberries through it once, andthen stir in the sugar with a spoon.

4. Add the cranberries, and run the food

processor again until the mixture is fairly

smoothanother 1030 seconds or so.

5. Carefully remove the mixture from the food

processor.

6. Add the sugar and mix thoroughly. Taste.

It should be slightly tart, but if it makes you

wince, add a bit more sugar.

7. Refrigerate in a covered container overnight.


9/19



CANDIED SWEET POTATOES

As described in more detail in Make the Orange Dish(page 58 in the book), youll make this the day before

Thanksgiving and then reheat it on Thanksgiving Day.

Special Equipment

Large stockpot Large glass or ceramic baking dishSmall bowls (2)

Ingredients

4 pounds (1.8 kg) sweet potatoes

2tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter

1 cup (250 ml) brown sugar

Procedure for Day 1

1. Wash the potatoes (your helper can do this),

but dont peel them yet .

2. Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with

about an inch (2 cm) of cold water. (That is,add enough water so they wouldbe covered

if they didnt float!)

3. Over high heat, bring the water to boiling.

Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low (just

enough to keep it boiling with the lid on),

and boil for 3540 minutes, or until the pota-

toes give slightly when squeezed with tongs.

4. Drain the sweet potatoes, and then poke

each of them a few times with a knife to let

the steam escape.

5. Cool the sweet potatoes for about 45 minutes

so theyll slice easily and not crumble, and

then remove the skins, which should slip off

easily. Then cut the sweet potatoes into $-inch

(about 2 cm) slicesanother likely job for your

helper. (Optional, cut larger slices in half.)

6. While waiting for the sweet potatoes to cool,

grease the bottom and sides of a large (glass

or ceramic) baking dish or casserole

generously with butter.

7. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).

8. In a small pan over very low heat, melt the

butter. Stir in the sugar and continue heating,

stirring constantly, for two to three minutes, or

until all the sugar liquefies, forming a relatively

smooth mixture thats about as thick as

molasses. Dont overcook itif in doubt,

remove the pan from the heat after 3 minutes.

9. Lay out the sweet potato slices as evenly as

possible in the greased baking dish. Youlllikely cover the bottom of the baking dish and

have about half your potato slices left over.

10. Drizzle (or spread, as the case may be) about

half of the butter-sugar mixture over the top,

trying to cover as much of the sweet potato

surface as possible. Then add the remaining

slices and drizzle the rest of the butter-sugar

mixture over them.

11. Bake, uncovered, for 2030 minutes, by which

time the sugar should be caramelized (begins

to solidify) but not burnt.

12. Once the baking dish is reasonably cool, cover it

and place it in the fridge.

Procedure for Day 2

About an hour before the turkey could be done

roasting, remove the baking dish from the fridge

so it can come to room temperature.

After you remove the turkey from the oven:

1. Leave the oven at 425F (220C).

3. Heat the sweet potatoes in the oven,

uncovered, for 1015 minutes or until bubbly.

To keep the candied sweet potatoes warm before

serving, cover the dish and set it in a warm

(200F/93C) oven.


10/19



PUMPKIN PIE

As described in Bake Pumpkin Pie(page 62 in the book), the pie should be made the day before Thanksgiving.

To make a pie, youll need to put together three recipes: pie crust, pie filling, and whipped cream. Each recipe

follows below. Note that the pie crust portion of the recipe is enough to make three crusts.

Pumpkin Pie: Making a Pie Crust

Special Equipment

Pie plate(s) Waxed or parchment paper

Rolling pin

Ingredients

1 egg

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

4 tablespoons (60 ml) very cold water

3 cups (750 ml) unbleached flour

1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

1 cup (250 ml) shortening


Procedure

1. Take the butter out of the refrigerator and allow

it to warm up almost to room temperature

about a half hour.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together

(using a dry fork).

3. Add shortening and butter to the flour mixture

and mix briefly with a fork or a pastry blender

until uniformly lumpy.

4. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Stir

in rice vinegar and cold water.

5. Dig a crater in the middle of the flour-and-fat

mixture. Pour in about a quarter of the egg-

vinegar-water mixture, and blend it with your

fingers, working quickly. Continue mixing in the

wet ingredients in portions until you have a solid

ball.

6. Divide this ball of dough into three equal parts.

Gently press each ball down into a disk about !

inch thick. Wrap two of them (separately) in

plastic wrap and stick them in the refrigerator.

7. Spread out a piece of waxed paper or

parchment paper about 1416 inches

wide, and lightly cover the top with flour.

Put your remaining disk of dough on this

paper, sprinkle more flour on top of it,

and cover it with a second sheet of waxed

paper or parchment paper.

8. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the

doughworking out from the center at

first, and switching directions frequentlyfor an even crustuntil its about 12 inches

in diameter.

9. Peel off the top sheet. Then, holding the

bottom sheet, gently but quickly flip the

dough over onto a pie plate, centering it as

nearly as you can. Peel off the other sheet,

and carefully press the crust into position,

working from the center out to the edges

and up the sides. Fold under excess dough

on edges and press it together with your

thumb or a fork.


11/19



Pumpkin Pie: Making the Filling & Baking the Pie

Special Equipment

Wooden spoon or whisk

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz./425 g) pumpkin

1 can (12 oz./350 ml) evaporated milk

!cup (125 ml) sugar

2 eggs

#teaspoon (2 ml) salt

1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon

#teaspoon (2 ml) ground ginger

#teaspoon (2 ml) ground cloves

Procedure

1. Preheat your oven to 425F (220C).

2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs slightly with a

fork.

3. Add all the other ingredients and mix well with a

wooden spoon or whisk.

4. Pour the mixture into the pie crust.

5. Bake at 425F (220C) for 15 minutes; then

turn the heat down to 350F (175C), and

bake for another 45 minutes or until the

center of the pie is firm and a knife inserted

into the center comes out clean.

After taking the pie out of the oven, cool it to

room temperature. Then cover it lightly with

plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate it.

Pumpkin Pie: Making the Whipped Cream

Special Equipment

Electric mixer

Ingredients

16 oz. (500 ml) whipping cream

!cup (75 ml) sugar

#teaspoon (2 ml) vanilla

tiny pinch of salt

Procedure

At least a half hour before whipping the cream, put

the mixing bowl and the beaters in the freezer. Also

make sure the cream is very coldbut not frozen.

Thenright before dessertfollow these steps:

1. Pour the cream into the mixing bowl, add a tiny

pinch of salt, and beat at medium speed for

about a minute.

2. Crank up the speed to high and continue

whipping until the cream gets fairly thick,

but not quite as thick as youd like it.

3. Turn off the mixer and add the sugar and

vanilla.

4. Put the mixer back on high, and whip until

you get the desired consistency.


12/19



ROASTED TURKEY

Before starting on this recipe, read Roast and Carve the Turkey(page 69) for details.

Special Equipment

Roasting pan Carving knife or electric knife; carving fork

V-rack Turkey lacing kit (optional) or skewersAluminum foil Instant-read thermometer

Stuffing bag (optional) Carving knife or electric knife; carving fork

Ingredients

Brined turkey Canola oil

Procedure (Roasting)

1. Set bottom oven rack to lowest position.

Preheat your oven to 425F (220C).

2. Remove your brined turkey from the fridge, and

place it in on a large cutting board, breast side up.

3. Flipping momentarily to the stuffing recipe,

perform Step 8: Combine the wet and dry

ingredients.

4. Put about 6 cups of the stuffing in a microwave-

safe bowl, and put the rest in a casserole or

glass baking dish. Cover this dish and set it

aside.

5. Put the bowl from Step 4 in the microwave

(covered with a lid or plastic wrap) and heat

on high for 34 minutes, stirring once or twice,until temperature reaches at least 130F

(55C).

6. If youre using a stuffing bag, put it inside the

main turkey cavity now.

7. Using a spoon or scoop, fill the cavity (or the

bag in the cavity) with hot stuffing. Leave a

small amount of empty space.

8. Close the main turkey cavity:

If you are using a turkey lacing kit, pull the

skin on the sides of opening together; slide in

all but one of the pins horizontally across the

opening; crisscross string around the ends of

pins; and tie tightly.

No lacing kit?Use a piece of foil or a slice of bread

to help hold the stuffing in. Pull the flaps of skin

together, and optionally close with a skewer.

Tie the ends of the drumsticks together

loosely with string.

Pin the wings to body with skewers, or tie

them to the body with string.

9. Put about another cup of stuffing in the neck

cavity, and then fold over the skin flap. If

you have one last pin from your lacing kit,

insert it horizontally to hold the skin shut.

Or, you can use a metal or bamboo skewer

or, as with the main cavity, insert a bread

slice or bit of foil to help hold in the stuffing.

10. Coat the entire outside of the turkey

liberally with canola oil.

11. Put the V-rack in the roasting pan, and setthe turkey on the rack, breast side up.

12. Using aluminum foil, make a tent large

enough to cover the entire breast and the

tops of the drumsticks. It should be open

at both ends, and the ends should extend

slightly past the ends of the bird.

13. Check to make sure the oven temperature

has reached 425F (220C). If you are using

a thermometer with a remote probe, insert

that into the thigh now. Then slide the

roasting pan in on the bottom rack.

14. Write down what time you put the turkey in.

15. Set a timer for !hour. When the timer

goes off, remove the foil tent.

16. Reset the timer for another hour to remind

you to check the temperature.


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17. Check the temperature at the thickest part

of the thigh. With an instant-read thermometer,

insert it between the thickest part of one of the

drumsticks and the body, and press it straight

down until the tip goes past where the drum-

stick ends. If you already put a remote probe in

the turkey, you can check the temperature justby glancing at the readout. Use the Checking

the Temperaturetable, below, to tell you what

to do next. Ideally, youll take out the turkey

when the thigh is 170F (77C), the breast is

160F (71C), and the stuffing is also 160F

(71C).

18. Remove the turkey from the oven: Using

wadded-up paper towels, lift it carefully off the

V-rack and set it on a cutting board or servingplatter.

Let it sit for a half hour.

Checking the Temperature

If the thigh is: And the breast

is:

And the stuffing

is:

Do this:

Below 167F (75C) Any temperature Any temperature Check again in 15 minutes.

Below 157F (69C) Any temperature Check again in 15 minutes.

157F (69C) orabove

Tent the breast with foil, leave inoven for another 10 minutes, thenremove.

Between 167F and

170F (7577C)

Between 157F and163F (6973C)

Below 157F (69C) Tent the breast with foil; checkagain in 15 minutes.

Below 157F (69C) Any temperature Tent drumsticks with foil; checkagain in 15 minutes.

160F (71C) orabove

Remove turkey from oven.

170F (77C) orabove

160F (71C) orabove

Below 160F (71C) Tent the breast with foil, leave tur-key in oven for another 10 minutes,

then remove. If the stuffing is stillbelow 160F (71C), remove thestuffing and microwave it on highuntil it reaches 165F (74C).

Procedure (Carving)

1. Remove the string holding the legs together

as well as lacing and skewers.

2. Remove the stuffing bag or scoop out the

stuffing into a serving bowl. Do the same for

the stuffing in the neck cavity.

3. If you plan to carve the turkey at the table,

take it into the dining room now.

4. Cut straight down between the drumstick and

the body, all the way through, until the

drumstick comes off. Repeat on the other

side.

5. Holding the knife horizontally, position it

about an inch above the wing and cut straight

in until you hit the keel bone in the center of

the turkey.

6. Holding the knife vertically and about "inch

from the outside edge of the bird, cut straight

down until you reach the horizontal cut.

Repeat these vertical slices until you get to

the keel bone.

7. After serving the meat from the first side,

repeat Steps 5 and 6 on other side.


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MASHED POTATOES

Read Make Mashed Potatoes(page 80 in the book) for further details about this recipe.

Special Equipment

Stockpot Potato ricer or masher, or upright mixer

Ingredients

6 pounds (2.75 kg) Yukon Gold potatoes

1#cups (375 ml) half-and-half


1#teaspoons (7.5 ml) salt

#teaspoon (2 ml) black pepper

Only if upgrading:

8 tbsp. (120 ml) unsalted butter (total)

2 cups (500 ml) buttermilk

or8 tbsp. (120 ml) unsalted butter (total)

2 cups (500 ml) half-and-half (total)

3 large or 4 medium heads garlic

Procedure

1. Peel the potatoes, or ask your helper to.

2. Cut the potatoes into chunks about an inch

(23 cm) on a side.

3. About 2 hours after the turkey goes into the

oven, put the potatoes in a large stockpot and

cover with an inch of cold water. Add the salt.

4. Turn the heat on high; bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to simmer and cover pot.

6. Simmer the potatoes until tender (anywhere

from about 12 minutes to a half hour.) They

should fall apart slightly when stabbed with

a sharp knife, or mush easily when squeezed

with tongs.

7. While the potatoes are simmering, heat the

half-and-half and butter together in a saucepan

over medium heat, stirring occasionally. As soon

as the first bubbles start to appear, turn off the

heat.

8. Drain the potatoes and return them to the still-warm pot. Then:

If using a ricer: Rice the potatoes into a large

bowl, and then transfer them back to the pot.

If using a masher: Mash thoroughly to get out

all but the smallest lumps.

If using an electric mixer: Transfer the

potatoes into a mixing bowl. Mix on medium

speed just until all but the smallest lumps

disappear.

9. Add the hot half-and-half and butter and mix

thoroughly with a heavy spoon. If the potatoes

are too stiff or dry, add more half-and-halfone

tablespoon at a timeuntil you like the consis-tency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Upgrading:To add more zip, try

Buttermilk mashed potatoes:Replace the 1!cups

of half-and-half with 2 cups (500 ml) of buttermilk;

increase butter to 8 tablespoons (1 stick or 120 ml).

Garlic mashed potatoes:While the potatoes are

boiling, divide garlic heads into cloves, but dont peel.

Place cloves in a covered skillet over very low heat

and cook for 2025 minutes, shaking the pan every

few minutes. Turn off heat and let garlic stand for 20

minutes. Peel cloves and cut off stem ends. Toss

cloves in with the potatoes as you mash them.

Increase half-and-half to 2 cups (500 ml); increase

butter to 8 tablespoons (1 stick or 120 ml).


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WHAT TO DO BEFORE THANKSGIVING

Time before

Thanksgiving

What to Do

As you read the book, customize this list as needed

23weeks

If you didnt get started 23 weeks before, dont panic, but do these tasks ifyou have time.

!If you are buying any ingredients or supplies online, order them now!!Determine how many people are coming!Decide which recipes youll use, and if any need halving or doubling!Make sure your lists of things to buy or borrow are organized and that you

have a plan for when/how youll acquire them

!Obtain cooking and serving equipment and supplies

!Make sure you have enough tables, chairs, and tableware

!Buy nonperishable ingredients

!If using frozen turkey, buy it now

!Begin cleaning dining room and kitchen if necessary

!Obtain or make any decorations you want to use

!Make sure your oven is clean

1 week

!Clear space in your refrigerator and freezer

4 days!For frozen turkey, put in refrigerator to thaw (1 day per 4 lb./2 kg)

!Buy produce and dairy ingredients

3 days !If using fresh bread for stuffing, dry it

2 days!If using fresh turkey, bring it home and refrigerate


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SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING

Key: Mashed potatoes Stuffing #Turkey$Gravy Pumpkin pie %Sweet potatoes &Cranberry sauce

Fill in Hour You Your Helper

Prepare the dining room

Prepare the kitchen

Tear bread; put into oven:00 #Brine the turkey%Wash sweet potatoes

:15 Chop vegetables for stuffing %Put sweet potatoes on to boil

:30 Finish stuffing Steps 27 Remove bread from oven

:45 Remove butter from fridge &Make cranberry sauce

:00 $Gravy Steps 12

Make pie crust:15

$Gravy Steps 23%Drain sweet potatoes

:30 $Gravy Steps 35 Make pie filling

Bake pumpkin pie:45

$Gravy Step 5%Make glaze

Reduce oven heat to 350F:00

$Gravy Steps 57%Peel and slice sweet potatoes

:15 $Gravy Steps 79 %Glaze and bake sweet potatoes

:30 $Gravy Steps 911

%Remove sweet potatoes from oven:45 $Gravy Step 11Remove pie from oven

:00

:15:30

:45

Clean the kitchen

#Remove turkey from brine


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SCHEDULE FOR THANKSGIVING DAY

Key: Mashed potatoes Stuffing #Turkey$Gravy Pumpkin pie %Sweet potatoes &Cranberry sauce

This schedule assumes a 3-hour roasting time. You may have to adjust it, depending on how long

your turkey takes.

Fill in Hour You Your Helper

Clean the kitchen as needed

Tape up your schedule and recipes, and/or or setup a laptop computer

#Preheat the oven:00Finish making stuffing

:15 Stuff the turkey Peel and cut potatoes

:30 #Put the turkey in the oven:45

:00

:15

:30

:45

:00

:15

In theory, you have almost two hours of free time here. But dont let that fool

you. Youll use this time to finish up any cleaning or cooking tasks left over

from yesterday; set out the clothes youre going to wear later, if you plan to

change; greet guests as they arrive; and so on.

:30 %Sweet potatoes out of fridge Put potatoes & water on to boil:45 Simmer potatoes

:00 Put extra stuffing in oven Check potatoes; heat dairy

:15 Put beaters & bowl in freezer Drain & mash potatoes; add dairy

#Remove turkey from oven:30%Reheat sweet potatoes

Put all the food in serving bowls; check

sweet potatoes

:45 $Finish the gravy Remove sweet potatoes#Unstuff and carve turkey Take all the food to the table:00

:15

:30

:45

Eat!

:00 Whip the cream Clear the table

:15 Serve and eat dessert

:30 Prepare take-home containers Put leftovers into containers

:45 Start cleaning up!


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CUSTOM SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING

Time You Your Helper

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CUSTOM SCHEDULE FOR THANKSGIVING DAY

Time You Your Helper

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_print me_ for take control of thanksgiving dinner (1.1)

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