Thanksgiving Tips

Still deliberating over what to serve for Thanksgiving?

While it's true that there's less than 24 hours until the biggest meal of the year, don't let the timing deter you from preparing a fabulous feast that's still outrageously indulgent. Unless you reveal your secret, your guests won't know the difference between this meal and one that you spent days preparing. To get our top suggestions if you've only got a couple of hours to put everything together, read more

If you are hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow, it's most likely your oven is going to see a lot of action. To ensure that everything gets cooked, I suggest making an oven plan to keep you organized. Here's how:

1. Start by listing every dish that needs oven time. Write the name of the dish, the temperature it cooks at, and how long it takes to bake/roast.
2. Take note of which dishes can be made in advance and which can be cooked at the same time.
3. Make an oven time frame. For example, bake the pie in the morning, the turkey in the afternoon, and while the turkey rests, cook any other side (sweet potatoes, cornbread, stuffing, etc.).

Cooking a bunch of dishes on the stove? Adapt this plan to include stovetop space. How have you gotten organized for Thanksgiving dinner?

It's easy to get excited when the star of dinner — the Thanksgiving turkey — is done, but the key to a moist meal is to remain patient. Once you've tested the turkey with a thermometer and it's reached 160-165°F in the middle of the thigh, remove it from the oven and let the bird sit for 20 to 30 minutes.

There are several reasons for doing this. First, the temperature will continue to rise — in fact, by as much as 10°F — even after the resting bird's out of the oven. This will ensure your turkey is fully cooked.

In addition, while a turkey roasts, its juices tend to move away from the heat to the middle of the turkey. Cutting into the turkey immediately, therefore, will result in all of the juices running out.

Instead, focus your attention on the sides, and give the bird time for its juices to redistribute. Even the leanest parts of the turkey, such as its breast, will remain succulent. A juicy turkey is also significantly easier to carve than a dry one.

How long do you like to let your turkey rest? Do you have any other tips for keeping your turkey moist?

If you're hosting Thanksgiving at your house, then hopefully you've started planning your menu. Once you've decided on the menu lineup, don't wait to stock up on seasonal essentials. Three days before, shop for herbs, spices, seasonings, and other specialty Thanksgiving ingredients, as they'll be the first to go out of stock at the store. These include items such as:

• Fresh cranberries
• Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and sage

To see other items I suggest stockpiling, read more

With Thanksgiving a couple of weeks away now is a good time to plan your menu. I planned mine over the weekend. Here are some things one should take into consideration when deciding what dishes to serve on the big day.

• Start by choosing a theme. Traditional to modern, Italian to Southern, the possibilities for a menu's theme are endless.
• Search a wide range of sources for recipes that match your theme.
• Know your guests. If one friend is allergic to peanuts and another is a vegetarian, respect these dietary needs by serving dishes that everyone can enjoy.
• Several vegetarians in attendance? Think about serving a vegetable entree that's a hearty alternative to turkey.

For the rest of my tips, read more