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Thanksgiving Tips
Melissa d'Arabian's Helpful Hints For Feasting on a Budget
Of all the year's celebrations, Thanksgiving often is the most expensive. In 2008, roughly a quarter of you said you were spending $150 or more. This year, to help you stay well within your budget, we've enlisted the help of Melissa d'Arabian, winner of the Next Food Network Star and host of Ten Dollar Dinners With Melissa d'Arabian.
How to Set a Formal Place Setting
Since so much thought, time, and preparation goes into making the Thanksgiving meal I think it's important to properly set the table. Thanksgiving is only three short days away, so why not do the place settings tonight? From the utensils to the water glass, it can be hard to remember where everything goes.
Thanksgiving Tip: Freeze the Butter Before Making Pie
When making pie dough, it's very important to use really cold butter. This will ensure that the crust is rich, flaky, and buttery. Most recipes remind you that the butter should be cold, but whenever I'm baking a pie, the first thing I do, before measuring anything, is cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes.
Thanksgiving Tip: Refill Your Ice Trays
Before a party or a big feast like Thanksgiving, there are a couple of minor — yet impactful — things I always make sure to do. One is to empty the dishwasher; another is to refill my ice trays completely with fresh water. There's nothing more annoying than reaching for ice to go with water, punch, or cocktails, only to find that there's one cube left.
Thanksgiving Tip: Have Extra Place Settings Ready
Besides setting the table early — a couple of days before Thanksgiving — I also put aside several extra place settings. I'll stack two to three plates, chargers, napkins, and utensils in a hidden spot in the dining room.
My Thanksgiving is a "the more, the merrier" type of event, so if someone shows up with an unexpected friend or family member, all I have to do is grab the extra place setting that's ready and add another chair to the table.
Thanksgiving Tip: Save Takeout Containers For Leftovers
Since the vast majority of you love turkey day leftovers as much as the meal itself, I thought I'd share my favorite post-supper pointer for those who are hosting this year.
Any time you order takeout, delivery, or take home a doggy bag between now and Thanksgiving, be sure to hand wash and reserve some of the plastic takeout containers that you get from restaurants. That way, on Thanksgiving day, you can send your guests home happy with leftovers of their choice — and you won't be short any servingware.
Don't Have Day Old Bread? Make It Yourself
Recently, I decided to try a recipe that called for day-old bread. I wanted to make the dish that night and headed to the grocery store hopeful that I could find a loaf of day-old bread. Although I was out of luck, I chatted with the baker about my dilemma.
How-To: Orchestrate a Last-Minute Thanksgiving Dinner
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.
Thanksgiving Tip: Make an Oven Plan
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: Thanksgiving Tip: Give Your Turkey a Break
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.
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