Talking Turkey

Well, Turkey Day is just one week away. So I thought now would be a good time to provide you with all the tips you'll need to prepare that perfect holiday bird. Here goes:

• Sending you dinner guests home with a plate of Thanksgiving Day leftovers is considered good manners. Sending them home with food poisoning is not... So be sure that you thaw your frozen turkey properly. That means – place the frozen turkey in a large dish and thaw the bird gradually in your refrigerator over the course of several days. (You may also thaw it more quickly in the microwave or in a tub of ice-cold water if you are pressed for time.)
  
  
• You wouldn't frost a hot cake with cold icing now would you? No. So then why stuff a hot bird with cold stuffing? It just won't work. (Or perhaps more to the point – it'll just make someone sick.) So if you're stuffing your bird, be certain that both the turkey and the stuffing are cold before proceeding.
  
  
• Don't depend on that plastic pop-thermometer that comes with the bird. When it comes to telling the temperature of a turkey, those pop-thermometers are about as accurate as a weathervane. So invest in a good instant-read thermometer and cook your turkey to an internal temperature of 165°F.
  
  
• And lastly, don't worry if your turkey doesn't turn out perfectly golden brown like all those turkeys you see on TV. Those TV turkeys are actually frozen and dyed that beautiful color with iodine. So unless you want your turkey to be served with a side of disinfectant, accept your bird's anemic color and simply enjoy it's delicious and juicy meat.

I hope these tips help, and I wish you good luck in preparing that holiday turkey. I'll be off next week, so I'll see you back here on the 28^th. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!