Let the turkey save the day

In the idyllic fantasy we have in our minds as we close in on the holidays, we picture the perfect gathering: All of our extended family brought together under one roof, with children and adults thoroughly enjoying one another's company, as we celebrate a wonderful day filled with love, harmony, and good food. The reality, of course, is that, despite everyone's best intentions, things don't always turn out that way. This year, however, we're focusing on the menu; after all, a well-fed bunch is a happy bunch.

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We're going right back to basics with How to Cook a Turkey and All the Other Trimmings from the editors and contributors of Fine Cooking magazine (The Taunton Press, $19.95). This book is a survival guide for first-timers who may not even know how to begin to cook a Thanksgiving feast as well as more experienced cooks who quite likely prepare this meal just once a year. It's filled with tips for planning, shopping, mapping out fridge space, etc., and answers such pressing questions as, "What are giblets, anyway?" A great help is that each recipe explains which steps can be done ahead of time, allowing for a much less hectic day.

More than 100 recipes, each with a mouth-watering picture, cover everything from appetizers right through to dessert. Some of our festive favorites include mushrooms stuffed with pancetta, scallops, and sage; butternut squash soup with apple and bacon; and cranberry sauce with orange and rosemary. We found some useful advice on what type of bird to buy and how to keep the breast meat tender--and some carving suggestions. The book incorporates numerous preparations and cooking methods for the turkey, many options for stuffing and gravy, and quite a few simple, yet elegant, vegetable recipes. There are instructions for traditional holiday pies, many with a twist, and other seasonal treats like an Apple-Cranberry Crisp with Pecan Topping and a Pear Strudel.

Then, of course, there's the day after, and an entire chapter is dedicated to what to do with the leftovers. Bon Appetit!

COPYRIGHT 2007 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning