Category: Cooking

If you’re looking to save money and don’t have much time to spare in your evenings, bulk cooking could be the answer for you. Buy cooking meals in larger quantities and then freezing them into individual portions, you can have instant ready meals during your week, save cooking time, and even take advantage of bulk discounts. Here are some examples of meals that lend themselves to bulk cooking and freezing.

Crockpot Meals

You can freeze just about anything you make in a crockpot, including chicken and dumplings, American Chop Suey (goulash), beef stew and more. Make your favorite for dinner, except fill a six-quart crockpot. After the meal cools, pack enough for the family or individual servings in airtight containers, vacuum-sealed bags or zippered freezer bags.

Casseroles

You can also freeze your favorite casserole. If you do not make casseroles that often because you can’t eat them in one sitting, you can make them to your heart’s content – just freeze the leftovers in meal-size packages. You can freeze baked macaroni, shepherd’s pie, mac and cheese and even meat casseroles, such as pork, beef and chicken pot pies.

Stir Fry

It’s more difficult to freeze stir fry and have it come out good when you reheat it, but you can still freeze part of it to save time and money. Stir fry a bulk portion of the meat you are using. Divide the meat and broth into meal-sized containers. When you’re ready to use them, thaw them out, cook the veggies, and then add the meat. You can also purchase stir fry vegetables and keep them in the freezer – that will save you a lot of prep time. Buy a few large bags and divide them up into meals size portions. Vacuum seal the veggies and meat separately, then put one meat and one veggie in a zippered freezer bag. You’ll only need to pull one bag out of the freezer for the whole meal.

Turkey

If you’ve ever had a taste for turkey at some point other than Thanksgiving, you know that buying turkey breast costs much more per pound than it does to buy a whole turkey. When turkeys are on sale, pick up two or three of them. Put the extra turkeys in the freezer.

When you’re ready for turkey again, cook a turkey. Cut all of the meat off the bones. Divide it up into meal-sized portions for the whole family or individually. Put the leftover turkey in the freezer – you won’t have to go through the thawing and cooking process for a whole turkey later in the year.

Fried Chicken

You love fried chicken, but it’s a hassle to make. It makes a big mess, so you don’t make it that often. Between work and taking care of the family, you just don’t have the time to make it and clean up after. Instead, when chicken goes on sale, buy it in bulk. You can freeze some for later. Pick a day when you have a few hours. Fry enough chicken for several meals, then freeze it in airtight containers. You only have to heat it up in the microwave or the oven when you have a taste for fried chicken.

Chefs seem to be the new rock stars. They have TV series, books, podcasts, and are must-book guests for late-night hosts. But can they really cook? While many celebrity chefs can whip up incredible meals, others may have let their stardom go to their heads. Here are some just plain odd celebrity chef recipes you probably don’t want to make at home.

These Five Celebrity Chef Recipes Are Just Plain Strange

Number 5: Blood and Guts Potatoes

Nigella Lawson can cook some fabulous food, and many of her recipes are top-shelf, but her Blood and Guts Potatoes isn’t one of them. Besides the unappetizing name, the ingredients list of potatoes, fresh mozzarella, and tomato ketchup don’t work well together. Calling this recipe Blood and Guts is definitely a ploy to attract the attention of little kids. Maybe that is the point because only those without a developed palette could enjoy this side dish. 

Number 4: Deep-Fried Stuffing on a Stick

While this dish is the worst nightmare for anyone on the Keto diet, even people not following such a carb-restricted diet should probably give it a pass. Paula Deen’s Deep-Fried Stuffing on a Stick tells you everything you need to know right in the name. Take a sausage dressing, cut it into pieces, and put it on sticks. Then coat the sausage dressing in flour and deep-fry until golden brown. It is even more regrettable since frying ruins an otherwise good sausage dressing. 

Number 3: Quick & Easy Egg Fried Rice

Stepping outside your cultural background to cook ethnic food is always fraught with danger, but sometimes there is a recipe that is just so wrong on so many levels that one wonders if the chef has tasted the food he is trying to recreate. That’s the case with Jamie Oliver’s Quick & Easy Egg Fried Rice. From using olive oil and pre-packaged rice to adding water and silken tofu, this recipe is a wet and unappealing mess. But, don’t worry, Jamie, we still love your British food!

Number 2: The Ultimate Bacon Sandwich

Heston Blumenthal is known as a mad scientist when it comes to cooking. While famous for recreating the appearance of food using other food, such as faux minced meat made from ice cream, this Ultimate Bacon Sandwich recipe is one of his weirdest creations. It’s not the ingredients that are odd but the chef’s techniques. From rolling the bacon to only toasting one of the two slices of bread, you have to wonder if Blumenthal was having a laugh when he came up with this dish. 

Number 1: Crunchy Snap Pea Popcorn Salad

Food Network star Molly Yeh upset the taste buds of many viewers when she shared her unusual way of cooking with popcorn. Crunchy Snap Pea Popcorn Salad probably would have been great if she had stuck with the sugar snap peas, carrots, celery, and watercress in the sour cream and mayo dressing. But once she added the popcorn and white cheddar popcorn flavoring, it got way too weird for many people.

The next time your meal doesn’t turn out as planned, be glad you didn’t make any of these five celebrity chef dishes!

 

 

Certain cooking skills benefit several different recipes and give your cooking a pop that will make your family want more. Instead of dragging their feet to the table, they’ll be sitting there before the meal is done.

Learn to Make Milk Gravy

Milk gravy takes on the flavor of whatever you are cooking with. It’s an old skill that has been passed on for years. It makes the best sausage gravy for biscuits and gravy and makes great pork, beef or chicken gravy. All good gravies start with a roux, but if done improperly, the gravy will taste like flour. Milk gravy starts with a thinner roux, which is never lumpy and always has a great flavor.

Remove the meat from the pan unless you use sausage or burger crumbles. Sprinkle a tablespoon of flour over the grease in the pan. Constantly stir it while cooking it. Add milk a little bit at a time when the mixture turns a shade darker. Add a little more milk as it thickens until you get the thickness you desire. Always start with about a quarter cup of flour.

Cheese Sauce

You can make any flavor of cheese sauce for pasta and vegetables. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan. Add ¼ cup of milk. Always use two types of cheese. One is the flavoring cheese, such as cheddar. The other melts easily without separating, which is always a softer cheese. Velveeta is a good base cheese since it melts easily without separating. Use about 60 percent Velveeta and 40 percent of the flavoring cheese.

You must constantly stir the mixture, or it will stick to the pan. If the cheese sauce is too thick, thin it with a little milk.

Pie Filling

Pie filling is one of the easiest things to make, and you can freeze it for when the fruit is out of season. For a standard pie, you’ll need about 7 to 9 apples, peaches or similar. If you are using berries, you usually need a couple of pints – around 1.5 pounds of berries. Prepare the fruit by washing and peeling it. Cut it into slices and put it in a saucepan on low heat. Add 1 cup of sugar. As the fruit mixture cooks, you can taste it and add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter filling.

Once the mixture creates a liquid, measure 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch into 1.5 tablespoons cold water. Mix it well. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the cornstarch mixture while constantly stirring. You must stir the mixture through this entire process. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue stirring and cooking for about 5 minutes. Set the mixture aside to cool. Once it’s cool, put it into your pie and bake or freeze it.

Flipping Fried Goods

You can speed up cooking by learning how to flip food as it is cooking. To practice, put rice into a dry frying pan and start flipping. When you flip, you need to use your wrist. The rest of your arm should barely move. Flip the food high enough to leave the pan, but not so high that it lands on your head. Once you get the technique down with rice, try frying an egg and flipping it. If unsure of yourself, flip it over the sink, so you have less of a mess to clean up.

Knife Skills

Every cook should learn knife skills — you’ll be less likely to cut yourself when using a chef’s knife. And, with the proper skills, you can speed up prep time. The first rule is to never extend your fingers to the knife. If it slilps, you could lose a finger. Bend your fingers at the middle knuckle, leaving the top knuckles as straight as possible. Hold the food with your fingertips. Place the side of the knife against the middle knuckles. Lift the knife just enough to bring it to the top of the food, leaving the point on the cutting board. You can chop a bunch of parsley or chop veggies in no time once you get used to leaving the point of the knife down and lifting the heel only. 

While a shrimp boil is a common spring or summer dish, you can also prepare it during the winter and fall months. A shrimp boil has plenty of seasonings. The meat you use depends on where you are from. Many people make it with andouille, but kielbasa is also a common sausage. Some people find that the kielbasa gives the shrimp boil a fuller flavor.

Choosing the Shrimp

While fresh shrimp is best, you can use frozen shrimp if fresh isn’t available. The shrimp should be brightly colored and should not smell like ammonia. The shells should not be slimy. If you are using whole shrimp, cut the heads off. Leave the peels on. The best size shrimp to use is 16/20 as they are easy to peel but not so big that they are tough. They also have the perfect flavor and texture.

Shrimp Boil Ingredients

Instead of providing the spice and butter for dipping, combine the spice with the butter for a tasty combination of flavors. Soften the butter, then mix it with the spices. Set the mixture aside until the shrimp boil is done cooking. Mix it with the clarified butter just before adding it to the shrimp boil.

Ingredients in a standard shrimp boil include:

• Celery
• Yellow onions
• Red bell peppers
• Shrimp
• Sausage
• Corn-on-the-cob, but into halves or thirds

Add the shrimp last once all the other ingredients are cooked. Continue cooking until the shrimp turn orange or pink (depending on the type you use).

Spices that Explode the Taste Buds

Depending on how you were taught to make a shrimp boil, you might use different spices. This combination of spices makes a shrimp boil that will cause your taste buds to explode:

• Old Bay seasoning (add to the pot when cooking).
• Salt (add to the pot when cooking).

Mix 2 tablespoons of blackened fish seasoning (Badia redfish seasoning has a good spicy kick), 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast and 3 tablespoons of hot sauce until well blended. Add 1 tablespoon softened salted butter and mix it thoroughly. Add the mixture to ¾ cup of clarified unsalted butter and mix it until the softened butter melts.

Set the mixture aside until the shrimp boil is done cooking.

How to Serve the Shrimp Boil

Some people serve the shrimp boil right from the pot, but if you get a wide serving bowl or tray that will hold the entire boil, including the liquid, it’s easier to mix the butter mixture in. Dump the shrimp boil into the bowl, then pour the butter mixture over the top. Gently mix the butter and ingredients together.

A shrimp boil for four takes about 2 ½ gallons of water, so the serving tray or bowl should be large enough to hold that plus the clarified butter.

Provide Sides

Make another batch or two of the butter (depending on the number of people you are serving) so that you can serve the butter and spice mix on the side. Add plates of lemon wedges for those who like to squeeze lemon over their shrimp boil. And, don’t forget the beer!

You found some great-looking steaks on sale and snapped them up. Your mouth is watering just thinking about cooking them. However, when you cook them, they are tough and do not have a great taste. You wonder what you’ve done wrong. These five fundamentals of cooking steak will ensure you have a great steak every time.

1. The Cut Matters

If you buy a cheap cut of steak, it is not going to taste as good as a good cut. To make a great steak, you need to start with a good base – a good cut of steak. Ribeye and the fillet are the best cuts, but they are also the most expensive. The next best cuts are the T-bone and the New York strip, though the New York strip can be tough and tasteless if the butcher doesn’t cut it correctly.

2. The Breed Matters

If you have never had Angus beef, you don’t know what you are missing. If you don’t believe this, buy an Angus ribeye and a regular ribeye and cook them the same way. The Angus will have more flavor. While the beef is more flavorful, the biggest difference is that it has more marbling. People often request butchers to cut off all the fat, but that is the worst thing you can do to any cut of meat, especially the cheaper cuts.

The fat is what helps tenderize the steak. It also gives it more flavor as it melts into the meat during cooking. Angus beef typically has more marbling than most other breeds.

3. The Cooking Process

How you cook a steak has more to do with the taste than adding spices, though spices can certainly help. Some steaks are better on the grill, such as the New York strip. At the same time, you can get a great-tasting steak in a frying pan with the pricier cuts. Regardless of whether you are using a grill or a frying pan, always cook your steaks on medium-high heat. You must keep an eye on them – a good steak is not one you can walk away from.

When cooking in a frying pan, add half tablespoon butter and half tablespoon oil – the butter will burn if you use only butter. For an even tastier steak, use a tablespoon of rendered bacon fat. Make sure you get the pan and oil hot before you put your steak in it.

Cook the steak to the desired doneness, flipping it only once. If you like your steak rare, you can pick it up with tongs and hold the sides of the steak to the bottom of the pan to brown the sides.

4. Choose the Appropriate Level of Doneness

Any steak cooked more than medium will have less flavor and be tougher, except for the cheapest cuts – and those should only go in the crockpot for several hours. Fillets and ribeyes are best when they are blue rare to medium rare. To achieve blue rare, make sure the pan and your choice of oil or lard are very hot. Using tongs, place the steak in the pan. Cook it for about 2 to 2.5 minutes, then flip it. The pan (or grill) should be hot enough to sear the outside in 2 minutes. The color should be golden brown with darker brown ripples. The inside will be very red and somewhat warm.

5. Choose the Spices

You do not need anything more than a little salt and pepper for a good cut of steak, but if you prefer a different taste, you can use any of the various rubs on the market, or you can make your own. A rub with a great flavor, especially for pan frying, includes salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Badia Redfish Seasoning. 

Does your mouth water at the funky aroma of fish sauce? Does that keilbasa feel incomplete without the tang of sauerkraut? Congrats — you’re in the fermented foodie club.. and you’re in good company.

In recent years, fermented foods have grown in popularity as kim chi, kombucha and kefir have made their way into the zeitgeist, bringing beneficial probiotics along for the ride. Of course, there are many fermented culinary delights that might not be easy to find at your local supermarket — but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try them.

Here are 5 unusual fermented foods everyone should taste at least once. 

1. Chal

The next time you’re in Turkmenistan or Kazakhstan, enjoy a fizzy glass of chal. Also known as shubat, chal is made by blending fresh and sour camel’s milk, adding a bit of yeast and a touch of alcohol, and letting it ferment in a skin bag or ceramic vessel for several days. 

The result? A sparkling, sour and pungent beverage that’s rich in beneficial probiotic bacteria.

2. Hákarl

Ever had a hankering for hákari? If so, head to Iceland, where this national delicacy is made though a complex process: Sleeper sharks are decapitated, gutted, placed in a shallow hole, covered with gravel, and left to rot for three months. Then the meat is removed, dried and cut into bits.

For Icelanders, bite-size cubes of hákari are a treat. The fermented shark is said to taste (and smell) like ammonia. If rotten shark jerky doesn’t sound appetizing, you’re not alone; Chef Anthony Bourdain included hákarl on his list of least favorite foods.

3. Jiang Dou Fu

Chinese cuisine isn’t known for its inclusion of cheese. Maybe that’s because jiang dou fu adds that rich, paremesan-like hit of umani to any dish. The popular condiment is made from fermented soy bean curd and is found in pantries and eateries across China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.

Jiang dou fu adds a strong, savory flavor that’s almost blue-cheese-like. For a double dose of fermented goodness, look for hong fu ru, or soybean curd brined in fermented red rice yeast.

4. Kaidu-Digla

The culinary traditions of Sudan have long involved fermentation. It’s a great way to store foods; even fresh bones can be fermented. For instance kaidu-digla, or bone bails, are made from bits of vertebrae. 

The pieces of sun-dried bone are pounded with stones into a chunky paste. Then it’s all mixed with salt, molded into balls, and left to ferment into a portable, protein-rich food packed with savory flavor.

5. Kiviak

If you really want to establish your fermenting foodie cred, try kiviak. A delicacy among Greenland’s Inuit people, kiviak consists of hundreds of tiny fermented sea birds. Oh, and did we mention that the fermentation process takes place inside of a disemboweled seal?

After sewing the birds inside the pelt, the whole thing is placed under a heavy stone. (Seam side up, to let any gases escape, of course). After about six months, the kiviak is uncovered, drained, and enjoyed. 

Which of these funky, fermented foods is first on your bucket list?

 

 

 

 

Making potato salad is easy enough, but making a great-tasting potato salad that people will go back for seconds on is something else. Many people make a plain potato salad with potatoes and mayonnaise. While it might taste good, it’s boring. Potatoes go with just about everything, so you can get really creative with a potato salad.

Spice It Up

Adding spices to a potato salad that doesn’t use vinegar can spice it up. Consider adding salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. If you really want to kick it up a notch, add a bit of cayenne pepper or Badia redfish seasoning. Even if you make mustard potato salad, you could add the same seasonings. Adding a fresh green, such as parsley or cilantro also adds color to the salad.

Mix the “Sauce” First

When using spices, always mix the spices with the mayonnaise before you start adding the rest of the ingredients. Otherwise, you may not get all the spices evenly mixed. You’ll get a bite that is bland and a bite that is overly spicy. If you are making mustard potato salad, mix the mustard in with the spices. If you use a whisk to mix it, you’ll ensure the spices and mustard are mixed thoroughly and evenly.

Use Prepared Mustard

If you’re making mustard potato salad, you’ll want to use quite a bit of prepared mustard. However, if you don’t want mustard potato salad, adding a couple of teaspoons of mustard per cup of mayonnaise will round out the flavor without giving the salad a vinegary or mustardy taste.

Add Lots of Goodies

Because most everything goes well with potatoes, you can add just about anything you want. If you add meat, choose one. You can add a can of drained tuna, diced hotdogs, bologna, olive loaf, P&P loaf or even spam.

You might also consider adding peas, diced cheddar cheese, onions, sweet green peppers, hard-boiled eggs and celery. You can add more color by using multi-colored sweet peppers. Pimentoes also give the salad a bit of color if you don’t like sweet peppers.

If you add hard-boiled eggs, wait until they cool slightly before peeling them under a slow stream of running water. Cut them into bite-size pieces. Mix everything else first, then add the hard-boiled eggs and gently fold them into the salad mixture.

Prepping the Potatoes

To some people, it is a crime to leave the peels on the potatoes; to others, it’s a crime to peel them. Whichever way you like the potatoes, the best way to cook them for potato salad is to cut them into bite-size pieces before cooking them. They’ll cook faster and more evenly. Drain the potatoes well, then rinse them in cold water to stop the cooking process if you want the potatoes to stay cubed. Some people like the potatoes to mash up a bit when mixing the salad.

If you want to add more color to the salad, use red potatoes and leave the peels on. Just wash them thoroughly, cut them into bite-size pieces, boil until just fork-tender, drain them and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process. 

While the best jams and jellies are made from fresh fruit, you can use canned fruit juice in a pinch. You can also make cooked or freezer jams and jellies. Regardless of which type you make, the biggest key is following the instructions to a ‘T’ so the final product isn’t too hard or loose. Canned jams and jellies can last up to a couple of years if they are stored properly and you get a good seal during water bathing them.

Using Canned Fruit Juice

If you can’t get the fruit to make jellies and jams, you can use fruit juices. Be sure to choose all-natural juices – you won’t get good results with the flavored type. You should also use unsweetened juices, as you add quite a bit of sugar when making jams and jellies. Some recipes will adjust for the sugar in canned juices, but it’s not an exact science since different manufacturers use different amounts of sugar and other ingredients. You will always get a better flavor with fresh fruit.

Preparation is Key

Pick through the fruit to remove stems and any rotten pieces of fruit. You can cut out badly bruised sections of fruit – you don’t have to throw the whole piece away. You can use slightly bruised fruit.

You have to constantly watch and stir jams and jellies. You’ll have more success if you get all the ingredients ready. Measure everything and put it in separate bowls. Some recipes take as much as 6 to 8 cups of sugar. It’s easy to lose count of how many cups you scooped out. And, it’s easy to burn the fruit while you are taking the time to measure the sugar.

Constantly Stir

Because you have to bring the mixture to a rolling boil, it is very easy to let it stick or burn. Even if you stop stirring for a few seconds, the mixture sticks to the pan. If the fruit starts to stick and burn, the whole batch will have a burnt flavor to it. Always use a wooden spoon or a metal spoon. The pan gets hot enough so that you’ll melt a plastic spoon.

While stirring the fruit is important, it is even more likely to burn once you add the sugar. It is imperative that you continue stirring.

Know What a Rolling Boil Is

If you don’t bring the mixture to a rolling boil, it won’t set properly. Some recipes require you to boil the mixture at a rolling boil for a certain amount of time. Don’t guess on this part – use a timer, so you are sure to keep it at the right temperature for the correct amount of time.

Prepare the Jars

Make sure you prepare the jars ahead of time. You won’t have time to do it once you start cooking the jelly or jam. You can sterilize the jars in the dishwasher – and they must be sterilized, or bacteria could start growing.

After filling the jars, be sure to wipe the rims clean. Any little bit that gets between the lid and the jar allows air into the jar and increases the risk of having an improper seal or having bacteria build up inside and breaking the seal over time.

Nothing compares to a dish made with fresh salmon. People enjoy this delectable fish worldwide, and it’s used in a variety of dishes. However, according to salmon-lovers across the globe, this fish can be challenging to cook. Luckily, we’re here to help!

Keep reading to learn how to cook the perfect salmon, no matter the method!

Choose Your Cooking Method

Before learning how to cook salmon like a pro, you need to choose your cooking method. There are several different ways to cook this delicious fish—all of which can result in beautifully cooked salmon!

Check out the popular cooking methods below, including how to cook this fish to perfection!

Baking

Baking salmon is quick and simple, and the results are incredible—as long as you follow the right steps. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and put foil on a baking sheet. Bake your salmon with the skin-side down for 12-15 minutes. You’ll want the fish to look pink and opaque.

When it comes to flavoring your salmon, there are several amazing options out there. Lemon, garlic, thyme, and honey are excellent flavors to add.

Baking salmon is a fantastic choice if you want something quick, easy, and healthy!

Broiling

Broiling salmon is one of the fastest methods to consider. The process is also incredibly easy. You’ll begin by making sure the oven rack is in the third notch in your oven; you want the fish to be about 5 inches away from the broiler coils.

The next step involves grabbing a baking sheet, lining it with foil or parchment paper, then placing your salmon filets on top. After seasoning with salt, pepper, and any other variety of seasonings, plop the fish in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes. The salmon is ready to eat once it flakes with a fork.

Poaching

If you want to ensure your salmon is moist, shoot for the poaching method. As long as it’s cooked properly, this method results in moist salmon every single time. To start the cooking process, bring 1 cup water and 1 cup dry white wine to a boil in a large skillet. Lower heat and throw in the salmon. Cover the skillet and cook for around 10 minutes. Use a large slotted spoon or fish spatula to remove the fish, then check for doneness. For more flavor, try adding some fresh herbs and garlic to the skillet while cooking.

Grilling

Grilling takes food to a whole new level, including salmon! Additionally, nothing compares to firing up the grill on a perfect summer day. To grill the perfect salmon, you’ll want to turn on your grill to medium-high heat and oil the grilling surface. Add the salmon skin-side down and cook for 6-8 minutes. Make sure the bottom half of the fish appears opaque. The last step is to flip the salmon and cook for another 4-6 minutes until the fish is flaky and cooked.

Not only is salmon fresh and delicious, but it’s also healthy! You can also add some rice and veggies to make this dish even more nutritious. For an easy, nourishing dinner idea, salmon does not disappoint

When you plan a Thanksgiving Day dinner, you envision a perfectly browned, juicy turkey. But when it comes out dry, you wonder what went wrong. Because of the length of time it takes, it’s easy to cook a dry turkey. When you know all the tips and tricks, you’ll roast a moist turkey every time.

Choose the Right Baking Pan

You can cook a turkey in the oven, but it will be moister if you use a turkey roaster. If you don’t want to use a turkey roaster, you can still create one in the oven. Cover the turkey with heavy-duty foil, leaving just a small vent near the top of the foil. The steam the turkey makes hits the cover of the foil or lid for the turkey roaster and goes right back into the pan – and on top of the turkey. Using a cover also keeps more liquid in the pan so you can make turkey gravy.

Add a Little Water

Set the turkey on a rack in the roasting pan or turkey roaster. Add about 2 cups of water to the bottom of the pan. Place the gizzards and neck in the bottom of the pan. They’ll help flavor the broth for the gravy.

The water creates steam to keep the turkey moist. It also catches any turkey drippings and gives you enough to make great turkey gravy.

Slather it With Butter

Before you put your favorite spices on the turkey, soften a stick of butter. Liberally spread it all over the turkey, then add your spices. The butter not only keeps a lot of the moisture in the turkey but also makes a crispy crust.

The Best Turkey Rub

Yes, we said ‘rub!’ Rubs are not only for beef and ribs. You can mix all the spices, or you can just sprinkle them on the top and sides of the turkey. A good mixture is salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder (go a little heavier on the garlic powder than the other spices), poultry seasoning, and Badia redfish seasoning. The redfish seasoning gives it that little extra kick. It is a stronger spice so go a little lighter than the other spices when adding it to a mixture or sprinkling it directly on the turkey.

Cut Against the Grain

When carving the turkey, cut the whole breast off, then cut it against the grain. When you cut with the grain, which is what you do when you carve the breast while it is still on the turkey, the meat is tougher and can even be stringy.

If you like to take photos of Thanksgiving dinner, take the turkey out of the roasting pan and put it on the platter. Take your pictures, then move the turkey to a large cutting board – or have another platter ready. Cut the breasts along the breast bone. Put the whole breast on the cutting board, then slice it across the breast instead of lengthwise.

Remove the legs and thighs and set them next to the breast meat. Garnish the platter with stuffing and fresh parsley or other greens, and you have another photo op.