Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Wed, Nov 23 2005
Turkey Day Cometh
There are some great stories going around about the hazards of deep-frying whole turkeys. But I suppose it wouldn't be funny if things really did get out of hand. Certain safety precautions might help, but it seems to me that having to keep someone on fire extinguisher duty could really take the edge off the relaxed holiday mood.
Everyone now says it's not safe to cook a turkey in an oven at a low temperature overnight, but my husband's family apparently did just that for years, and he says no one ever got sick from it. They did turn the oven temperature up once they got up in the morning, in order to brown the bird. Maybe that was the reason they all lived to tell the tale. We baby boomers seem to have spent much of our youth doing things now listed as dangerous, illegal, detrimental to mental health and not listed as covered under health insurance policies.
The Chicago Sun-Times recently suggested a recipe that involves deboning the turkey and marinating it overnight. And I seem to hear more and more about brining the last few years, which proponents claim will produce a more moist turkey. How about brining the turkey and then serving it with gingersnaps, or is that too much like having dessert first?
There's always Drunken Turkey, which seems a little like fruitcake without the batter. For a more grown-up sounding version you could try Wild Turkey Wild Turkey. I guess the alcohol cooks away, which will please some diners and irritate others.
You might venture into the strange world of a Grocery Bag Turkey, though one source cautioned against the dyes and inks present in most grocery bags. If nothing makes you flinch, or if you just want to one-up your dysfunctional family members, tell them you'll be serving Trash Can Turkey this Thanksgiving.
Some might decide not to have turkey but still miss the whole ritual of a bird-shaped entree. Maybe they can find some comfort in Tofu Turkey, complete with stuffing. But I do wonder what one would use for a wishbone?
Whether you have turkey with all the usual trimmings or a vegetarian feast, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.
posted at: 17:27 | category: /Food | link to this entry
There are some great stories going around about the hazards of deep-frying whole turkeys. But I suppose it wouldn't be funny if things really did get out of hand. Certain safety precautions might help, but it seems to me that having to keep someone on fire extinguisher duty could really take the edge off the relaxed holiday mood.
Everyone now says it's not safe to cook a turkey in an oven at a low temperature overnight, but my husband's family apparently did just that for years, and he says no one ever got sick from it. They did turn the oven temperature up once they got up in the morning, in order to brown the bird. Maybe that was the reason they all lived to tell the tale. We baby boomers seem to have spent much of our youth doing things now listed as dangerous, illegal, detrimental to mental health and not listed as covered under health insurance policies.
The Chicago Sun-Times recently suggested a recipe that involves deboning the turkey and marinating it overnight. And I seem to hear more and more about brining the last few years, which proponents claim will produce a more moist turkey. How about brining the turkey and then serving it with gingersnaps, or is that too much like having dessert first?
There's always Drunken Turkey, which seems a little like fruitcake without the batter. For a more grown-up sounding version you could try Wild Turkey Wild Turkey. I guess the alcohol cooks away, which will please some diners and irritate others.
You might venture into the strange world of a Grocery Bag Turkey, though one source cautioned against the dyes and inks present in most grocery bags. If nothing makes you flinch, or if you just want to one-up your dysfunctional family members, tell them you'll be serving Trash Can Turkey this Thanksgiving.
Some might decide not to have turkey but still miss the whole ritual of a bird-shaped entree. Maybe they can find some comfort in Tofu Turkey, complete with stuffing. But I do wonder what one would use for a wishbone?
Whether you have turkey with all the usual trimmings or a vegetarian feast, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.
posted at: 17:27 | category: /Food | link to this entry
