Preparing Holiday Turkeys
Sensing Instructions
Ingredients:
Set out all the necessary equipment: measuring cups, sharpened knives, calipers, thermometer, oven rack, and assorted pots and pans.
Go down the list of ingredients placing a check mark (Ö) next to each item.
Preheat oven to precisely 450° Fahrenheit.
While preheating oven, use a carpenters level to double check your measuring surface. Shim leveling surfaces as required.
Follow step-by-step instructions in Joy of Cooking (1984, p. 352) to prepare dressing.
Place the stuffing into the turkey's cavity.
Place the turkey on a rack, uncovered.
Put bird in oven and immediately reduce heat to 350° Fahrenheit.
Baste every fifteen minutes.
Cover turkey after 30 minutes.
Cook for 6 hours and 36 minutes.
Serve
Intuitive Instructions
Although obviously North American in its origins, the turkey has become a global bird with many rich traditions for preparation. Possibilities for how you prepare this year's turkey are endless. Let your imagination guide you to an exciting new holiday tradition that will be the envy of family and neighbors.
When you begin to shop for your turkey, allow yourself to contemplate the implications of electronic commerce on this holiday tradition. Don't miss the entrepreneurial opportunity you have been seeking. Why not become www.turkey.com providing this healthy white meat year round to cost conscious consumers? Allow time now to do an internet search because this is a far more exciting idea than preparing one measly bird.
Now that you are back from your search and resigned to the kitchen, we need to prepare the turkey. Stuffing is an excellent time to empty the refrigerator and cabinets. While preheating the oven (or starting the barbecue fire) hunt for onions, sausage, celery, stale bread, rice, ham, nuts, potatoes, apples, oranges etc.
Substitutions for this list are encouraged. Your creativity may be enhanced by a glass of white wine (or a nice Merlot for that matter). Now go to your spice rack, pick out your favorites and sprinkle liberally over the stuffing.
Cook until golden brown and serve. NB. Whenever your guests ask if they can "bring something", answer "yes". Have them serve the other courses. Enjoy.
Thinking Instructions
An organized approach to the preparation of the turkey always pays dividends. Prepare a list of the desired outcomes in advance of the celebration and then plan the best way to accomplish them. Be analytical in your approach. For example, if one of the desired outcomes is seeing family and another is not making a mess of the house, consider going out to dinner. If you are going to celebrate at home, can you leave relatives with kids off the guest list? If you have to invite kids, can you serve them in the garage? Consider costs and benefits of all of the angles.
Let's face it. Lions, Cowboys, Packers and Vikings have become as much a part of holidays as, say, the Pilgrims. Plan the meal accordingly. Pick the games that are "must see" and be certain to have the meal completed in advance.
Look for efficiencies both in purchasing and preparing the bird. Turkey is hard to beat on price so resist suggestions about expensive seafood as an alternative.
Store brand products work as well as expensive name brands in the stuffing. Leftovers are great, but even turkey gets old after a week. Know how many people you will be serving before you make purchases. Why not get a caterer to bid the job and then prorate the fee over all the guests? This could be the way to go, even if you may have to make allowances for kids who don't eat much.
Feeling Instructions
The principal focus in preparing a holiday turkey is, of course, your guests. In addition to family, why not invite someone less fortunate to your table this year?
If you don't know any unfortunate souls first-hand, another humane way to celebrate the holiday is to volunteer the entire family to work a shift at your nearest soup kitchen. Ask Uncle Al to have his limousine service pick everyone up, wait while you work your shift, and then drive you back to your home.
Turkey, at least, is a white meat. However, many are raised and eventually slaughtered under inhumane conditions. Knowing the history of your turkey is as important today as it was to know about California grapes in the 60s.
Finally, you will need to be sensitive to both the tastes and the values of your guests. A good way to be sure you are not serving anything offensive is to circulate a "Prohibited Foods" list before the holiday. Consider a vegetarian celebration this year. Whatever you serve, make sure everyone feels welcome and warm. That, after all, is what holidays are about.