More Thanksgiving preparation tips

November 17, 2004

TOOL DEPARTMENT

Roasting pans: Stick with these

When we say shallow, strong and able to take the heat, we're not describing the guy at the head of your Thanksgiving table. We're talking about roasting pans — and every serious cook needs a good one. That means a pan that conducts heat well, one that can hold that big-breasted turkey (or anything else you want to roast) comfortably but without a lot of extra space, a pan heavy-gauge enough to carry whatever joint of meat you might send its way.

THANKSGIVING PREPARATION GUIDE

Meal planning guide

Shopping List

THANKSGIVING PREPARATION GUIDE

Brining the bird

If someone told you to go soak your bird, you might take offense. But it could be the best cooking advice you've ever gotten.

Recipe: Mom Parsons' Cranberries

Total Preparation Time: 15 minutes plus 1 to 3 days chilling time

TURKEY PREPARATION GUIDE

Thawing a frozen turkey

There are three ways to thaw a frozen turkey. An evenly thawed turkey may be kept in the refrigerator for up to two days before roasting. Do not refreeze an uncooked turkey after it has been thawed.

November 17, 2004

THANKSGIVING | WINES THAT WORK

Congeniality by the bottle

It's the eternal question: What to drink with Thanksgiving dinner?

November 17, 2004

THANKSGIVING WINES THAT WORK

The feast's perfect match: Beaujolais crus

Appealing aromas, vibrant fruit flavors, good acid and soft tannins make Beaujolais crus the perfect match for the flavor free-for-all that is the Thanksgiving feast. Go ahead, slather on the butter and pour on the heavy cream; Burgundy's "other" wine can handle the heavy lifting.

THANKSGIVING PREPARATION GUIDE

Roasting times

A turkey's doneness should be judged by its internal temperature rather than by the clock. Because new breeds of turkey cook more quickly than birds of years past and because the method of cooking may affect time, cooking charts are not the best way to judge a turkey's doneness. Always use a thermometer.

THANKSGIVING PREPARATION GUIDE

The Tools

What equipment do you really need to cook Thanksgiving dinner? A $200 roasting pan? A digital-read thermometer? Here's a rundown on what's essential and what's just cool to have.

November 11, 2004

THANKSGIVING PREPARATION GUIDE

Hotlines galore

Toll-free telephone services and Web sites offer a variety of specialist answers to cooking and food-safety questions during holiday preparation times. Here are some of them: