The Grateful Gobbler

This is a long overdue note to tell you how much my family enjoyed the turkey I cooked for Christmas, based on the Ultimate Turkey feature you published prior to Thanksgiving (Nov. 19, 1992). The turkey came out moist and tender and needed two hours less to cook than if I’d used a traditional method.

To me, your rationale (putting the stuffing between the skin and meat) made perfect sense, but my stepfather, a somewhat cantankerous retiree who truly knows his way around the kitchen, was more difficult to persuade. He and my mother were here for Christmas, and he tried to argue me out of doing the turkey according to your recipe. I almost caved in, but then the rebellious side of me won out, and I did it my way.

And thank heavens I did. The bird was fabulous, I was relieved beyond measure, and my stepfather even asked me for the recipe. If only you knew my stepfather, you would know what a supreme compliment that was.

KAREN McKEAN

Oxnard