We had cooking contests. It had to end, It got ugly. The first year it was just a dessert contest. Someone casually mentioned "do we vote on presentation, too?" Sure, of course, I said. My banana cream pie with macadamia crust lost. The person who casually mentioned do we vote on presentation, won, with a cheesecake in a spun sugar dome. However, we all felt awful since we all had to try 14 desserts. Best line of the night from my then 7yo nephew after tasting one more entry "It's delish-eee-ous. May I spit it out?" We decided savory was better. So next time we did appetizers. I did a whole diorama of a port scene, with malt milk powder over cream cheese as sand, dill for seaweed, a pretzel nugget dock, and delicate little boat shaped tarts with puffed pastry sails. Huh, I will show them. Next year someone made duck spring rolls. They made the duck first. And the wrapper dough. And the plum suace. That was the year I made cold beet soup (think Pepto Bismol) in cucumber cups that would not stand up. Not a winner. But all of that was before we got really competitive.

Trudy: " Traditional " is my favorite way also. Thought everyone went to Salting , High Heat method. Nice to see I'm not alone. I usually make mine with Stuffing, sometimes with chopped up and simmered Sausage mixed in it. Stuffing ( Double for Turkey ) 1 Celery stalk, (10in. Piece ) and ½ of a Med. l onion (chopped small) and Cooked in Micro Wave until tender (about 2 ½ min.) Some Bell Pepper may also be added. In a large Bowl mix: 1 cup of small bread cubes 2 cups of Italian Bread crumbs 1 tablesp. Parsley Flakes 2 tablesp. Of Locatelli Romano grated cheese 1 teasp. Of Onion Powder 1 teasp. Of Garlic Powder ( or more to taste ) 1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning Salt to taste ( about ½ teaspoon ) Optional- 1 piece of Italian Sausage 10 in. long, skinned and cut into small pieces. Sautee till medium rare. Add the cooked Onion and Celery. Put 1 egg into a cup of chicken stock , or Chicken Soup Base ) beat well and mix this into the other ingredients. Add a little water, if the mixture is too dry. Add more sausage or whatever you like. Baking the Turkey: I use a Waterless cooker and Bake until the inside stuffing temperature reaches 165 Degrees. Take the lid off for the last 1/2 hour , to brown. I just rub oil on the turkey and sprinkle with Onion and Garlic Powder. Put 1/2 cup of water in the bottom and let her rip. Always Good !!! Here is mine , cooked Last Christmas. HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!! LOU

Hi All, This is my 5th Thanksgiving with a 40+ lb. turkey. This year's bird is a hefty 46 lbs. I'm doing things a little differently this year. I'm not putting the stuffing in the bird this year. He's heavy enough without it and I worry about getting the stuffing hot enought to be safe. On the flip side that means I can't put the bird in the oven just yet so I have to stay up later. ARGH! The bird is beautiful as usual, freshly slaughtered on Sunday. With having such a big turkey you'd think there would be a slew of leftovers but last year we had enought for one turkey pie and one meal of sandwiches. Everyone loves the turkey so they all eat and eat and then take home doggie bags. LOL! I'm trying the Crockpot Mashed Potato recipe this year. They tasted yummy today so... Happy Thanksgiving!

I switched to Judy Rogers' Pre-salting method about two years ago. I think that the end result is better and so much easier to deal with. I roast using Barbara Kafka's high heat method (500F). Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Pre-Salting =========== Judy Rogers' Zuni Cafe method Servings: 11 to 15 Note: This is more a technique than a recipe. It makes a bird that has concentrated turkey flavor and fine, firm flesh and that is delicious as it is. But you can add other flavors as you wish. Minced rosemary would be a nice finishing addition. Or brush the bird lightly with butter before roasting. 1 (12- to 16-pound) turkey Kosher salt 1. Wash the turkey inside and out, pat it dry and weigh it. Measure 1 tablespoon of salt into a bowl for every 5 pounds the turkey weighs (for a 15-pound turkey, you'd have 3 tablespoons). 2. Sprinkle the inside of the turkey lightly with salt. Place the turkey on its back and salt the breasts, concentrating the salt in the center, where the meat is thickest. You'll probably use a little more than a tablespoon. It should look liberally seasoned, but not over-salted. 3. Turn the turkey on one side and sprinkle the entire side with salt, concentrating on the thigh. You should use a little less than a tablespoon. Flip the turkey over and do the same with the opposite side. 4. Place the turkey in a 2 1/2 -gallon sealable plastic bag, press out the air and seal tightly. Place the turkey breast-side up in the refrigerator. Chill for 3 days, turning it onto its breast for the last day. 5. Remove the turkey from the bag. There should be no salt visible on the surface and the skin should be moist but not wet. Place the turkey breast-side up on a plate and refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours. 6. On the day it is to be cooked, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 7. Place the turkey breast-side down on a roasting rack in a roasting pan; put it in the oven. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and carefully turn the turkey over so the breast is facing up (it's easiest to do this by hand, using kitchen towels or oven mitts). 8. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, return the turkey to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the thigh, but not touching the bone, reads 165 degrees, about 2 3/4 hours total roasting. 9. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer it to a warm platter or carving board; tent loosely with foil. Let stand at least 30 minutes to let the juices redistribute through the meat. Carve and serve. Notes: This same method can be used for chicken, chicken pieces, pork roasts, ribs, chops, etc.. With the smaller cuts just pre-salt 4 or five hours in advance. Even this short period of presalting makes an amazing difference. Don't cover, just refrigerate and then remove from the fridge in time for the meat to come to room temperature before cooking. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Simple Roast Turkey - High Heat Method ====================================== Source:Barbara Kafka Roasting A Simple Art Many Thanksgivings at my house have proved the high-heat method to be ideal. A fifteen-pound turkey at room temperature takes two hours to roast. However, it may take several hours for the turkey to reach room temperature. While the turkey is sitting out, cover it loosely with a towel, otherwise the skin will dry out. I prefer a fifteen-pound turkey as it isn't too heavy for me to handle. It usually gives lots of good leftovers and is generally available. There are certain things to think of to ensure success before beginning: Remove the giblet bag from the interior of the bird. Remove the wing tips. Put everything except the livers into a pot and start Basic Fowl Giblet Gravy. By the time the bird is roasted, the gravy will be done. Use the liver in the dressing/stuffing or store in the freezer, covered with milk. Make sure there is a pan big enough for the turkey without it's touching the sides of the pan. Do not truss. Consider whether the bird should be stuffed or the stuffing served as dressing baked separately. If stuffing, think in terms of twelve cups of stuffing for a 15 pound bird, which will allow the big cavity to be stuffed and some more stuffing to be crammed under the skin flap at the neck. I seldom stuff because there are real food safety questions about the bird and its stuffing sitting out at room temperature. The oven must be very clean before roasting, or cooking at this high temperature will cause unpleasant smoke. In any case, there will be some smoke, so turn on the fan or open a window. Don't put the oven rack too high or the skin on the breast will get over cooked. For a twenty-pound turkey, the rack should be in the lowest position. Always put the turkey in legs first - dark meat takes longer to cook and the rear of the oven is the hottest area. If the top skin seems to be getting too dark, slip a doubled piece of aluminum foil on top of it. Don't move the turkey. Use an oven mitt to protect hands and forearms. Remove the foil with the same oven mitt ten minutes before the turkey comes out. Large turkeys are most easily removed from the pan by holding them with two pot holders, which will need to be washed. After the meal, get out a large stockpot to boil up the carcass and leftover bones for turkey soup and stock. 15 pound turkey, thawed, if necessary and at room temperature, wing tips removed, reserving giblets and neck for gravy, liver for stuffing. Fresh ground black pepper to taste 1 cup water or basic turkey/chicken stock Place oven rack on second level from bottom of oven. Heat oven to 500°F. Rinse the turkey inside and out. Pat dry. Sprinkle the outside with pepper. If stuffing, stuff cavity and crop, securing openings with long metal skewers. Lace them. Do not truss. Put turkey in an 18 X 13 X2 inch roasting pan, breast side up. Put in oven legs first. Roast until the leg joint near the backbone wiggles easily, about 2 hours. After 20 minutes, move the turkey around with a wooden spatula to keep from sticking. Remove the turkey to a large platter. Let sit 20 minutes before carving. Pour off grease from roasting pan and put pan on top of the stove. Add water or stock. Bring to a boil while scraping bottom of pan vigorously with a wooden spoon, loosening all the crisp bits in the bottom of the pan. These add intensity to the gravy. Let reduce by half. Serve on the side in a sauceboat or add to giblet gravy. 9 pounds stuffed 1 hour 45 minutes unstuffed 1 hour 15 minutes 12 pounds stuffed 1 hour 50 minutes unstuffed 1 hour 20 minutes 15 pounds stuffed 2 hours 30 minutes unstuffed 2 hours 20 pounds stuffed 3 hours 30 minutes unstuffed 3 hours