I always cook a fresh turkey. Since I baste with the pan juices, it's easy to pull off any extra juices in the bottom so the turkey doesn't end up boiling in the juices. I always have "bits" in the bottom. Like my mom, once I take the turkey from the oven, I put the roasting pan on the burners and cook down the juices (deglaze, not a word she would have used!), till they are nice and brown and concentrated. I usually get more bits during the deglazing, too. I make my gravy in the roasting pan. This makes nice dark, tasty gravy. I sometimes add veggie broth for a nice taste, and if necessary, Kitchen Bouquet for color (and taste). I get a very good gravy.

ever since making cranberry jezabel a few years ago, i decided that i actually liked cranberry sauce! not a doubt in my mind that i need to do a test run on that ginger/pear recipe! and what's even more clear is that i am just going to have to try out marilyn's version of stuffing! and you are right, ann--you don't mess with family favorites on thanksgiving and i know that ted's sister would just love that sweet potato recipe of yours and i'm going to make sure she gets it--thank you! and thanx for the "cheater baked beans" chase. i've made annie's several time and i'm sure we'd enjoy your version as well--we both are fans of limas! and of COURSE your family must have those beautiful dills of yours! it just wouldn't be right, otherwise...i'm glad you and elery will be able to share the time together annie, and raise a toast to all that have gone before us. sometimes traditions change long before we are ready for them to do so... i was going to try out one other new dish this year--an apple and cranberry sauce. it smelled so good while it was cooking that i even toyed with the idea of making some little pastry cups and adding in a teaspoon or two of the leftover sauce for later on. well--back to the drawing board. there wasn't room for everything in the fridge and it's been quite cold out so i put the covered sauce pan out on the deck and sort of forgot about it. we had just finished mixing the stuffing last night and time to rearrange things, and i remembered my sauce! so i went out to get it. man, that saucepan was HEAVY! well you boob. we'd had a driving rain the night before and that lid just couln't compete with the wind--my cranberry sauce is now soup! ladle anyone? anyway, a clink of my coffee cup to all--hope you have a wonderful and peaceful day regardless of what is or isn't on the menu this year!

My DH loved the way this is prepared at an Italian restaurant we frequent, and I thought it must be simple to duplicate. Here's the photo from the restaurant version and then the one I made which tasted even better - guess I used more cream and maybe I poured on too much sauce for the photo. Turkey & Noodles in Curry Cream Sauce *********************************** 2 - 3 portions 1 lb turkey breast, cooked and cut into chunks butter - 1 heaping TBS flour - 1 heaping TBS milk - about 1 1/2 cups heavy cream - about 1 1/2 cups 1 chicken stock cube or spoonful of chicken bouillon mix 1 heaping TBS curry powder (I used Sharwoods's mild) fettuccini noodles for 2 - 3 servings fresh ground pepper butter 1) Put water on to boil for noodles. 2) If turkey is not already cooked, it can be done in microoven with 3 TBS water until just done 3) Melt butter in saucepan, take off stove and mix in flour to make a roux, gradually adding warmed milk a few drops at a time and stirring to keep smooth. 4) Put back on low heat and finish adding milk, then cream a little at a time and stirring. Crumble in chicken stock cube and curry powder. Stir to blend. 5) Add turkey chunks and heat gently, keeping warm while cooking noodles in pot of water. 6) Drain noodles, add butter and fresh ground black pepper. Pour sauce over noodles and mix. Serve on hot plates and add grated parmesan. Note: The Spanish and German chicken stock cubes and chicken sauce bases are excellent and quite different than the ones I saw in Canada. This dish tastes better than the version in the Italian restaurant and goes well with a nice crisp green salad. ******************************** I usually make a turkey curry at the end of our Christmas bird. The dressing and cranberry sauce as well as the gravy all goes with this. The recipe is taken from a Sharwood Curry Powder advert for chicken curry which I also make but here I substitute leftover turkey. TURKEY CURRY **************** Serves 4. 1 apple, peeled and chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 TBS oil 2 TBS curry powder 1 level TBS flour 15 fluid oz (scant 2 cups) stock (boil turkey bones to make stock) 1 TBS chutney (I use Sharwoods Mango Chutney) 1/4 to 1/3 cup (60 grams) sultana raisins 8 oz (225 grams) diced turkey (include different sized small pieces from the leftovers on the turkey platter) salt 1) Fry chopped apple and onion together in 2 TBS oil. Add curry powder and flour. Fry gentry 1 minute. 2) Blend in the stock, bring to boil. Add 1 TBS chutney and the raisins. Simmer, covered - 30 minutes. 3) Add turkey pieces to the sauce, season with salt and simmer very gently 10 - 15 minutes more. If you have some leftover turkey gravy - that also goes well added into the curry sauce. 4) Serve over rice and pass around cranberry sauce, warmed turkey dressing, mango chutney and chopped walnuts. SharonCb

Here's the tetrazzini version that we make: TURKEY TETRAZZINI WITH SPAGHETTI SQUASH 1- 3 1/2 pound spaghetti squash salt and pepper to taste 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons flour 3 cups canned chicken broth or chicken stock 1 bay leaf 3 cups diced cooked turkey 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half 1 tablespoon Madeira or dry sherry 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan fresh lemon juice to taste freshly ground nutmeg to taste 2 tablespoons buttered bread crumbs Bake the spaghetti squash, pierced with a knife, on a baking sheet in a preheated 400* oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tender and let cool. Halve the squash lengthwise, remove seeds and strings and scrape the flesh into a buttered 9 x 13 buttered baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. In a saucepan, melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the broth, whisking vigorously until the mixture is smooth. Add the bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the turkey, cream and Madeira, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, lemon juice and nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaf. Spoon the turkey mixture over the squash and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. Serves 4 Best of Gourmet, 1990 This is Ken's contribution, he got this recipe from a newspaper article a couple of years ago and he makes this for us: TURKEY CHOWDER 5 tablespoons butter 2 cups chopped onions 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 5 cups turkey stock (or chicken broth) 1-28 ounce can whole tomatoes 2 cups diced raw potatoes 1 cup diced red bell pepper 2 bay leaves 3/4 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 cups diced, cooked turkey 1-10 ounce package frozen corn, thawed In large pot, melt butter. Sauté onions until softened, all flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add turkey stock, stir until smooth and thick. Add remaining ingredients, except turkey and corn. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add turkey and corn and bring to a boil and serve. 6 servings