. . . has to do with making turkey stock. But you knew that deep down, right?

1) Let the carcass, some skin, and the giblets (minus the liver, of course) simmer for 12-24 hours with pieces of onion, carrot, and celery.
2) Add a little bit of sage and black pepper (it's too early to add salt; you don't know how much this stuff will reduce).
3) Throw in a slice of cooked bacon or ham.

Boil it on high for 20 minutes before you take it off the heat for good; better safe than sorry. Either make soup, or freeze it till you need it.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 03:51 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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I stuck to the basics, and just roasted a small turkey. I bought the pumpkin pie.

There are still things I forget every year, such as: 1) wear supportive shoes, not just socks. Running around in the kitchen for four hours straight requires serious footwear. And: 2) remember to check the electric oven (yes, I know: ick), to make sure it isn't set to "broil."

I'm thinking of adding these notes to the turkey recipes in my cookbooks, so I can create institional memory on these matters, as well as on roasting times, good ways to adapt recipes, and the required temperature for "well-done."

Posted by: Attila Girl at 12:39 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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I got more on Turkey Day. This chick quite literally wrote the book on roasting.

For a few years I was devoutly Kafkaesque in my approach, but now I synthesize her system with traditional roasting in order to seal in juices—yet still not turn the cleanup into a nightmare.

And yet I use her method for making turkey stock. Every single year. She rawks.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 07:49 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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for your favorite Thx-day recipes and tips.

Here's my tip: even if you happen to make a bitchin' pumpkin pie—and, believe me, I do—it turns out it's easier just to buy one.

So that's what I do: I may be stupid, but I'm not a complete freakin' idiot.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 01:41 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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But it doesn't get this harsh.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 01:27 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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. . . is discussing table condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and salsa. High points: the comment thread under "Ketchup Fiends," and the referenced article regarding "Ketchup Evolution " by the always-absorbing intellectual strip-tease artist Malcolm Gladwell.

Posted by: Attila at 11:30 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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