Gobble
I love Thanksgiving. It's a great time to see family and friends and not feel guilty about eating all day. The holiday is even followed by my favorite consumer pseudo-holiday; Black Friday! After twenty-seven-something years of enjoying Turkey day, I never really understood what went into making a great dinner until my wife, NancyDrew, and I hosted my father last year. If you've never roasted a turkey before it can be both stressful and rewarding, but it's something that everyone should try once.
I want to begin with the following: There is no right and wrong when it comes to cooking. A lot of cooking is based on personal taste and YOU need to experiment to find out what works best for you. Feel free to deviate from my recipe and have fun. Yes, you could say that "burning something" is the wrong way, but at least you gave it a try and you'll know for next time.
"I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas EdisonIt's a learning process, so let's get started.
1. Get everything together
The French have this crazy idea of getting everything in order before you begin to cook, called mise en place. This requires a good bit of planning but it return it gives you the freedom to concentrate what you're currently doing instead of what you have to do next. I've always found it helpful to have an end goal in mind and then prepare accordingly
Goal for today:
Roast a turkey with a butter and garlic rub. Stuff the bird and any excess stuffing will be cooked separately. Mashed potatoes and gravy.
In order to achieve this goal, let's take a look at what I've assembled.
From left to right: Gravy packets sitting on top of a 4-cup fat separator, bag of stuffing and a medium mixing bowl, celery, meat thermometer, basting brush, clear baster, small mixing bowl with...
This delicious recipe comes from Giada DeLaurentis and is one of her classic family favorites. It is so deliciously cheesy and gives Thanksgiving mashed potatoes an extra kick. She makes it with mozzarella, but you could do other cheeses too like a nice monterrey jack or cheddar. It's so quick to make, although it helps to have a potato ricer or masher to make sure you have no lumps. 
...![Recipe: St. Paddy's twice-baked potatoes Los Angeles Times]("http://nt0.ggpht.com/news/tbn/4CbQ58d8CYP-vM/6.jpg")
Los Angeles TimesRecipe: St. Paddy's twice-baked potatoesLos Angeles TimesProcess potato pulp through potato ricer. Stir in milk. Add cabbage and leeks. Season to taste with salt and pepper. * Spoon potato mixture into 4 shells,
![Preparing perfect potatoes requires some know-how Plain Dealer]("http://nt3.ggpht.com/news/tbn/G0YFAWwFy3G5sM/6.jpg")
Plain DealerPreparing perfect potatoes requires some know-howPlain DealerBut with a little insight into the different potato varieties and preparation techniques suited to the starchy tuber, you can make dishes that consistently