Hi. My name’s Julie. And I’m a turkey virgin.
That’s right. I’m cooking my first solo Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve brought sides over to someone else’s house in previous years. This year is the first time I’m shouldering the workload. And it all comes down to the turkey. I’ve been googling, watching The Chew, looking up Alton Brown’s recipes and talking to my step-dad (the self-proclaimed cooking master) to get ideas and tips to try. I’m a really nervous, but exited too.
According to Michael Symon “it’s just like roasting a big chicken.” Which is all well and good, but is it really that easy? I’ve roasted a chicken, more than once, and it comes out great. But there is so much riding on this stupid bird. I decided to start small this year. I invited over my mom, sister, MIL and her fiancee. Less witnesses if something goes wrong. I told my I would take on The Clan next year. There’s 18 of us, not including if family comes into town…yeah. That was way more than I needed to figure out my first year.
I copped out and bought a Food Network magazine last month. It had a wonderful looking turkey on the cover and claimed to have 50 pie recipes in its pages. It was an easy sell. I found a “Mix-and-Match” your Thanksgiving recipes article and decided that would be my guide. Now we are here, judgement day. Haha. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the turkey isn’t pink or dry and Mike is willing to try my dressing.
Town House Crackers