I know I'm not alone when I admit that each November I panic when I think about cooking the Thanksgiving turkey. I can't help it. Everywhere I look, whether it's at the grocery checkout, the dentist's office or the local newsstand, all the magazines jump out claiming to have the latest and only way to cook The Perfect Turkey! I succumb. I buy the magazines, madly leaf through the pages, and then follow up by deciphering my scribbled notes from years past. In the end, I always come back to the advice that most butchers and chefs offer: Keep It Simple.
As they tell you in the captions, even some of our local pros have had some wild adventures taming their turkeys. So, for those of you who have wrapped your birds in burlap or brown paper, brined them for days, deep-fat fried them, or turned them upside down and then right side up... you're in good company. After you read your favorite chefs' stories, we hope you'll share yours!
And then, maybe this year, you should consider giving yourself a break. Season your bird with salt and pepper, pop it in the oven and let it roast. That will leave you more time to enjoy your family and friends, and it will allow you more time to try out all those new and improved fixings you've been reading about.
[Who's your favorite Thanksgiving chef? Mom? Dad? Wife? Husband? Add a captioned photo to our gallery.]
