Tips for a tip-top feast

By Sharon Haddock
Deseret Morning News

PROVO — Don't depend on the timer in the turkey.

Buy fresh flour.

And pay attention to the way you put ingredients together. None of this "throw everything in the bowl and stir" stuff.

That's basically the advice The Deseret Morning News found when we went looking for tips for creating the ideal Thanksgiving Feast.

The Turkey

"If the timer pops up, your turkey is too done," said Greg Forte, the resident chef at Utah Valley State College. "That's the biggest thing I can tell about cooking a turkey. Don't overcook it. When in doubt, take it out, because you can always put it back in the oven.

Forte also recommends buying a fresh turkey that hasn't been plumped up by the addition of fats or water.

Start in a hot oven — around 400 degrees — and then bring the temperature down.

If you're using a stick-in thermometer to judge whether the bird is done, be sure it has been recently calibrated. Thermometers that have been dropped or put through the dishwasher are probably not reliable.

"The best way to tell if a turkey is done is to take a kitchen fork and puncture the bird between the leg and thigh, where they are attached to the breast. If the juice runs almost clear, it's ready. Take it out and let it sit. It will cook another 20 minutes. Sitting also allows the pressures to equalize."

Forte also doesn't cover his turkeys with foil. Foil steams the meat and prevents browning.

He uses cheesecloth. He says the cheesecloth absorbs juices and makes a turkey, goose or duck more moist.

Avoid cooking dressing inside the bird because it changes cooking times and pulls juices away from the meat.

And put the turkey on a bed of vegetables such as carrots, onions and celery to keep the bottom from frying in its own juice and to flavor the juice.

The Rolls

When a good cook cooks, the mouth-watering results are no accident, said Shirley Edwards of Shirley's Homemades Bakery. They're more the result of buying quality ingredients, measuring and mixing with precision and practice, practice, practice

"People wouldn't play a piano piece after just one playing but they expect to make wonderful rolls having done it just one time," said Edwards. "It takes a lot of doing the same thing over and over until you learn what works."

Edwards also believes in buying good flour and quality spices.

"I only buy the best for what I do," she said.

The Pies

"One of the biggest things is the procedure," said Lenora Parkinson, whose family owns Magleby's restaurant. "So many people, even some of the cooks who come out of cooking school, just put everything in all at once. The method you follow is every bit as important as the ingredients themselves."

Parkinson recommends Gold Medal flour for all of her baking.

She insists on Libby's Pumpkin for her pumpkin pies.

She's keeps her Crisco shortening in the refrigerator to keep it fresh and uses ice water in her pie crusts.

She never uses a mixer or a whisk if the recipe calls for stirring with a spoon, and she adds the ingredients in a precise order, mixing well after each addition.

When the pie is done, she checks it by eyeballing the center.

"I don't like to stick a knife into it; that ruins the appearance. When the center starts to rise or mound up, it's done," she said.