Chris Amirault

One reason many people I know eat mid-afternoon is kids: you have a 3-4 hour event together and then the kids have to be poured into car seats and beds. If it were all adults that didn't need to worry about drinking and driving, living in a city with a terrific public transit system, I'd serve dinner at "dinner time."

Big collection of "last minute" ideas at Saveur.com.

My problem exactly -- and I have no tamis, nor do I want to drag out the chinois.

I'm doing prep all day and night today and of course busy tomorrow too, and I thought it would be good to start a topic on all this prep and cooking we're doing. We can share ideas, ask questions, all that. Here's my first tip. I don't stuff turkeys anymore, but make a stuffing/dressing with toasted bread cubes, super-enriched stock, and other goodies (this year pancetta, rosemary, dried cherries macerated in applejack, and pecans). Usually the pan it's cooked in is the hardest thing to wash from all of the crusty stuff that's cooked onto it. So this year I am putting a round of parchment paper under the stuffing: No revolutionary insights there, but I think it looks nice and will save time down the road. What tips do you have this year? Or do you have any questions that Society members can answer? I've got the window open all day!

Andy, that's a terrific name -- a keeper. T2C, we all started where you did! Noticing the massive difference that 1/4 oz makes is a sign that you get it.

Have you fiddled with substitutes?

Eager to hear back, Adam. Spent the night hacking away at turkey parts and getting them cured and brined. Time to relax. I'm out of Talisker, so I'm sipping some Bruichladdich Rocks on, yes, the rocks by the fire. My goodness, how wonderful. If God promised only fine scotch and ice, I'd remain an optimist no matter the travail.

That 1/4 oz difference is definitely a big deal.

Yep: left 'em on by accident. Dumb.

Yep, 2 oz gin, 1 oz vermouth, -1/4 oz Maraschino, two dashes Angostura.

Oh, you got me thinking: sweet potatoes and tasso....

Info here in Jackal10's great post and eGCI course.

You're so folksy now.

Oh, I'm hoping for responses on this. I've never been able to pull it off in a pot; something weird always happens.

It's up. Nathan, why 58C for the wings? I'm doing legs and thighs with duck fat SV and keep seeing temps up near 80C. Is the latter more confit and the former less so?

How are you doing the turkey legs exactly?

What can you say? When you're right, you're right. Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man certainly would agree....

Very tasty -- thanks. Great idea. Cynar: the new bartender's ketchup.

Thanks for all these. I'm loaded for bear... er... ham now. Any opinions about these non-cured "hams" at Whole Foods? Niman makes one. I have my suspicions but am curious.

Wow. Ransom Old Tom in that drink is... just... [runs out of office to car]

Thought I'd share the prep list I have been maintaining on google docs, a more linear approach than John's above: Weekend Initial grocery shop make cranberry sauce toast bread cubes make pineapple syrup and punch base make ice mold for punch blanche & shock brussel sprouts Monday turkey pickup & additional item shop break down turkey blanche carrots & shock make & reduce poultry stock prepare turkey brine and cure for confit Tuesday get seville orange cure legs, brine breast make ice mold defrost duck fat for turkey confit make browned butter mince preserved lemon prep bacon and pancetta (preserve fat) Wednesday prep rutabaga & parsnip batons blanche/SV all remaining vegetables macerate cherries in applejack bounce prepare stuffing wipe off brine and dry breast in fridge wipe off cure and cook legs in duck fat at 80-82C overnight for 10 hours make nuts make chips defrost butter & additional stock Thursday 8a: remove turkey confit from SVS and ice down 9a: prep Bradley smoker prep oranges & onions for roast 10a: cold apple smoke turkey breast prep potatoes all other vegetable sides 11a: prep oven bring all vegetables to room temp 12n: move turkey breast to oven 1p: prep and label serving bowls and utensils make fennel salad dressing 1:30p: prepare fennel salad make punch 1:45p: cook potatoes prep sage for brussel sprouts prep ginger & garlic for carrots 2p: remove turkey breast from oven put stuffing in oven put rolls in oven put turnip & parsnip batons in oven prep all other sides 2:30p: sauté brussel sprouts reheat confit 2:45p: rice potatoes and dry sauté carrots final preparation of potatoes, squash dress turnip & parsnips with brown butter & pimento dram crisp confit skin remove white wine & ales from fridge 3:00p: service

Hrm. This is raising serious issues. Gotta have a secure cover (we have a coonhound and I produce lots of stink). And it has to be big. C. sapidus big. No little 6"x12"x18" things under the sink will do. OR: it could be two systems. Does anyone have separate cans for (non-organic waste) trash and (organic waste) garbage? BTW, I've found that, inevitably, even stainless steel interiors start to rust over time, due to the exposure to salts and other corrosive stuff.

I'll second that: we have the Oro de Calabaza at work and it's outstanding.

Inspired by this topic and by memories of fresh green peppercorns in Thailand, I cracked open a jar of brined green peppercorns. And promptly threw them all away.

That looks amazing, Baron. Can you say more about the frikadeller preparation? Now you've got me thinking about ending the evening with Jansson's temptation....