The Washington Post - 19 November 2023

sunday, november 19, 2023 . the washington post EZ EE SC7 RED AND ROVER By Brian Basset POPEYE By Randy Milholland

SC8 EZ EE the washington post . sunday, november 19, 2023 SAMURAI SUDOKU (c) www.djape.net Last Sunday9s Solution BALDO By Cantú & Castellanos CLASSIC PEANUTS By Charles Schulz PRICKLY CITY By Scott Stantis How to Play The rules of Samurai Sudoku are the same as in the popular Sudoku puzzles that appear in the daily comics section. As with standard Sudoku, the Samurai version requires no math, just logic, reasoning ... and an iron will. The goal is to fill in each column, row and 3X3 box with the digits 1 through 9 without repeating any. The twist in Samurai Sudoku is that the digits that appear in the overlapping boxes must work for both puzzles. A piece of advice to get you started: Don9t focus completely on one grid at a time. Keep the whole puzzle in mind as you go, because filling in a number in one grid could give you clues to another. What9s important to understand is this: Each Samurai puzzle is ONE puzzle, not five separate Sudoku puzzles that just overlap each other. Occasionally people claim that, for example, the "bottom right" 9X9 puzzle had more than one solution. Well, yes it may, but the entire puzzle can be solved in only one way. Never resort to guessing! For more tips, go to http://www.djape.net/sudoku/wp/?p=144.

Sunday, novembeR 19, 2023 . Section R eZ ee The ever-evolving method of cooking turkey iLLusTRaTiOn by Tim RObinsOn FOR The WashingTOn pOsT; ORiginaL pages FROm The WashingTOn pOsT Roasting. Grilling. Frying. Brining. Dry brining. (Never brining.) Whole. Spatchcocked. Every Thanksgiving brings a new best way. R5 food SAfETy Learn the science behind the two-hour rule and what happens as your feast sits out. R6 RElAX! Don9t let cooking stress overtake the day. We have tips on what to let go. R8 holidAy CoCkTAilS The best way to tend bar for a crowd is to make a batch of apple pie-flavored old-fashioneds. R10 onlinE This year, we introduced 9 recipes that put a new spin on classics. Find them, and 2 new pies, on our Thanksgiving page at wApo.ST/ThAnkSgiving lAST-MinuTE ChAT Wednesday at noon, bring your questions to our weekly chat, expanded to 90 minutes, with our full team, plus baking expert Joy Wilson. wApo.ST/TgivingChAT

R2 EZ EE the washington post . sunday, november 19, 2023 Monte Cristo Sandwich 2 to 4 servings Storage:Refrigerate for up to 2 days; reheat in a 350-degree oven until heated through or in a skillet over medium-low heat. Total time: 30 mins From recipes editor Ann Maloney. Ingredients l 4 slices hearty white bread, with or without crusts l 2 tablespoons raspberry jam, plus more for serving l 2 tablespoons spicy, stoneground mustard l 4 ounces shredded gruyere or Swiss cheese (about 2 cups) l 6 ounces thinly sliced Black Forest ham or roasted turkey breast, oracombination l 2 large eggs l 2 tablespoons milk (any fat content) Finally, as is traditional, I lightly sprinkled it with confectioners9 sugar, and served a dollop of jam on the side for dipping. The balance of sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy this created worked well for me. When I described its contents to the gang at work, eyebrows were cocked, but after it was photographed in the Food Lab and tasted, it got thumbs up all around. As I tested it,I realized it was ideal as a post-holiday treat.If you want to try it, you can use leftover bread, turkey and/or ham and, in place of the jam, how about a smear of cranberry sauce? (Itried the sandwich with smoked turkey and ham and really liked thatflavor as well.) For the cheese,I prefer gruyere, but feel free to swap in Swiss, cheddar or your favorite variety. Some folks like it drizzled with maple syrup or honey rather than sprinkled with confectioners9 sugar. That9s a lot of variation, I realize, so if you follow only one recommendation from me, letit be this: Slice the Monte Cristo in half and split it with someone, served beside a crisp, green, lightly dressed salad. This is one rich sandwich. birthplace, but with little documentation to back that up. Was it named after Alexandre Dumas9s <The Count of Monte Cristo=? We may never know, but we can cite the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink inAmerica9s claim that it was first written about in 1923 in an American restaurant industry publication. These days, it9s a must-try sandwich at Disneyland and pops up on chain restaurant menus and less often in little cafes and diners. In some cases, folks take it way, way over the top, making it a triple-decker, adding caramelized onions, and dipping the whole sandwich in pancake or beer batter before deep-frying it. I wasn9t prepared to go that far, and I decline to take a stand on what9s consideredaclassic or must-have inaMonte Cristo recipe. Instead, I9ll tell you where I landed after much experimentation.I used two slices of hearty white bread,thinly sliced turkey and ham, and gruyere. I spread one slice of bread with raspberry jam and the other with whole grain mustard. Then,I dipped that whole sandwich in an egg wash and panfried it in butter until it was golden brown. This time of year, I9m always on the lookout for creative ways to use holiday leftovers. If you are, too, consider the Monte Cristo sandwich. The dish first came on my radar as we were preparing for the relaunch of The Washington Post Recipe experience. One question we often ask ourselves as we search through the thousands of our recipes: What9s missing? We discovered we had no Monte Cristo recipe to offer. Now, some might say that9s not a bad thing. This sandwich 4 an over-the-top mash-up of French toast and grilled ham and cheese 4 has its detractors.I knewIhad had one once before, but I couldn9tfor the life of me remember where or when. (Maybe at Bennigan9s when I was in high school?) As I started to explore recipes, I discovered that the origin of the sandwich is as murky as its ingredient list. Some claim it is a variation of the French croquemonsieur, but others say certainement pas! Many sources cite California in the 1960s as its Ann Maloney Dinner in minutes Make a Monte Cristo to use leftover ham, turkey and even cranberry sauce l 1 teaspoon vanilla extract l 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper l 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon l 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg l 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more as needed l Confectioners9 sugar, for serving (optional) Steps l Place the bread slices on a cutting board. Spread the jam over two of the slices. Spread the mustard over the remaining slices. l Divide half the cheese between the mustard-smeared slices and top each with half of the meat. Divide the remaining cheese between the two. Top with the jamcovered slices of bread, jam side down, and gently press. l Ina shallowdish, whisktogether the eggs, milk, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg, and set it near the stove. l In a large skillet over mediumlow heat, meltthe butter. l Dip each sandwich into the egg mixture, gently pressing down and making sure to coat both sides. Transfer the sandwiches to the hot skillet and fry undisturbed until the cheese starts to melt and the bread turns golden, about5minutes. Flip the sandwiches over and repeat on the other side, adjusting the heat as needed. l Transfer the sandwiches to acutting board and slice them in half diagonally. Transfer the halves to plates, lightly sprinkle with confectioners9 sugar, if using, and serve, with jam on the side for dipping. nutrition | Per serving (1/2 sandwich), based on 4: 307 calories, 17g carbohydrates, 151mg cholesterol, 16g fat, 3g fiber, 22g protein, 8g saturated fat, 678mg sodium, 5g sugar recipe tested by ann maloney; email questions to [email protected] sCOTT suCHman FOr THE WasHinGTOn POsT; FOOD sTYLinG BY niCOLa JusTinE DaVis FOr THE WasHinGTOn POsT food and dining editor: Joe Yonan " food assignment editor: matt Brooks " Recipes editor: ann maloney " Art directors: Cece Pascual, marissa Vonesh " Photo editor: Jennifer Beeson Gregory " Assistant recipes editor: Olga massov " food critic: Tom sietsema " Staff writers: Tim Carman, G. Daniela Galarza, aaron Hutcherson, Emily Heil, Becky Krystal " Copy editor: Jim Webster " Editorial aide: anna Luisa rodriguez | Contact us: [email protected], 202-334-7575. The Washington Post, Food, 1301 K st. nW, Washington, D.C. 20071 fOOD fIND OUR COLLECTION Of THANKSGIVING RECIPES ONLINE This is the second of our two special Thanksgiving issues. To find the recipes featured in our first issue, which were in Wednesday9s paper and are listed below, go to our recipes page at washingtonpost.com/recipes. Turkey in a Bag With Lemon and Herbs " roasted Butternut squash With Feta and Dates"Cheddar Cheese soup " sausage, apple and Onion Bread " Crushed Potatoes With Tahini-Garlic sauce " skillet sweet Potatoes With Brown Butter and sage " Crunchy Green Beans With almonds and Dates " Chipotle Cranberry Barbecue sauce " skillet Pumpkin and apple Cake"mile High apple Pie"Coconut Cream Pie With Plantains and Dulce de Leche There will be no Food section on Nov. 22. SCHEDULE TODAY! 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sunday, november 19, 2023 . the washington post ez ee R3 Root Vegetable Mafé 6 to 8 servings The stew is wonderful on its own, but for a heartier meal, serve it with fonio or rice. Make ahead: The vegetables can be parboiled up to 1 day in advance. Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Total time: 45 mins Adapted from <Simply West African= by Pierre Thiam with Lisa Katayama (Clarkson Potter, 2023). Ingredients l 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as refined peanut or vegetable l 1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), diced l 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated l 2 tablespoons tomato paste l 2 cups unsweetened creamy peanut butter l 4 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth or water, plus more as needed l 1 bay leaf l 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, left whole (optional) l 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt, plus more as needed l 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper size pieces and then boil them until they9re just fork-tender, but not falling apart. Then, you immerse them in the sauce, letting them simmer in its luxurious texture until they9re all soft enough to eat with a spoon. I didn9t have any cassava when I made it, so I used a russet potato instead. Feel free to use any vegetables you9d like. Then, serve it with plenty of fonio or rice, for soaking up every wonderful, nutty bit. this is from our eat voraciously newsletter, which deliversaquick dinner recipe four daysaweek, Monday through thursday. sign up at wapo.st/evnewsletter. bay leaf and, if you like your food spicy, a whole Scotch bonnet chile. Now, stir well, to allow the peanut butter to melt into the broth. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and let it simmer for a while. You9ll know it9s ready when small pools of oil rise to the surface. Taste it, and adjust the seasonings to your liking. <The classic West African mafé almost always has lamb, chicken or fish, but I love the simplicity and elegance of the vegan version that I'm introducing here,= Thiam writes. His recipe suggests cassava, carrots, sweet potatoes and turnips. You cut the vegetables into roughly equalI first had mafé, the West African sauce that9s flavored with onions, garlic, tomatoes and chiles and thickened with peanut butter, at Teranga in New York City. Translated from Wolof, teranga means <hospitality.= Accordingly, the restaurant, owned by chef Pierre Thiam, serves a menu of comforting, homestyle dishes, mostly from Senegal where Thiam grew up. Forawhile, I almost exclusively ordered the chicken yassa bowl, because I couldn9t get enough of that tangy and sweet caramelized onion sauce. But when I tried the mafé, I was hooked. So, as soon as I saw Thiam9s new cookbook, <Simply West African,= I flipped directly to the glossary to see if mafé was listed. Indeed, it was, and I happened to have just about everything on hand to make his recipe for Root Vegetable Mafé. <Using nuts and seeds to build sauces and stews is seen all across West Africa,= Thiam writes, noting that <many who come from West Africa or have spent time there have cravings for [mafé] on a consistent basis because of its signature nuttiness and rich consistency.= It9s alsoapersonal favorite of his. <The scent of mafé instantly takes me back to my childhood,= Thiam writes. <The peanut-based sauce, also one of the mother sauces of West African cuisine, has some similarities with Mexican mole in that it is a nut-based sauce thickened through slow cooking.= For Thiam9s recipe, you start by cooking onions and garlic in a little oil until they soften. Tomato paste goes in next, and you stir that 4 adding splashes of water to keep it from scorching 4 until everything darkens toadeep maple brown. A whole lot of creamy, unsweetened peanut butter goes in next. Let that soften for a few seconds, and then deglaze the bottom of the pot with vegetable broth or water. Add a G. Daniela Galarza Eat Voraciously A rich root vegetable stew with peanut butter is a taste of Senegalese hospitality l 4 medium carrots (12 ounces total), cut into 2-inch chunks l 1 large russet potato (10 ounces), peeled and cutinto thick wedges l 1 large sweet potato (10 ounces), peeled and cut into thick wedges l 2 medium turnips (8 ounces total), peeled and cut into thick wedges l Cooked fonio or rice, for serving (optional) Steps l In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until soft but not browned, about5minutes. Add the tomato paste and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, adding a few tablespoons of water as needed to keep the onion and garlic from scorching, until the tomato paste slightly darkens, about5minutes. l Add the peanut butter and stir well, using a wooden spoon, to combine. Add the vegetable broth or water, bay leaf and Scotch bonnet chile. if using. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally to fully dissolve the peanut butter. Season with the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the oil rises to the surface, 15 to 20 minutes. l Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Drop the carrots, potato, sweet potato and turnips into the boiling water and blanch until they can be pierced with a knife but are still al dente, 5 to8minutes,working in batches ifthe pot is notlarge enough. l As they are done, usealarge slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to the peanut sauce and continue cooking until they are soft but still hold their shape, about 10 minutes. If cooking the vegetables in batches, transfer them to a large bowl and add all at once to the peanut sauce. Serve family-style with fonio or rice on the side, if desired. nutrition | per serving (1 1/2 cups), based on 8: 497 calories, 36g carbohydrates, 0mg cholesterol, 35g fat, 8g fiber, 19g protein, 7g saturated fat, 529mg sodium, 13g sugar recipe tested by g. daniela galarza; email questions to [email protected] rey lopez for the Washington post; food styling by nicola Justine davis for the Washington post For pricing, visit www.SunburstSolarEnergy.com or call 301-246-8824 BENEFITS OF GOING SOLAR Future proof Avoid blackouts Save money every month instantly Boast your home9s value Control and own your own energy FROM SUNLIGHT TO SAVINGS USE Assembled with USA Flag | Tax Credit Eligible Comprehensive 25 Year Warranty | All Tier 1 Panels FREE in-home or virtual estimate Powered by Green Brillance DC#410513000232, MHIC#139934, VA#2705120410

R4 eZ ee the washington post . sunday, november 19, 2023 Roasted Vegetable Salad With Tahini and Grapes 4 servings (makes about 6 cups) Total time: 40 mins From cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger. Ingredients For the roasted vegetables l 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, halved l 8 ounces medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces l 1 small delicata squash (10 ounces) halved lengthwise, seeds removed and sliced 1/2- inch thick l 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided l 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, divided l 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided l 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped, divided For the salad l 4 cups chopped roasted vegetables, chilled or at room temperature (see below) l 2 cups lightly packed baby spinach, coarsely chopped l 1/2 cup (3 ounces) halved purple or red grapes l 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves l 1/4 cup well-stirred tahini l 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice l 1/8 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste l 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper l 3 to 4 tablespoons water Steps l Make the roasted vegetables: Position two racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees. l Arrange the Brussels sprouts in a single layer on one large sheet pan, and the carrots and squash on another. Drizzle the expressed purpose of making it. Below, I9ve included a recipe for a combination I think works especially well 4 Brussels sprouts, carrots and delicata squash, all seasoned with salt, pepper and thyme. To make the salad, you chop the vegetables until you have about 4 cups of jewel-toned pieces, and then toss them with a couple of handfuls of baby spinach leaves, some fresh parsley and halved grapes. The earthy, soft vegetables with the leafy greens and sweet, juicy fruit make for an unforgettable contrast of flavors and texture. They are then married in a creamy lemontahini dressing for a salad that can be served as a starter, as part of a spread of small plates or with some protein added as a meal on its own. However you enjoy it, it9s a salad that will surely make you grateful for those extra roasted vegetables. krieger is a registered dietitian nutritionist, cookbook author, and cooking show and podcast host. learn more at elliekrieger.com. The roasted vegetables you9ll probably have left over from Thanksgiving may be unintended extras, but once you realize what a treasure they are, I bet you9ll roast a batch regularly just to have them at the ready in the refrigerator all season long, likeIdo. I dip them in hummus as a snack, chop and pile them onto avocado toast, and stuff them into omelets and frittatas. They are easily reheated to be served as a side with roasted chicken or any other protein, and they add seasonal splendor to everyday salads. Here, roasted vegetables are not just an add-in, they are the focal point. The dish can be made with just about any combination of roasted vegetables, whether seasoned simply or more creatively, so you can use whatever you already have on hand. But it9s also well worth roasting a couple of trays of vegetables ahead of time for Ellie Krieger Nourish Roasted vegetables go from side to star attraction in this enticing fall salad each pan with1tablespoon of the oil and 1/8 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper and toss to coat. Redistribute the vegetables evenly on each pan and roast4one sheet on top rack and the other on the bottom rack 4 for 12 minutes. Then toss the contents of each sheet pan with half of the thyme, return to the oven, rotating the sheets top to bottom and front to back, and roast for another 12 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and browned in spots. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. l Make the salad: In a large bowl, toss the roasted vegetables, spinach, grapes and parsley until combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk in the water,1tablespoon at a time, until the dressing reaches a creamy consistency. l Toss the dressing with the vegetables and serve, with additional salt to taste, if desired. nutrition | (11/2 cups salad): 257 calories, 28g carbohydrates, 0mg cholesterol, 15g fat, 8g fiber, 8g protein, 2g saturated fat, 321mg sodium, 10g sugar recipe tested by anna luisa rodriguez; email questions to [email protected] PhoTos by ToM MCCorkle for The WashinGTon PosT; food sTylinG by Gina nisTiCo for The WashinGTon PosT Roast the vegetables together in a single layer on a sheet pan. We Now Supply Your Favorite Liquors!! D.C. Store Only COVID-19 VACCINES & FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE! ASSISTED REGISTRATION COME VISIT OUR PHARMACY SPIRITS SALE D.C. BEER SPECIALS Our Locations " 4301 Randolph Rd, Wheaton MD, 301-946-3100 " 5148 Nicholson Ln, Kensington MD, 301-881-6253 " 5100 Wisconsin Ave, Washington D.C., 202-363-3466 IMAGES SHOWN ARE FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY. 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sunday, november 19, 2023 . the washington post eZ ee R5 en Confidential.= Spatchcocking 4 removing the spine and crushing the bird flat to achieve faster, more even cooking 4 might have been around for ages, but it seemed particularly chic in those days when trophy knives and home butchery were new hallmarks of a serious cook. To serve it in a traditional shape instead of its roadkill-like mien, we even suggested reconstituting it, Frankenstein style: <cut out the breastbone, too, then bend the flattened, roasted bird back into shape, using the stuffing as a prop to help return the turkey to centerpiece-worth verticality.= Foil wrapped By the post-World War II era, aluminum foil had become a cook9s secret weapon, and in 1961, we ran a column suggesting a foil-wrapped bird at high heat as a counterpoint to the <traditional= (read: stodgy) style of cooking it uncovered in a low oven. An 18- inch strip of the shiny stuff was pressed around the trussed, butter- (or margarine-) brushed protein, and into a 450-degree oven it went. Peel the covering back to reveal the skin in the last hour of cooking, we instructed 4 and voilà, history9s first wrap star. Boneless Our 1964 feature was aimed at helping the novice cook serve that first Thanksgiving 4 only we referred to <her= as <a new bride or a Government Girl living in an efficiency apartment= (yeah, there9s the cringe). And the advice that year reflected the growing reliance on prepared foods for convenience. The <boneless roll= we recommended seems to be not a roulade, but basically a deboned, frozen roast that we directed cooks to prepare according to the directions printed on the wrapper. For more whiz-bang ease, we suggested for sides canned yams and <any of the new vegetables frozen in butter sauce.= But boneless was the preferred style going all the way back to 1895, when The Post offered myriad ideas for preparing the annual Thanksgiving feast. Turkeys could be roasted or boiled, the article instructed readers, though either method started by <singeing and drawing the fowl,= washing it and drying it with a clean cloth. But we came down firmly on the matter of bones: <If you have the spirit of thankfulness in your heart, and want to awaken a corresponding glow in the heart of your lord and master, you will serve your turkey boned, and so get rid of much of the difficulty in carving,= it read. Globally influenced By 1985, home cooks had become comfortable experimenting with the flavors of new-to-them cuisines 4 so much so that they might be willing to use them to shake up their most traditional of holiday meals. That year, the Food page offered up an entire, lavish <Indian Tandoori Thanksgiving,= from a <Bombay Seviche= of scallops with coriander to a <Golden Pilau of Fruit and Almonds= to homemade naan. The main attraction was a yogurt-slathered, spice-rubbed bird prepared on the barbecue. And in 2000, we shared a recipe for Sichuan turkey, courtesy of Germaine Swanson, a Vietnamese chef and the restaurateur behind the pioneering pan-Asian Germaine9s in Washington9s Glover Park neighborhood, which opened in 1978. Rubbed with sherry and a marinade of soy sauces and peppercorns, we suggested serving it with the distinctly non-classic side of sticky rice. Smoked In 1988, a decade before he would write the classic <The Barbecue Bible,= we published a column by Steve Raichlen about a turkey prepared in an electric smoker. Raichlen described all the methods he had previously used to prepare the star of the Thanksgiving meal, including a truffle-butter rub (expensive!) and a high-heat roast (hello, fire alarm), and presented the smoker as an ideal vessel for producing an <absolutely effortless,= flavorful bird. And how could we 4 even those of us with only a minuscule apartment patio for outdoor space 4 not be wooed by this kind of promise? <The rustic taste of the smoke harmonizes with the comforting flavor of turkey.= Glazed Clever solutions to home cooks9 dilemmas are often the name of our game. And in 1997, we proffered a kind of split-the-baby compromise between a cook looking to indulge their culinary creativity and a family demanding a classic, Norman Rockwell-esque experience. A highly flavored glaze and butter, we said, would allow the reader to <trick yourself into thinking you9ve done something really special while reassuring guests that you haven9t.= The butter was rubbed on before roasting and the glaze brushed on in the last 30 minutes, with flavor profiles including roasted garlic and honey-ginger. One pot Here in Food Media World, we9re always proposing ways to simplify meal-making. When a recipe is being described as being <one-pot= or <one-pan,= it often perks the ears of cooks who find doing dishes the most tedious of tasks. That9s as true now as it was in 1984, when we printed a method for combining all the elements of a Thanksgiving meal into a single roasting pan. For this easy cleanup dinner, a boneless breast gets rolled with a stuffing (whose base is a prepared mix), and carrots and potatoes are added in at various points. Served with <a platter of assorted fresh fruits= instead of pie and a <few sprigs of fresh, crisp parsley,= this was minimalism on a plate. We revisited the streamlining concept decades later, when the pandemic hit and many readers were planning their holiday meals for smaller groups. This time, we offered recipes for dinners prepared mainly on a single sheet pan, including harissaspiced turkey legs surrounded by sweet potatoes and torn bread, and a turkey-breast roulade accompanied by roasted vegetables. Fried For those who like the frisson of a little fire hazard along with their dinner, the deep-fried bird, submerged in burbling oil and rendered crisp and brown, has long been an option. While the technique has grown in popularity (and in infamy) in recent years, we suggested the method back in 2000, when it surely seemed novel to many readers. The story included a long list of supplies needed for the recipe, including an outdoor fryer 4 and last, but certainly not least, <the strength and nerve to lower a turkey into and then up out of 350-degree oil.= Mayo-slathered It feels like we9ve suggested over the years more ways of treating your turkey9s skin than the editors of beauty magazines have endorsed various creams for banishing dry (human) flesh. Butter, oil and seasoning are the usual building blocks of these unguents 4 but in 2018, we might have shocked a few readers with a recipe for a bird coated in & mayonnaise. Many people have strong feelings about the condiment (there are threads on Reddit devoted to bashing it and others defending it). The recipe was titled <Herb-Slathered Turkey,= because <if we had called it mayonnaise-slathered turkey, would you still give it a chance?= former Food deputy editor Bonnie S. Benwick wondered at the time. But the sandwich spread actually serves a dual purpose, both keeping the meat juicy and yielding a beautifully browned bird. BY EMILY HEIL Less ink has been spilled in the quest for the Holy Grail than a more elusive prize: the perfect Thanksgiving turkey. Every year, magazines and newspapers and websites 4 including, of course, The Washington Post 4 offer up the latest and greatest takes on the recipes and techniques that will produce for the reader willing to follow along the bronzed, juicy, flavorful centerpiece of their holiday table that they9ve been dreaming of. Of course, we can9t print the same dang thing every year 4 since the word <new= is literally in our mandate 4 so when it comes to turkey recipes, we tweak, we innovate, we present people with novel and different ways of preparing this annual feast, and in particular, that often-fretted-over main dish. If you9ve been in the turkeymaking game long enough, you have probably encountered some of these feathered friends. They9ve been basted, brined, bagged, fried, deboned. Cooked at high heat. Low heat. Microwaved? (Only to thaw it, whew.) Instant Pot-ed? (Of course.) They9ve been flavored with ginger. They9ve been flavored with tarragon. But please, dear reader, don9t blame us for needlessly injecting novelty into the turkey discourse (speaking of injections, we have previously suggested attacking your bird with a syringe). Tastes change. Technology changes. And recipes always reflect broader cultural shifts. <There9s a saying in food media that every Thanksgiving is a cook9s first turkey,= says Kim Voss, a University of Central Florida professor who studies the history of food journalism. <But it9s another cook9s 20th 4 so the question is how do you balance out the need for the basics and the fact that someone has been cooking for so long, it9s like 8give me something new.9= We dug into our archives to take a look at all the many ways we9ve suggested that readers wrangle those birds. Much has changed over the previous century and a half (including some of the now-cringey language used to describe home cooks). Oh, and the photography is better these days. Come, let9s take a look at these turkeys of yore (and some practically yesterday). Bagged Putting your in bird in a bag to roast is a polarizing proposition. To some, it seems like a gimmick; to others, a hazard 4 our reader call-out last year asking people for their biggest Thanksgiving cooking disasters elicited a couple stories of bags gone bad. Still, we recommended it effusively in 2016, though with the caveat that it9s not going to result in crisp skin: <If you9re looking to cook the turkey faster and keep its meat moist throughout, the bag9s for you. If you want to skip scrubbing the roasting pan, the bag9s for you. If you want the turkey9s skin to be evenly browned and crisped, it might not be for you.= And, like hemlines and denim profiles, everything that9s old is new again. My colleague Becky Krystal just this year once more sang the praises of the turkey prepared in a humble oven bag (Reynolds began selling their food-safe, heat-resistant nylon version in 1971, she notes), this time stuffed with lemon, apple, garlic and herbs to season the flesh and its juices. She likes the hands-off approach it offers to today9s harried families: <Fill it, drop it in a roasting pan and cook.= (Find the recipe for Turkey in a Bag With Lemon and Herbs and more at wapo.st/ thanksgiving.) Brined You9d think something as basic as salting a turkey would be a simple matter 4 but alas, no. We9ve run ideas for a bevy of brines. There was a simple bath in 2000, bourbon-spiked and maple-flavored versions in 2010, and an apple-cider-accented option in 2022. A 2021 recipe from staff writer Aaron Hutcherson called for a dry brine consisting of salt and a two-day rest in the fridge. But we9ve also told readers that it9s perfectly okay to skip the step entirely 4 a 2014 headline declared <Thanksgiving Aha! moment: There9s no need to brine the turkey unless you really want to.= Spatchcocked Journey with me back to 2007, when some home cooks were aiming to get a little cheffier than they had in years past, thanks in part to the soaring popularity of Food Network shows and books such as Anthony Bourdain9s 2005 <KitchBrine it, bag it, fry it, smoke it: A century of holiday birds Every year, there9s a new route to a perfectly juicy centerpiece. toM MCCorkLe For the WaShington PoSt; Food StyLing by LiSa CherkaSky For the WaShington PoSt SCott SUChMan For the WaShington PoSt; Food StyLing by LiSa CherkaSky For the WaShington PoSt toM MCCorkLe For the WaShington PoSt; Food StyLing by LiSa CherkaSky For the WaShington PoSt FROM TOP: Herb-Slathered Turkey, circa 2018. Sheet Pan Turkey Breast Roulade With Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans and Shallots, circa 2020. Tarragon-Butter Roasted Spatchcocked Turkey, circa 2021. All recipes available at washingtonpost.com/recipes. <There9s a saying in food media that every Thanksgiving is a cook9s first turkey. But it9s another cook9s 20th 4 so the question is how do you balance out the need for the basics and the fact that someone has been cooking for so long, it9s like 8give me something new.9 = Kim Voss, a University of Central Florida professor who studies the history of food journalism

R6 eZ ee the washington post . sunday, november 19, 2023 learned there is technically no such thing. While there are contagious viruses that cause gastrointestinal distress, that illness you experienced was most likely foodborne illness, and it9s harder than you think to pinpoint the meal that caused it. Most people blame it on the last meal they ate, but it9s typically not. <Incubation periods [for pathogens] are typically 1 to 10 days out,= says Barbara Kowalcyk, who is an associate professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. You could have gotten sick from the potato salad left out all day at your family gathering without ever realizing it. Possibly, you noticed your stomach was off after eating something left out too long and dismissed it as a no-big-deal, 24-hour inconvenience. While that9s often the case, it9s not uncommon to have much worse outcomes. Approximately 128,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die of foodborne illness annually in the United States, according to the CDC. <A significant number of people develop long-term health outcomes, such as reactive arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome, which greatly impact your quality of life,= Kowalcyk says. Not everyone9s risk is the same. Children, those who are pregnant, senior citizens and those who are immune compromised are much more vulnerable to pathogens. No one knows this better than Kowalcyk, who switched career paths to become a food safety expert after losing a child to foodborne illness in 2001. The toxin produced by E. coli led to the death of her 21/2-year-old son, Kevin. Her husband and 5-year-old daughter also tested positive for E. coli at the time but had only mild symptoms. (Microbial contamination can occur at any point during food production, but microbes such as E. coli and salmonella can grow rapidly at the <danger zone= temperatures, increasing the risk of serious illness.) Abiding by the two-hour rule and other food safety measures at home won9t eliminate the risk of illness entirely 4 there are many other factors at play 4 but it is an element in our control that can make it much less likely. If you are hosting a party, why not take the basic preventive steps to protect your more vulnerable guests? Misconception: If you avoid bacteria you9ll be more susceptible to illness in the long run. Many comments on my post implied that following the twohour rule over time somehow makes a person more susceptible to getting sick, as if lack of exposure to harmful bacteria weakened one9s resistance. Each expert I spoke with agreed this is misguided and dangerous. It9s important to differentiate between the good bacteria in fermented foods, such as yogurt and kimchi, which may help you maintain a healthy gut microbiome, and bad bacteria that are a result of contamination, such as salmonella and campylobacter. <The classic foodborne pathogens are not the ones that become part of your microbiome, they just make you sick,= says Cindy Liu, a microbiologist in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health. <Exposing yourself to them is not safe and it doesn9t work to prevent future illness.= Easy measures to take as the host this holiday season <We know that food can be a sign of love. Preparing and storing food safely is also a sign of love,= said Shauna Henley, senior extension agent in family and consumer sciences at the University of Maryland. That may mean doing things a little differently than your great-grandma did, but that is not an affront to her or your family traditions. The science for this was probably not available in her time. Now that we know more about bacteria and foodborne illnesses, why not use that knowledge to keep yourself and your household safer? If you are hosting, keep in mind the nonprofit Partnership for Food Safety Education9s <Core Four=: l Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often. l Separate: Avoid cross-contamination: Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs separate from other foods. l Cook: Use a food thermometer and cook dishes to the proper internal temperature. l Chill: Follow the two-hour rule. Never thaw perishable food at room temperature. Helpful strategies for hosts If a guest offers to help in the kitchen, guide them to where they can wash up before they start. Stagger putting out dishes instead of setting them out all at once. If possible, prepare two smaller batches of a dish so one can stay chilled longer. Besides being safer to eat this way, it will be fresher-tasting and more appealing, too. Add ice to a cooler to expand chilled storage space. Refrigerators get filled up fast at big parties, and air does not circulate properly in an overstuffed refrigerator. Cool foods in shallow (two-inch) containers so they chill quickly. When in doubt, throw it out (or compost it). Nobody wants to waste food, but it9s better to do that than get you or your guests sick. Polite measures to take as a guest The video I posted on social media was at a cookout I attended. While I was careful to frame the shot so the location and people were not identifiable, I admit that shooting it in the first place was not the most polite thing to do. However, I9m glad that it started this important conversation. Certainly, though, there are more immediately helpful, considerate approaches than posting videos of questionable food safety on social media. One thoughtful suggestion from Thomas P. Farley, the etiquette expert and columnist known as Mister Manners, is to head the issue off at the pass before the event by offering to bring an extra cooler filled with ice, or trays with cans of Sterno to help keep foods hot. If you are bringing a dish, make sure it is well-chilled before packing it in an insulated tote with ice packs for its journey. At the gathering, if you notice the food has been out a while, do what many commenters on the post suggested and offer to help get things into the refrigerator. Whether you are host or a guest, I hope you9ll stay attentive to the two-hour rule this season and beyond, and take the other basic measures to keep food safe for you and your loved ones. That will help ensure that everyone has a truly happy and healthy holiday. Keep pathogens ob the menu: The two-hour rule, explained BY ELLIE KRIEGER The two-hour rule seems straightforward 4 perishable food should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. But a video I posted about this topic over the summer blew up on social media with more than 2 million views on Facebook. While it got thousands of <likes,= I was startled by the pushback arguing against this simple rule of thumb. I had no idea there was so much confusion and passion regarding food safety. Heading into this season of feasts, potlucks and buffets, there is no better time to clear up misconceptions about this important guideline, and offer practical tips for keeping your food safe to eat. Most of the comments on my post arguing against the two-hour rule fell into three main categories: Misconception: It9s not a twohour rule, it9s a four-hour rule. First, let9s dig into the reasoning behind the two-hour rule, a long-standing food safety guideline put forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to prevent foodborne illnesses. Bacteria thrive in temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees and can double every 20 minutes in that <danger zone.= Based on that growth, scientists pinpointed two hours to be the maximum amount of time consumers can safely leave perishable food at room temperature. Complicating things somewhat, since bacteria grow faster on the warmer end of that range, if food is outside in temperatures 90 degrees or higher, it becomes a one-hour rule. Many folks argued in the comments on my post that it is not a two-hour rule, it9s a four-hour rule. They aren9t entirely wrong. There is a four-hour rule, too, but that pertains to retail establishments, such as restaurants and grocery stores. The time window is wider for professional kitchens because they are generally more controlled environments, with multiple layers of strict food safety practices in place to minimize bacterial contamination and growth. <It9s not like there is that moment where food instantly goes from being safe to being unsafe,= Jennifer McEntire, founder of Food Safety Strategy, a consulting firm, explained. There are so many variables, but if a food contains a pathogen, the more time it sits out and the warmer the temperatures, the more likely it is to make people sick. It9s a matter of risk. For the record, perishable food is anything you would ordinarily keep in the refrigerator, including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, cut vegetables and fruit, and cooked dishes. And the two-hour rule pertains to the entire life of the food. So if a guest brings a dip to your holiday party without putting it in a cooler, and their drive to your home takes one hour, you have one hour remaining to leave that food on the buffet unchilled. Misconception: That rule can9t be valid. I always leave food out much longer and have never gotten sick. Have you ever had a <stomach flu?= I thought I had, too, until I Have a strategy to keep your feast safe with simple precautions laura edelbacher for the Washington Post

sunday, november 19, 2023 . the washington post eZ ee R7 without it drying out? A: The ham should come with reheating instructions, but if not, I would place it on a rack in a roasting pan (or on a bed of roughly chopped vegetables if you don9t have a rack) and fill the pan one-third of the way with water. Then, cover the pan with foil and reheat in a 325- degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes per pound. (So, a 4-pound ham would take around an hour.) 4 D.G. Q: I have some bourbon-infused maple syrup that seems like it would be a good fit for Thanksgiving pecan pie. Can I do a one-to-one substitution for the corn syrup? A: Maybe use a little less. Maple syrup is sweeter than corn syrup. You may also need to cook the maple syrup down into a thicker syrup 4 maple syrup is more watery than corn syrup. 4 B.K., D.G. shaped dough, let it thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours, then baked. Or you rest the shaped dough in the fridge overnight. 4 B.K. Q: One of my family members can9t do dairy. I9ve figured out how to do the Pecan Tassies without the butter (open to better ideas), but not sure about a dairy-free crust. Any thoughts? A: I have not tested this, but I have heard that vegan cream cheese would work in this dough. Alternatively, you could use vegan pie dough 4 with shortening, store-bought or homemade. It won9t be as flaky, but it will work. 4 D.G. Q: I will be buying a small cooked ham for four for a lesslabor intensive Friendsgiving. How should I reheat the ham BY BECKY KRYSTAL The turkey can be a major source of stress during the holidays, whether you9re worried about how long it needs to thaw or how to carve it skillfully. Another point of concern: Knowing when it9s finished cooking. How can you tell when it reaches the right temperature? What9s that temperature, and what9s the best way to check it? Here9s what you need to know. What is the safe internal temperature for turkey, and where should you check it? First thing first: The USDA says that the safe internal temperature for a turkey is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. It recommends confirming this in the thickest part of the breast, innermost part of the thigh and innermost part of the wing. All those should be taken away from the bone. Keep in mind that dark meat can remain succulent and juicy at higher temperatures, up to 195 degrees. But plenty of people believe waiting to 165 degrees guarantees dry meat, especially if the temperature continues to rise after the meat is taken out of the oven, also known as carry-over cooking. Eliminating bacterial risk relies on a number of factors beyond a single temperature point, including moisture and fat content, J. Kenji López-Alt notes in <The Food Lab.= The combination of temperature and time can help determine when poultry is safe to eat. López-Alt told my colleague Tim Carman that he prefers to cook the legs to 170 degrees but the breast to only 150 degrees, 15 degrees less than the government9s recommended temperature, and making sure it stays there for about 4 minutes. Similarly, over at ThermoWorks ThermoBlog, Tim Robinson recommends taking the breast to 157 degrees and ensuring it holds there for at least 50 seconds. In a time-temperature chart for turkey, the USDA confirms these numbers, showing at what point the amount of potential salmonella has been reduced enough to be safe. However, the time-temp matrix depends on a number of factors, including the percentage of fat, relative humidity and how long the meat spends in the temperature zone of 50 to 130 degrees while it9s heating. When the meat reaches 165 degrees, there is no need to factor in a holding time, as the meat at that point has already met the threshold of sufficient salmonella reduction. With so many variables, it9s easy to see why the government has settled on this one safe temperature across the board. Should you use the pop-up turkey timer? Tim did a fantastic deep dive into the ubiquitous pop-up turkey timers, and the answer was a resounding no. Tim tested a variety of reusable and disposable models, as well as the type already inserted in store-bought turkeys. All went off higher 4 in some cases much higher 4 than the recommended temperature. <It tells you when the breast meat hits 180 degrees, a temperature that9s supposed to ensure that all other parts of the turkey have reached a food-safe temperature,= Tim wrote. Even so, the range varied widely, from the upper 160s to into the 190s and even mid-200s. Whether that9s a problem depends on your personal taste, whether the bird was injected before purchase with broth or another liquid and even the cooking method. Still, the bottom line is these timers are not reliable. What type of thermometer should you use to check the turkey9s temperature? I always recommend an instant-read digital thermometer when cooking meat, turkey or otherwise. We tend to check temperatures most toward the end of cooking, but especially after experimenting with cooking a turkey in a bag this year 4 and seeing how much faster it went than I expected 4 I9ve really come around to the utility of a leave-in probe thermometer as well. These gadgets typically consist of a metal probe connected by a wire to a receiver that gives you the temperature reading. You can also program an alarm to go off when the food reaches a certain temperature, particularly handy when it comes to the stress- inducing turkey. (Fancy models will even use WiFi or Bluetooth to notify you in a phone app.) While some experts recommend inserting probe thermometers in both the thickest parts of the breast and thigh, you can get away with one by focusing on the breast, given how much more wiggle room there is to go higher on the dark meat. When the alarm for the probe goes off, you still want to verify the internal temperature based on the instructions above with an instant-read thermometer in case your placement of the probe was not perfect. Can the turkey meat or juices be pink and still safe to eat? Yes. Poultry meat or juices cooked to a safe internal temperature may look pink after cooking for a number of reasons, including whether it was frozen and the age at which and conditions in which the bird was slaughtered. Dark meat is more likely to retain a rosy hue thanks to its higher concentration of myoglobin, which helps move oxygen throughout the body. Certain cooking methods or ingredients, especially those associated with grilling or smoking, can also prevent the myoglobin from changing from pink to brown as well. So don9t rely on the color of the meat or juices to determine whether turkey is ready to eat. If you9re trying to get rid of the pink, you may end up with dry, stringy meat. Temperature is what matters most. how to When cooking a turkey, know the magic numbers to gauge when it9s ready peggy cormAry for The WAShiNgToN poST; fooD STyLiNg by NicoLA JuSTiNe DAviS The WAShiNgToN poST Look for an internal temperature of about 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh and the breast, away from any bones. calls for you to simmer the apples and cranberries in there before adding the batter. I think if you slice the apples thin, it9s probably okay to skip that. So pour the hot topping in a wellgreased cake pan, add the apples and cranberries, then the batter. The bigger issue might be scale. A 12-inch skillet is going to hold a lot more than your typical cake pan 4 a 9-inch I9m guessing? In that case, you9d want to reduce the batter by one-third and may need to cut back on the apples, too. 4 B.K. Q: For Thanksgiving, I purchase hearty unsliced bread, cut it into crouton-size pieces, and leave it out for a couple of days to dry. Can I prepare the stuffing the day before? I9m trying to avoid the prep on Thanksgiving morning. I9ve tried slicing the onions the night before, but they seemed to lose their oomph. I think if I combine everything, it might be a better option. A: For food safety reasons, you should not combine the wet and dry ingredients for stuffing in advance. You can prep them and keep them separate, and then assemble and bake when ready. Or you can choose to fully cook the stuffing, refrigerate and reheat. But mixing and refrigerating uncooked stuffing can encourage bacterial growth. 4 B.K. Q: I keep looking up turkey recipes, and there are so many! I9ll be roasting a 10-pound organic turkey for six people. What are your suggestions for an easy, flavorful, juicy turkey? I prefer to cook the stuffing separately. A: I find the bag method I did this year with my Turkey in a Bag With Lemon and Herbs very easy and juicy. But there are also some super simple options in our archives, in particular the Each Wednesday at noon, Post food writers Aaron Hutcherson and Becky Krystal answer questions and provide practical cooking advice in a chat with readers at washingtonpost.com/ community. Here are edited excerpts from two recent chats, with assistant recipes editor Olga Massov and Eat Voraciously newsletter author Daniela Galarza standing in for Aaron. Recipes whose names are capitalized can be found at our Recipes landing page at washingtonpost.com/recipes. Q: For Thanksgiving, my brother-in-law is making a deep-fried turkey. No stuffing. I9ve heard about a potential hack: Put the stuffing in a baking dish and cover with turkey thighs. Does this work? Do you have a recommended cook time? A: Is there a reason you need turkey in with the stuffing? There are so many recipes you can make on their own and not worry about having to keep the turkey in contact with it. Examples include our Sheet Pan Cornbread Dressing, Kamala Harris9s Cornbread Dressing, Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing With Cherries and Walnuts, and Mushroom and Leek Cornbread Dressing. If you really wanted turkey flavor, I9d probably just buy some turkey legs or parts and roast them along with some carrots, celery and onions to get drippings to use in the stuffing. 4 Becky Krystal Q: I want to make the Skillet Pumpkin and Apple Cake. I don9t use iron skillets anymore. How can I bake it in a cake pan? A: I would make the topping on the cooktop in a skillet. The only tricky thing is that the recipe Q&A aaron hutcherson and BecKy Krystal Everyone has questions in preparation for the year9s biggest cooking day Dinner Rolls the day before, partially bake them and finish browning them later? A: I would not parbake, but I9ve never tried it. I9ve frozen the No-Fuss Roast Turkey and Simply Seasoned Turkey. 4 B.K. Q: I9ve been tasked with roasting ahead of time, transporting and then reheating a turkey breast (6 to 7 pounds). The ride is about one hour away. Any advice for ensuring a safe, edible, moist turkey breast at the other end? A: Try to get a cooler in which you can transport the cooked turkey on ice or with cooler packs. Then reheat in the oven, maybe around 350 degrees, in a roasting pan with a little broth or water and covered with foil to keep it moist. 4 B.K. Q: When making Pecan Tassies, can they be assembled in advance and cooked the day of? Or should the crust and filling be stored separately and then assembled just before baking? A: You can make the dough and filling a day ahead, but I would not assemble them ahead of time. I would store them separately until just before baking. You could also fit the dough into the pan and cover and refrigerate that overnight, so all you have to do the next day is fill and bake. The Pecan Tassies can be baked a day ahead, but I think they9re best when baked the day of! 4 Daniela Galarza Q: Is it possible to make the dough for the Pillowy Pull-Apart ScoTT SuchmAN; fooD STyLiNg by LiSA cherkASky propS by LimoNATA creATive. ALL for The WAShiNgToN poST Find the recipe for Pecan Tassies at washingtonpost.com/recipes. *Excludes repairs. Not valid on previous orders or in combination with other oû ers, orders or discounts. Some exclusions apply. Residential installed sales only. Expires 11/30/23. longfence.com 1-800-601-9096 Schedule a FREE at-home estimate today and receive 25% oû .* Founded in 1945, Long® Fence is the leader in the residential fence industry. 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r8 EZ EE the washington post . sunday, november 19, 2023 BY BECKY KRYSTAL Especially if you are the host, Thanksgiving can feel like one giant checklist. From the shopping and prepping all the way through cooking and cleanup, it9s easy to get overwhelmed. I9m willing to place some of the blame on folks like me! We offer so many recipes and tips that instead of picking and choosing what9s most relevant to you, maybe it feels like more of a command performance. So let me make it up to you by putting you at ease. I polled the Food team and we came up with a list of things we give you permission to stop caring about! Maybe you only agree with some of these, and that9s fine. Anything you can take off your (metaphorical) plate to better enjoy what9s on your (dinner) plate 4 not to mention your family and friends 4 is a win in my book. Ready to reduce your stress? Here9s what you shouldn9t worry about. Bringing a beautiful whole turkey to the table. We love you, Norman Rockwell, but you kind of ruined this for us. If you think about it, it makes no sense to trot the whole bird out for everyone to see. Ideally, you let it rest at least 30 minutes before carving anyway, so who9s going to suggest waiting even longer just to let them ooh and aah over the whole turkey? And, look, stuff happens. You might pull the turkey out of the oven and it looks a little wonky. Maybe the legs sort of drooped. Perhaps the skin isn9t bronze all over. Whatever visual imperfections there are, they9ll be gone once you cut the whole thing up. (Did an imperfect job carving? Who cares! People are going to drizzle some gravy or cranberry sauce on top anyway.) Timing your meal down to the minute. I can tell you that nothing stressed me out more than trying to hit a deadline at Thanksgiving. Expecting to eat at exactly the time you set is an exercise in futility. Things are going to go slower or faster than you expect, you9ll get distracted, the cat will get stuck in the turkey cavity, whatever. Give folks an estimated time, sure, but couch it with <around= and be sure to have some drinks and little snacks on hand if the meal is delayed. People can take pleasure in one another9s company for a bit, really. Setting a pretty table. Honestly, we9re all here for the food. Don9t worry if you don9t have decorative gourds or even matching dinnerware. You can just set out a stack of plates and let people grab them as they come up to the food, buffet-style. Let them sit where they want to sit, pulling up chairs, perching on the couch, etc. Pairing drinks with dishes. <Drink whatever you want and enjoy it,= my colleague Olga Massov says. If you9re buying wine, you don9t need to spend a fortune, either, just aim for that sweet spot between affordable and tasty. <Save prized bottles for another time. There9s just too much food.= Making everything from scratch. Olga with more sage advice: <Figure out what is most important to you and make that.= Everything else can be storebought or semi-homemade. Hate cooking the turkey? Outsource that! Restaurants are great places for getting the kind of turkey you might not make at home, including smoked or deep-fried. Order a pie from your favorite bakery, or get a store-bought crust. Anyone who judges you for shortcuts or assists probably doesn9t deserve to be at your table. Making everyone9s favorite dish. I could relate to my colleague Emily Heil9s observation that it can feel impossible to include that one dish that makes the meal for every single person, especially with a larger group. Set expectations in advance, and if you know someone anticipates seeing a certain food on the table, give advance notice if it9s not happening! Or suggest they make it themselves, which leads me to the next tip & Going it alone. <Thanksgiving is in part about family. So let the family help you put together dinner,= my colleague Tim Carman says. <You don9t have to do it yourself.= Yes, ask for help! This can take any number of forms. Turn the meal into a potluck. Request people be in charge of peripheral tasks, such as getting ice, taking coats or collecting containers for sending home leftovers. There9s no need to be a martyr. People want to be of assistance, so let them. To ease your cooking load, take these things ob your plate vANESSA LOvEgROvE fOR tHE WASHINgtON POSt Thanksgiving is in part about family. So let the family help you put together dinner. You don9t have to do it yourself. Here are three wines ideal for a thanksgiving banquet because of their balance and elegance, which helps them match a wide variety of foods. We have two pinot noirs 4 one from California, the other from a star producer in the finger Lakes 4 along with a delightful blend of aromatic white varieties from a star Oregon winery. 4Dave McIntyre Great VaLUe Lyric Pinot noir 2022 õõõö Monterey County, Calif., $20 this is delicious pinot noir at an affordable price for California. Juicy raspberry and strawberry, wild herbs and a silky texture combine to a seamless wine. Acidity maintains some energy and makes this beauty refreshing. Alcohol by volume: 13.9 percent. Bottle Weight: 475 grams (Light). Distributed locally by Breakthru Beverage (breakthrubev.com). Brooks amycas 2022 õõõó Willamette Valley, Ore., $25 Brooks winery, in the Eola-Amity Hills of Oregon9s Willamette valley, is a leading producer of riesling as well as pinot noir, the region9s flagship wine. this blend is about one-third riesling, with the rest pinot blanc, muscat, pinot gris and gewürztraminer. the result is floral, food-friendly wine that can match almost anything. Certified B Corp., 1 Percent for the Planet. ABv: 13 percent. BW: 540 grams (Average). Distributed locally by Artisans & vines (artisansandvines.com). red tail ridge Pinot noir rtr estate Vineyard 2020 õõõó Finger Lakes, N.Y., $34 Light, lifted cherry and cranberry flavors soar on this spicy pinot noir from Nancy Irelan, owner and winemaker of Red tail Ridge winery on the northwestern side of Seneca Lake. A hint of baking spice adds warmth. ABv: 12 percent. BW: 685 grams (Average). Distributed locally by Salveto (salvetoimports.com). Prices are approximate. for availability, check Wine.com, Winesearcher.com and the websites and social media feeds of the wineries, importers, distributors, and your favorite local wine store. you can also ask your local retailer to order wines from the distributors listed. Have wine questions for Dave mcIntyre? Send them to [email protected]. Wine recommendations PEggy CORmARy fOR tHE WASHINgtON POSt From left, Lyric Pinot Noir 2022; Brooks Amycas 2022; Red Tail Ridge Pinot Noir RTR Estate Vineyard 2020. 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sunday, november 19, 2023 . the washington post eZ ee R9 BY AARON HUTCHERSON With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, many cooks will be tackling a whole bird. And if you9re roasting a turkey or chicken for the first time or if it is something you do only a few times a year, you may be confused about what to do with the giblets, or organs, often found inside the bird. If your first instinct is to throw them in the trash 4 don9t. That9s a lot of flavor that you9d be wasting. Here9s what you need to know to put turkey and chicken giblets to good use. What are giblets and what do they taste like? Technically, giblets are defined as the gizzard (the mechanical stomach of a bird), heart and liver of poultry. But the neck is often included alongside them, so it gets lumped into the term colloquially. Unless you buy your bird directly from a farm or independent butcher, the giblets aren9t necessarily from that animal. Sometimes, you might be missing a component or may even get something extra. And on rare occasions, your chicken or turkey may not contain any giblets at all. In terms of flavor, the neck, gizzard and heart mostly just taste like poultry dark meat. The gizzard in particular has a chewy texture, so it9s best cooked low and slow to tenderize it as much as possible. (Smothered gizzards is a classic dish if you ever find yourself with a bunch of them.) The liver has a mineral-y flavor that is characteristic of the organ and that some find polarizing. How to use chicken and turkey giblets You9ll typically find the giblets in the cavity of the fowl, although at times I9ve encountered them tucked under the flap of skin at the front of the bird near the breasts. Most people will remove them before proceeding with preparing the chicken or turkey. But if you accidentally cook the giblets in the bird, there may be no need to fret as they often are packaged in an oven-safe paper bag. Make stock. My go-to method for dealing with giblets is to first cook the gizzard, heart and neck by making my own giblet broth or stock. Another option is to simmer them with store-bought broth to infuse it with more poultry flavor. (You don9t want to include the liver as it becomes bitter when boiled.) If you don9t want to bother with the giblets the day you9re cooking a whole bird, you can save them to combine with the leftover carcass to make stock another day. Add them to dressing, stuffing and gravy. Once cooked, you can pull the meat from the neck and chop up the remaining giblets (you can simply saute the liver) to add to your favorite dressing, stuffing or gravy recipe. It adds even more chicken or turkey flavor to these dishes to make them that much more delicious. Make dirty rice. For a nonholiday dish, use the liver and gizzard to make dirty rice, a classic Louisiana side dish. The one thing to keep in mind with the gizzard is that it has a tough silver skin connecting the two muscles that you9ll want to remove at some point before consuming. Other than that, enjoy them however you please. And, finally, if you9re too busy during the holidays to use the giblets, or if you9re unsure how you9d like to cook them, simply place them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. You9ll have a quick and easy way to add big poultry flavor to stocks, gravies and recipes of all sorts in the new year. how to There9s plenty of ûavor hiding in that little package of turkey giblets PhoTos by Peggy cormary for The WashiNgToN PosT; fooD sTyliNg by Nicola JusTiNe Davis The WashiNgToN PosT ABOVE: The neck in a pot of turkey stock. BELOW LEFT: Clockwise, from left, the liver, heart, neck and gizzard. Dairy-Free, Organic, & Gluten-Free Options 12004 Cherry Hill Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904 www.livingwellabc.com | (301) 572-0700 Hosting a Plant-Based Thanksgiving? We9ve got everything you need! Non-Alc. Wines Plant-Based Roasts ON SALE ALL NOVEMBER MD MHIC #1176 | VA # 2701039723 | DC # 2242 Our commitment to providing a safe, healthy, and respectful worksite and experience. ® Balance. Harmony. Beauty. 4Are our ultimate pursuits whether you are considering an outdoor oasis, a food lover9s kitchen, or an owner9s suite. Because home is more important than ever. The CaseStudy® Since our first renovation over 60 years ago, we9ve been a team of visionaries. Our unique approach to the remodeling process begins with The CaseStudy®. We guide you through every step, using 3D renderings to bring new possibilities to light. At every phase, we9ll maintain strict attention to time and to budget. All backed by our 5-year workmanship warranty. Because you are our highest priority. CaseDesign.com 844.831.5966

R10 eZ ee thE waShington PoSt . Sunday, novEmbER 19, 2023 Fashioned will keep for ages. I like storing mine in the freezer, where it takes on an appealing, silky texture and is ready to pour tonight or a month from now, when I9m tied up in ribbons and splattered with molten cranberry sauce and it9s clearly time to have my pie and drink it, too. Other portables Too busy to batch? If you9re headed to a party with cocktailenthusiast friends, there are a few bottles you can grab that will make their evenings bright: The Negroni Insorti is a lower-ABV, wine-based take on everyone9s favorite crimson cocktail. Crafthouse9s Rum Old Fashioned is a ready-to-drink comforter, and Hochstadter9s Slow and Low Coffee OldFashioned will wake up your guests. Or you can grab a couple of bottles that aren9t technically cocktails, but might as well be: Sorel Hibiscus Liqueur, a sweetand-spicy quaff that mixes well but warms up cold nights beautifully on its own, or if you happen to spot it, most cocktail people would consider entering a monastery to get their hands on a bottle of yellow Chartreuse. textures I love in those contexts are generally not what I want in a cocktail. Every fall, a bartender hands me a pumpkin drink that9s autumnal and spicy and roastedgourdy, but has a starchy puree texture that causes my brain to cry out, <This is soup! SOOOOOOUP!= You can choose between apple and pecan here, and no need to roll out any pie crust: The sweetener, Lyle9s Golden Syrup, adds a buttery baked note. In the United Kingdom, it is a common baking ingredient 4 one I came to love during the pandemic, when I made approximately 3,471 batches of chocolate chip cookies, making tiny recipe tweaks each time. Substituting golden syrup for some of the sugar adds a flavor somewhere between buttery honey and salted caramel. Like honey, it9s too thick to add directly to a cold drink. You have to water it down for a cocktailfriendly syrup. With its faint salinity, it9s a great substitute for simple syrup in many other cocktails, so you may want to make more than this recipe calls for and play around with it. The final batched OldKnow what ingredients will tolerate. Drinks that include only spirits, liqueurs and fortified wines are going to be stable for longer. If it9s all spirit and liqueur, you can keep the batch cocktail at room temperature, and you can keep a Martini or Manhattan refrigerated for months (some such cocktails will even age nicely, Hoffman notes). Bitters are best added at service, but they can be included in a drink that will be consumed within a few weeks. Juices oxidize quickly, which can create off flavors. I generally only batch citrusinclusive drinks if I know they9ll be served within a few hours. What I9m making this year. For holiday gatherings, I9m often torn between bringing something baked or something boozy. (Why not both? says my Inner Overdoer.) But in the spirit of doing less, here9s a cocktail that splits the difference: an OldFashioned that echoes holiday pies. You can make apple pie milkshakes made by throwing a slice of pie into a blender with ice cream. And I love a good vegetable puree for lunch. But water in them; it9s part of what balances them and keeps them from being too sweet or too strong,= Hoffman says. So plan to either include water in your batched drink or to add it via shaking or stirring when serving. So, for example, when you9re batching a drink to fill a one-liter bottle, you9ll want to include just enough of the non-water ingredients to allow space for proportionate dilution of water (at least 15 percent of the overall liquid should be water, especially if it9s a boozier drink). Batching is bendable. Largescale batching provides opportunities to play with traditional recipes in interesting ways, Hoffman notes. Try two different vermouths or add a sherry in a Manhattan. Maybe a yuzu-orange liqueur combination would liven up a Sidecar. If she9s batching Boulevardiers, Hoffman says, <I9m not just going to do Campari, sweet vermouth and rye. I9m going to split that Campari and do part Cynar or Fernet to make it a little different, and since you9re batching you9re not pouring out little quarter ounces= to do that. reminder that others are afflicted with the hosting overachiever vice. <Even just to have people over, I tend to be a person who is doing too much,= she admitted, noting a desire to set out little snacks and three different dips. <But the last thing I want to do is shake cocktails. & What I want to do is show up to my own dinner party or someone else9s house and be mellow and be relaxed.= Amen, sister. Here are some guidelines for batching drinks so they9ll shine whenever and wherever they9re consumed: Water it down. This is Hoffman9s top tip, and the thing she sees people get wrong most frequently in batching. <Maybe it9s sort of a macho thing, but people discount the importance of dilution,= she says. If you plan to serve your batched drink directly out of the bottle, you should include the water that drink would get from shaking or stirring with ice. Without that inclusion, even if a drink is served over ice, the dilution won9t be ideal. <The flavors are not going to come out. Cocktails are meant to have The festive season is kicking into gear, and I am already tired. Which is a bummer, because I love this time of year. I love cooking and entertaining. I love juggling a ladle to stir the punch and a wooden spoon to mix the gravy and a spatula to serve the pie and scissors to curl the ribbons and the car keys to drive myself to the store because I forgot the pecans and it9s cheaper to just go back and get them than it is to go to therapy and figure out why I feel like I can never do enough to celebrate and spoil the people I love at the holidays. I9ve been trying to be less obsessive with each passing year, repeating little affirmations to myself, like <Sweet potato casserole, cornbread stuffing and Hasselback potatoes on the same table is an act of arterial hostility,= and <The Thanksgiving meal already contains enough fat to deep-fry Hoboken; do not add a cheese plate,= and <Two dessert pies is plenty. We9re hosting six people, not 30 to 50 feral hogs.= If there9s any part of the holiday menu that allows for the clouds to part and admit a beam of sanity, it9s the cocktails. No one who isn9t being paid should be trying to make bespoke cocktails for a big group of people. Remember, not only are bartenders professionals, they don9t really care about socializing with your party 4 no matter how witty you think you are. But you probably do care, otherwise you wouldn9t be spending time with these people. Trying to simultaneously make good drinks and good conversation is a recipe not for merriment but for chaos, and for regret that you prioritized the trappings of the feast over its celebrants. Pre-batching drinks is the solution. I most frequently turn to making a giant bowl of punch, which can serve as both socializer and centerpiece at a party. But maybe you want to share crisp martinis without messing around with jiggers all eve. Maybe you9re headed to a dinner party and want to present a cocktail <gift,= even though you know your host may serve something else that evening and Scrooge-ily hoard your offering for later consumption. I called Maggie Hoffman for thoughts. Her book <Batch Cocktails: Make-Ahead Pitcher Drinks for Every Occasion= is one of the tomes I turn to regularly. It9s loaded with sophisticated but approachable cocktail recipes categorized by flavor profile, and as useful for prepping drinks you plan to keep in your own freezer as for those you intend to tote and tipple elsewhere. Talking to Hoffman was a nice Spirits M. CArrie AllAn Whether you9re the host or guest, batch cocktails will make your holidays better PhoTos by Peggy CoRMARy foR The WAshiNgToN PosT; food sTyLiNg by LisA CheRkAsky foR The WAshiNgToN PosT Apple Pie Old-Fashioned Batch Cocktail 10 servings (makes about 1 liter) Infuse your Old-Fashioned cocktail with flavors of apple pie, plus make it batch-size for relaxed, nearly effortless entertaining. Make a batch before you head to your holiday get-togethers, to be consumed the night of or stored in the fridge for later enjoyment by your hosts. Lyle9s Golden Syrup, with its buttery flavor and hint of salt, is a baking staple in the U.K. and is worth seeking out here. Like honey, it9s too thick to use in drinks without dilution, but can be easily made into a thinner syrup. Easy ingredient substitutions let you choose between bringing apple or pecan pie to the festivities 4 in classic cocktail form. See VARIATION. Make ahead: The thinned golden syrup can be prepared and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks in advance. The assembled drink can be made and refrigerated up to 2 weeks in advance. Storage: Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks; freeze for up to 3 months. Where to buy: Lyle9s Golden syrup can be found at well-stocked supermarkets, specialty shops and online. Angostura Bitters can be found at specialty drink stores and online 4 substitute with pecan or pimento bitters in a pinch. Total time: 10 mins From Spirits columnist M. Carrie Allan. Ingredients For the thinned golden syrup l 100 milliliters (scant 1/2 cup) Lyle9s Golden Syrup l 50 milliliters (scant 1/4 cup) hot water For the cocktail l 650 milliliters (23/4 cups) apple brandy, such as Laird9s l 100 milliliters (scant 1/2 cup) apple liqueur, such as Berentzen l 100 milliliters (scant 1/2 cup) thinned golden syrup l 100 milliliters (scant 1/2 cup) water l 7 milliliters (11/2 teaspoons) Angostura bitters Steps l Make the thinned syrup: In a microwave safe measuring cup with a spout, combine the syrup and water. Microwave on HIGH for 15 seconds, then stir together until the syrup is fully dissolved. l Make the cocktail: In a 2-quart (2 liter) pitcher or bowl, stir toSEaRch moRE than 1 0,000 P oSt-tEStEd R EciPES at waShingtonPoSt.com/REciPES . R EciPE quEStionS? Email food@waShPoSt. co m gether the apple brandy, apple liqueur, thinned golden syrup, water and bitters until combined. Use a funnel to pour into a 1-liter bottle with a top and transfer to the fridge or freezer until ready to serve. l Serve over ice in Old-Fashioned/ rocks glasses, each garnished with an apple slice or cinnamon stick. l Variation: To make a Pecan Pie Old-Fashioned, substitute 650 milliliters of bourbon for the apple brandy; and 100 milliliters praline liqueur or pecan whiskey for the apple liqueur; El Guapo Chicory Pecan or Miracle Mile Toasted Pecan bitters for the Angostura; then mix with the same amount of thinned golden syrup and water as directed. Garnish each drink with a cinnamon stick. Nutrition | Per serving: 261 calories, 22g carbohydrates, 0mg cholesterol, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, 0g saturated fat, 37mg sodium, 11g sugar Recipe tested by M. Carrie Allan; email questions to [email protected]