12. When you plan your menu, plan what you’re going to need to store in your fridge – and make sure there is adequate space and shelving. Then clear your fridge of all stale or leftover food the day before
shopping for the holidays.
13. When preparing your holiday food shopping list, be sure to check that you have adequate supplies of hard goods such as parchment paper, wax paper, plastic wrap, foil, baking cups, paper towel and
containers for leftovers.
14. Your kitchen can look (and feel) like a battleground when you are in the throes of preparing holiday feasts. It really helps if you first clear all your countertops of anything that won’t be needed for holiday food preparation and give them a good clean. Then put out bowls, utensils, accessories, spices and small appliances that you will need.
15. When thawing turkey for the holidays, be aware of the bacteria zone – 40°F—140°F – where bacteria will multiply quickly. The outer layer of your bird will reach this temperature at around the 2-hour mark
–even if the interior needs a day or more to thaw.
16. To avoid bacteria growth, always thaw your turkey in the refrigerator or in a tightly-sealed plastic bag placed in cold water.
17. You can thaw a turkey in your microwave – but if you can’t follow the manufacturer’s directions (e.g.
your turkey exceeds the maximum recommended size), it’s not safe to do so.
18. Allow 24 hours per 5lbs, when thawing turkey in the refrigerator – providing your refrigerator is set just below 40°F.
19. When thawing a turkey in cold water, follow the 30-minute rule: Change the water with fresh, cold water every 30 minutes and allow 30 minutes per pound.
20. If you soak your turkey in any sort of brine solution in the refrigerator, be aware that it may give the meat a pinkish look (but it’s not undercooked!)
21. When thawing a turkey in the refrigerator, don’t rely on its plastic bag: Put it in a bowl or on a baking tray to ensure nothing drips onto foods below.
22. Be on your guard against cross-contamination, when preparing holiday poultry. Never chop vegetables on any surface that has contained your turkey: Thoroughly wash and clean all cutting boards and
utensils before preparing other foods.
23. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your turkey is properly – and safely – cooked at 165°F interior
temperature. (Don’t cook in an oven whose temperature is any lower than 325°F.)
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365 Cooking Tips & Tricks Every Cook Needs To Know
24. Follow safe practices with your stuffing, too. Insert your stuffing mixture right before cooking, salting the body cavity interior first. And check your stuffing also with your thermometer: It, too, should reach 165 degrees.
25. Remember that stuffing your holiday poultry will increase cooking time. (Figure on a minimum of 3
hours for an 8lb bird; 3 ½ hours for a 12lb. bird; 4 ¼ hours for a 15lb, give or take 20 minutes – use your thermometer to ensure interior temperature has reach 165°F throughout.)
26. Never buy pre-stuffed birds – the stuffing is just too susceptible to bacteria.
27. Let turkeys and other large birds sit for 15 minutes before removing the stuffing.
28. Peel potatoes ahead of time! They won’t discolor and turn brownish at the edges if you store them in a bowl or pan of cold water in your fridge. (They’ll keep for up to one day.)
29. Instead of cooking hot green beans, consider making a festive bean salad with red, green and yellow beans – there are many wonderful recipes on the net. Make it the day before, cover and chill in your
refrigerator to marinade. Introduce it as “Christmas Bean Salad” – and make it a tradition!
30. Prepare green beans easily by lining them up, side-by-side, on a cutting board, with the woody ends all at the same end. Take a large chef’s knife and slice off all the ends in one go. Wash your beans and store in cold water until it’s time to put them on.
31. For Brussels sprouts, chop off the ends and pull off the outer leaves (they will come off easily once the ends are chopped off). Make a cross with your knife in the cut end of each sprout (about ¼—½ inch
deep, depending on the size of the individual sprout). Keep in mind that the smaller the sprout, the more tender and fresh it will taste – large ones tend to be “woody” or tough.
32. Buy squash cut and pre-packaged, to save work time and counter space. Wash cut pieces thoroughly
before using. Dice down further to even pieces.
33. Be sure to thoroughly wash all salad greens in cold water before serving – even if the package says “pre-washed”. Pat dry with paper towel.
34. It’s tempting to “just leave” all the dishes for “tomorrow” – but clean up after yourself in the kitchen as much as you can during the preparation process. Take the extra few seconds to put containers back in
cupboards, jars left in the fridge, etc.
35. If you have trouble removing burned food or fat from the bottom of your roasting pan, scrape out as much as you can and let cool. Fill it with cold water, adding 4 tbsp. baking soda. Soak overnight. The next day, bring your pan of water and baking soda to the boil on the top of the stove and simmer at a low heat for half an hour. Your roast pan should magically come clean.
36. When carving your turkey, be sure to start with the proper, nicely sharp carving utensils. Check them right now – don’t wait until the bird is ready to be served to discover they’re dull!
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365 Cooking Tips & Tricks Every Cook Needs To Know
37. Be sure to refrigerate all cooked, leftover food within 2 hours of serving. (Leaving food sitting out on the dining room table or buffet for too long is one of the major causes of holiday tummy troubles.)
38. When re-heating holiday leftovers in the microwave, be sure to let it sit, covered, for at least two minutes before serving. The microwave heats unevenly, so this will help ensure it finishes cooking
without leaving areas at less than the safe 165°F temperature you need.)
39. To make sure Christmas cookies keep their shape, triple-chill your dough. After removing chilled dough from the refrigerator, roll it out on lightly flour-dusted parchment paper placed on cutting board. Put board with the cookies straight into your fridge and chill again (15 min.) Flour your cookie cutter,
remove chilled cookies and cut out the shapes. Re-flour between each cut. Line your baking tray with
parchment paper, place cookies – and chill for a final 15 minutes before baking.