How Alton Brown Saved Thanksgiving

OK, so cooking a turkey is a big scary thing. Really. With a stew, or saute or stir-fry (why do so many cooking things start with S?) you can taste along the way. More salt, a few more minutes, lower the heat--basically you can adapt as the cooking goes forward. But a turkey, once it is in the oven, is a bit of an act of faith. Truss it up, grease it, tent if that's your thing, and then throw it into the heat. Possibilities for mid-course correction are quite limited, and the potential for a dry product which resembles the texture and taste of a cardboard box is huge. That is, until the wonder of Alton Brown. Now, I admit, Mr. Brown is not the first person to think of brining the turkey. We know lots of folks who have sworn by this method for years. But he is the first one to have a tv show (hooray for Food Network!) during which he had an entire hour to devote to producing a fabulous bird. After Brook and I carefully watched the show, and then printed out the recipe we were almost ready to go. OK, there was the need to acquire a new, and therefore clean, 5-gallon bucket, as well as a fancy digital probe thermometer thing, but really the rest was simple. And the result? FABULOUS! So, with hearty thanks to Alton Brown, and my sister Kathleen and nephew Nathaniel, who actually did most of the cooking and certainly the vast majority of the turkey wrestling (it was a big bird at 23 pounds), we have consumed massive quantities of turkey and not a bit of it was dry or chewy. And that is reason to celebrate.

Oh, and there was also the small matter of 10 pounds of mashed potatoes, and brussel sprouts, spinach, roast veggies, dressing, sweet potatoes, rolls, gravy, and green beans. Now it's time for pie, cookies and ice cream. And tomorrow a long, long walk around Manhattan.