Last week I had the opportunity to take a cooking class at the Canandaigua New York Wine and Culinary Center. The class was focused on Thanksgiving dinner. The meal was fabulous and not being a great chef, I truly enjoyed learning some helpful hints. We were told about why you should brine your turkey; how the cells of the turkey expand and retain the moisture. We were given hints about how to prepare dishes, such as mashed potatoes and green bean casserole, ahead of time so that everything is ready at the same time. You put them in the oven
after taking out the turkey and letting it cool for the required one-half hour. And there really is the perfect way to carve a turkey.
We were able to enjoy the meal after we were done with class: turkey, stuffing, cranberry relish, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and gravy. Absolutely delicious!
The moral of the story is that at the end of class, Chef Jeff explained that one of the great opportunities we have living in upstate NY is that we are able to get most of our Thanksgiving cooking ingredients locally. Even the cranberries, they came from the Adirondacks. And of course with the meal we had a delicious glass of Finger Lakes wine.
So when you are shopping for your meal, think local – turkey, apples, bread, sausage, pumpkin – all available locally grown and locally raised. It is great for the environment and delicious too!
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