RSSRouxbe Thanksgiving Support
November 21st, 2007 by Joe, Co-founder of Rouxbe
We’re here to help all of our members that are going to be preparing Thanksgiving dinner this weekend.
Here are some last-minute notes to ensure that you have everything you need for kitchen success this holiday season:
1. Contact us for help. We are standing by via email to address any last minute questions or cries for help. Please don’t hesitate to contact us, and we’ll do our very best to get back to everyone.
2. Notebook computers in the kitchen. If you are following the videos on your laptop in the kitchen, try wrapping the keyboard with plastic wrap. When cooking for 12, things will get busy, so this is just a precautionary measure to protect your computer.
3. Hot keys. Did you know you can start and pause a video by using the space bar? You first need to engage the player with your mouse by clicking on the play/pause button. You can also forward and rewind to the next/previous step by using the arrow keys.
4. Print out your “helper lists” and make sure you use them. Click here to print them out. They will save your back during the final minutes. All helpers will receive a 90-day sponsored subscription on Rouxbe for helping you out courtesy of MetroKitchen. Send your helpers here after Thanksgiving to redeem.
5. Checking the turkey for doneness. This always seems to be the biggest question on Thanksgiving day. Take a few different readings from the thigh and trust your thermometer. Don’t hesitate to double check by using the technique shown in this Drill-down. This is for chicken, but the same thing holds true for turkey. Don’t worry about the breast meat, if the thigh meat is done down to the bone, the turkey is done. Guaranteed!
6. Resting the turkey. Once you take your turkey out of the oven, it will stay warm (tented with aluminum foil) for 45 minutes or so, and get more tender by the minute. Just leave it in the warmest spot.
7. Hot plates / hot gravy. Even for an experienced chef, it’s a challenge to get everything done and hot at the exact same time. Hot plates and piping hot gravy will reheat any of the food that has lost a bit of heat, so make sure you have a good helper for this task.
8. Trust Rouxbe. If you’re following along and seem to be keeping up, all will work well. Sure, you’re going to have to work hard, especially during the final hour. No one said this would be easy, but we’re with you. Just make sure you’ve done your homework, you’re well prepared and have gone through the videos at least once.
9. Wine suggestions. We have also just posted a few wine considerations that might be useful for you.
10. Have fun and most of all enjoy Thanksgiving.
From the entire Rouxbe Team!
P.S. Don’t forget to let us know how it all turns out. We love feedback.
It’s been a little while, but I had to come back and say thank you. While I didn’t do the cooking this year, my in-laws called me Thursday morning to ask what the cooking temp for the bird should be. “I don’t know, 170 in the thigh and 180 in the breast – hang on,” I said, “I know where to check.” I ran to the computer, pulled up the Top Turkey Tips video, and watched Step 8 of the video. “165 degrees”, I could say with confidence.
Thanks, Dawn et al, for saving my Thanksgiving turkey!
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