Thanksgiving Inspiration

Talking Turkey

with

Emeril

(photo from Williams-Sonoma)

Celebrity chef, Emeril Lagasse, shares his expertise for the big day! Carve that turkey to perfection with these great tips:

First off, make sure you have a very sharp, long, slender knife, and a 2-pronged, long-handled fork to easily grip the turkey and keep it from sliding. Having the right tools will definitely help you remove the meat in attractive slices.

1. Place the turkey on a large platter or cutting board where it will not slide or shift while being carved. Cut the string and remove the contents of the carcass.
2. Remove the drumstick and thigh from the carcass by inserting the point of the knife into the leg joint and what looks like, and what commonly is called, the oyster. Cut the dark meat completely from the body by cutting along the carcass.
3. Cut through the joint between the drumstick and thigh. Lay a drumstick flat on the cutting surface and hold it steady with the fork, and slice parallel to the bone. Cut the thigh in a similar manner.
4. Cut through the wing joint and remove it from the breast as you removed the legs. Leave the wings whole and place on the serving platter.
5. Carve the breast by holding one side of the breast with the fork, and slicing full-length slices of meat by pulling the knife down through the meat, parallel to the breastbone.

Handmade Cornucopia (Martha Stewart Living)

A raffia cornucopia filled with fall produce looks bountiful when set on a sideboard or chest.  

Get the Step-by-Step Instructions

Harvest Wreath

Now is just the moment for a crisp-as-fall wreath made with artfully layered dried cornhusks.

Get the Step-by-Step Instructions

Give THANKS by GIVING! Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting.  
~Princess Elizabeth Asquith Bibesco 
We are rich only through what we give, and poor only through what we refuse.
~Anne-Sophie Swetchine