Issue Date: November 14, 2004
Thanksgiving the easy way
The "30 Minute Meals" cook gives you advice on how to relax -- and the recipes to do it -- this holiday season.
By Rachael Ray
On Ray's newest show, "Inside Dish," she cooks with celebs like singer-actress Raven.
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Why would you pick a time of year that is already stressful and hectic, a day when everybody you know is coming over, to try to make a meal that looks like it should be on the cover of "Gourmet" magazine? I've never understood setting yourself up for failure. It's silly. None of us has the time necessary to put into that kind of cooking.
The holidays should be about hanging out with people we don't get to see often enough, and it only raises stress levels when we make things too formal or fussy. In fact, in my family, the holidays where we all tried too hard were the holidays where we had the most fights and the most people crying by the end of the day.
So let's have fun this Thanksgiving! I invite you to follow my simple entertaining advice in this article and my speedy recipes on the following pages. Yes, we'll cut some corners in the kitchen -- even use a store-bought pie -- but we'll enjoy the meal and still be smiling when the day is done.
Entertaining tips
In the kitchen, put out three or four wines and some cheese for foodies and people who want to help cook.
Make the living room all about sports. Put out popcorn with grated cheddar on it, or put out some salamis -- football-watching food!
Set up a music room with tons of CDs or your old vinyl record collection so people can hang out and listen to music.
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Set people up to be truly comfortable
Telling a guy he can't watch football, or making him feel like a jerk because he's not standing around in the kitchen talking to the women, is silly. Similarly, making everyone dress up in a bunch of tight-fitting clothes when we have sit down and eat for five hours is, to me, stupid. My family never gets dressed up for Thanksgiving. We sit around in blue jeans and sweaters. Hey, what does dressing up have to do with being thankful?
Have fun food, early and often
Offer easy pre-dinner munchies. Early in the day, I always put out fun food: chili dogs, nachos, a big sub or just a huge antipasto. We don't do anything fussy for hors d'oeuvres, because they just get thrown away.
Cook smarter, not bigger
I never, ever cook a big bird. Instead, I cook two small turkeys, one right next to the other in the oven. They cook in half the time (so I don't have to get up at 4 a.m. to put the turkey in), and it's easier to lift smaller pans in and out of the oven. Plus, I don't need to worry about a centerpiece: I hack one up to serve and still have another whole, pretty bird to dress up and put on the table as the centerpiece. Plus, there are four drumsticks. Anytime we have a big dinner, everybody fights over the drumsticks.
If you're having a smaller crowd, don't even cook a whole bird. Turkey breast cooks in one hour!
Make what you know
When it comes to side dishes, I stick with ones I make all year long -- ones I know come out great. It sounds like a revelation to people when I say to them, "Why don't you just make what you know?"
If you're feeling creative, just modify your old standards: Mix garlic and herb cheese into your mashed potatoes. You can definitely jazz things up without doing circus tricks with your food.
Cook in batches
Instead of trying to multiply a recipe to feed 20, make a few small batches. Otherwise, seasonings can get off, you have to use huge pans, and the cooking is uneven.
Don't be a pig
A tip for hosts and guests: Push away from the table before it's too late. Too often, we come to the Thanksgiving table as if it were our last supper. But nobody likes to overeat. You sleep through most of the rest of the day, and you feel guilty for three days because you pigged out.
I'm so relaxed
Bottom line: If you keep things simple, this special time of year can be about enjoying festive meals in great company. Follow my advice, and Thanksgiving can be refreshing instead of leaving you beat.
-- As told to Michele Hatty
Rachael Ray, 36, hosts three Food Network series: "30 Minute Meals, $40 a Day and Inside Dish With Rachael Ray." Her latest cookbook is "Cooking 'Round the Clock" (Lake Isle Press, $16.95).
What your favorite stuffing says about you
According to Rachael Ray, if you love ...
Stove Top: You're a kitschy suburbanite, hooked on '50s classics.
Corn bread: You like a lot of texture to your life and sticks-to-your-ribs hearty fare.
Oyster: You like formal dining, fancy plates and beaujolais nouveau (the first wine of the year), which traditionally is served at Thanksgiving dinner.
Chestnut: You're a Frank Capra fan who always has the home fires burning.
Jalapeño: You're a non-conformist -- a food anarchist -- who pushes the envelope.
Sausage: You love life: big flavors, big laughs, big meals.
Giblet: You must be from the South -- or countries where they eat everything!
Pecan: You're a little nutty. Not a real risk taker, but just enough going on to make others go "Hmmmm."
Apple or dried fruit: You can't decide between sweet and savory, so you always add a little bit of both. That's me. I can't decide which way to take something, so I just put everything in!
Cover photograph by Renee Comet for USA WEEKEND. Styling by Lisa Cherkasky.
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