This Old Chef

I've been making Thanksgiving dinners since 1978, and I've learned a thing or two...  Which I would like to share with you!

Thanksgiving Lessons Learned Over the Years

Remembering a wonderful Thanksgiving from a few years ago... 

I loved this part! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! 

In honor of the Founding Father who wanted the turkey to be declared our national symbol because the eagle was a bird "not of good…

Perhaps turkey cooked "en cocotte" is more to your liking this year, especially if you're opting not to serve an entire bird.  Here's my recent MyRecipes article on the technique for your consideration!

What Cooking "En Cocotte" Means and Why…

We love turkey!  Moist and juicy, seasoned beautifully, with each section of the bird cooked to perfection...  I've tried many methods over the years.

And the winner is:  SPATCHCOCK!  Click on the bird to learn everything you need to know…

I'm celebrating my first time having a recipe featured on the cover of Food & Wine magazine!  On newsstands now!

Check out my luscious Rutabaga, Celery Root and Potato Gratin... you and your family will love it!

Thanksgiving 2020 will mean a very different celebration for many of us this year, of course, but even if you're serving fewer folks, these tricks from TOC's archive will definitely help speed things up on Thanksgiving Day... and then REALLY…

Quite possibly my best pizza ever...

No, really!

After finding a huge mushroom sale, I knew I had to make some duxelles FAST... because mushrooms just don’t last long.  So, of the ten 8 oz. containers we bought, I cleaned…

We all have our favorite batters for fish, for onion rings, for whatever.  But I’m about to blow your mind, without taking your beloved batter away from you. 

Use whatever (wet) batter and battering method you like.  And then..... 

Dip…

I know I’ve given you A LOT of risotto recipes over the years.  But this one is so simple, so delicious, and so Spring-in-a-Bowl, that I think you may forgive me. 

Make my basic risotto... https://thisoldchef.com/blogs/blog-recipes/posts/perfect-risotto-at-home-with-chicken-and-tarragon

About 3 minutes before…

I have recently come to the conclusion that if you can lay out the money and have the freezer space, buying large cuts of meat is the way to go.  Not crazy large like a whole cow or anything.  But…