Author: John Reardon

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

How many of us foodies have cookware, baking products, or cooking gadgets that have been handed down over the generations? As our children have grown and moved out of the house, we have also moved much of our cookware and cooking gadgets with them. Some of the items have been handed down from prior generations.  Recently, my wife found a loaf pan that was her grandmother’s. It brought back memories of various items that both her grandmother and mother made in that pan.  The loaf pan is a cool kitchen tool and often overlooked for its plain design. It is definitely an indispensable item in the kitchen.  Every kitchen should have a loaf pan to bake a variety of sweet or savory recipes – from meatloaf and lasagna to ice-cream and baked delicacies. A loaf pan is in the shape of a narrow rectangle, a convenient form which enables uniform slicing. 

A loaf pan is great to use when you’re looking to bake a smaller portion of a recipe or are cooking for one or two. This versatile pan is excellent for baking bread loaves, loaf cakes, and zucchini bread. You don’t have to make your own bread, or even bake, to love the loaf pan. Despite their specialized name, these rectangular pans are extremely adaptable to cooking, freezing, desserts, and more. And with all the creative ways you can use them, loaf pans are anything but idle in the kitchen.  

There a many uses for loaf pans. These pans are the ideal shape for the ultimate comfort food, meatloaf. Marinate meats. Keep more of each steak, chicken breast, tofu slice, or veggie skewer in contact with the marinade you made by placing the foods in a loaf pan, then pouring the marinade on top. Cover with plastic wrap, and slip the loaf pan into your fridge for the allotted time. If you have a bit of meat or a few sides of the skewers sticking out, use tongs to rotate them in the marinade for full coverage.

Rectangular pans are perfect for lasagna or baked ziti, especially if you’re only serving a few people. If you cut recipes in half, a square baking dish may be too big. Use a loaf pan instead. Savory pies like shepherd’s pie or chicken pot pie don’t have to be round just because that’s convention. You can bake them in a loaf pan and still have a hearty one-dish meal.

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, we carry several different size loaf pans. Make some memories with the heirlooms that you have collected over the years. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, 

John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends!   

What new culinary creations are you craving during these colder months? One approach that many of our foodies are using is to stir-fry. Stir-frying is the quintessential weeknight supper! If you have a fridge full of ingredients, and half an hour to put dinner on the table, cooking with a wok is definitely the go-to method. Vegetables retain their bright color and crunch and you can watch meat and aromatics go from raw to crisp in seconds, making stir-frying in a wok a fun way to cook. 

A wok is a wide bowl-shaped cooking vessel with handles used commonly in Chinese and Asian cooking. The types of foods generally cooked in woks are stir frying, stewing, boiling, braising and steaming. At Compliments to the Chef, we carry a large assortment of high quality woks and Stir Fry’s that suit the needs of the Asian cooking enthusiast. Both the carbon steel and non-stick woks spread heat evenly and are easy to clean up. The handles are designed to stay cool on the stovetop, so you can easily remove the pan from the burner without using potholders. The curved sides of a wok diffuse heat and extend the cooking surface, which helps with tossing and stirring. The great depth allows ample room to cook a whole fish, if so desired. Simmering, deep frying, or steaming, are just a few of its multiple uses. Season them with vegetable oil before use and after cleaning.  With the carbon wok, the more you use a wok, the more flavor it will take on, and the better your food will taste. As you cook with the wok, the metal pores open, and the fat you’re cooking with seeps in. 

There are other ways to use a wok that we may not typically think of. 

With its wide top and plenty of room, a wok is great for tossing a salad. Woks are great for making taco filling or any of the rice-and-pea type of dishes like arroz con pollo or paella. Consider a wok for scrambling eggs especially in large quantities. The eggs cook almost instantaneously, with no sticking, even if you’ve pre-cooked some vegetables before adding the eggs to the wok. When cooking a Mexican-style meal, cook on very low heat and use it to keep tortillas warm. Another use can be as a steamer by placing a steamer rack on the bottom with water. A wok is great for steaming lobster.

Whereever your tastes take you, this pan can deliver while you “wok this way”. 

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place for those cool tools to help you with your special dinner. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, 

John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends!   

During the holiday season shopping, many of our foodie friends talked about the tools they use or need for food prep when they are cooking. So why prep ingredients ahead of time?

1. It’s easier than full-scale meal prepping. If the thought of completely preparing multiple meals in one day exhausts you, then just prep the ingredients.

2. It makes dinnertime prep quicker and easier. Batch chopping vegetables is much more efficient than the cumulative time it takes to chop things before every meal.

3. You’ll make healthier meal choices. Pulling out your cutting board and chopping a bunch of stuff can be a big a hurdle when trying to eat more healthy. If everything is prepped ahead of time, that hurdle disappears.

4. Reduces food waste. Most of the time ingredient prepping reduces food waste because if it’s prepped, it’s more likely to get used. 

Setting up to chop and peel food as you cook involves organizing your station with a sharp knife, sturdy board, and focusing on prepping ingredients in batches (wash, peel, chop) for efficiency, and using proper knife for safety and uniform cuts, ensuring even cooking and faster prep. Tools to consider when setting up your prep station: 

1. Sharp chef’s knife, a stable cutting board, and a peeler. Knife skills are very important. Use your knife safely. The most important point of knife ownership is having a sharp knife. Always wash your knife by hand. Do not place it in the dishwasher. This dulls the blade and can ruin the handle. Sharpen your knife after each use. Use a steel to help keep the edges of your blades aligned.

2. Wash all your produce first, then dry it before cutting for better grip and less mess.

3. Peel vegetables like carrots, potatoes, or garlic (sometimes after a quick smash with the knife).

4. Process ingredients in stages: first wash, then peel, then chop (dice, slice, mince) into uniform sizes so they cook evenly. 

Other tools to consider are tongs needed for flipping meat, removing items delicately and stabilizing food for cutting. The use of a whisk is also another tool to use for food prep. Whisking is a way to combine dry or wet ingredients while infusing air; whisks also emulsify sauces; and lastly whisks are your friend when you need to get lumps out. 

Don’t’ forget about wooden spoons and using spatulas. 

Every kitchen needs a Microplane grater, famous for its precise, fine blades that effortlessly zest citrus, grate hard cheeses (like Parmesan), mince garlic/ginger, shave nutmeg, and even create delicate curls from chocolate, making it an essential, versatile tool for adding intense flavor and texture in food prep. 

This year, stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to find those cool tools that can help you as you plan out your menus and get prepping.  Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, 

John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends!   

The hangover of the holidays is over and it’s time to get back to eating right and using great tools to make that happen. It’s a new year and a fresh start so let’s make some delicious food together. My older sister CarolAnn, is a master with mandoline slicers while using them frequently in her food prep.  Since she is eight years older than I am, when I was very young, I thought she was the smartest person in the world. When she taught me something it always stuck with me. I was a terrible listener with everyone except for her. I remember when I was young and allowed to visit her at her new house after she had gotten married, I would sit in her kitchen and watch her make the best salads.  She would include many ingredients in her salads so that you were as full as if you had eaten a plate of Italian food. CarolAnn’s secret weapon in her prep was the mandoline slicer. She would peel and make cuts to cucumbers and many other vegetables, then would run them through the mandoline slicer to make the perfect bite sized pieces. As she was doing all of this, she would explain every step and how to be safe. She would also add in words of wisdom about life and work.  

As I reminisce on these times, I learned that food creates a home, connections, celebrations, and embraces family and friends. In creating meals, we are creating homes and a nurturing environment. The meals do not have to be fancy or gourmet. It isn’t about how special the recipe is. It is about being conscious of an important part of life and honoring that importance. By elevating the importance of food in our family’s lives, you pass that importance on to them. Families connect around the dinner table, all sharing the meal they know is just for them. Whether I’m making a salad or a meal, CarolAnn’s teachings are always on my mind. As she is now very ill, and she is fighting for her life, I feel and appreciate those learning’s even more.  

Do you have a mandoline slicer hiding in the back of your pantry, just begging to be used? Essentially, you can accomplish much of a mandoline’s work with a steady hand and a sharp knife. However, when slicing up zucchini ribbons, slicing eggplant or shredding brussel sprouts, mandolines cut prep time down significantly and promise consistent, even results. And they’re fun to use; especially when you need to create consistently thick or thin slices for your favorite recipe. At Compliments to the Chef we carry several different brands of mandolines. The OXO Good Grips mandoline is a perfect tool for home chefs. It is a trusty tool through thick and thin (produce). Slice or julienne cucumbers, potatoes and more with a turn of the comfortable dial on the Chef’s Mandoline Slicer.  Each mandoline includes a food holder that protects hands and the stainless steel blade quickly makes even slices. All blades store safely on board and are removable for easy cleaning. With this easy-to-use mandoline hands and fingers stay away from sharp blades at all times. Most mandoline’s come with three or four slicing blades beyond the basic blade. These allow you to slice paper thin, a little thicker (think potato chips), thick julienne (think french fries), and thin julienne. If you’re not sure how your blades will slice, invest in a few potatoes and try each setting out. It’s usually a good idea to have a few extra veggies on hand when you’re learning to use your mandoline slicer as well so you can get the hang of the whole process. 

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, we have items that can assist with making your meals. Show your love through the foods you cook and if you have a big sister give her a hug. Stop by Compliments to the Chef located at 33 Railroad Place and let us know how we can help you with your culinary needs. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. Happy New Year! May 2026 bring you health, happiness, and hope. 

Take Care, 

John & Paula

Zucchini Salad with Burrata

Ingredients

 · 2 tablespoons lemon juice

 · 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

 · 2 teaspoons honey

 · 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

 · 1/4 teaspoon grated garlic

 · 1/4 teaspoon salt

 · 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pink or black peppercorns, plus more for garnish

 · 3 large zucchinis (about 9 ounces each), stem ends trimmed

 · 2 tablespoons torn fresh basil

 · 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

 · 1 (4.4-ounce) ball burrata cheese, torn into 1/2-inch pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the broth:

1. Whisk lemon juice, oil, honey, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper together in a small bowl until emulsified.

2. Using a vegetable peeler or a mandoline, shave zucchini lengthwise into thin ribbons; discard seedy centers. Transfer to a large serving dish. Add 2 tablespoons of the dressing, basil and dill; toss until fully coated. Top with burrata and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Garnish with additional dill and pepper, if desired.

Recipe courtesy of eatingwell.com

Hello my Foodie Friends! We are entering into those final days of looking for that special gift to give that “foodie” this holiday season. Tis the season of giving, and there is no better time to spread happiness and kindness than during the holiday season. The holiday season is my favorite time of the year, and gift giving is one of my favorite things to do with having the opportunity to shower those I care for with gifts. Everybody knows that giving gifts is a great way to express your appreciation for others. Not only does it make the gift receivers happy, but it makes the gift giver happy as well. Giving gifts during the holidays also promotes greater connections with your loved ones. Many believe that it is important to know what they want to receive, but that is not always the case. Gift-giving is something that comes from one’s heart. It does feel great to be on the receiving end, but there is a feeling of satisfaction when you are the one giving the gifts. 

During my childhood, Christmas at my house was always a big event for our family. My mother’s family was very big, and we all traveled to each other’s houses for the holidays. Christmas day would always begin at our house opening gifts, and afterwards traveling to each cousin’s house. We all lived within five miles of each other, so it was not a long drive to get to each one. As I remember, there would be six stops that ultimately ended at my Uncle Woofy’s house. My mother’s family started in Sicily with the birth of my Aunt Ma’am Ma, who was ten years older than my mom (who was born in the USA). My Aunt was the self-appointed head of the family, and my mom wasn’t happy about it. To me she was a wonderful Aunt because I was her favorite. To my mom she was a bit bossy. Every Christmas, my mother nervously awaited the arrival of her sister. There was a bit of a cooking competition between the two sisters. If you have been reading my articles, then you’ll know that my mom’s meatballs were legendary. All the cousins and other Aunts and Uncles’ families would stop over on days she made meatballs. However, this would not go over well with my Aunt Ma’am Ma. She would arrive with a lot of fanfare and people helping her carry in the gifts for the kids and a 30qt stock pot full of her meatballs. On the stove was my mom’s 30qt stock pot of her meatballs. When my Aunt Ma’am Ma would arrive, she would proclaim to everyone, “here, get these heated up”.  She would take my mom’s pot off the stove and put her stock pot in its place. As you can imagine my mom, by now was gritting her teeth and rolling her eyes. What was my Irish truck driver Dad doing at this point during the meatball competition? He would have a huge grin on his face every year and divert the focus to opening the gifts for the children. I was always first and I can still remember the first year of my Aunt Ma’am Ma’s special gift for me. It was an Avon aftershave cologne glass car! Remember the company Avon? As I opened the gift, I would excitedly say “wow, it looks so cool”. I was six years old at that time, and my aunt said I can shave. I immediately found a mirror and began my shaving gestures splashing the Avon cologne all over myself. Every Christmas for six years in a row, my aunt would give me a new Avon Cologne car. She would say, “hold on to them Johnny, they’ll be worth something someday”. 

Are you still looking for that unique gift idea? The best gifts for foodies often involve a gift that they would not oftentimes splurge on for themselves. If you need help on what to wrap up for the holidays, we’ve got some ideas that will please even the most discerning gourmands on your list.

Ideas: 

Knives: Give the gift of high-quality knives during this holiday season to someone special. Choose the best sharp knives that make a memorable attachment to each other. Gifting knives isn’t just about cutting; it’s about creating lasting memories in the kitchen. Whenever they use it, they will remember you with a smile. Surprise your loved one by gifting some amazing knives. A knife set is truly the ultimate gift for a friend or loved one. Barbecue and home-cooking aficionados alike can make use of a lovely, hand-forged knife set as a treasured kitchen tool for many years. From smaller chef’s knives to massive meat cleavers, we have a variety of beautiful options for the loved one who you want to honor with something special this year. 

Cookware: Cookware might not seem like a glamorous gift but to anyone who loves cooking a well-made, artfully designed piece of cookware is a dream gift. Cooking with exceptionally well-made tools is a transformative experience in every way; they speed up cooking time, cook things evenly and are endlessly durable. Treat the chef in your life to one of our cookware gems; you’ll reap the tasty rewards later.

Just a love for gadgets: Can’t decide on a gift for your favorite foodie? Perhaps a needed gadget such as a Microplane zester, a peeler, a whisk, mixing bowls, electric tea kettle, pepper and salt mills, mortar and pestle, cutting boards, BBQ tools, thermometers, and the list goes on.

Not sure what to give this holiday season? Let us help you find that unique, unexpected gift for the person who already has everything at Compliments to the Chef; your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs. We have a great assortment of kitchen accessories to get your young Foodies started. It is a gift worth giving. Stop in and ask me any questions you may have.

Oh, and I checked online what my aunt’s gifts are going for these days, and they are selling for $29.99 but to me they are priceless. Also, I finally got the courage to ask my dad why he didn’t stick up for my mom’s meatballs when my aunt brought her meatballs knowing that my mom already had them. He said, “Son, who was number one and who was number two didn’t concern me because you never come between two Sicilian sisters when there is food involved. Besides, I was looking at 60 quarts of meatballs!”.  Each year when we froze the leftover meatballs, I ate like a king all winter. 

Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. Take care and Happy Holidays: John and Paula. Treasure the memories. 

Hello my Foodie Friends! As my wife and I exchanged childhood memories of making cookies, Paula shared that one year as a teenager, she made 72 dozen cookies. My stories were a bit more adventurous (due to five siblings trying to share a kitchen and help make cookies). Each year around this time, my mother would stock up on bags of flour and sugar to begin the process of making her treasured holiday cookies and goods. They were always a special treat in our family. Many of her recipes were handed down through generations before. Worn index cards have been handed down and shared with my siblings with recipes written in her perfect cursive, I am reminded of the winter days where we would watch her drop heavy balls of dough onto the floured counter in the kitchen and vigorously roll out the sticky batter until it was thin enough for cookie cutters. She would role out the dough and try to give the five of us equal amounts that we could squeeze through our hands and attempt to help make shapes with. In an effort to keep each of us focused, my mother would give each of us a specific duty that ultimately created the end result of a cookie recipe. My sisters were given the task of gathering, measuring, and putting the ingredients into a bowl; my youngest brother would stand on a chair and help my mother mix the ingredients. I was the keeper of the rolling pin and had the responsibility of scooping the dough (based on what recipe we were making), while my other brother would select which cookie cutter we were going to use. The assignments did not always result in a well-oiled machine. Usually, heated words over who gets to stand closest to the mixing bowl would end with powdered sugar poofing all over the floor. Power struggles would occur between each of us on who would crack the egg, who got to hold the rolling pin, and who would do the dough-scooping (just try to pry that cookie scoop out of my hands). Santa’s, candy canes, Christmas trees, holiday bells, reindeers, snowmen, gingerbread men and women, and stars were our favorite shapes to create with cookie cutters. Decorating the cookies was always the most fun with sprinkles and icing. 

By the time the first batch came out of the oven, my bothers and I would wander off to play, while my excited sisters stayed around to help sprinkle sugar on warm cookies. How my Mom put up with us, I’ll never know. However, the cookies were so good that five children would be very quiet in order to receive a child’s handful of warm cookies. Our creations may not have been the most artistic, but they sure were delicious. 

This holiday season, use the secret weapon of cookies to win over your family. Stop in to see us at Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, Saratoga Springs. We have a large assortment of baking supplies to help with making everyone happy. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. Take care, John and Paula. Have fun baking and sharing your delights with those you love.  

Hello my Foodie Friends!   

During the holiday season, what do you most look forward to? For many of us it is big family meals, sharing family stories, visiting those we love, and creating lasting memories. During the holiday season, I find that it reminds of what I am grateful for. The holiday season is the time of year when we give, share, reflect, and express appreciation for the life that we have been given.

The holidays are filled with the warmth of family, friends, decorations, food, and traditions. It can be a stressful time of year when planning seasonal foods, desserts and gathering events. When you think of the holiday season, what do you envision? It could be a house full of family and friends, a dining room table filled with a holiday feast, and the sounds of holiday music in the background. The holiday season offers a time to celebrate cultural food traditions. It gives us an opportunity to get into the kitchen and prepare old family recipes, try new recipes, and celebrate through the rooted culture and tradition of food. One of our favorite things to do during the holidays is to share our traditions and favorite foods with those that we visit throughout the season. There is no better gift than to share one of your favorite recipes by bringing a baked good to a family member or friend when visiting. Bringing a favorite baked good is always a welcomed gift.

Bundt cakes are a very delicious gift to give when going to see family or a friend. The bundt pan has become America’s best selling cake pan (according to Nordic Ware) to create a no-fuss cake. It is a perfect cake to serve a crowd and easy to slice.

Bundt cake pans are cake pans that are usually 10” – 12” in diameter and are 5” deep with a hole in the center. This ensures that deep cakes can bake evenly. They usually have fluted or ridged designs to make your cake look impressive. A bundt pan has decorative sides and tops. It is usually used for pound cake and other dense moist cakes such a coffee cakes. The bundt pan allows more of the cake to be in contact with the edges of the pan, and therefore the heat is transferred more evenly. The hole in the middle of a fluted pan allows air and heat to rise through the center of the cake, and to cook evenly.

Embrace your love of food this holiday season. Show your love and thanks for what others do. Show gratitude during family meals and help clean the dishes; give lots of hugs; cook a surprise meal for a significant other; eat food that makes you feel good from the inside out.Celebrate the holiday season through your family, friends, and drawing upon the traditions that have been handed down for generations, or build new ones for future generations. Gift a gift from the heart with sharing a favorite baked good. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. Pick up the culinary gifts, and tools that can help you celebrate with food. Consider the gift of new cookware, knives, or a much needed gadget that someone needs. Maybe offer the gift of having their knives sharpened. Let us assist you with your culinary needs. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. Happy Holidays

Take Care, John & Paula

Hello  my Foodie Friends

It is amazing to think that the holiday season is here. Planning for family gatherings and meals can be stressful times during this time of year. We strive for the Norman Rockwell experience of perfect times, perfect food and respectful conversation. Reality is for many people, family gatherings during the holidays are rarely stress-free.  I tell my Thanksgiving story every year because it is one that we reflect on and smile.  Thanksgiving would not be complete without my real-life story of Grandma and the Turkey.  It was 1993 when our children; Johnny age 2 and Aubrey 5 months old at the time, would make the annual trek with Paula and I to Grandma and Grandpa’s house to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and watch football. To begin; let me explain I am a Giants fan and so is my mother-in-law. Therefore, watching the Cowboys is not one of our favorite things to do. However, her son is a fan and so is my sister-in-laws husband.  Yep, two Cowboy fans in the same house and they do not like each other!  I love football so I watched but the room was silent because the two brother-in-law do not speak to each other.  They were holding their feelings down to make my mother-in-law happy.  As the game was being watched, my mother-in-law was busy making a huge feast for all to enjoy.  She was very nervous because she wanted everyone to get along.  We always ate after the game and this particular game one was a tight one. Most Cowboy fans may want to stop reading now.  With just seconds left in the game, the Miami Dolphins lined up to make a game winning field goal and it was blocked by the Cowboys. The brother-in-laws were silent. I wanted to groan with disappointment, but held back because of the tension.  All of a sudden one of the Cowboys (Leon Lett) chased the block field goal and touched it. “Oh nooo!” Well, the Dolphins got another chance to kick the field goal and won. Half of the house wanted to celebrate but my mother-in-law and I remained solemn. It has been called the greatest Thanksgiving Game ever played. As the game ended, my mother-in-law continued working with my Paula to complete the many dishes all cooking at once. There was a shout from the kitchen and Grandma announced that she had lost her glasses and could not see without them. Immediately, each of the brothers-in-law was pressed into service to find the glasses. These were not just any glasses; they were big and black and hard to lose but there were no glasses to be found. We looked everywhere. Grandma was close to tears when she asked me to check on and baste the turkey.  This was a big turkey at 28lbs and it smelled great.  I grabbed my son Johnny and the baster, which he took charge of, and opened the oven to show him the turkey.  He said “look Daddy, the turkey can see better”. Yep, he found the glasses neatly melted in perfect harmony with the bird so it looked like he had eyes!  I started laughing and everyone joined in. Needless to say we had ham and lasagna but no turkey.  It didn’t matter because the rest of the day was perfect. 

Through the fun and sometimes stressful events that can happen during the holidays – especially when we want it to be perfect; it can turn out to be a wonderful family gathering. Among our greatest and most treasured memories are the ones that are based in the kitchen or around a meal. As you get ready this season for your festivities and feasts, stop into Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. Pick up roasters, basters, thermometers, and more for your meals. You can have that Norman Rockwell family gathering. Have a beautiful Thanksgiving Day. Remember, my Foodie Friends that “Life Happens in the Kitchen”.  

Take Care, John & Paula

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. There is so much to do to gear up for the holiday season. It is time to start the preparations of items needed to create your fabulous feast. At Compliments to the Chef, we have some gadgets which can make your Thanksgiving prep and serve a little easier. Good tools are essential to good cooking just like good tools are helpful to a carpenter building a house. One tool I think a lot of foodies don’t have or know how to use is the thermometer.  It is one of my must haves in a kitchen.  Undercooked turkey is a recipe for Salmonellosis!  Your turkey should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees for 15 seconds.  You should check the temperature in at least two places and in the thickest part of the turkey. Do not discount how much this tool means to not just you but your whole family. Our recommendation is a simple Bi-Metallic stemmed thermometer.  There are others, such as digital but this is the simplest, easiest and most cost-effective choice. It’s easy to calibrate and if you stop in, I’ll personally teach you how. One of our favorite instant-read thermometers is the Thermo Pop by Thermo Works. 

The second recommendation for a must have is a Flavor injector and there are many types.   Adding some flavor can really set your Turkey apart from Mom’s recipe. 

Our third recommendation is either an open roaster or a roaster with a lid. Roast meat, poultry, and vegetables to perfection with a large roaster. Open roasters can hold up to a 20-lb. turkey. The heavy-duty stainless-steel roasting pan features tall, straight sides, which help prevent splatters and spills, while its upright handles ensure a secure hold when transporting the pan to and from the oven, even when wearing thick oven mitts. The open roaster comes with a V-shaped nonstick roasting rack that elevates large cuts of meat to promote even cooking.

Another cool tool for your feast is a gravy/fat separator. There are various sizes and styles of gravy separators. Among the types is a 1 ¾ cup gravy separator that is made of FDA-approved, BPA-free polycarbonate and plastic. This gravy separator strains out fat, seasonings, and lumps for flavorful gravy, broth, soup stock, au jus, and sauce with lower fat and calories. The BPA-free polycarbonate and plastic structure resists breakage and is heat-safe to 248-degrees Fahrenheit. It has a large handle that allows for a safe grip. The pierced lid strains out lumps and larger food bits with a low-set spout that pours flavorful liquids without the fat; drip-free spout for easy, mess-free pouring.  The fat separator also has a wide-mouth opening and markings in milliliters and cups (from ½-cup) makes straining and measuring easy; microwave safe for easy reheats. The fat separator is easy to use and is great for everyday or holiday meals and is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning

These are just a small list of what can help you this season. Getting ready for the holidays doesn’t have to be a struggle. Cherish your moments together. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. Let us assist you with your holiday culinary needs. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, John & Paula