Using them is really easy. Just set the pie bird on the bottom crust and add the filling. After rolling out your top crust, make a slit in the center which will fit over the pie bird. Then seal the edges and also around the slit, and bake as usual. After the first slice of pie is removed, the pie bird will come right out.

Photo Credits: Author

Here is how I like to do it:

Remove the skin and pluck out any pin bones, then slice into strips about 2″ wide.  Season the fish with salt and pepper, then lightly dredge the two major surfaces in corn meal (or a seasoned corn meal based store bought “fish fry”).  Don’t worry too much about the edges.  Heat about 1/8″ to 1/4″ of cooking oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Fry the pieces until golden, flip once to finish cooking.  If you have a instant read thermometer, remove the fish around 145° internal temperature and set on a rack (or on a couple of chopsticks) over newspaper to drain. The light crust from the corn meal will add both flavor and crunch without overpowering the fish.

Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce. 

From the title and the text-wrapped picture it should be obvious that I’m a Pepper.  I’ve drank the stuff for 50 years. In the early days of soft drinks, everybody used pure cane sugar for their sweetener.  Around the 70s, the price of sugar took a jump and most everyone switched to high fructose corn syrup.  Everyone, that is, except a choice few.  One of those bottlers that did not switch is the Dr. Pepper Bottling Plant in Dublin, Texas.  They still use Imperial Pure Cane Sugar. 

I recently received a 6 pack of the 8 oz. bottles from a friend in Texas.  Now it’s only fair to mention that I switched to sugar-free Dr. Pepper about 10 years ago, so this was indeed a rare treat.  Every few weeks I  pop the top on a cold bottle (these don’t unscrew) and just kick back…

As promised, here are the Kool-Aid original flavors:

Pie Crust

• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
• 1 cup graham crackers, crushed
• 1/2 cup pecans, macadamia, almonds, walnuts or a combination, chopped course
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes, chopped course
• 4 Tbs butter, melted
• Option: Add 1/2 oz of Grand Marnier or Amaretto

Mix the ingredients and spread around the bottom and edges of an oven proof pie pan. Bake at 350° until lightly brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Filling

• 1 cup Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice
• 2 – 14 ozs. cans condensed milk, sweetened
• 3 large egg yolks
• Pinch of salt

Place the lime juice in a small pan and heat over medium heat to reduce the volume by half. Strain and cool. Empty cans of condensed milk into mixing bowl and chill. When key lime juice is cool add to condensed milk, mixing thoroughly. Lightly beat egg yolks and add to milk mixture, add salt and blend well. Pour into the pre-baked crust. Bake pie at 350° for 10 minutes. Chill 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream. For an extra touch, try a final garnish with mint or spearmint leaves.

Recipe - From the collection of Richard Howe.                                           

10.  If you are a novice when it comes to cooking a turkey (or if you are going to try new side dishes this year) ,do a practice cook. 

9.  Need a change of pace?  Try to borrow a turkey fryer.  It’s a good idea to invite the owner over for instruction and a practice cook, these things are a little tricky but a fried turkey is wonderful.

8.  Don’t cook dressing in the bird.  This can lead to an overcooked bird or undercooked dressing.  Instead, cook dressing in a separate pan.  (In fact, I like to make two kinds).  Some simple aromatics can be placed in the cavity of the bird; try a couple of green onions, a lemon slice or two or some herbs.

7. Consider brining your turkey.  This can add some moisture and flavor to the bird.

6.  Buy a name brand bird.

5.  If you buy a frozen bird, thaw it according to instructions on the package.  Usually the best method is to thaw in the refrigerator, in the original packaging.  This will take 2 or 3 days depending on the size.

4.  Bake your turkey breast down for 1.5 to 2 hours, then turn breast up and finish cooking, this helps to keep the breast moist. (Do this even if you use Tip # 3.)

3.  Trying to get the dark meat done without overcooking the breast has always been a challenge.  One hour before the bird goes in the oven, fill a large zipper bag with crushed ice and set it in a roasting pan on the counter. Take the bird out of the refrigerator and place it breast down on the ice pack (only the breast should be resting on the ice pack).  During this hour, the temperature of the dark meat will rise and the temperature of the breast will remain the same or even cool a bit.  This slows the cooking of the breast, and gives the dark meat a head start.  Remove the ice pack and cook as usual.

2.  Try to buy a fresh turkey.  You might have to place your order up to two weeks ahead, but the quality and flavor is worth the extra price.

And the number one Thanksgiving turkey tip is …

1.  Use a thermometer to judge doneness.  Don’t rely on time alone. Check temperature often toward the end of the cook.  I shoot for no more than 160° * in the breast and 175° or so just above the leg, and watch to make sure the juices run clear. Allow for a 15 minute rest before carving.

*USDA recommends 165°.  Just like other meats, expect a rise in temperature while the bird rests on the cutting board.

Photo Credit:  Wild Turkey by Author

Karen does not run a chat room or anything, she just provides a one-on-one question and answer kind of thing.  When you ask a question, she provides an answer or at least gives you some related subjects to help narrow down the answers.  She will sometimes even suggest links to other web sites. Karen is very straight-forward, so you can’t ask super detailed or compound questions. 

For example, when I asked Karen “What are giblets?” I got this response:

“Giblets (pronounced JIBB-letz; also GIBB-letz) are defined as the heart, liver, and gizzard of a poultry carcass. Although often packaged with them, the neck of the bird is not a giblet. The word comes from Middle English giblet, which in turn came from gibier — Old French for game. The English altered the word to giberet, and it formerly meant a game stew.”

Hey Karen, good answer !!!!

Not sure what types of questions to ask Karen? Here is a list of frequently asked questions to help get you started:

• Should I use a food thermometer when cooking meat?
• How long does food stay safe during a power outage?
• What are the safest ways to thaw foods?
• Should I use a wooden cutting board or a plastic one?
• How can I tell if chicken is spoiled?
• If food has mold, is it safe to eat?

What subjects does Karen know best? The following is a list of the question categories that Karen is comfortable with. To know what specific questions Karen can answer within each category, type the category keyword in the question field. For example, upon typing “labeling” in the question field, Karen lists the labeling-related questions that she can answer.

• Nationwide, October is Toilet Tank Repair Month.
• National Chestnut Week is October 8th through the 14th.
• And all day long on October 20th, Wewoka, Oklahoma hosts the Sorghum Day Festival.

The first choice is definitely out. Chestnuts and Sorghum have some possibilities.  This is after all, The Cook’s Kitchen.  But honestly, neither one was a good fit for this writer, so the search was back on.  The answer was right there all along ….. October is National Chili Month.  Man, I can get behind that one.  Maybe you read my article in August, Are You a Chilehead????.  Well I am, and so is my wife.  We are actually Chiliheads too, enjoying both red and green varieties.  If you have never tried green chili, it’s a wonderful combination of flavors.  Here is my favorite recipe.

My wife developed this recipe 15 years or 20 years ago and over the years, it has undergone several revisions. This chili has won numerous local chili contests and placed either first or second at several regional contests. The recipe is very simple, but still allows for changes to suit to your individual tastes. We like to grind our own pork butt and feel that the key to the success of this chili is roasting the ground pork with the spices on top. Most other recipes just add the spices to the stock pot. Many contest cooks use one or more “dumps” of spices during the cook, but we have found that it is not necessary with this recipe. 

Green Chili:

• 5 Lbs. ground pork butt - coarse grind. HINT: Remove most of the fat cap and large pieces of internal fat before grinding to prevent excessive greasiness. 
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. salt 
• 2 Tbsp. black pepper 
• 1 Tbsp. garlic salt 
• 1-1/2 Tsp. cumin 
• 1-1/2 bunch green onion, finely chopped in food processor 
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped in food processor 
• 16 Tomatillos, pureed in food processor 
• 6 roasted (see notes below) Poblanos, peeled and chopped in food processor 
• 15 roasted Anaheim peppers, peeled and chopped in food processor 
• 4 to 24 fresh Serrano chilies, chopped in food processor. TIP: The Serrano’s control the heat in this chile. With fresh chilies, the heat factor will vary from crop to crop. For less “heat” reduce only the number of Serrano chilies. 6 to 10 chilies would give this chili a “mild” heat rating, 20 to 24 chilies will give this chili an “ooh-wee baby” rating. If in doubt, it’s better to start off with less. It’s better to have great flavor than all heat. 
• 3 Tbsp. Chopped garlic 
• 64 oz can chicken broth 

Roux: 

• 2 Cups cold water 
• 1 cup flour 

Slowly mix the water and flour together to avoid clumping. This will serve as a thickener and will be used toward the end of the cook. 

Cooking Method: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place an even layer of ground pork in a roasting pan and sprinkle the top with all of the dry spices. Do not mix the spices into the pork.

Roast (without turning) for about 45 minutes. After roasting, the pork on the edge of the pan will be done, but the center will NOT be completely cooked.  The bark that forms on top of the ground pork is key to the flavor of this chili. 

Place all of the meat and drippings into a large stockpot and break up with a fork. Add all other ingredients except Roux. Add enough water to desired thickness. Add more water, if needed, as chili cooks. Cook for 2-3 hrs on low or until chilies have achieved desired doneness. Thicken with Roux to the desired consistency. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes or until flour “taste” has cooked away and blended. 

NOTES: 

If you like stew-like green chili, an option is to add some cubes of par boiled potatoes and some coarse chopped sweet onions toward the end of the cook. 

To roast chilies: Place fresh chilies on BBQ (medium heat) or in oven at 375 degrees and roast until the skin is blistered and charred.  Put peppers in a paper grocery bag, keep the top closed to steam the skins loose. Rinse under kitchen faucet to remove skin and seeds. TIP: The chilies can be roasted, steamed and frozen in plastic bags with the skins still on, to keep a full year. Put the amount needed for each batch is a single bag, defrost and rinse away skin and seeds.

This recipe appears on my cookin’ site and in typical how-to fashion, has a lot of photographs.  Click Here  if you want to check them out. 

Photo Credits - Bowl of Green Chili  by Author

I think I’m pretty good when it comes to food safety, but I discovered a weak spot in my defense when it came to disinfecting cutting boards.  I own both wooden and plastic cutting boards.  Wooden boards are used for carving cooked meats.  I have white plastic ones which are used when working with raw meats or veggies.  And I have a blue plastic one which is used only for chicken.  Okay, so far so good. 

My choice for cleaning is good ‘ol Clorox® brand bleach.  I have a small bottle that lives under the sink *.  I add a few capfuls to some fresh hot dish water for cleaning up cutting boards, knives, scissors etc., then wash and put away.  I know it’s working and is the right strength because that familiar Clorox® smell is kind of strong.  Right??  NO, that is wrong!!

Well, it’s not totally wrong, but my procedure is not completely right.  After a little research, here is what I found out:

Plastic cutting boards:  Wash cutting boards with liquid dishwashing detergent and water. Then soak in a sanitizing solution using 1 tablespoon of Clorox®  bleach per gallon of water. Let them stand in the solution for 2 minutes and then air dry them.

Wooden cutting boards:  Wash, wipe, or rinse the wooden cutting boards with liquid dishwashing detergent and water then use approximately 3 tablespoons of Clorox®  bleach per gallon of water to create a sanitizing solution.  Apply the bleach solution, then let them stand in the solution for 2 minutes and then rinse them.  (Do not soak them overnight).

* Just a general caution here ….. If you have kiddies, you should store ALL cleaning fluids out of their reach. Under the sink is not good enough unless you have some sort of a childproof latch on the cabinet doors. 

My favorite section however is the gadget aisle.  Bins and racks full of specialty items, all usually less than $10.   This is where I found myself just a few weeks ago when I discovered the nifty blue tool pictured here.  “What the heck is this thing?” I thought.  It took me a minute, but I figured it out.  It was only $5 so I picked it up.   So I ask you …… What the heck is this thing?

The second kitchen tool came to me by way of my mother in law.  It is circa 1960 and from the markings appears to be a give-away from a farm and ranch supply store. It features an off-set handle and also has one serrated edge.  What the heck is this thing? 

The answers to both questions are on the next page, but give it a little thought before clicking “More.”

At this point you have either given up, or this is easier than I thought.  Either way, here are the answers.

The blue thing is a finger guard.  Mostly for using with a grater, although it may work well with an electric slicer too. There is a raised gripping surface for your fingers as well as the curly pattern for gripping something like cheese or chocolate.

The spoon is actually an ice cream scoop.  The offset handle provides good leverage and the serrations are a nice touch.  The downside, this is not very handy for left handed folks.

Photo Credits - Author

They are used in salsa, sauces, rellenos, or when making green chili (a pork based chili made without tomatoes or beans, it really is green). The best news is, they are not just for Southwest cuisine anymore.  Heck, roasted chilies are even good on a cheeseburger or as a pizza topping.  I buy a bushel of the fresh ones and roast them myself on my barbecue.  Then I freeze them for enjoying all year long.  For those of you that do not have access to them or the time to roast them, they are available roasted and frozen. They do come canned, but that should be your last choice.

Here is a teaser recipe of mine so you can enjoy these wonderful peppers.  This is a basic recipe that can be used as a sauce, a salsa or just a condiment.  It is meatless, so the true flavors will really come out. I like it spooned on grilled boneless chicken breasts or as a cooking sauce for chicken or baked fish. Treat it like a relish or use as a different topping for appetizers.  It is really good on wedges of grilled polenta.  It freezes well.

Green Chile Sauce 

2 pounds of fresh roasted or frozen roasted green chile’s
10 - tomatillos
1 - bunch cilantro
6 to 8 green onions and tops
14 ounce can chicken broth
garlic salt
garlic powder 

In a food processor, add the chile’s, cilantro, onions and tomatillos then pulse to a medium puree. (still some small chunks remaining) Transfer to a stock pot, add the broth and simmer for about 2 hours, cooking off some of the liquid. Add garlic salt and powder during the last 30 minutes to taste.

Photo Credits - Green Chile Sauce, Author;  Frozen Chilies, Author