Mrs. Cubbison's Thanksgiving Tips

At least two cutting boards (one for vegetables and breads, another non-porous board for preparing meats). You may want a third cutting board on which to carve and serve the turkey -- a wooden board makes an attractive centerpiece to the table in this case. Choose a cutting board that's big enough to hold your whole turkey, and has a perimeter well to capture juices from the bird.

A good meat thermometer that has been recently calibrated.

A large roasting pan (2-3 " deep) with a rack to raise the turkey off the bottom. We prefer a stainless steel roasting pan to a non-stick one, to better cook the drippings and giblets that will serve as the basis for your pan gravy.

Thin foil for covering the turkey breast in the oven to prevent over-browning

A Carving Set. This combination of a good carving knife and a two-pronged fork will make carving your turkey a breeze. And it will be safer than trying to improv with the wrong tools for the job.

Some cotton cooking twine for tying the turkey's legs together before roasting. (To be removed before serving!) Cooking twine usually comes in a roll; select a size that you can store comfortably in your kitchen year-round.

A basting brush for applying oil to the bird's skin before placing it in the oven. If you intend to baste the turkey while it's in the oven with pan juices (not necessary to roast a juicy turkey), you will also need a baster to pick up the juices from the bottom of the pan and squirt on the top of the turkey.

A flat whisk. You'll use this when you make your pan gravy. Also known as a roux whisk, the flat head of this specialized whisk is ideal for blending gravy right in your roasting pan. With its flat design, you'll be able to get into every corner of the pan to get all the drippings. If you don't have a flat whisk, a more common bulb- or balloon-shaped whisk will do in a pinch.

A small-to-medium sized casserole dish for baking the extra stuffing in the oven. Either a glass or ceramic casserole dish will do, but if you're going to serve the stuffing straight from the casserole dish, a nice ceramic dish will add a nice look to your table. If you are making additional casseroles or other baked side dishes (green bean, sweet potato, or any other variety), you will need an appropriate-sized baking dish for each dish. Even if you are planning on cooking your stuffing inside your turkey, it's recommended that you plan on cooking the extra stuffing alongside the turkey in a casserole dish -- you never want to overstuff the bird to fit all the stuffing in, because it might prevent the stuffing from cooking properly.

A good potato masher is key to getting nice fluffy mashed potatoes, if that's on your Thanksgiving menu. Look for one with a handle that's comfortable for your sized hands.

OPTIONAL: A baster. Shaped like a giant eyedropper, this handy tool can be used to baste the turkey, either with a marinade, or by picking up the juices from the bottom of the roasting pan and basting them over the top of the turkey. While basting isn't necessary and might not be an ideal choice, depending on the method you're using to roast your turkey, if you're going to baste, this will make your life a lot easier.

OPTIONAL: A flavor injector. Since basting mostly has the effect of browning the skin of the turkey (little of the juices make it through the skin to the turkey meat itself), an alternative approach is to use a flavor injector to add pan juices or other cooking broth to the inside of the turkey during roasting. Check to see that your turkey isn't a self-basting turkey, in which case it's already had juices injected under the surface by the producer before you ever brought it home from the store. We prefer using a flavor injector to a self-basting turkey, as injecting the juices so far ahead of time can negatively impact the texture of the turkey meat.

OPTIONAL: A Brining bag. Better than all-purpose zip-sealed bags, brining bags are heavy duty and leak-proof. Look for brining bags that have double-zipper seal protection against leakage, and make sure you get one big enough to hold your turkey. It is worth paying a little extra to get a high quality brining bag, as a leak or breakage can be disastrous, spilling uncooked turkey juices all over the other food in your refrigerator.

OPTIONAL: A trussing needle, if you are going to truss the bird with twine. Trussing the turkey will help keep the stuffing from falling out (if you stuffed your bird), will make the cooked turkey more presentable, and will make carving easier. On the downside, it can cause the meat in the inner thighs cook more slowly, meaning you may have to overcook the breast meat a bit before the dark meat of the thighs is fully cooked to a safe-to-eat temperature.

OPTIONAL: Several skewers for closing the stuffing into the turkey's cavity. If you aren't comfortable with a trussing needle and twine, you might choose to use several skewers to close the opening to the turkey's cavity after you put stuffing in. Make sure your skewers are oven-safe before using them, and remove them with care when you take the bird out of the oven.

OPTIONAL: A gravy separator. A gravy separator is an ingenious device you can use to remove fat from your pan drippings before making your gravy. Like a teapot, but with the spout rising from the bottom instead of the top, when the fat rises to the top, you can pour off the drippings and tasty juices from the bottom of the pot.

OPTIONAL: A gravy boat (serving). Even though you can serve gravy in anything, a gravy boat makes pouring it over the turkey and dressing much easier. Some gravy boats even have warmers or are insulated, to keep the gravy fresh and warm -- a nice touch.