A ten pound turkey will feed about seven people and take about eight cups of stuffing. A fifteen pound turkey will feed about ten people and require about twelve cups of stuffing. A twenty pound turkey will feed about thirteen adults and require 15 cups of stuffing to fill the cavities.
To thaw a turkey in the refrigerator, it will take about 24 hours for every five pounds. For the water bath method of thawing, make sure the turkey is in a sealed bag and place it in cold water. Change the cold water every 30 minutes. It will take about 30 minutes for every pound of turkey to thaw.
For safety, be sure to wash carefully with soap and hot water everything that touches the raw turkey, and wash anything that has touched anything that touched the raw turkey. Do not, for instance, touch other areas or items when you have just touched the raw turkey.
At 325 degrees Fahrenheit you will need to cook a 10-15 pound turkey from 3 3/4 to 4 ½ hours, and a 20 pound turkey from 4 ½ to 5 hours. Your supper should be served a half hour after that to give the turkey a chance to rest and you a chance to make gravy and put the food on the table. If you like, you can count backwards from the time you wish to serve to get an idea when you should begin. If you wish to serve at 3 p.m., for example, the turkey should be out of the oven by 2:30. If it is a 15 pound turkey, it should go into the oven at 10 a.m., and you will probably need an hour to prepare the stuffing and stuff the bird, so you should begin at 9 a.m.
If you are able to use a meat thermometer, insert it to the thickest part of the thigh near the breast, but avoid touching the bone. The thermometer should be 180 degrees when the turkey is done.
By: CD Mohatta
Most Useful Turkey Tips
Wines produced from Plavac mali are the best .....
Dingač of Pelješac is the best known winegrowing location in Croatia and
there are mentions of it in foreign literature before WWII. There was
a time when some 1200 hectares of the peninsula were under vineyards
with red grape varieties accounting for 90% of the area. Today it is
not possible to say with any degree of exactness how much of the Pelješac
peninsula is under vineyards (as, after all, is the case elsewhere in Croatia).
Dingač is located on the southern slopes, on calcified soil facing the sea,
which means that all day they are exposed not only to direct sunlight
but also to the reflection of the sun off the sea.
In order to facilitate the harvesting of grapes at Dingač, some thirty
years ago a 380 metre-long tunnel was built through the hill linking the
location with the winery at Potomje, the site of the Dingač Agricultural
Cooperative, until the emergence of private wine makers after 1990 the
only producer of wine of the same name and the production of which
at one time was limited to 1200 hectolitres per year.
Adjacent to Dingač is the locality of Postup, the second most valuable location
on Pelješac, with similar characteristics and with a slightly larger production.
Just as on Dingač the only variety grown here is Plavac mali.
The Recipes Of Tanzania
Tanzania is a very diverse East African country, formed by the union of Tanganyika on the mainland with the island of Zanzibar. Tanganyika united with Zanzibar in 1964, forming the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which later the same year was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.
It is a Swahili country and like many East African nations shows strong Indian and Arabic influences in its cuisine. Thus curries and pilaus are common as are flavouring more typically associated with North Africa.
Fish is an important part of the diet, both on the island of Zanzibar (as might be expected) but also on the mainland with its sea cost on one side and the African Great Lakes on the other.
The cuisine of Zanzibar is probably the most familiar and the most diverse and, unusually, for many African countries the island has a strong tradition of dessert and pastry making.
The following are two typical Tanzanian recipes for you to make yourselves:
Mchuzi wa Samaki (Fish Curry)
Ingredients:
1.5kg firm white-fleshed fish, filleted and cut into serving portions
oil for frying
450ml coconut milk
1 large onion, chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 green bell peppers, de-seeded and chopped
10 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Garam Masala
tamarind paste, to taste
salt to taste
Method:
Briefly sear the fish in hot oil, so that the outside is coloured but the fish is still raw inside. Transfer the fish to a saucepan cover with the coconut milk and add the tamarind paste to taste then set aside.
Stir together the onion, tomatoes, green pepper, garlic and spices and add to the fish and coconut milk. Place on low heat and simmer slowly until the fish is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately with Chapati or Rice.
By substituting prawns for the fish you can make Mchuzi wa Kamba (Prawn Curry), you just don't need to fry the prawns beforehand.
Baked Green Bananas in Orange Syrup
Ingredients:
120ml orange juice
2 green, not quite ripe, bananas
80g light brown sugar
pinch of ground cardamom
3 tbsp lemon juice
Method:
Combine the orange juice, sugar and cardamon in a small pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the bananas and cut in half lengthways. Cut each half in half crossways so that you have four pieces. Place in a gratin or earthenware dish with cut sides up and brush with the lemon juice.
Pour the orange syrup over the bananas and place in an oven pre-heated to 170°C, baking for 10 miutes. Spoon the syrup over the bananas and serve immediately.
I hope that these recipes have given you a taste for Tanzanian (and East African) cookery and that you are now eager to find out more about this exciting cuisine...
By: gwydion
Classic Macaroni and Cheese
2 C macaroni
1/2 C onions, chopped
1/2 C evaporated skim milk
1 medium egg, beaten
1/4 tsp black pepper
11/4 C (4 oz) lowfat sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
as needed nonstick cooking spray
1. Cook macroni according to directions—but do not add salt to the
cooking water. Drain and set aside.
2. Spray casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
4. Lightly spray saucepan with nonstick cooking spray.
Add onions to saucepan and sauté for about 3 minutes.
5. In another bowl, combine macaroni, onions, and rest of the
ingredients, and mix thoroughly.
6. Transfer mixture into casserole dish.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
