"epi log" news and stories

Right about now, everyone is in the final throes of their Thanksgiving prep. Maybe you've got a pie to bake tonight or you have to hit the grocery store one last time on the way home from work, but basically, you're there. You don't need our help with recipes for tasty side dishes or tips on how wedge all your leftovers into the fridge anymore.

So here's my question for all of you. What's that one food item without which your Thanksgiving is not complete? Your staple food that has to be on the table or the meal just can't go forward. It doesn't have to be traditional or even cohesive with the meal, but somehow brings everything together for you. Me, it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving until I've had a little nibble of crispy turkey skin and a glass of sparkling apple cider. Over at the Epi Log, Esther Sung writes about how there needs to be a dish of kimchi on the table for Thanksgiving to feel rounded and satisfying for her.

Share your favorites, your quirky side dishes and things that make your holiday feel special.

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I have always been intrigued by Zuni Cafe method of chicken roasting, in which you heavily salt the chicken and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of days. Yesterday over on the Epi Log Rick Rodgers wrote a post where he plays with this idea of dry brining and applies it to a Thanksgiving turkey.

He says, "How does this dry salt rub work? The salt draws a tiny bit of moisture from the bird and opens the skin pores. This moisture mingles with the salt and works its way into the turkey muscles, seasoning the bird throughout through osmosis. It is much less awkward than brining with gallons of salt water!"

Rick, you've got me pondering a dry brine, if not for this year, possibly for next. It sounds like a far easier and less messy way of imparting a whole lot of flavor into your bird. For full instructions on how to dry brine your turkey, make sure to read Rick's entire post because it is clear and well-written.

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