There is more than one way to cook a turkey, just as there is more than one way to cook just about every other type of meat, but because there is some pressure on Thanksgiving to produce a big, beautiful bird for family and friends, it's hard to know whose advice to take when prepping the turkey for the big day. If you roast it, should you brine if first? Should it be braised? Can you cook it in the microwave?

To answer these questions, you can take a look at the Turkey for the Holidays guide from the University of Illinois. They cover everything from turkey-cooking techniques, which includes guides on eleven good techniques and reasons to avoid a few bad ones, to turkey nutritional information and turkey history and trivia. Aside from the cooking techniques, which might be the most useful tips on the site for cooks, the turkey carving instructions are going to be helpful even if you buy your bird. The site seems to be a great Thanksgiving resource overall, and anything that helps decrease holiday stress really is something to be thankful for

Crepes, the thin and fluffy pancakes that always manage to seem slightly exotic to those more familiar with the thicker American-style of pancake, are as easy to make as they are to eat. Once you discover this, you might find yourself more inclined to make them on a regular basis, which is where a book such as Crêpes: Sweet & Savory Recipes for the Home Cook comes in handy.

The book has recipes for 15 different varieties of basic crepes, with 11 suitable for savory dishes and 4 sweeter ones for dessert crepes, and all are used in different combinations to create dramatically different dishes. Technique is thoroughly covered, with suggestions on what size pan to use as well as how to mix the batter and how to determine the right moment to flip the pancake. There are also tips for storing crepes, so you'll have them on-hand when you are ready for them. Recipes include Cheese Blintzes, Tomato Crepes with Ratatouille, Blue Corn Crepes with Leeks and Mushrooms, Strawberry and Ricotta Crepes and Chocolate and Hazelnut Praline Crepes, as well as many more mouthwatering combinations.

Kitchen trends come and go, but there are certain aspects of both design and technology that seem like they're here to stay. One trend is for professional-quality appliances, particularly stoves and ovens, as many home cooks want to be able to prepare four star cuisine in their own kitchens, not just approximations of it. In a similar vein, kitchen islands are still popular, as they create a useful workspace for more complex cooking. In other words, we're seeing a preference to technique over technology.

But technology is really growing quickly and for those who prefer streamlined stovetops to gas or electric pro stoves with huge flames, induction heating is supposed to be making a splash in the market. At Yanko Design, designer Terence Woon conceived this wall unit as a way to further streamline the kitchen, incorporating a variety of appliances into one small space. His vision includes (from left to right) a juicer, blender, toaster, multimedia interface, scale and water dispenser. Personally, I think I might still prefer individual appliances, but we can't say with certainty what we'll end up with.

What would you like to see in the kitchens of the (near or distant) future?

It is a relatively simple matter to grease and flour a cake pan. Jus spray it with cooking spray (rub with butter), sprinkle some flour on top, turning the pan to coat it evenly, and you're ready to go. Lining a cake pan with parchment paper can pose a problem for some, especially if you try to draw a circle out on the paper and ever-so-carefully cut around it because it is easy to screw up, not to mention that it is tedious work. Fortunately, there is a simple way to get a piece of paper to fit exactly inside of the circular pan. It's as easy as following the photos above and will take no longer than reading this post:

1. Take a piece of parchment paper larger than your pan and fold it into quarters. Fold that piece in half, then in half again until it is quite slim.
2. Place the point of the paper in the center of the upside down pan.
3. Use scissors to cut a straight line just inside the outer edge of the pan.
4. Unfold and place in pan, if necessary, fold back up and trim a corner to make it fit better.

Yep, an entire site (and domain, for that matter) dedicated to defeating and enjoying the world's largest seed. Having grown up in the tropics, I've opened my share of coconuts. That's not to say I'm any good at it, but I was definitely curious to see which method this site suggested. I was with them for part about using a nail or drill to let out the milk through the three holes at the top. And, while I'm sure a hammer and towel works just fine, I've always had the best luck with a C-clamp. Just clamp it on to the sides opposite the holes made for the milk and twist it down until the coconut cracks. I've also heard of putting coconuts in the oven to make them easier to open, but I've never had to resort to that. Differences in methods aside, the step-by-step photo walkthrough on this site is a good one. Aside from HowToOpenACoconut.com, there are also similar sites for pineapples, corn, burgers and baked potatoes.

Compound butter is butter that has a flavor, or additional ingredient(s) added to it. For example, I can think of several restaurants that serve garlic butter with dinner rolls (often barbecue restaurants), which is a compound butter. They are also sometimes simply called "herb butter," though they can be sweet or savory.

Compound butters are very easy to make and can have any number of flavors blended into them. The first step is softening the butter to room temperature. Once it is soft, the desired ingredients can be added . Herbs and spices are the most common because they are the easiest things to use, but just about any ingredient can be added. Lemon zest and dill make a great compound butter to "finish" a fish dish. Grated parmesan cheese, garlic and a bit of parsley make a wonderful spread for dinner rolls. If you choose to use cooked additions, like roasted garlic, make sure it is entirely cooled before mixing in, or the butter will separate. Use savory butters to top steaks, corn on the cob or any other dish you think needs a bit of extra flavor.

For sweet butters, you can add in any combination of spices, too. Pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon butters bake wonderful spreads for toast or waffles. You can also stir in a little bit of jam to make a fruity butter or maple syrup for a deliciously sweet addition to oatmeal. My favorite compound butter is served by Bill Granger in his Sydney restaurants: honeycomb butter, which has bits of smashed honey candies stirred in.

To store, simply return the mixed butter to the fridge to firm it back up. If you prefer to be able to slice your butter, shape it into a log on a piece of wax paper before refrigerating.

All you aspiring food photographers (and some of you professionals) should have a look at photographer Michael Ray's Food Photography Blog. Organized more as collection of Ray's articles than as a blog, the site has tons of interesting tips and techniques that pros and amateurs will find useful. Granted, those of us that take pictures for our blogs probably aren't going to hack up our barbecue grills and install lights and gels underneath them when we photograph our tuna steaks. Nevertheless, plenty of Ray's insights about lighting and composition are good to keep in mind for when we're in our own studios, er, kitchens. This step-by-step photo walk-through of setting up a shoot is especially cool.

[Photo: Michael Ray]

The New York City campaign against sous vide cooking continues, but with a little bit of new light shed on the subject. As expected, it is not the practices of all chefs who use the technique that are under fire, but the practices of some who are risking the use of the cooking method for all. According to this week's New York Times, the cooking technique that locks in moisture and flavor by keeping the food sealed in a vacuum might also lock in bacteria because some sous vide chefs also store their food in vacuum sealed packages.

Contrary to popular belief, vacuum sealing a food is not enough to prevent the growth of bacteria and cooks who store and cook their food in the same container are risking the health of their customers. In France, where the technique originated, chefs are required to cook food immediately after it has been sealed and cooked to an internal temperature of at least 132.8 degrees F, at which point most of the potential bacteria in the food will have been killed.

The health department's new guidelines will not be released until the summer, and until then chefs who use sous vide in New York risk facing charges of a misdemeanor, with a possibility of imprisonment.