Thanksgiving Day Revisited: No Time For Beginner's Cooking Lessons...

A Recap Of Thanksgiving...And A Public Service Announcement Concerning Cooking...

I sure hope that everyone had a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday spent with family and friends. Mine was nice. My family doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving in the same manner as history dictated with the pilgrims and the Indians, only to have the pilgrams later take the Indian's land. Rather we use this day to give thanks to the Lord. Let me run down everything that happened. A week before traveling to NC, I planned to bake a double layer coconut cake as part as my contribution to the Thanksgiving dinner. Well, folks things didn't work that way. I caught a nasty cold the day before Thanksgiving. I had that scratchy feeling in the back of my throat that let me know that a cold was on its way. Bummer dude!!! But I charged forward on Thanksgiving morning. I managed to straighten up my place before making the 4 1/2 hour (really 5 hours...ole lead foot) trip home. I got home in just enough time before I lost my taste buds, because of the cold. I'll just say this though. Nothing, I say, nothing beats a home cooked meal. Mom threw down in the kitchen. I knew that she would. That's why I skipped breakfast and lunch. Plus, it was nice to spend time with my parents and sibblings. But I tell you what. To make up for the missed cake, I'll bake it around Christmas. Maybe I'll bake a pecan pie too.

Warning Ticket: Here's A Public Service Announcement For Non-Cooking Folks Who Try To Break Bad And Try To Cook A Thanksgiving Meal!!!!

I'll tell you what precipitated this warning. The other day I called friends to see how their Thanksgiving holiday went. Most told me that they had a great time. The food was great. And the time spent with family was priceless and memorable. That's so sweet. But then a friend of mine told me about his holiday. He said that he spent it with family like everyone else. However, he told me that the person who proudly designated herself as the Thanksgiving Chef made a terrible mistake, which indicated to me that she was a newcomer to the world of the kitchen. The cook didn't know any better to remove the liver and gibblet bag from inside the cavity of the turkey and to wash the turkey thoroughly. *Gross-O-Rama X 10* My friend said that the cook was nice, yet very embarrassed. But his family overlooked that mishap and still enjoyed the company of the family. They grinned and bared the mishap by just shifting the turkey around their plates without eating it. I'm glad that everything else went well.

But, really, why of all days do new learners try to learn how to cook on the Super Bowl of Dinners? Thanksgiving is no ordinary dinner. The best spread of food is supposed to be laid out. And dinner guests don't feel like hearing why the dinner rolls look like charcoal or why the turkey still looks raw and gamey. People wish to partake in a delicious meal. And they want seconds, thirds, and a doggie bag so that they may enjoy a late night snack at their homes. So stop playing around, Chef newbies. Stop the madness, I say!

All cooking rookies don't lose faith though. It would be wise for the rookies to practice cooking Sunday dinner throughout the year. Or at least practice cooking period. Cooking doesn't have to be scary for you or your dinner guests. Cooking can be quite fun. I try to have mercy on some non-cooking folks, because they weren't raised to cook like myself. However, I will say that there is a wealth of information out here on how to prepare food properly. Last week, the rookies could have consulted a basic cookbook, called the Butterball turkey hotline, searched the internet for recipes, watched the Food Network, or simply called a longtime cook who wouldn't have minded passing down a few time-tested recipes and techniques. I only say this, because year after year I always hear of at least one person who doesn't know to clean out the turkey's cavity. For that matter, it applies to all meats, such as cornish hens and chickens. I can only wonder how many times possible harmful bacteria multiplied in an uncleaned bird. Trust me. I'm not trying to gross anybody out. I just want people to realize that food safety and cleaniness play a large role in preparing a delicious meal. Besides, no cook wants to hear about his dinner guests getting sick behind his food. Don't give up. Just practice and practice until you get good at cooking. ;-)