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Community Corner

Thanksgiving Tips From The Experts

Union County retailers provide their top recommendations for making this year's Thanksgiving celebration sensational.

The week leading up to Thanksgiving is often fraught with panicked planning, attic-to-basement deep-cleaning, guerrilla warfare grocery shopping, and midnight cooking sessions—especially for the host. To bring the stress level down a notch, many Union County businesses are offering their services, products, and expertise on how everyone, including the host, can have a Happy Thanksgiving minus some of the fuss.

First and foremost, there is the bird to consider. Local supermarkets are running different holiday specials on fresh turkeys. Both A&P and Stop & Shop have low price guarantees (one bird per customer), while Shop Rite is offering a free turkey to Price Plus Club customers who spend $300 between October 18 and Thanksgiving.

Now that you’ve secured the bird, how are you going to cook it? John’s Meat Market in Scotch Plains reports that the most popular preparation method for Thanksgiving turkeys is baking. Some of John’s helpful cooking tips include: keep turkeys refrigerated (not frozen) until ready to cook, don’t forget to remove the giblets and neck from the cavity, and roast 15 minutes per pound at 325 degrees.

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According to butcher Charlie Bauman, a few of his customers order the traducken for Thanksgiving every year, which is a boned turkey layered with stuffing, layered with a boned chicken, layered with more stuffing, layered with a boned duck, and then rolled up. Because the traducken needs to be cooked all the way through, Bauman advises it should be cooked for approximately 30 minutes per pound, and it usually takes longer than a turkey.

“I have other customers who deep-fry fresh turkeys,” Bauman said. “But the latest trend this year is salt-brined turkeys, which are marinated for 24 to 36 hours before cooking. Some people really like it, but I’m a traditional guy. I like turkey the old-fashioned way.”

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And what about the stuffing, ham, cranberry relish, and side dishes? John’s sells both spiral and regular hams, as does Honey Baked Ham in Watchung. Robert Treat DeliClyne & MurphyXocolatz, and 16 Prospect Wine Bar & Bistro in Westfield are also all taking orders for prepared Thanksgiving meals and catering platters to go. Any of these delicious heat-up and serve options can help cut down on cooking stress and keep the oven free for the main event.

Vegetarians can also partake if the Thanksgiving feast with Trader Joe’s Tofurkey Roast & Gravy product. The Westfield specialty grocer also offers a number of other vegetarian and vegan main course, stuffing, and side dish options.

Now that the food is under control, what are the best beverages to serve with the holiday meal? Springfield’s Wine Library offers a number of helpful suggestions and gift guides. With a Thanksgiving-specific list of 25 recommended wines to fit every budget from $7 to $50, the Wine Library’s knowledgeable staff is ready to help solve the age-old drinking dilemma of red versus white to go with turkey and all the trimmings.

“Most people think of pinot noirs and zinfandels when they think about Thanksgiving,” said Brandon Warnke, vice president of the Wine Library. “Both of those reds tend to match very well with different types of foods. They’re the most popular, and they are great choices for a really big meal. For whites, I usually recommend reislings for Thanksgiving. For whatever reason, most people either love it or hate it. A lot of people are under the misconception that reislings are all very sweet, but that is not the case at all. There are some excellent reislings in a drier style that are really good wines to pair with food. Another wine to try is Primitivo, a red wino from Italy. It’s very popular now, and it’s outstanding. We’ve turned some of our customers on to Primitivos, and it’s really opened their eyes. Because there will be so many different kinds of food on the table, any of these wines would be excellent options.”

Brant Krihak, beer manager of the Wine Library, also offered the following beer recommendations for the holiday. “There are three types of beer that really work. Generally, you want a really hoppy IPA (India pale ale). The bright flavors give a good contrast to the subtle potatoes, gravy, and turkey. Or, you can go with a nut brown ale which has a good, toasty, finish at the end. Another option would be a seasonal beer that carries a lot of spice to it. Some winter seasonals have cinnamon and nutmeg. Some of them taste like pumpkin pie in a bottle. Beers like these with warm seasonings to them would work well with dessert.”

To dress up your holiday table and show off the big meal in style, Donna Puzella, owner of Sweet Nothings in Summit, suggests utilizing small, Thanksgiving-themed décor accents and multi-purpose items.

“Placing a chocolate turkey or chocolate autumn leaves by each place setting adds depth and color to the table,” advised Puzella. “It’s very affordable and the little pops of color scattered around the table look beautiful. Dips and spreads are easy and great for appetizers. They can double as condiments over leftover turkey sandwiches. You can also use some dessert items as part of your centerpiece to embellish your table. That way you’ve got your dessert ready to serve and you’ve also got a pretty centerpiece—as long as you can keep the kids away from it until after dinner.”

And while on the topic of dessert, Sweet Nothings retails several "one-bite," pre-made items such as petit fours and truffles. Cookies, pumpkin cheesecakes, and a number of fruit pies can be found atNatale’s Summit Bakery, and Cranford’s A Toute Heure is currently taking orders for their popular pear toffee cake featuring fruit from New Jersey’s Migliorelli Farms.

But what if this Thanksgiving means sticking to a budget or your tradition is a smaller celebration where you don’t have to turn on your oven or wash one single dish? Scotch Plains’ Stage House will be open and offering a three-course prix fixe sit-down dinner in both their restaurant ($39) and tavern ($34). Chez Catherine in Westfield is also featuring a turkey-themed dining menu on Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving just might be the most indulgent holiday of the year. It is a full 24-hour period completely devoted to relaxing (or trying to) with family, eating until you have to unbutton your pants, and then lying around digesting. It is the only holiday where taking a nap in the middle of the day surrounded by a house full of guests is not only perfectly acceptable, but expected. But no matter what you decide to cook or how you decide to celebrate, the most important thing to remember is this: the whole point is to be thankful. Besides, Christmas is still 29 days away.

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