This past Thanksgiving I made the best turkey I have ever made after following Alton Brown’s instructions he demonstrated on Food Network’s Thanksgiving special.  After doing the initial cleaning and removing of extra parts stored in the various cavities of the bird, I simply massaged olive oil/vegetable oil all over the bird.  The next instruction was to bake the bird at 500 degrees for the first 30 minutes.  Wow, did that ever give the bird that beautiful golden look that I had never achieved before!! 

After the initial roasting at 500 degrees, you drop the temperature dramatically and let it continue to bake WITHOUT opening the oven!!  In the past, I had opened the oven every hour to baste the turkey.  Apparently, that is a NO NO on both accounts.  I also learned about an oven thermometer to stick in the turkey and that has a timer to set so that you know when the turkey has reached the right temperature.  I had always taken my turkey out when it had already reached the “done” temperature instead of taking it out sooner and allowing it to rest and finish cooking.  That made a tremendous difference in giving us the moistest turkey ever.

That was the most fun I had ever had making a turkey.  It made me excited to make a turkey more often throughout the year than just for Thanksgiving.

Have you ever watched the Food Network show called “Chopped?”  It is amazing to see how different an entree can look when the same ingredients are used and a different chef makes the meal.  Our family has really enjoyed watching this cooking show together.  They recently did a Chopped All-Stars show that showcases many of the chefs on the food network.  We are looking forward to seeing the upcoming final round with the previous 4 winners for the finale. 

Our family finally decided to make our own home version of chopped which was a lot of fun!!  We set up our rounds a little bit differently since it’s quite difficult to have 4 cooks in our kitchen at one time.  We only have 2 “chefs” participating at one time.  Our ingredients weren’t as exotic as on the tv show, but it was still challenging to be creative. 

Our appetizer round featured saltine crackers, tuna, canned stir fry vegetables and baconnaise.  The main course featured hamburger helper, tortillas, chicken and peas.  The dessert round had black beans, chocolate and apple sauce.  My recommendation is that you NEVER include black beans for the dessert!!  I don’t think any of us were able to eat what was made by either of the chefs.

All in all, this was a very fun family evening for all of us.  Those who weren’t cooking in that particular round became the judges.  We are already planning another competition at an upcoming family reunion.  It will be fun to have the different families compete and to see what kinds of unique items we can include in the baskets.

igourmet foodies delight

Exploring igourmet website is like a miniature exploration of paradise.  The first time I visited igourmet my mouth started to water from the first view of the home page. Exploring the vast pages of the selection of the best and exquisite foods was a pleasant and heart warming experience.  Anyone who loves great food and enjoys thinking about sampling new foods and trying new recipes will love to peruse the pages of igourmet looking for new tasty bite.

If you spend time watching any cooking shows on the Food Network, igourmet can help you find the rare ingredients that chefs and hosts like Alton Brown include in their tips and in the recipes they demonstrate.

What to try at IGOURMET

In exploring the vegetable and fruit page on igourmet I came across black truffle paste.  Although it is not the same as fresh black truffle, it is a nice way to add an exotic taste to the finest dishes that you prepare.

Igourmet offers several different clubs that allow you to enroll in a membership program and receive a montly package from igourmet with a sampling of their delicious foods.  My favorite of the month club is the Connoisseur of the Month Club.  In this club igourmet sends you food that takes you on a journey around the world so each month you explore the flavors from a different country or region in the world.  Their other clubs include cheese, coffee, tea, salsa and others.

If the movie Chocolat inspired you about the pleasure of drinking chocolate or cocoa, you will find at igourmet the best drinking chocolates of the world La Parisienne Couture Cocoa is just one of the many options that can entice your taste buds.

If you are not the chef or cooking person but love the taste of fine food at home, igourmet has a whole department of prepared dinners, sides, and desserts that will allow you to enjoy a delicious dinner yourself of host a dinner that will have all your guests talking with items like Maryland Crabcakes, Whole Cooked Lobster, or even Chateaubriand.

Please forgive me for only giving you a brief glimpse of all the glory of this great online service, and allow me to take months to explore all the delicious foods that igourmet has to offer.