Thanksgiving 101 [Paperback]

Rick Rodgers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 1998

100 Thanksgiving recipes so good you'll use them throughout the year!

On the fourth Thursday in November, 75 million American families sit down to the hearty feast known as Thanksgiving dinner. But earlier in the week, someone in the house has been worrying about doing that dance between mashing potatoes and mixing stuffing; about basting fourteen pounds of turkey and baking that pumpkin pie; and about getting it all on the table at just the right moment.

One of the most popular cooking teachers in America, Rick Rodgers has taught his Thanksgiving 101 classes for years, and now he's collected all of his know-how, recipes, menus, and trade secrets. Rick is with you every step of the way, from shopping through chopping, from choosing the best recipes to selecting the right wine. Whether you're looking for turkey and all the traditional trimmings, chutneys, and chowders; a vegetarian dinner with just the trimmings; or new ideas for regional classics, including Cajun- or Italian-inspired tastes, Thanksgiving 101 serves up a delicious education for novice and experienced cooks alike. You'll have a seat in the front row as Rick teaches you how to:

Feed twenty-four people when your oven can only hold a twelve-pound turkey
Transform leftovers into satisfying lunches, dinners, and sandwiches
Deal with turkey safety and handling issues
Save time by learning what can (and can't) be prepared days or weeks in advance

With Thanksgiving 101 you'll never have to worry about this holiday meal again. Rick Rodgers will help you create memorable Thanksgiving dinners year after year.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Getting ready for your first turkey or dissatisfied with the dry results you got last year? Not to worry--"Mr. Thanksgiving," Rick Rodgers, is here to teach Thanksgiving 101. And he ought to know. For the last eight years he has been traveling the country to teach his class as the media spokesperson for Perdue Farms, an industrial giant among turkey producers.

Before getting to what he calls the "Main Event," Rodgers has advice about how to plan ahead and coordinate the labor to make the day itself more enjoyable. He opens with sections on appetizers and beverages (Glittering Spiced Walnuts, Spicy Cheddar and Pecan Balls, Bloody Marys and Ramos Fizzes) and soups and salads.

The "Main Event" is everything, absolutely everything, you would want to know about buying, thawing, prepping, and roasting a turkey. You needn't look any further. There's a long question-and-answer-style section that anticipates any questions you might have. Then it's right on to everything from Perfect Roast Turkey with Best-Ever Gravy to Holiday Meatball Lasagna.

Follow all that with sections on stuffings and dressings, side dishes, yeast and quick breads, desserts (there's more to do with that pumpkin than make pie--how about Pumpkin-Walnut Roulade with Ginger Filling?), and leftovers (Turkey Tetrazzini), and you can see how Rick Rodgers's Thanksgiving 101is the cookbook equivalent of one-stop shopping for your holiday meal. --Schuyler Ingle

From Publishers Weekly

In his briskly informative, humorous fashion, Rodgers tells you Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner but Were Too Harassed to Ask. A Thanksgiving specialist?he's the author of The Turkey Cookbook and teaches Thanksgiving 101 classes?Rodgers has developed and refined over 150 recipes, surefire cooking methods and detailed timetables to help the anxious host and hostess master all aspects of the national feast. Whether unmolding the cranberry mold, serving up lively vegetables (Not Your Grandmother's Succotash), baking Buttermilk Biscuits, mastering do-ahead gravy, mashing lump-free potatoes or roasting a bird?10 different ways?Rodgers reassures the cook in the kitchen. Along the way, he gives some snazzy twists to the basics, e.g., "Tamale" Stuffing with Pork, Chiles and Raisins, Scalloped Yams with Praline Topping, and Pumpkin-Walnut Roulade with Ginger Filling. Menus, informative essays on ingredients, a complete q&a section on turkey, great pies and inspiring leftovers (tacos to Tetrazzini) complete the confidence-building course.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1st edition (October 6, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767901363
• ISBN-13: 978-0767901369
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,594,793 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rick Rodgers is one of the most versatile professionals in the food business. Through his work as a cooking teacher, food writer, cookbook author, freelance cookbook editor, and radio and television guest chef, his infectious love of good food reaches countless cooks every day.

Rick has been guest chef on the national television shows Today, CBS Morning Show, Good Morning America, Cooking Live with Sara Moulton, Food Network Challenge, and many others, including media appearances in every major local market.

Rick's combination of down-to-earth humor and solid information brought him the prestigious Bon Appetit Food and Entertaining Award for Outstanding Cooking Teacher. In addition to his publishing work, Rick teaches sold-out cooking classes from coast-to-coast, as well as the occasional international stint (including Korea and France) and he is a speaker at many festivals and seminars.

Rick lives in the New York City area. His website is www.rickrodgers.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for 1st time or 99th time Thanksgiving cooks!, October 18, 1998

By 

Frank Dunnigan (Santa Rosa, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thanksgiving 101 (Paperback)

Rick Rodgers has many previous cookbooks to his credit, but this is his best. Whether you are a veteran at Thanksgiving dinner prepapration, a first-timer, or somewhere in between, this volume will give you ideas, strategies, and a couple of wonderful stories about how the author has handled the meal over the years.

The recipes deal with formal service, buffets, and even a possible solution for cooks who have to deal with televised football that is in competition with the meal. Whatever your meal plans, there are ideas & solutions here.

There are many traditional dishes documented clearly for those of us who were not paying attention at Grandma's or Mom's elbow, along with some more modern variations on the Thanksgiving theme. Above all, Rodgers knows and understands the limitations of the average American kitchen, and just how much space that we have available in our freezers, refrigerators, and ovens. The recipes acknowledge this nicely, and he often presents a top-of-the-stove alternative to some dishes, rather than forcing us to jam yet another casserole into an already overcrowded oven.

On the subject of buffets (which more of us seem to be embracing nowadays), he gives some practical suggestions so that the host/ess does not end up with half a dozen veggie casseroles, but no salads. Many of the recipes have steps that can be prepared earlier in the week, and then put into play on the Big Day.

Most of all, there is a nice tone to the book. The author acknowledges many of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes that we have all known or experienced (Jell-O molds, Campbell's Green Bean Bake, canned cranberry sauce), while gently presenting alternatives for those who would like something just a little bit different this year.

It's only mid-October, but I now have my family's Thanksgiving dinner planned right down to the desserts!

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rick Saves Thanksgiving, January 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Thanksgiving 101 (Paperback)

I am a non-cooking, hotel hopping film actress. I've been on the road for several years, spending most thanksgivings eating room service turkey or having some European Film Crew Chef attempt to prepare the quintessential American Feast. Do they even eat Turkey in France? This year I found myself at home and, under pressure from my very large Italian family, I made my first T-giving turkey dinner.I happened upon Rick's book and studied it feverishly. I stashed it in my kitchen in a strtegic location; lest I be accused of cheating. My meal went off like a charm. So well, that my Catholic guilt got the best of me and I confessed. Each of my five sisters summarily went and bought the book. I can't wait until next year.Thank you Rick, With appreciation, Linda Fiorentino.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Thanksgiving Miracle, August 6, 2000

By 

Jenny Crusie Smith (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thanksgiving 101 (Paperback)

I can't cook at all and this book taught me to make incredibly good gravy. Everything else was wonderful, too, but the gravy was the part I figured was the impossible dream. If I can cook from this book and succeed, ANYBODY can cook from this book and succeed.