HOW TO CARVE A TURKEY There is a ritual at holiday time in this country, the sole purpose of which seems to be embarrassing father while everyone else watches. Carving an unfamiliar bird in front of family and friends is usually a disaster. Father gets nervous and the rest of the food gets ice cold. Do it my way. Carve your turkey ahead of time in the kitchen and present it as a beautiful and finished platter. Father keeps his cool and the mess stays in the kitchen. There is no turkey all over the dining room table. And best of all, all the food stays hot because it is still on the stove. You don't serve all the vegetables until the turkey platter is ready. Now here is how to carve the turkey, first of all, let the bird rest for 10-20 minutes, depending on its size. Then you cut each side of the breast off in one whole piece. With your knife, cut down on one side of the breast bone, then continue cutting up to the wishbone and down to the wing. Remove the whole breast in one piece. Do the same on the other side. Slice the breast meat at an angle and arrange the slices either back on the carcass or on a platter. I like to put the meat on a platter, it is easier to serve and looks better. Cut off the wings and thighs. Then cut the drumsticks off and slice some of the dark meat from the thighs. Arrange all of your meat on a platter. And now you can serve all the trimmings which have remained hot in the kitchen. Try it my way this year and you will never carve a turkey at the table again.	SAUTEED ZUCCHINI 3-4 zucchini 1 small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 3-4 tblsp butter or oil salt 2 tblsp parsley, chopped pepper Scrub, but do not peel the zucchini. Trim off the ends. Slice thinly. Saute the onion in the butter until golden. Add the garlic. Add the zucchini and saute, tossing for a few minutes until the are barely tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped parsley and serve immediately.
CRANBERRY RELISH 1 whole orange, cut in pieces 3 cups fresh cranberries 2 shots Kirsch or Brandy, optional 1/2 cup sugar Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and mix to a coarse consistency. Serve with your favorite holiday dishes.	BRAISED BRUSSELS SPROUTS 2 boxes Brussels sprouts 4 strips bacon 1 onion, chopped salt parsley, chopped pepper Cook sprouts in boiling salted water until they are about three-quarters done. Refresh in cold water. Saute the bacon and drain off most of the grease. Add the chopped onion to the pan and saute until golden. Add the sprouts and saute until they are finished cooking. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with the chopped parsley.
STUFFED ACORN SQUASH 4 acorn squash 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 3 tblsp butter or margarine salt 1 small onion, peeled and minced freshly ground black pepper 2 tblsp chopped parsley 1 to 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs 1/2 cup sour cream 3 tblsp brown sugar, or to taste Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Put the squash halves in a baking pan, cut side down, and add 1/2 inch of hot water to the pan. Bake the squash for 50 minutes, or until the flesh is tender. Cool for a few minutes and scrape out the squash, being careful not to puncture the shells. Puree the squash flesh through a food mill or in a blender or food processor. Put into a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and add the onion. Saute until the onion is golden. Add to the pureed squash with the sour cream, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste and parsley. Mix well and blend in enough bread crumbs to form a firm mixture. Correct the seasonings if necessary. Spoon the stuffing of the acorn shells and sprinkle some bread crumbs over the stuffing. bake in a buttered pan for 30 minutes or until piping hot. Serves 6. The squash can be prepared ahead of time and then just heated up in the microwave or in the oven, but it should be covered with foil so it will not turn brown.	STUFFING LOAF 2 loaves stale bread, diced 2-3 cups chicken stock, heated 6 tblsp butter or margarine 2 cups diced onion 2 cups diced celery 6 eggs pinch of poultry seasoning pinch of dried thyme pinch of dried rosemary salt freshly ground black pepper Put the diced bread into a large bowl and put the hot stock over it. Let sit. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the onion and celery. Saute until the onion is golden. Add the onion and celery mixture to the bread with the eggs, poultry seasoning, thyme and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Pour the stuffing mixture into a large buttered loaf pan and bake alongside turkey for 1-1 1/2 hours. Turn out of pan and slice to serve. If you are baking this by itself, set the oven to 375 degrees.
ROAST TURKEY 1 12-18 lb turkey salt freshly ground black pepper 1 large onion, peeled 4 parsley sprigs 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle turkey inside and out with salt and pepper. Put the onion and parsley in the cavity of the turkey. Do not bother to truss the bird. Put the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Add a little water to the bottom of the pan and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes per pound. Baste occasionally with the pan juices. When the bird has turned brown, cover it with foil, but baste every so often. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, baste the turkey several times with the melted butter. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest, covered loosely with foil, for 20 minutes. Carve and arrange on a platter. Serve with a stuffing loaf or apple stuffing.