Roasting Pan

Satin-smooth gravy is one of the crowning touches of the holiday turkey dinner. For those who don't make gravy regularly, the secret to lump-free gravy is here. For a personal touch, you can add a dried herb (such as thyme, basil, or tarragon) or sliced mushrooms before stirring in the flour.When your turkey has finished roasting, use sturdy meat forks to transfer it to a serving platter. Then pour the meat juices into a two-cup glass measuring cup. Tilt the measuring cup and spoon off the fat, reserving one-quarter cup of the fat. (The fat is the oily liquid that rises to the top.)

Making Thanksgiving dinner is a lot of work, but it is worth it. That - "It is worth it!" - is the mantra cooks should chant to get themselves mentally ready for the big day. There are also some steps the cook and kitchen helpers can take in these final hours to make the meal go smoothly. Here are some pre-meal maneuvers you can undertake today that will help prevent panic tomorrow. Sharpen your knives. : Carving the bird requires a sharp blade. Moreover, there is a lot of vegetable chopping that goes into the meal preparations.

Due to an electronic transmission error, the recipe for roasted tomato salad from "Delia Smith's Summer Collection," printed in this section on June 26, was incorrect. The correct version follows.Roasted tomato saladMakes 4 to 6 servings as a first course12 large tomatoessalt and pepper2 large or 4 small cloves garlic, finely chopped2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil12 large fresh basil leavesDRESSING:2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar12 large fresh basil leaves24 black olivesHeat the oven to 400 degrees.

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the changing leaves, the cool temperatures, decorating with pumpkins and having a wide variety of vegetables in season. Root vegetables like squash, rutabagas, turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes and beets are all at their peak now. They not only are plentiful, but are powerhouses of nutrients. Take beets, for instance. They are loaded with iron, potassium, calcium and zinc. I know beets don't make it on most lists of favorite foods, but I grew up eating them.

Tired of leftover Thanksgiving turkey? How about a different bird, say a plump Canada goose?The trick is to cook the goose just enough. As with all game, when overcooked it becomes tough, dry and tasteless. It doesn't have the natural fat of barnyard poultry.The bird should be cooked to a golden brown, maybe blackened just a bit in splotches. Probe it with a fork or knife, and if it seems tender and juicy, it's done.You can compensate for the lack of natural fat in a goose when roasting by laying strips of bacon or salt pork over the breast.

How do you hoist your bird?That is the question on the mind of America. Or it will be soon. Once the holiday bird -- turkey, goose, chicken, capon, pigeon or whatever -- is ready to emerge from the oven, cooks face the problem of artfully moving the main course from the roasting pan to the serving platter.Spearing it with a fork won't do. Few forks are strong enough to handle a big bird. And even if the fork is willing, the bird often isn't. A forked bird usually falls apart en route to the platter.

MOST FAMILIES HAVE Thanksgiving traditions they consider set in stone. My family, with its strong southern roots, wouldn't consider it Thanksgiving without a generous serving of sauerkraut.Family traditions are what Anthony and Kathyrn Blue say prompted them to write "Thanksgiving Dinner" (Harper and Row; 1990). Here is one of their recipes.Upside-down Turkey2 cloves garlic, minced1/2 teaspoon fresh or a pinch dried of the following: rosemary, marjoram and thyme2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons driedSalt and pepper to taste6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened1 12-pound fresh turkey or defrosted turkeyStuffing of your choice2 cups dry white wineChicken stock or chicken broth for bastingIn a food processor, combine well the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper with the softened butter.

Brunch on Sunday seems to have taken the place of the meal that once anchored the week. But there's something to be said for a leisurely midday or evening dinner. Instead of rushing about on Sunday as if it were just like any other day in the week, why not take time one Sunday to gather with family and friends for a delectable meal and easy conversation.Roast Chicken With Citrus and ThymeServes 6 (with leftovers)1 orange, scrubbed and cut in half1 lemon, scrubbed and cut in half1 7-to-8-pound roasting chicken, giblets and neck reservedsalt and freshly ground black pepper8 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthwise8 sprigs fresh thyme2 onions, coarsely chopped2 carrots, coarsely chopped1/2 cup dry white wine1 1/2 cups defatted reduced-sodium chicken stock1 teaspoon Dijon mustard1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold waterPlace oven rack at the lowest position.

When the weather turns cool and crisp, I change my cooking style, especially when entertaining. I put away summer recipes for chilled soups, light salads and iced beverages and think instead of heartier fare. Thick, rich soups, satisfying stews and warm mulled cider come to mind. My husband and I would like to have several friends over for an autumn dinner, so I am planning a menu with these Cornish hens as the main course. Cornish hens as the main course. I'll serve them with buttered fettucine and a sauce made with the pan drippings.

For summer, keep to the best of the comfort foods. Topping the list of seasonal favorites are great ribs, tender and meaty with a spicy kick.You don't need a smokehouse or any special equipment other than your oven to make great ribs. There are two basic styles of ribs: braised wet and roasted dry. I prefer the braised method for ribs with a tender texture, but the roasted version is terrific for developing flavor.The ribs are rubbed with a spice blend. It caramelizes along with the juices of the meat during roasting to develop a deep, rich flavor.

On a whim one day, we invited one of my husband's new colleagues for dinner the following evening. I decided to serve roasted pork tenderloins with prunes and apples. The tender slices of pork topped with ebony-hued prunes and crimson apple slices in the sweet, yet tart, cider sauce made a distinctive fall main course. For sides you could garnish the pork with pairings of haricots verts and buttered carrots, or roasted butternut squash and wild rice. Add a green salad as I did and serve a good purchased sorbet.

Goose is the bird of choice for the holiday table in many parts of Britain and Europe. In Austria, Northern Italy and Slovenia, it is as beloved as our Thanksgiving turkey. But especially in Germany, goose reigns supreme. According to a German saying, "A good roast goose is a good gift of God." And Germans are known to complain that the trouble with a goose is that there is too much for one person and not enough for two. Americans are not as familiar with goose, and I, for one, had never cooked one until last year.

I am having a dinner party and want to cook a whole tenderloin to slice for serving. What is the best way to cook it and at what temperature? I would like to serve it medium-rare to medium. Even though tenderloin is expensive, you are definitely serving something that everyone will love. Before we start with how to cook it, let's go buy that wonderful piece of beef. Now, the assumption is that you are willing to drop about 80 bucks for a 5 1/2 - to 6 1/2 -pound whole tenderloin, but when you consider that that averages about $5.50-$6.

I HAVE HEARD that it is important to have goals in your life. Accordingly, my goal during this particular stretch of my journey on the planet is to make good turkey gravy while cooking the bird on the grill. In barbecue terms this is the equivalent of having your cake and eating it, too. Traditionally, cooking the bird on the grill has been a trade-off. You get a great-tasting, smoky bird. But since the bird has been perched on the grate of the grill, not in the oven in a roasting pan, there have been no pan drippings and, hence, no gravy.

For the next few weeks, as Christmas approaches, our small, quiet New England town will come alive with holiday entertaining. This year, my husband and I have opted for a small get-together: a simple buffet for 10 at our house. Cider-Roasted Turkey Breasts will be the centerpiece of the meal. I'll serve the breasts sliced, napped with sauce and garnished with fresh sage and thyme along with apple wedges. Side dishes will include a wild rice pilaf, a bowl of mashed sweet potatoes and turnips, and glistening cranberry chutney.

In the coming days, Christmas and New Year's will bring friends and family to many tables, including ours, so I have been culling my files for roasted meats to share at these celebrations. I found a recipe for fennel-and-mustard-scented leg of lamb, which I served to visitors earlier this fall. The roast, simple to prepare, was bursting with flavor and was quite popular with our friends. It would make a perfect centerpiece for a holiday meal. A platter of roasted vegetables, including red-skin or Yukon Gold potato wedges, thickly sliced carrots and wide strips of fennel, drizzled with olive oil and cooked in a hot oven until tender, makes an excellent accompaniment.

The women's magazines at the supermarket counter always seem to be trumpeting a plan for putting dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. But when I've had a hard day, I like to make something that takes a long time to cook.It only sounds contradictory."Quick meals," for the most part, require that you attack the kitchen with the sort of zeal and efficiency that would impress a time-and-motion expert.A slow-cooked dish -- particularly a braised one -- gives you a chance to unwind. After you've started it, you can have a drink, read your mail or a book, watch TV or telephone a friend.

In the coming days, Christmas and New Year's will bring friends and family to many tables, including ours, so I have been culling my files for roasted meats to share at these celebrations. I found a recipe for fennel-and-mustard-scented leg of lamb, which I served to visitors earlier this fall. The roast, simple to prepare, was bursting with flavor and was quite popular with our friends. It would make a perfect centerpiece for a holiday meal. A platter of roasted vegetables, including red-skin or Yukon Gold potato wedges, thickly sliced carrots and wide strips of fennel, drizzled with olive oil and cooked in a hot oven until tender, makes an excellent accompaniment.

When my cooking students ask me how I determine whether a restaurant is good or not, I often reply, "It's all in the vegetables." I explain that if a chef pays attention to these side dishes, you can be certain the rest of the menu will also be carefully prepared. The same adage applies to home chefs. Show me the cook who presents beautifully cooked vegetables, and I know the other dishes will be just as tempting. In the fall, a new crop of vegetables appears: squashes in all colors and shapes, huge cabbages, tightly coiled Brussels sprouts, and fresh rutabagas and sweet potatoes.

When the weather turns cool and crisp, I change my cooking style, especially when entertaining. I put away summer recipes for chilled soups, light salads and iced beverages and think instead of heartier fare. Thick, rich soups, satisfying stews and warm mulled cider come to mind. My husband and I would like to have several friends over for an autumn dinner, so I am planning a menu with these Cornish hens as the main course. Cornish hens as the main course. I'll serve them with buttered fettucine and a sauce made with the pan drippings.