= Holiday Entertaining TIS THE SEASON (NAPSA)—For a holiday meal friends and family will be glad to gobble, consider these tips from the experts at NextDayGourmet.com: Q. Whatsize turkey should I buy? A. For a whole turkey, chefs recommend allowing one pound of turkey per person. If you like leftovers, allow up to 1% to 2 pounds per person. Q.Do I have to baste my turkey? A. No, for a moist turkey, brush or spray some cooking oil over the skin. Basting actually slows the cooking process because every time you open the oven door, you let the heat out. Q. What’s the best way to thaw a frozen turkey? A. Refrigerator thawing is the recommended method, however, you can submerge the turkey in cold water. If you thaw in the refrigerator, keep the turkey in the original wrapper breast side up. A ten-pound turkey will take almost three days to thaw in the refrigerator. Cold water thawing is a good idea if you’re short on time or the turkey hasn’t thawed completely using the refrigerator method. Keep the turkey in the original packaging and completely submerge. Change the water every 30 minutes. Allow roughly 30 minutes per pound for thawing. Never thaw a turkey at room temperature—this could promote bacterial growth. Table-Setting Tips Dinnerware, silverware and stemware should be carefully checked for chips and spots. Silverware is placed in the following order: fork to the left of the plate, knife and spoon to the right of the plate. As easy way to remember the proper order is putting the silverware in alphabet- 1. Napkin 2.Bread andButter Plate with Butter Knife 3. Salad Fork 4. Dinner Fork 5. Dessert Fork 6.Soup Bowl ona Liner Plate 7. Service Plate 8. Knife 9. Teaspoon 10. Soup Spoon 11. Water Glass 12. Wine glass 13. Wine Glass nextdaygourmet.com NextDayGourmet.com says, before you party, make sure you have enough serving platters, plates, glasses and cups. ical order, starting from theleft. If serving bread or rolls, the bread plate should be placed to the upperleft of the dinnerplate. Entertaining Tips Don’t try new recipes during holiday meals. Not knowing how something is going to turn out or how it will taste will only add stress to your day. Do yourself a favor; go with what you know. Make sure you have enough bowls, platters and serving utensils to accommodate the menu you've chosen. If you're having a lot of people, consider a buffet. You may also want to consider renting tables and chairs. Use cloth napkins and table linen wheneverpossible; they look better and last longer. For other holiday entertaining information and gift ideas, please visit www.nextdaygourmet.com.
