This week’s newsletter is brought to you by Life Kit host Marielle Segarra. And just a note: We will not be sending a newsletter next week (Friday, Nov. 24) in observance of Thanksgiving.
I have gotten through several decades of life without having to make a Thanksgiving turkey. I’ve mooched off the toils of my family, shamelessly gobbling up turkey legs. And I’m not planning to stop anytime soon.
But I know there are those of you whose time is up, who are now responsible for cooking Thanksgiving dinner. And I’ve heard the nightmare stories of how hard it is to make a turkey. Some people bought a too-small bird. Some people under-seasoned it. Others cut into their turkey and found out it was … raw.
Lan Lam, a chef, senior editor for Cook's Illustrated magazine and a cast member of the cooking show America's Test Kitchen, has cooked 500 turkeys in her life — and says "it's a lot easier than you would think. It requires a bit of planning ahead but overall the process is pretty hands off."
Lam offers some basic guidance for first-timers on how to prepare a turkey.
🍽️ Figure out the size of your turkey. Many cooking guides will tell you that you'll need about a pound to a pound and a half of meat per person. But Lan says that isn't a hard and fast rule. Generally, "a 10- to 12-pound bird is going to serve eight to ten people with leftovers. You can get away with something a little smaller if you have a lot of sides."
💰 Buy your bird at least a week before Thanksgiving day. If you plan to serve a homemade turkey on Thanksgiving day, buy your bird at least seven to ten days in advance. "Seven days is the minimum because it gives you time" to thaw and season the bird, says Lam.
🎛️ Get that bird in the oven early. Depending on the size of the turkey, you will need three and half to four hours of oven time, says Lam. "So if you're serving dinner at 1 p.m., you're going to have to get your turkey [in the oven] at 9 a.m."
Lam also shares a classic turkey recipe she developed for America's Test Kitchen. It involves roasting the turkey on a hot pizza stone to avoid the dreaded task of flipping the bird midway through the cooking process.
This week, Life Kit spoke to Laura Henny, a bra fitter and owner of The Rack Shack, a lingerie boutique in Brooklyn, N.Y. She explains how a properly fitted bra should fit: “[It] should encapsulate all of your breast tissue. You don't want any spillage on the side and on the top, and you don't want any [gaps] anywhere.”
To find a comfortable bra, make sure …
The band that goes around your chest is horizontal all the way around your body and does not ride up.
The bra straps are not too tight and not too loose. It’s the right fit if you can slide two fingers between the strap and the top of your shoulder,
The underwire lays flat against your ribcage when all your breast tissue is in the bra cups. Get more bra tips here.
✨ We want to hear from you ✨
We have an upcoming episode on holiday decorating. How do you make your home feel merry and bright? What are your sustainable, money-saving decorating ideas? Email us at lifekit@npr.org with the subject line “Merry and bright” and we may feature your tip in our newsletter.
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