http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/dining/how-to-cook-thanksgiving-dinner-frequently-asked-questions.html 2014-11-21 20:04:17 How to Cook Thanksgiving Dinner: Frequently Asked Questions Answers to common Thanksgiving cooking questions. === TURKEY AND GRAVY Read our complete guide on Q. How much turkey should I buy? A. Q. How long can you keep an uncooked turkey before it spoils? A. Q. How long does it take to thaw a frozen turkey? A. Q. Can you safely defrost a turkey at room temperature? A. Q. Should I brine my turkey? A. Q. Where can I safely store a turkey while it brines? A. Q. Do I need to rinse off the turkey before I start cooking it? A. Q. How long should I roast the turkey? A. Q. How do you know when the turkey is done? A. Q. Should I baste the turkey? A. Q. Do I need a roasting rack to roast a turkey? A. Q. Is it dangerous to cook the stuffing inside the turkey? A. Q. Should I truss my turkey? A. If you do stuff your bird, trussing, helps keep the stuffing in its proper place, and it makes for a neater presentation. Q. How long should you let a turkey cool before carving and serving? A. Q. A. Q. What type of knife do you recommend for carving the turkey? A. Q. What’s the best way to manage time so that all the food gets to the table on time and hot? A. The turkey should come out of the oven 30 minutes before it is served. Other dishes can be timed to bake before the turkey is roasted so they can be finished when the turkey goes in and will only need reheating in that half-hour while the turkey rests. You can also plan on dishes to be cooked or reheated on top of the stove and not in the oven. Q. What should I do if the turkey is ready early? A. Q. How can I reheat my turkey without drying it out? A. Q. What are some alternatives to a whole turkey for a festive meal for two? A. Q. What’s the difference between stock and broth? Which do I use for stuffing and gravy? A. Q. I made turkey stock after last A. Watch Sam Sifton make SIDES Q. I’m preparing the traditional side dishes the weekend before the holiday. Is it O.K. to freeze them? A. Q. What do I need to know to make smooth mashed potatoes? A. Q. What can I prepare before Thanksgiving Day? A. You can make cooked cranberry sauce (rather than a relish) and start your stuffing up to six days ahead. Our Make vinaigrette and wash salad greens, if you’re serving salad, up to three days ahead. Wash the greens and dry them well, then wrap them loosely in paper towels, place in a plastic bag and put them in the crisper. If you’re serving butternut squash, peel, seed and cube it. You can also peel and cut up carrots, rutabaga and beets, and separate cauliflower florets. The day before Thanksgiving, you can make stuffing and the filling for pumpkin and pecan pies. Ditto for an apple pie if your recipe calls for cooking the apples first. Store in the refrigerator. You can’t make mashed potatoes ahead of time, but you can make this See some of our favorite Q. How do you make cranberry sauce? A. DRINKS Q. Should I serve red or white wine? A. Q. What drinks should I serve on a dry Thanksgiving? A. PIES Q: Why does my pie crust crumble when I roll it out? A: Q. If I don’t have dried beans or pie weights, what else can I use to prebake the crust? A. If you don’t have pie weights or dried beans, the most effective weight to use is another pie dish. If you don’t have another pie dish, cover the crust and rim with aluminum foil and fill with rice, popcorn or tiny pasta (messier than dried beans, but equally effective) to prevent the bottom crust from buckling. See our foolproof Q. How far ahead can I bake pumpkin pies, and how do I store them? A. Q. Do pies need to defrost before they are baked? A. VEGETARIAN, VEGAN AND GLUTEN-FREE Q. What’s a good main course for a vegetarian or vegan Thanksgiving? A. But many traditional holiday casseroles and mashed vegetable dishes contain milk, eggs, butter and cream, so they aren’t suitable for vegans, who eat no animal products. If you want to serve a protein-rich vegan dish that works as a traditional main course, consider this recipe for Q. Can you suggest recipes for gluten-free gravy and stuffing? A: Melissa Clark’s recipe for