“Let’s talk turkey!” It’s a phrase we’ve all heard before, usually when things are about to get serious. But where did it come from? Why do we say it? And what on earth does turkey have to do with serious business?
While the origins of this saying aren’t clear, according to some historians, the Pilgrims would often ask Native Americans for advice about this strange new land. Many of the conversations centered on the supply of wild turkeys, and it got to the point where, whenever a colonist approached a Native American, he would say, “You come to talk turkey?”
Speaking of turkey, the Thanksgiving feast is next week, and chances are your meal will include this traditional bird. Instead of stuffing the turkey with dressing and cooking it in the oven, some Thanksgiving chefs choose to smoke the bird instead. I did this last year, and while the meat was delicious, the process was more than a little tedious. It involved starting the smoker at midnight, and then getting up every few hours to add more charcoal and apple cider…for the next 12 hours!
This year, I’m planning to go back to my more regular method – the deep fryer. Down South, deep frying the turkey is a popular process, probably because it feels less like a chore and more like a sporting event – my brothers-in-law and I stand outside with beers in hand, keeping a close eye on the fryer! Plus it’s fast: at just 3.5 minutes of cooking time per pound of defrosted turkey, you’ll be enjoying that post-turkey nap much sooner. I should warn you though – just like a sporting event, the stakes are high. Make a false move (like forgetting to defrost the bird), get injured at a crucial moment, literally lose the game, and have a hard time explaining to Grandma why you invited the whole fire department to Thanksgiving dinner.
On The Late Show, Jimmy Fallon asked fans to head to Twitter with the hashtag #thanksgivingfail. The idea was to tag stories of Thanksgivings gone wrong, which Jimmy could share on the show. The results are pretty funny, and will make you feel a lot better about any of your own turkey-related mishaps, past, present, or future.
Go (get your) cold turkey this weekend,
~Bob
