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Sheet pans or "hotel pans" are great for roasting vegetables. Roasted peppers are delicious on their own, drizzled with olive oil, or dressed like a salad. To roast them, cut them into similarly-sized pieces and spread them out on a sheet pan.Toss them with olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and any herbs or aromatics you want to flavor the peppers. A few sprigs of woody herbs like thyme and a few cloves of garlic work well.Roast them at high heat, at least 425F, tossing with a spatula once or twice, until they're tender and brown in spots.

What's the point of resting meat before cutting it?

Letting cooked meat rest before you cut into it can be patience-trying for the hungry carnivore. But it's worth it for a number of reasons. High heat makes muscle proteins in the meat contract, pushing juices toward the center. If you allow your meat to relax -- anywhere from 5 minutes for a steak to around 40 for a turkey -- liquid that has been pushed out of tightened meat cells is able to circulate and be reabsorbed, making the meat more tender. This also means the juice will stay in the meat, not run all over your cutting board or plate. It also helps even out the temperature of the meat. Remove your cooked meat and place it on a wooden cutting board (or, as some chefs insist, on a wire rack above a plate to capture juices, which allows air to circulate on its underside, preventing it from becoming soggy). You can also loosely tent the meat with foil; again, be careful not to wrap it too tightly, lest you lock in the moisture and lose your crisp crust. Note: The internal temperature of meat rises while it rests, due to the residual heat from the oven. So invest in a digital, instant-read meat thermometer and get in the habit of pulling your meat out before it's done to your liking. Recipe: Roast Leg Of Lamb With Garlic And Rosemary (Cookthink) Reference: Does searing meat really seal in moisture? (Cookthink) Reference: Do I need a digital, instant-read meat thermometer? (Cookthink)

How to make a whole roasted turkey

Roasting a whole turkey for the first time can be a little intimidating, especially if you are making it for guests for a special occasion like Thanksgiving dinner. Just follow the directions outlined in this video by Handmade TV, and you will be sure to roast a turkey worthy of everyone's approval.

How to roast a bell pepper

I did this to my unsuspecting pepper on purpose. You should do it too. Roasting a pepper is easy-peasy if you have a gas stove like me. The instructions are pretty much “burn the crap out of the pepper, scrape the gross stuff off, eat.” Want a few more details? 1. Put the pepper directly over a high flame. Have some tongs ready. 2. Watch as it starts to char a little. This is good! And fun. 3. Turn the pepper with the tongs as the skin blackens. Don’t grab the pepper by its stem, tempting as it is, because it may break off as the pepper gets tender. 4. Don’t forget the bottom. 5. Make sure every part is charred, but don’t go too crazy. This is as roasted as you can get before actually burning the flesh inside. 6. Wrap in foil and let sit for 15 minutes until cool enough to handle. The steam created in the foil helps the skin slip off easier, so don’t skip this step! You can also put it in a ziplock bag. 7. Use a knife to cut a circle around the the stem. Pull on the stem to remove the seeds. Make sure the pepper is cooled before attempting this - if the pepper is still piping hot at this point, steam will shoot out and burn you! 8. Pour out any water that has settled inside the pepper. Use your fingers to slip the skin off. Resist the urge to run it under water. I know it’s messy this way, but it’ll taste better if you simply rub the pepper with your fingers or a paper towel to remove the skin - you want to keep the juices and even a few flecks of char for flavor! 9. Slice the pepper into four slabs. So what now? Eat it! Roasted peppers are delicious on sandwiches, blended into hummus, tossed onto pizzas, added to soups, mixed into salads, stirred into pasta sauce… Go nuts. Eat peppers. Recipe: Broccoli Lentil Soup With Roasted Pepper Coulis (VeganYumYum) Reference: How to slice a bell pepper (Cookthink)

What is carne asada?

While carne asada is Spanish for "roasted meat," the phrase is almost always used to refer to a grilled cut of beef. Usually, a thin cut like skirt steak is used, and it may or may not be marinated first. Thinly sliced, carne asada can be eaten on its own or used in burritos, tacos and other wraps. Typical garnishes are guacamole, salsa and grilled vegetables. Popular both in northern Mexico and the American Southwest (where the term is also used as a catchall phrase to refer to a barbecue), carne asada is often more of an event than a dish, with people gathering by a fire and making a social occasion out of eating grilled or spit-roasted beef. Recipe: Skirt Steak With Caramelized Shallots (Washington Post) Recipe: Skirt Steak Tacos With Radishes, Romaine, Cotija And Lime (Cookthink) Recipe: Chipotle Skirt Steak Tacos (Steamy Kitchen)

How to make grilled clams and mussels

These grilled clams and mussels with garlic make a delicious appetizer for summertime barbecues. This instructional video by Handmade TV shows just how easy they are to make.

What is skirt steak?

Skirt steak is the American term for a long, flat cut of beef taken from the diaphragm muscle of a steer. Streaked with fat, the skirt steak can be a delicious and meltingly tender piece of meat when cooked with proper attention. Otherwise, it can taste like shoe leather. Skirt steak can be briefly grilled, seared or broiled to at most medium-rare. It's also commonly stuffed, rolled and slowly braised. Traditionally considered a second-rate cut, skirt steak's popularity rose in conjunction with the fajitas craze of the 1980s. Skirt steak is still the default cut for both fajitas and carne asada. It's also a good cut to use when making a sliced beef salad. Notice that skirt steak's grains run crosswise and not lengthwise, like flank steak. Though it's generally always a good idea to slice skirt and flank steak against the grain and on the bias for a more tender bite, we like (rare) skirt steak cut with the grain, too. The tender sections seem to naturally split apart to create pillowy soft pieces of meat.

How to pan-roast a duck breast

Pan roasting is one of the great ways to cook meat indoors. Any cut of meat that will fit in a pan (chicken breast, steak, pork chop, etc.) can be seared over high heat, then finished in a moderately hot oven. Searing gives the meat browned flavor and crispness, and finishing in the oven helps the meat cook evenly throughout. Duck sometimes seems daunting to cook at home. But a duck breast is about as easy to cook as a strip steak, especially when pan roasted. Searing the breast fat-side down helps render and crisp the thick layer covering the meat. First, I scored the fat side of the breast by making shallow, crosswise cuts. (This helps the fat melt away into the pan.) Then I seasoned the breast generously on both sides with salt and pepper. I heated a tablespoon of canola oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat until it was hot but not smoking. Then I seared the breast fat-side down until much of the fat melted away, and the skin turned brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. I flipped the breast over with tongs and seared the other side for another couple of minutes. I poured off most of the fat, slid the pan into a pre-heated 350F oven and cooked until it was 125F in the thickest part. I let the meat rest 10 minutes before slicing at an angle. It was delicious alongside a butternut squash purée and a simple frisée salad. Recipe: Pan Roasted Duck Breast With Fig Gastrique (Immaeatchu) Recipe: Duck Breast With Curry Seasoning (Serious Eats)

Are turkeys American?

In the 1500s, Europeans found turkeys in Mexico, domesticated them back at home and then repatriated them to the United States when they settled in the new world. America's big, bland national bird was prized by Pilgrims and it's still the main event at our annual feast of shared blessings and family feuds. Ben Franklin's suggestion that the national bird be changed from the eagle to the turkey was largely ignored, as was his cooking advice. For an "uncommonly tender" turkey, he unkindly recommended electrocution. Farm-raised turkeys may be too fat to fly, but lithe wild turkeys do just fine in the air.

How to prep an acorn squash for roasting

Acorn squash have thick, ribbed skins that make them seem tough to peel. Here's how to cut one into half-rings for roasting in the oven. Start by slicing the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds from each half with a spoon, taking care to scrape away all the stringy fibers. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the squash's skin along the ribs. Don't worry about being too neat here. The skin is edible and leaving some on looks nice. Put the squash flat on your cutting board and trim off each end. Next cut it into 1-inch slices. Toss the squash with any spices you like -- cinnamon, cardamom, cumin -- a little salt, sugar and a oil or melted butter. Spread the slices evenly on a sheet pan. Roast until they're tender and brown in spots.

What is Bresse chicken?

Bresse chicken is the unrivaled poultry of Bresse, France, in the Rhône-Alpes. This is a highly prized and not inexpensive bird beloved for its rich flavor, tender pink flesh and bright yellow fat. Poulet de Bresse varieties include the red-crowned, blue-footed, white-feathered Bény, decked out in the colors of the French flag, as well as the black Bourg and gray Louhans. Not any old chicken can call itself a poulet de Bresse, and the real thing, farmed according to exacting standards in a designated area, was the first poultry to be granted AOC protection in 1957. France is so fond of the Bresse chicken that it hardly exports any of its stock. Nevertheless, the American blue-foot chicken, grown from French stock in the 1980s and raised with the same strict diet controls and regulation about the amount of roaming space for the animals, can be found at a price in the U.S..

Root Source: Turkey

what you should know In the 1500s, Europeansfound turkeys in Mexico, domesticated them back at home and then repatriated them to America when they settled in the new world. Our big, bland national bird was prized by Pilgrims and it's still the main event at our annual feast of shared blessings and family feuds. party fowl Ben Franklin's suggestion that the national bird be changed from the eagle to the turkey was largely ignored, as was his cooking advice. For an "uncommonly tender" turkey, he recommendedelectrocution. pilgrim's path Modern culinary wisdom holds thatbrining is the path to a perfectly cooked turkey, but Kim Severson points out that the pilgrims didn't brine. caged bird Farm-raised turkeys may be too fat to fly, but lithe wild turkeys do just fine in the air. feathered friend Big Bird's famous yellow carapace is made from dyed turkey tailfeathers. what you need Barbara Kafka's Roasting tells you everything you need to know about roasting a holiday turkey. Make sure you don't overdo your bird with a "super-fast" instant read thermometer that's as bright red as a turkey wattle. Pause to consider the meaning of Thanksgiving with Barbara Rainey's history of the holiday, meant to be read aloud to the family. what you need There's more than one way to cook a Thanksgiving bird: classically roasted,glazed with maple syrup, smothered with sambal or cider gravy, or garnished with chestnuts and mushrooms. Turkey tenders replace veal in a lovely, lean saltimbocca. A meaty smoked turkey wing replaces the traditional ham hock in a homey heirloom bean and rice dish. Liven up leftover turkey by wrapping it into these crisp spring rolls or immersing it in a spicy mole poblano. Featured: Take the stress out of Thanksgiving with a quick-cooking, no-carve deconstructed turkey that is more than the sum of its parts. Find more turkey recipes at Cookthink.com. And if you haven't yet signed up for a free account at Cookthink, do it now!