This and that

[moccacino]

I bought a Kodak Easyshare CX7300 digital camera along with a 128 MB memory card for INR. 6990/-. It is small and neat with enough features to cater to my needs. Now I can click as many pics I want of Raed and in Kerala. Yay!

A franctic landlord's son knocks in the morning and tells us to quote the rent as 3200/- if anyone comes asking. I said, "Fine, from now on I will write you a cheque of 3200/- instead of a 6000/-." He heheh'd sheepishly and said income tax guys might come knocking and that's why. Grrrrrrr, thieves! I asked mom (since I won't be home when the income tax people come) not to lie thus and if asked for the rent amount, to tell them that I know it and she doesn't.

I got the tickets to Kerala but not from Kerala. I don't want to get stuck there but I am going anyways :P



Turducken

Seasoning
Mix the following ingredients for the seasoning and set it aside:

• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons dried thyme

Sausage stuffing

1. Melt butter in large skillet over high heat.
2. Add 3 cups onions and 1-1/2 cups celery.
3. Saute until onions are dark brown but not burned for about 10 mins.
4. Add 2 lbs sausage to the skillet and cook about 5 minutes or until the meat is browned, stirring frequently.
5. Add paprika (3 tbsp.) and minced garlic (3 tbsp.) and cook for approximately 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
6. Stir in 3 cups of stock and bring to simmer.
7. Cook for about 10 minutes until water evaporates and oil rises to top.
8. Stir in 2-3 cups toasted bread crumbs and mix well. Add more bread crumbs if the mixture is too moist.

Prepare a similar amount of corn bread stuffing.

Preparing the Birds

1. Debone a turkey, a duck, and a chicken (except the legs and wings of the turkey).
2. At least 10 to 11 hours before dinner, assemble the Turducken. Spread the turkey, skin down, on flat surface, exposing as much meat as possible. Rub 3 tablespoons of seasoning mix evenly on meat. Spread sausage stuffing over the turkey in an even layer approximately 3/4 inch thick.
3. Do the same with the other birds and overlay the turkey with the duck and the chicken.
4. Lift the sides of the turkey, and sew the bird back up. The bird may not close perfectly, and a strip of cheese cloth can be used to help close the "crack" in the back of the turkey so stuffing will not leak out when the bird is turned over.
5. Flip it over and place in the roasting pan. Since the turducken has no skeleton, it must be trussed up or it may fall apart in cooking.

Cooking

1. Heat oven to 225 degrees F. Temperature control is critical since the turducken is so massive that it has to be cooked slowly at a low temperature to prevent burning the outside before the interior is cooked.
2. Place the bird in the center of the oven and bake until the temperature at the center of the bird reads 165 degrees. Cooking time: approximately 9 hours.
3. No need to baste, but remove accumulated drippings from the pan every few hoursand save them for gravy.
4. Remove the turducken from the oven and let cool in the pan for an hour before serving.
5. Make gravy according to your favorite recipe or follow the procedure given below.

Simple Gravy: Take 1 cup of pan drippings plus 1 cup of flour and cook over medium heat until "tan". Add 10 cups stock to fat/flour all at once. Whisk thouroughly. Bring back to a boil and then simmer for 5 min. Whisk constantly. Add salt + pepper + paprika "to taste".

Serving: To serve, cut the bird in half. Carve crosswise so each slice reveals all 3 meats and stuffings. This Will make 15 to 25 servings. Gorge!