4/9/2012
Today is the cut off date for participation in our 30 Day Challenge. Of course anyone is always free to answer the questions on their own and on their own blog as long as Cherlyn and I are given credit (links) with this particular grouping of question. What I mean by cut off is I will no longer be updating the participant list with additional names. In fact if you are participating and have less than four total posts on this, the ninth day of the challenge I will be removing you name from the list.
It is very time consuming to try to visit the 28 participating blogs everyday only to find no new posts for that day. I apologize if you feel this is unfair but I must do what I feel is best for the majority of participants. Thank you.
My worst cooking disaster involved _____________ and this person/these people…
A turkey and most of my family members. It was a stupid and yet careless mistake. It is a mistake I hear all the time though. I cooked the turkey with the plastic giblet bag still inside of the turkey and we ate it anyway.
I didn’t know about all the harmful chemicals that could have or did get into the turkey meat from the heating of the plastic bag. I’m even embarrassed mentioning it again. I could have poisoned my family and not know it. Who knows if there are any residual effects from those chemicals?
I did not hide the fact that I did something so moronic but everyone thought it was still okay to eat, so we did. Now I know better. I don’t remember if it was Thanksgiving or not, but it was a big deal get together. I was determined to have a moist and delicious turkey. I think it might have been my first time cooking turkey. I used champagne to baste it with and put loads of butter underneath the turkey skin. Seasoned well with Adobo seasoning and tarragon. It did taste good and was super moist. It was just the addition of the unnatural chemicals that added more to the meal than anyone expected.
Morning Erection 
#1 by Jenn on April 12, 2012 - 9:08 AM
I say cheers to the Monosodium Glutamate for added taste to your Turkey. Somehow it helped you have a decent meal. But yeah, it’s kind of frustrating especially if after trying your best in cooking but it didn’t come out the way you want it. But how I envy you Tom, I’ve always wanted to cook turkey but I’m not sure if there’s turkey here in the Philippines :(
#2 by Fay Moore on April 11, 2012 - 10:32 PM
Should our paths ever cross, let’s eat out.
#3 by koisevilla on April 11, 2012 - 9:11 AM
Lol way to put in a little something extra tom! Ü glad nobody got hurt or poisoned though ü
#4 by mynakedbokkie on April 10, 2012 - 7:54 AM
This is not the first bag in a turkey I have read about. Lol. Good lesson for me. Haven’t done a turkey. Just seems like such a huge thing to mess up, and I am positive I would do a shocking job. X
#5 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:59 AM
You will do fine. All you really need to remember is not to make the same mistakes all of us have made and try what I told WildcatNova Caroline.
#6 by wildcatnova on April 10, 2012 - 7:49 AM
minus the chemicals, that turkey sounds fabulous!
#7 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:58 AM
It was nothing compared to the turkey I made this past Thanksgiving. If you are all about presentation don’t try this but if you just want a good tasting turkey, cut the turkey down the middle and spread it flat on a baking rack. Flat like that it takes half the cooking time. Its a great quick way to bake a chicken too.
#8 by happyhippierose on April 10, 2012 - 7:24 AM
the champagne sounds so fancy!! i’ve never cooked a turkey all on my own, so don’t feel bad – who knows what kind of mistakes i’m bound to make when i actually try it myself.
#9 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:56 AM
Whatever you do, don’t forget to tell us how things go when you do get the chance. I want to hear how things go and don’t forget to remove the plastic bag.
#10 by nenskei on April 9, 2012 - 10:03 PM
I want to try Turkey someday!
#11 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:54 AM
I hope to remember to prepare that for you at the next nude dinner party!
#12 by AnonymousBurn on April 9, 2012 - 12:48 PM
I’ve heard this happens frequently. I’m glad that your turkey was still edible. Sorry about the public gaffe, though, that’s always a bummer.
#13 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:54 AM
It seems I am in good company.
#14 by savesprinkles1234 on April 9, 2012 - 7:59 AM
That’s not so bad! I’ve known a few other people who’ve done the same thing and everyone survived. My cooking disaster also involves turkey. I was trying to get it out of the roasting pan to serve and it somehow managed to slide it off of the platter into the sink. The sink was clean, but to be on the safe side I gave the side that touched the sink a little bath! Turkeys are tricky little beasts, eh?
#15 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:53 AM
Sounds funny but can I ask how you bathed your turkey side?
#16 by savesprinkles1234 on April 10, 2012 - 9:19 AM
I just wiped it off with a wet paper towel and then dried it with a dry one! I didn’t tell anyone! ;)
#17 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 9:27 AM
Understandably! See this is another reason you should be doing this. Next year I hope. It’s gonna be in February.
#18 by Cherlyn on April 9, 2012 - 4:51 AM
Well, I’m sure this happened quite some time ago, so I’m sure no one got sick from it – so at least with that you can knock on wood. Turkey is always a daunting thing to cook – which is why I still let my mom cook it on Easter/Thanksgiving/Christmas lol She’s the only one I trust not to burn the house down, not overcook the turkey, and especially not undercook the turkey haha.
I agree with TemptinSweets99 – despite the plastic bag, the turkey sounds delicious!
#19 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:52 AM
It was awhile ago, yes. I’m sure your mother does a great job but I would like to hear your success story one day!
#20 by Cherlyn on April 10, 2012 - 2:44 PM
Haha one day :)
#21 by PM on April 9, 2012 - 3:56 AM
it’s an edible turkey with plastic trimmings, what a great dish tom! :lol: hey, i hope you had a great easter celeb with your fam too!
#22 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:50 AM
Funny PM! Yes we had a great Easter. Thanks.
#23 by Vanessa Chapman on April 9, 2012 - 2:48 AM
Yes, like Ina says, we ingest so many chemicals through so many different sources, I really wouldn’t worry about this, I doubt it made any huge difference to anybody’s long term health that day! The one I feel most guilty about was on my daughter’s second birthday; she loved Elmo so I made her an Elmo birthday cake – the frosting had such a large amount of red food colouring in it that her poop came out red! I felt terrible about having done that to her and no doubt all the other party guests too!
#24 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:50 AM
Forgive me, I must say I did laugh at the thought. The one thing that would have bothered me if I was one of those parents is red is the color of blood and I would have been worried for a minute.
#25 by Ina on April 9, 2012 - 2:36 AM
This happens to many of us :) if it is a comfort, and we get a lot of chemicals in our bodies without knowing. Also a lot of comfort :)
#26 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:48 AM
Thanks Ina. You are right about that and as long as we eat right, our liver will filter out those harmful toxins.
#27 by Pryanka on April 9, 2012 - 1:54 AM
I only wonder..was there an additional taste to the turkey from the chemicals? I’ve never cooked a turkey myself, and only had it a handful of times, sooooo I have no idea what a plastic giblet is!
#28 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:47 AM
Inside of the turkey is a plastic bag filled with edible insides like giblets and kidneys. It is important to remove the bag before cooking. There was no discernable added flavor to the bird.
#29 by Sylvia on April 9, 2012 - 1:47 AM
I’ve only cooked a turkey once or twice. I have remembered to take out the giblet bag, but my turkey does not look like a Martha Stewart’s turkey after I cook it. The legs are spread wide open, not a pretty site. :)
#30 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:45 AM
Perhaps not on a turkey… I’m sure despite how it looked though, the bird tasted good?! Yes? No?
#31 by TemptingSweets99 on April 9, 2012 - 12:11 AM
Turkey basted with champagne? Wow! If I were there, I would have eaten your turkey, too, whether you forgot the plastic bag or not. ;-)
#32 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 8:44 AM
It was good. Next time I want to use Moscato instead. I think I like the taste better. You can do the same thing with a chicken. Try it and don’t forget the butter underneath the skin!!
#33 by TemptingSweets99 on April 10, 2012 - 12:05 PM
How do you put the butter under the skin?
#34 by Tom Baker on April 10, 2012 - 12:11 PM
Great question. First you get some room temp. butter and mix onion powder and garlic powder in. Mix it well. Then grab underneath any part of the bird where the skin is attached and scoot your hand or fingers in and the skin will detach itself from the fascia (the whitish covering) and then you just add as much butter as you want.
#35 by TemptingSweets99 on April 10, 2012 - 12:13 PM
Hmmm! Very interesting, Tom. Thanks! I’ll try it and let you know!