Kitchen MacGyver: Thanksgiving Cover-Ups Worthy of a Covert Operation

Some Canadians will be fortunate enough to be double dipping this weekend.

You know, enjoying turkey with all the fixings for the second time this year thanks to their American friends hooking them up. But, and I speak from experience when I say this, cooking Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings can be overwhelming even for the most seasoned culinary crusader.

After all, you have to have everything ready at the same time, so mistakes are bound to be made and ingredients or cooking implements are bound to be forgotten. Fear not however, I've got tricks and tips that will make you look like a Kitchen MacGyver and no one will be the wiser.
Peeling Potatoes Without the Peeler

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip. Well, only if you would to call losing the peeler right before you're about to prep the mashed potatoes fateful. In any case, it won't turn out to be that bad because Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island has got you covered. That's right, it's Dawn Wells who has the trick that makes a potato peeler unnecessary.

Simply bring some water to a boil and score the potatoes with a knife all the way around. Then, drop the potatoes in the boiling water for 15 minutes. When the time is up, drop the potatoes, one at a time, in ice water. When each potato gets a little bit cool, you should feel that the skin has loosened significantly. Move the skin through your fingers and it should slough off like a knife from a sheath. Still didn't get it? Watch Ms. Wells demo the technique in the video below:





You Forgot the Cranberries, But No One Needs to Know

Celebrity Chef Rocco DiSpirito revealed this one on Anderson Live, reminding us all that cranberries are simply a sweet and sour condiment made from fruit. So just take any fruit you have in your fridge or freezer (strawberries work really well) and mix them in a bowl with agave nectar and vinegar. Do it all to taste and mash up all three ingredients together with a fork. Voila! cranberries reinvented with all kinds of fruits.

No Can Opener? No Problem

This is the classic conundrum of all budding caterers. Forget "To be or not to be," the question really is, "Where did I put that damn can opener?" But, if you can't find it, it's not the end of the world. Every kitchen MacGyver needs a strategy for a world without can openers and luckily, there are many strategies to be had.

The first involves a simple spoon. Point the spoon down and grab it firmly over the scooper. Then stab the edge of the can with the edge of the spoon and go along the edge and stab the spoon down in successive intervals. Second, you can use the classic hammer and nail method. This works best when the contents of the can are liquid. Simply, hammer the nail into the can and pour the liquid out of the created hole.

Finally, and perhaps the best method, turn the can upside down and rub it back and forth on a rough concrete slab, such as a concrete parking stop. This will create perforations and you can use a knife to lift the lid of the can the rest of the way. See the spoon method below:




Undercooked or Overcooked? Turkey Stock is the Answer

Cooking a turkey takes precise timing and a keen eye, so it's no wonder so many have under or over done it at least once. But don't worry, if your turkey flatlines, there's a way to resuscitate it -- it's called turkey stock.

Find a recipe for turkey stock or buy some up at the store and have it made and on hand while you're cooking your bird. Keep the turkey stock on the stove and bring it to a boil. Turn it down and let it cool down, so it is hot, but not boiling. If your turkey is undercooked, cut off the undercooked parts and put them in the covered stock, which will gradually bring them up to temperature.

If your turkey is overcooked, just cut the turkey into very thin slices against the grain and put the slices in the warm turkey stock. The meat will absorb the juices and get as moist as it would if you meant to do that in the first place. It even works if you're reheating the turkey for leftovers. Instead of putting in the microwave, put it covered in the warm stock and let it absorb the juices once again. By the way, you can also moisten overcooked stuffing by coating it with mushroom soup and cutting off the burnt stuffing parts so no one knows the mistake.