The Bird

For more than 80 years, the dearest ladies of my life -- from a grandmother in the 1920s to a granddaughter in 2009 -- have lovingly served Thanksgiving turkeys to my family and me. Nothing is more traditional with us except Christmas.
So it isn't lightly I say what I'm about to say, which is this: In my considered opinion, when you get past the skin, no other food has less taste than the breast of a turkey, except maybe the breast of a chicken.
I most humbly apologize for saying that, but it's time someone did.
Personally I can't even imagine what could be done to make turkey white meat tasty. Still, this week, in the daily paper, a local foodie offered some suggestions along that line.
They're too voluminous to detail here, but they include juniper berries, fennel seed, limes, lemons, oranges, paprika, green and red chile strips, brown sugar, onions, garlic, molasses, apple cider, melted butter, a bottle of white wine and "a couple of soaked cedar planks under the turkey in the roasting pan for an extra punch of woody flavor."
Want to give that a try?
History says John F. Kennedy inaugurated the presidential tradition of granting a "pardon" to the ceremonial White House turkey to save its neck from the ax. I'd like to think he just preferred a prime rib roast or a Virginia ham.