My First Turkey or Highland Park Cafeteria I Miss You!

Every family has their holiday traditions and up until 5 years ago, ours had a dinner tradition unlike most.   And because of this, I used to brag that I made it 50 years without roasting one of America's culinary icons.  True fact!

I live in Dallas - home of the famed Highland Park Cafeteria - why should I bother to cook a turkey?    When we "holiday-ed" in town we would just place our order with HPC.   You could order everything from just a turkey to a full blown meal complete with pies, tea breads and green bean casserole. Everything came in the best containers and the reheating instructions were included. I figured it up one time and by the time you bought everything you needed to make that one meal, it was actually cheaper to have HPC do the work for you. AND they had the best "toting" box for your dinner. Cardboard liner with cutouts for the smaller containers, nice and sturdy. That big box was re purposed for Christmas storage decorations. Sigh...it was heaven....

The day before Thanksgiving and Christmas we would trot ourselves down to the cafeteria parking lot, get in line, tell them our name and they would hand us a box with our order.  Visiting with the other "smart" people (aka other people who don't roast turkeys) was half the fun.  Occasionally you would recognize someone from the previous year and have a nice chat.  I like chatting up strangers in a line.  You never know WHO you might meet. 

Well, things change and eventually HPC stopped selling their meals.  But have no fear!  Central Market came to town!  With even more gourmet catering.  (Loves me their wild rice and fruit pilaf).   A few years ago I called in my turkey order to Central Market.  Thought that year, we would just order the precooked turkey and make the rest of the sides.  That's not too bad, right? 

Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, I march into Central Market and queue up in the Turkey Only line.  The line inches forward, but I am not paying that much attention.  I am mentally making my list, checking it twice.  I get to the front of the line, give them my name and out comes my turkey. 

Let me tell you what happened next is the God's honest truth.  They bring out my turkey.  I look at it and the first thought that crosses my mind is "How did they manage to get that cooked turkey back in the plastic bag?"  Which was quickly followed by the thought "Oh %@&.  I have an UNCOOKED turkey!" 

All I can say is thank goodness for the Internet.  I didn't even bother unloading my groceries.  Panicked I ran in the house, googled "how to cook a turkey".  Then I called my mother's bestie, Katherine.  She is a wonderful cook.  (Side note:  I once mentioned to her daughter Ellen that Katherine's stuffing was the best I had even eaten.  Ellen told me that stick of butter Katherine puts in might have something to do with it.  You have never lived until you have been a guest at Katherine's table.) But...I digress.

I will spare you all the details, but I realized cooking a turkey wasn't too hard and my first turkey didn't turn out too badly.  Life changes and so must we.  Making a new holiday tradition isn't always a bad thing you know.

Enjoy your Turkey Day.