How to Carve a Turkey Without Cutting Off Your Fingers!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner (next Thursday). What better way to enjoy your feast than without any missing fingers?

The Food Education Project at Montefiore Medical Center held an hour-long workshop session today on how to carve a turkey the correct way. With a carving knife, a curved meat fork, a cutting board, a serving platter, and last but not least the turkey, Eduardo Perez from the Market Access Culinary Group demonstrated how to smoothly and safely carve your bird.

Here are his step-by-step instructions:
1. Choose a sharp, thin-bladed carving knife. Running your knife along the bottom of the turkey, find the place where the thighbones meet the body.
2. Slip your knife into the joint to separate thigh from body on each side.
3. Separate the drumstick from the thigh using the same technique (cut through the joint, not the bone, wiggling the drumstick to locate the joint).
4. Running your knife along the bone, separate the meat from the thigh and drumstick; try to get as much as possible in one piece.
5. Cut thigh and leg meat into thin slices.
6. Use your knife in the joint to separate wings from body on each side.
8. Carve thin slices off one side of the breast, cutting parallel.
9. Repeat with the other side of the breast

Perez gave the audience this recipe to a Peruvian quinoa salad to go alongside your turkey. Something to add to your Thanksgiving feast!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

2 cups Roland Red Quinoa, prewashed
2 cus Roland Artichoke Quarters
4 cups Hot Water
2 cups Roland Capers
1 cup Roasted Red Pepper, Sliced
0.5 cups Pland pitted Ripe Olives, Sliced
1 cup Roland Garbanzo Beans
0.25 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
0.5 Vinaigrette dressing

In a large saucepan bring hot water and quinoa to a boil. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and chill.

When quinoa is cool, add all remaining ingredients. Add dressing and toss until all ingredients are evenly distributed and well-coated.

Garnish with whole artichokes. Serve and enjoy!

Have a safe and fun Thanksgiving everyone.

Countdown to the Bronx International Film Festival: June 17-19

The Bronx News Network is co-sponsoring the Bronx International Film festival, which starts on Thursday, June 17 and runs through Saturday, June 19, at Lehman College. In the run-up to the festival, we're going to post previews to some of the featured movies.

Below is the trailer for "Defin" (or "The Burial"), a narrative short film from Turkey that will air on Saturday night.

Here's a short synopsis, provided by the festival operators:

"The Burial \ Defin” is the story of two brothers who have a bond stronger than blood. The legend starts in the 50s, in a dark unknown place where two merciless gangsters (Tarik and Kenan) fall in love with the same girl. And it resolves with the murder the girl (Selma). Upon this, the brothers leave the town and the ones who know the real story keep their silence for years as the story turns into an urban myth. Until 20 years later, same two men appear and start inquiring the past. Now nobody is safe. Like every deadly secret, there is a time when somebody has to pay.

Defin from Goksel Ergene on Vimeo.

For more trailers and details about the Bronx International Film Festival, click here.