It's the end of November and that means it's time to go back inside the holiday kitchen where families across the country are planning recipes and menus for the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday feast. Spice up old favorites or try a new method. There is more than one way to cook a turkey after all.

Let's focus on the centerpiece of the feast, big old bird. The average holiday turkey dinner has about 10 people set around the table which calls for a big Tom Turkey about 16 pounds that comes with a handy dandy little red timer button. When you get ready to prepare your bird start by throwing away that little red device – it never pops and you'll end up with a very dry turkey that no amount of Grandma's Gravy can save. Be sure to take the time to safely thaw your turkey in the refrigerator – the experts over at Butterball suggest one day of thawing for every four pounds of turkey. You'll need to be patient so plan ahead.

Now that you're all thawed and cleaned your turkey don't pull a rookie mistake and forget to check the cavity for the neck and gizzards and other bits and pieces. They can be used for turkey stock and gravy but most of us pitch them into the compost pile. Now that you're ready to prep the bird you'll have a few options for the actual cooking – traditional roasted, southern deep fried, and my family favorite brined and roasted.

For the traditional roasted turkey you'll need salt, pepper, and butter as well as a few of your favorite seasonal spices, the most popular for turkey being sage. Rubbed both inside and out it will give you a crispy skin and subtle flavor.

Want to deep fry that bird – you'll need some heavy equipment including a propane burner, turkey pot, and a few gallons of oil. This should only be done outside in a well ventilated area free from children, pets, hovering family members, and debris. Hot oil burns quickly so you'll want plenty of room around the cooking area, for the sake of safety if this is your first time frying a turkey keep a fire extinguisher handy. A deep fried turkey is fast – only a few minutes per pound as compared to the hours and hours a roasted turkey takes. A tip – the turkey should be completely dry and room temperature when you're ready to give it the deep fry and the oil should be around 350 degrees. For more informaiton on this method check out Alton Brown's "Fry Turkey Fry" episode on Food TV.

In my home, a turkey is part traditional and part easy peasy – we also brine the turkey overnight. Might sound like a lot of work but the end result is the juiciest most flavorful bird you've ever had (even my overly opinionated Brother-in-Law agrees). After your turkey is thawed and cleaned you'll need a big stock pot and a little help from Martha Stewart. Let's face it, she really knows what she's doing when it comes to big meals and what's bigger than Thanksgiving?

The basic brine calls for the following ingredients:
6 quarts water
2 cups coarse salt
2 cups sugar
4 medium onions coarsely chopped
2 carrots peeled and coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks coarsely chopped
4 bay leaves
8 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
4 strips of fresh lemon peel

Bring all ingredients together and boil until salt and sugar have dissolved completely and let the mix cool completely. Submerge turkey, breast side down, in brine. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours, turning the turkey once. Early on the big day remove your turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Let the big fella stand at room temperature 2 hours before you're ready to move to the next step. Be sure to discard the brine.

Using Martha's time tested recipe, preheat your oven to 425°, with the rack in lowest position. Stir 12 tablespoons melted butter and 2 cups of dry white wine in a medium bowl. Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters so that it is large enough to cover the breast and halfway down the sides of the turkey. Immerse cloth in butter mixture to soak. Rub the turkey with a half stick of softened butter (get under the skin too) then salt, pepper, and season with your favorite spices.

Remove the cheesecloth from butter mixture, squeezing gently into bowl. Reserve this delicious butter mixture for brushing throughout the roasting process. Lay the cheesecloth over your turkey and cover the bird completely then place turkey, legs first if space permits, into the preheated oven. Roast 30 minutes then brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture. Reduce temperature to 350° and continue to roast, brushing with butter mixture every 30 minutes and rotating once, 2 1/2 hours (for a 16 pound turkey) and tent with foil if browning too quickly. Pour 1/2 cup water or white wine into pan if juices are very dark brown. And while you're at it pour a glass of vino for yourself. It's the holidays and your family is on its way so you might need a glass or two to manage Uncle "It's Really Hot In Here" and Aunt "You're Doing It All Wrong" not to mention the rest of the clan.

After making the rest of your meal you'll need to get back to the turkey. Discard cheesecloth and rotate pan. Baste turkey with pan juices. Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165° (if you've stuffed the bird then stuffing should also register 165°), 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer to a platter. Set pan drippings aside for gravy, if desired.

When all the cooking is said and done using any method be sure to let that big turkey set for at least 30 minutes for the juices to settle and the meat to rest. It's nearly impossible to carve a steaming turkey and you'll need the time to make really great gravy, get everyone "happily" seated at the table, and toss in a few rolls.

Schmidt's Market and Catena's Market in Southampton are great places to find that perfect turkey. Zip over to the blue duck bakery café for some hearty bread for that stuffing. You'll find wonderful organic produce for those sides at the Green Thumb Organic Farm in Water Mill. For dessert, drop in to Tate's Bake Shop for tasty pies and cakes. And if you're not a big fan of the big bird have the Clamman Seafood Market treat your family to something untraditional.

Enjoy your holiday feast any way you prepare it – roasted, fried, or brined. Butterball has a fantastic hotline that's waiting 24/7 on Thanksgiving for any emergencies and Martha Stewart is only a few clicks away for more ideas and tasty side dishes. Happy holidays, don't forget the pie!