BATTERIE DE CUISINE

1. Whisk: Narrow ones for mixing flour and fat to make gravy, fat ones for whipping cream.

2. Cotton Twine and Trussing Needle: For sewing shut any turkey parts that may need it.

3. Strainer: For sieving lumps from things that are supposed to be smooth (like the gravy you didn’t whisk well enough).

4. Pastry Blender: For cutting butter into flour to start a pie crust.

5. Instant-Read Thermometer: How else do you know when the turkey’s done?

6. Poultry Shears: For making those little nips and tucks even a Tom sometimes takes.

7. Trussing Kit: Not what you think, just an easier way to sew the turkey shut.

8. Potato Masher: You didn’t really think they came from a box, did you?

9. Bulb Baster: It’s a lot easier than trying to maneuver a spoon full of hot fat around a 25-pound bird.

10. Pastry Brush: Lots of uses, actually--applying glazes to pies, brushing roasting juices on turkeys, painting your masterpiece. Just don’t use the same brush for all three.

11. Cheesecloth: Some cooks do, some cooks don’t--soak it in melted butter and use it to keep the breast moist.