You turn hotdogs with tongs. Don't you ever use those tongs on a hamburger.
There is an old story that says that Julia Child dropped a chicken on the floor when she was filming 'The French Chef.' And then - that, in fact, is not true. She just, you know, dropped some potatoes she was trying to flip in a pan.
It's never about the screwup - it's always about the recovery. That's the thing about it... if it comes out a little rare you call it carpaccio. It comes out a little overcooked, you shred it up and put in on a sandwich.
A big thing that gets people in trouble in the kitchen is not reading the recipe from start to finish before you cook it. Before you start anything, read through the entire recipe once.
One year, we tried to deep-fry a turkey. It must have been really humid outside, because the temperature of the oil got thrown off. It ended up being slow-cooked in oil - black on the outside and raw on the inside.
Fried vegetables, often overbattered and undercooked, tend to disappoint me with their tough or soggy crusts.
A lot of Thanksgiving days have been ruined by not carving the turkey in the kitchen.
Never be tempted by water. The water tap should be sealed at lunchtime. If, for example, a sauce goes wrong, adding water doesn't help at all; one only achieves a taste of dishwater.
I don't know anyone who hasn't overcooked at least one turkey, myself included. It's easy to do.
If I have committed any culinary atrocities, please forgive me.
