Heat Up The Kitchen With Time Saving Tips And Thanksgiving Recipes

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- There are just a few days left until Thanksgiving, but cooking for the holiday doesn't have to be stressful.

CBS2's Alex Denis showed us a few tricks to add flavor to your meal and save time.

Web Extra: Classes At Sur La Table

Cooking recipes that call for garlic? Don't waste time peeling the outer layers, Chef Joel Gamoran with Sur La Table suggests shaking them away.

"You have the head of garlic, crumble it in there, or crush it in there depending on how frustrating Thanksgiving is going for you. Put a smaller bowl on top and shake the living daylights out of it," Gamoran said.

In seconds the cloves are peeled ad ready to use.

Chopping an onion doesn't have to bring you to tears. Wearing glasses can ward off unwanted fumes, and a few simple cuts creates perfectly chopped squares.

"Start with your hand on top, cut horizontally, but don't cut all the way through," Gamoran said,"Twist the onion, now just using the top of your knife, cut little strips, all the way down, but not all the way through."

Making mashed potatoes? Don't toss the peel, Gamoran said. Instead, combine the peels with herbs and garlic, wrap in a cheese cloth, tie the top, and add the bag to the pot of boiling potatoes.

Don't chase your ball of cooking string around the around the counter, contain it in a pot for easy access.

If you're afraid of drying out your turkey, carve it before it's cooked, then boil it in a bag while monitoring water temperature for an hour-and-a-half. In the end the bag will be filled with flavorful juices and moist turkey.

For desserts Gamoran offered another helpful tip.

"Every recipe with a flaky crust calls for really small bits of butter. We use our fingers but our fingers melt it," he said.

Use a cheese grater to keep the butter cold, and eliminate a pie pan by folding the crust. When it comes out of the oven golden brown, just add a dollop of whip cream and enjoy.

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