Today we are talking turkey. We are sharing our turkey memories and stories and lots of turkey tips. For many of us we are getting into the holiday season and that often includes a full turkey dinner. It can be one of the biggest joys of the year or one of the biggest culinary challenges you face.

Either way, everyone will find some turkey inspiration from what Kirstie calls Jody’s Turkey Manifesto. It will answer all your questions. Should you brine? What temperature is safe? Can you cook your turkey the day before?



Jody and Kirstie not only answer these questions and more, but they also break down the process into manageable steps and debunk a few turkey myths along the way. Whether you are a seasoned pro or roasting your very first bird, this episode is packed with turkey tips and inspiration to help you find the Joy of Cooking this holiday season.

Key Topics & Takeaways:

• Kitchen Stories: Kirstie shares a "Weekly Win" recipe for a Zucchini Meat and Cheese Lasagna, perfect for using up garden gluts or eating gluten-free..
• The Turkey Manifesto: Jody introduces the ultimate guide to decision-making for your bird. This includes choosing between fresh or frozen and determining the right size (aim for 1.5 lbs per person).
• Brining Basics: The chefs explain the difference between wet and dry brining.
• Tip: Dry brine with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of turkey for 24 to 48 hours.
• Temperature Matters: Stop guessing and use a thermometer.
• Breast meat should reach 157°F to 160°F.
• Thigh meat should reach 175°F.
• The Make-Ahead Hack: Jody’s secret to a relaxed holiday is cooking the turkey the day before, carving it cold, and reheating it in stock and butter.
• Gravy Gold: How to use turkey necks and roasted bones to create a rich stock, ensuring you never run out of gravy.

Chef Over Your Shoulder is our podcast about the connections we make through cooking. Pairing professional Chefs Jody O'Malley and Kirstie Herbstreitand from the Culinary Studio with me, a burn-to-the-bottom-of-the-pan expert, creates the perfect “recipe” to demystify the kitchen and bring back the joy of cooking…without the pressure.

Links and Resources

Zucchini Lasagna

Jody's Turkey Manifesto

Guide to Brining Turkey

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The Culinary Studio Website

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Amy Schlueter Instagram

The Culinary Studio Facebook

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Jody and Kirstie’s Kitchen Gadget Essentials

Are your kitchen drawers overflowing with tools you never use?

Today is going to be a fun one because we are raiding our kitchen drawers. That is right. We are talking about kitchen gadgets and the tools that actually spark joy versus the ones that are just gathering dust.

We discuss the absolute essentials that every home cook should own. Including a bouquet of strainers and the right pair of tongs. Jody and Kirstie share the magic of the microplane, the importance of a Y-Peeler, how to treat your wooden cutting board and why you should recycle your pasta grabber immediately.

Jody and Kristie also reveal who rolls out dough and cookies with a rolling pin and who bakes with a wine bottle.

Find your next kitchen gadget here!

Key Takeaways

• What We Ate: Kirstie’s secret roasted potato snack (with a specific mayo-to-ketchup ratio) and Jody’s "duelling soups" challenge.
• The Bouquet of Strainers: Why you need a fine mesh strainer (the "Romper Room" size) and a bamboo spider for pasta and blanching.
• The Essential List: The magic of the Microplane (Rasp), why tongs are an extension of the hand, and the importance of a Y-peeler.
• Baking Tools: The debate between French rolling pins and wine bottles.
• Cutting Board 101: The truth about wood versus plastic and how to sanitize your wood board using salt and lemon.
• Gadgets We Love (and Hate): The practicality of an oyster shucker, the surprising utility of a pineapple corer, and why you should recycle your pasta grabber.

Chef Over Your Shoulder is our podcast about the connections we make through cooking. Pairing professional Chefs Jody O'Malley and Kirstie Herbstreitand from the Culinary Studio with me, a burn-to-the-bottom-of-the-pan expert, creates the perfect “recipe” to demystify the kitchen and bring back the joy of cooking…without the pressure.

Links and Resources

The Culinary Studio’s Amazon Store

Connect with us!

The Culinary Studio Website

The Culinary Studio Instagram

Amy Schlueter Instagram

The Culinary Studio Facebook

The Culinary Studio TikTok

Jody and Kirstie's Favourite Cookbooks!

This week, we are talking about an obsession that some of us keep very close to our hearts, and our bedsides! We are talking about cookbooks. Are they just collections of cold, hard instructions, or are they something more? We think they are much more. They are diaries and travelogues, filled with kitchen inspiration and cooking tips. When you open a great cookbook, you are not just getting a recipe, you are getting the author’s passion, techniques and sometimes their life story.

Are your cookbooks gathering dust? Do you follow the recipe exactly, or do you experiment? This week, Jody and Kirstie are revealing their secrets to finding true inspiration. Funny enough, most of that inspiration comes from old notebooks, family recipe boxes and a cookbook that doesn’t have any recipes in it!

Before we hit the books, Amy had some homework to do this week. She made Kirstie’s chicken noodle soup. Listen to find out if she had another kitchen disaster and what her family thought.

Spoiler Alert: The Culinary Studio recipes are easy to follow so things turned out alright!

Chef Over Your Shoulder is our podcast about the connections we make through cooking. Pairing professional Chefs Jody O'Malley and Kirstie Herbstreitand from the Culinary Studio with me, a burn-to-the-bottom-of-the-pan expert, creates the perfect “recipe” to demystify the kitchen and bring back the joy of cooking…without the pressure.

Links and Resources

Jody and Kirstie’s Top 10 Cookbooks

Connect with us!

The Culinary Studio Website

The Culinary Studio Instagram

Amy Schlueter Instagram

The Culinary Studio Facebook

The Culinary Studio TikTok