Here in the U.S. many of us cook turkey no more than once or twice a year, for special holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas. But in Mexico turkey is a common fowl that people eat year round. In the mexican restaurants I've been to here in the U.S. mole poblano is almost always served as a sauce for chicken, but in Mexico turkey is just as likely a candidate for mole.

And so my favorite preparation for leftover thanksgiving turkey is to slather it in mole poblano. Even dried out, overcooked turkey can be given new life by this miraculous sauce. I strongly prefer the Rogelio Bueno to the Dona Maria. I dilute the mole with the stock I make from the turkey carcass.

With some turkey stewed in mole poblano and served over white rice, some fried sweet platanos and sliced avocado on the side, an ice cold Corona and lime to squeeze over everything, I can pretend for a few minutes that I live someplace warm.

That's exactly the kind of "out-of-the-box" answer I was looking for. Thanks Becca!

Any serious cook should know how to properly steel their knife before use, and even to occasionally touch up the blade on one of several available sharpening systems. But for issues of serious blade damage or blade geometry I whole-heartedly recommend seeking out a knife sharpening professional. There is definitely a point where a cook's ability (and responsibility) to basically maintain a blade ends, and where a professional's knowledge, skill and experience takes over.

Knife sharpening might not exactly be rocket science, but there is more than a little science in knife sharpening, which involves everything from blade geometry to crystalline structure of the steel. But even more than science, knife sharpening is an art that (like any art) requires daily practice to master and to retain.

Professionals have the correct tools, they have the experience, they have the instinct, and they have the art. There is nothing shameful about seeking out professional help when we reach the limits of our own abilities, and the limits of what we should reasonably be expected to know how to do for ourselves.

I promise that you will not be disappointed. You might think that you do a pretty good job of sharpening your knives. But I bet when your knife comes back from the pro you will have to say "Wow!!!" when you experience the difference between your edge and the professional's edge.

All of the best chef's maintain their own knives. I guarantee that every one of those chefs also periodically send their knives out for professional maintenance. I suggest that you bite the bullet, swallow your pride, and do the same.

I agree with you about using fine table salt instead of the the kosher salt. Most of us "foodies" are used to using kosher salt out of habit. But in this case you are absolutely right: the finer grain of table salt adheres to the popcorn much better than kosher salt. I've often wondered if there was any salt that was even finer than table salt. Is there any such thing as a powdered salt that might be analogous to powdered confectioner's sugar? I think something like that might be even better still for popcorn. Does anybody know of any sort of powdered salt product? Let us know.

I recently read (I think it was someplace here on CHOW) about using a wok for popcorn. What a great idea!!! The gently sloped sides channel un-popped kernels down into the heat, and the hi domed wok cover allows popped kernels to migrate upwards. Although I own a couple of different size and type woks, and I use them often, I've always used a fairly heavy-duty soup pot. Now I feel like a moron for not having thought for myself to use a wok.

Since I'm using the wok, I use peanut oil out of habit. But I also add a shot of toasted sesame oil to the peanut oil. Toasted sesame (whether it be the seeds or the oil) is one of my favorite flavors / aromas in general. Adding a hit of toasted sesame oil to the popping oil ends up infusing the popcorn with the sesame flavor, which compliments the distinct toasted corn flavor very nicely. For popcorn I prefer this toasted sesame flavor much more than the 'traditional" butter flavor (even if it's real butter).

I finish the popcorn with some salt, garlic powder and a hit of cayenne powder. If some of you think that this treatment for popcorn is strange, then I think you are going to be really shocked when you discover how much of the world dresses its popcorn with curry flavor.

Exactly!

In a dirty glass!