How Do You Cook Your Turkey?

By Denise Herschel

What can a kindergartner’s Thanksgiving turkey recipe offer you that homemaking and culinary expert Martha Stewart’s can’t?

How about sprinkles. And maybe some gummy worms.

When it comes to deciding on a unique turkey recipe that the Food Network has not heard of yet, just ask a group of five and six-year-olds in the kindergarten class at College Achieve Public Charter School in Neptune how the beloved bird should be prepared for some ideas.

Steven Broadnax, 5, said everyone should buy their turkey at ShopRite and take the tag off of it. “We put it in the oven and when it’s done put macaroni and cheese on top of it. I like to add seasoning. Then I put a cherry on top. I have sweet potato pie too!”

Five-year-old Dior Goodman said her turkey from ShopRite will be a foot long. “It cooks in the oven for five minutes. My dad cooks it. He’s a good cook. I like to drink apple juice with my turkey,” she said.

While a few students go to the supermarket to get their Thanksgiving turkey, there were a few who were “catching” or hunting for their dinner.

Classmate Roman Rogers Diaz said he would find his turkey in the woods by his house and take the feathers off of it. “I have to do that before I put it in the microwave. I do it for 20 minutes. I like to eat turkey. I ate it last year,” he continued.

Valerie Garcia Merino also agreed that she would go on a hunt for her turkey. But she was not sure where ― Walmart or Target. “I think it would be at the store. The turkey would weigh 100 pounds. I cook it in a pan and put pickles on top of it. I am a good cook,” she said.

There was a strong debate as to how big the turkey would be and what it would weigh.

Five-year-old Liliana Owens said the turkey would be about 200 pounds while classmate Ayan Lane said it would be at least five pounds and as big as her foot. But after a pause both children decided that they didn’t know the real answer to the question. “I just know that I can watch YouTube to see a turkey dance. That’s all I know. I am only five!” Liliana said.