Pop culture culinary chaos,in time for the holidays!

Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays that doesn't force folks into buying gifts(at least not until the day after)or competing with the neighbors to see who can put the most lights on their house.

No,Turkey Day has it's own unique set of stressful delights such as putting up with those relatives you've purposely moved far away from,football games that seem to last forever and a New Year's day and the big challenge,the kitchen.



A major cause of holiday anxiety is heated up while preparing the meal,with every kind of cooking disaster imaginable happening to someone somewhere trapped between a ladle and a hot stove.

While there are hot lines you can call to help you with your turkey and Food Network shows that offer up cooking tips,I thought it might be a little more helpful to showcase a handful of crazed food prep moments in pop culture. Sort of a schadenfreude seasoning to give those culinary suggestions some extra funny flavor:



Let's begin with the bird-turkey,that is. While the gobbler can be gobbled up during both Thanksgiving and Christmas,some basic rules of thumb apply to either occasion.

For one,be sure to remove any bits of jewelry that you normally wear on your hands or wrists before you start stuffing the bird. Also,if you do wind up adding more than spicy,herbal breadcrumbs inside,do careful about how that unwanted item is retrieved. You can easily get in over your head there:



Of course,there's no law that says you have to serve turkey,but if you do choose a different piece of poultry as your main course,make sure that it is well cooked and presented in an easy to serve manner:





Side dishes,like salads and sauces,are very important components of a great holiday meal but tastes and ingredients vary. If you are not able to be the head chef this time around,mellow out about whatever your replacement decides to prepare or how the food is made. Nobody likes a backseat cook,it's worse than putting goat cheese in the fennel salad!:





Bread,whether it's the stuffing,rolls or just a couple of buttered slices,can taste even better when it is homemade. Be sure to read the recipe right,however,or you could literally wind up with more than you or your guests can chew:





Speaking of reading the recipe right,be extra careful when experimenting with new dishes that you plan to dazzle your friends and family with. Desserts are meant to be a pleasant ending to a meal,not a trial to swallow down a tasteless trifle or finding creative ways to get rid of a not-so-sweet disaster:





Finally,here's a tip for those of you invited to a holiday dinner who may be surprised by what ends up on your plate. In the spirit of the season, try to be a little understanding about any under cooking or by any non traditional menu items.

Instead of griping at your host about the lack of pumpkin pie,see if there's a way to find a tasty solution,or a back up dinner party you can attend together. Happy Eating to all and to all a good bite!: