How to Make the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

By the time you put down the Halloween candy, it’ll be time to start thinking about Thanksgiving. Here at how to cook turkeyM&D, we’ve got your covered in terms of apps, sides and desserts but you are on your own when it comes to the turkey. But fear not, this post has your back.

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5 Ways to Re-Purpose Leftover Herbs

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

Because most grocery stores don’t allow you to purchase a single sprig of rosemary or just two tablespoons of cilantro, we often end up with more fresh herbs than necessary. It happens and it’s super common, but that repurpose fresh herbsdoesn’t mean they have to go to waste. And they shouldn’t! Fresh herbs take any dish to the next level and I think we can all agree that the less food we waste, the better. THAT is why I am going to share five different ways to help make sure you use every last bit of the herbs you buy. Continue Reading

Glassware Basics

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

When I was working behind the bar, both at M&D and at various other restaurants, I used to get a ton of questions about which glasses were used for which drinks. What’s a highball glass compared to a rocks glass? types of glassesWhat’s the difference between a martini glass and an old fashioned glass? Why are champagne flutes shaped differently than standard wine glasses? Whether you’ve asked these questions out loud or not, I’m willing to bet you’ve thought about them. Either way, I’m going to answer those questions today, right now, in this post.

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Dessert Ideas & A Simple Favor

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

If you’ve been following along with this blog and/or our newsletter for a while, you probably already know that I host a “Friendsgiving” feast down here in Florida every year before I fly up to New York to spend the holiday with my family. For those of you who don’t know, Friendsgiving is thanksgiving piesimple a Thanksgiving dinner shared with close friends before everybody heads wherever they are heading to visit their relatives. Well, I take this holiday very seriously. In fact, at my house, we don’t just eat, we compete. Everybody that comes to dinner also brings a homemade pie for our pie contest. No joke! We have an annual trophy and everything. I have been the winner for the last two years and I don’t plan on giving up my title this year. That’s where you come in. I need some help determining what kind of pie to make.

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