Here's our annual turkey primer:

BUYING

• How much:. Allow 1 to 1 ½ pounds per person for a whole turkey, ¾ pound for a whole breast, ½ pound for boneless meat. For a crowd, buy two small birds (12 to 15 pounds) rather than one big one; turkeys over 20 pounds cook unevenly.

• What kind: Cook's Illustrated magazine didn't do a taste test this year (its 2007 winners: Rubashkin's Aaron's Best kosher, Butterball, Jennie-O), but Epicurious.com did, giving its highest marks to fresh, free-range Bell & Evans turkey.

• Our experience: There are so many flavors on the Thanksgiving table that the brand of bird isn't going to make or break your feast.

THAWING

Defrost a frozen turkey in its original wrapping in the refrigerator, allowing 24 hours for each 5 pounds (three days, for example, for a 15-pound turkey). Thawed, raw turkey will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

• Speed thaw: The only faster safe method is to put the still-wrapped turkey in a sink or big basin and cover it with cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes, and allow 30 minutes per pound.

• Safety first: Never thaw a turkey at room temperature; it encourages dangerous bacterial growth.

PREPPING

Remove and discard wrapping and remove neck and giblets. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt and pepper.

For extra flavor, place coarsely chopped carrot, onion and celery or halved oranges or grapefruit in the cavity.

• About brining: Kosher and conventional turkeys both are treated with salt and therefore should not be brined -- a fad that seems to have run its course anyway.

STANDARD ROASTING

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

• Brush the turkey skin with vegetable oil or rub with unsalted butter.

• Tuck wing tips under the bird and place breast-side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.

• Baste, if desired, with melted butter or pan drippings every 30 to 45 minutes.

• When the turkey skin is lightly golden, tent the breast with foil to minimize overcooking.

• Timing: The U.S. Department of Agriculture gives these approximate roasting times for whole, unstuffed turkey: 8-12 pounds, 2 ¾ to 3 hours; 12-14 pounds, 3 to 3 ¾ hours; 14-18 pounds, 3 ¾ to 4 ¼ hours; 18-20 pounds, 4 ¼ to 4 ½ hours.

Begin checking for doneness with an instant-read thermometer about 30 minutes before the suggested time is up. The turkey is done to USDA specifications when the thigh meat at the thickest point registers 165 degrees.

• About stuffing: It's simpler and safer to bake dressing in a casserole dish. If you must stuff, combine wet and dry ingredients just before using and spoon loosely into the turkey cavity. A stuffed turkey will take up to 30 minutes longer to roast to get the stuffing up to the desired 165 degrees.

ROASTING TURKEY PARTS

Featured in Cook's Illustrated and The New York Times, cooking turkey parts seems to be the ''it'' method this year. If you can live without the tah-dah presentation of the whole, burnished bird, it makes sense: Parts are much easier to handle, and breaking down the bird maximizes your chances of keeping the breast meat moist -- the holy grail of Thanksgiving cookery.

Cook's Illustrated developed this slow-roasting approach:

• Place rack in lower-middle and heat oven to 275 degrees.

• Cover the bottom of a rimmed half-sheet pan (13 by 18 inches) with chopped vegetables (3 onions, 3 celery ribs, 2 carrots) and herbs (5 fresh thyme sprigs, 5 halved garlic cloves).

• Add 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth to pan; place a 12-by-17-inch wire rack over the vegetables.

• Trim excess fat from 1 whole bone-in, skin-on turkey breast (5 to 7 pounds) and 4 pounds turkey drumsticks and thighs; pat dry with paper towels.

• Brush parts all over with melted butter and season with salt and pepper.

• Place breast skin-side down and drumsticks and thighs skin-side up on rack; don't let them touch.

• Roast 1 hour. Turn breast skin-side up and roast 1 to 2 hours longer, until instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees in thickest part of breast and 170 to 175 degrees in thickest part of thighs.

• Set rack, with turkey parts, aside for at least 30 and up to 90 minutes. Pour vegetables and pan juices into a colander over a bowl; use liquid to make gravy.

• To finish turkey, heat oven to 500 degrees. Set rack with parts back in baking pan. Roast until skin is golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Let meat rest 20 minutes before carving. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

LEFTOVERS

Within two hours of roasting, carve any remaining meat off the bones to speed cooling, and refrigerate in shallow containers.

Remove any stuffing from the turkey cavity and refrigerate separately. Use leftovers within three days.

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