I looked toward Per Se’s blue door and -- whoa! -- my eyes landed on a thick wall of green, one side of a secret garden that’s been erected as an entrance before Per Se’s entrance. Frank Bruni examines Per Se's garden, including how you get things such as lemon trees and pineapples to grow in a mall. I've seen the garden in person, and it's lovely, if a bit odd and unexpected.

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A slideshow of favorite cookies, as selected by editors of Gourmet. Includes recipes, for those inclined to make some.

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Making a gingerbread house

photo by Flickr user baslow

I'm going to be making my first solo gingerbread house this holiday season, and I'm really looking forward to it. The last one I "made" with my mom back in the early 1980s. The highlight was the trip to the candy store to get all the decorations. As I recall, it turned out lovely (alas I don't have pictures) and we all ooohed and ahhed around it for days. Then my mother packed it up for storage in the attic until the next Christmas. The following year, when we when upstairs to get it, we found the box open. Inside, we spied the house with huge chunks missing, pieces of candy broken off, walls destroyed. It was a ruin! Did a mouse get in there? Maybe a raccoon? What animal culprit was to blame? No animal, it turned out, only my little brother. My six-year-old brother with a sweet tooth so insatiable he spent the summer hiding in the attic, eating a rotten old gingerbread house.

So this year I'm doing my own, and will store it far away from my brother's greedy hands. He's coming to my house for Christmas, but I'll be keeping a close eye on him! I've got a design in mind, and a decorating scheme, but I'm looking for a great gingerbread recipe. Something that won't shrink too much and create firm walls. Any suggestions? And of course, I'd love any tips you may have to share.

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How to Eat Fewer Pesticides A new wallet-size Shoppers' Guide can show you how. [via Lifehacker]

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These types of bills aren't about foie gras as much as they are about animal cruelty. Kate then asks some questions that we should consider when trying to legislate against animal cruelty. She exactly nails what bothers me about the recent spate of foie gras legislation.

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Frisee. Such a space-taker on the plate, so hard to pick up with a fork, and even harder to get gracefully into your mouth. I sort of hate frisee. There, I said it. I have to agree with Rebecca on this one. It's not a taste thing, it's a usability thing. I'd much rather eat mâche or arugula.

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Heidi's got a nice travelogue from a recent trip to Puglia, Italy. Sounds like she was attending a conference focusing on the cuisine and culture of the region. Dear food world: I'd like to attend a conference in Italy focusing on the cuisine and culture of the region. My schedule is open. Just tell me when to show up!

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Jones Soda Co., looking for a marketing advantage, is making the switch to pure cane sugar from high fructose corn syrup as a soda sweetener. Yum. Though I'm not a big soda drinker, when I do drink it, I prefer sodas sweetened with real sugar. It's so much yummier, and it's why I love Mexican Coke but never touch the American version. [via Girlhacker]

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Eight hours into cooking the dish, I now realise Heston Blumenthal is a devil. He has taken a fairly straightforward recipe and endowed it with every possible fiendish element of complexity he could devise. The humorous and time-consuming experience of making Blumenthal's Black Forest gateau.

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Looking for a delicious holiday cake? This Peppermint Fudge Cake will have everyone raving. I made it a few years ago for the family for Christmas and it was a huge hit. Filled with a layer of airy peppermint mousse (made from white chocolate, whipping cream, sour cream, and peppermint candies), and enrobed in chocolate ganache, it's a decadent holiday dessert. Mmmm...I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

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It takes a bit of practice to roll sushi perfectly, so don’t worry if you don’t get it right on the first try! A great guide to how to roll maki sushi. I made maki once at home and it was delicious, though my rolls were kind of deformed. I should try again. [via Lifehacker]

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A foie secret

I have a terrible secret to reveal: ever since Battle Foie Gras, the smell of foie gras grosses me out! I thought it was just temporary, owing to too much handling of the liver during the four day preparation of the torchon. It does have a strong scent that really permeated my kitchen, and the dishtowels I used smelled so bad that even after two washes, I ended up chucking them in the trash! When I ate the torchon, I had a little trouble with the smell, so I tried not to inhale and just attempted to enjoy it as usual. It mostly worked. And I figured it would pass.

Fast forward to Thanksgiving afternoon, when my family and I stood around the appetizer table to enjoy veggies and dip, shrimp cocktail, and some lovely terrines of foie gras from Bouchon Bakery. (I wasn't going to make that torchon again so soon!). As I lifted the first beautifully spread bite to my mouth, the scent hit me. And it wasn't good. After two bites, I was done. Can it be my love affair with foie gras ends thusly? Or will time heal all wounds and soon I'll crave it again? At this point, I don't know. But I'm sad.

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On the verge of introducing legislation tomorrow that would ban foie gras from city restaurants and food markets, a city council member decided to pull in the reins and investigate the matter further. Good to hear. [via Eater]

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Post-Thanksgiving Pie Report

Every Thanksgiving, my grandmother and I make two pies: apple and pumpkin. This year I wanted to try something a little different with the apple pie. Much reading and eating has led me to conclude that a great way to get more complex flavors out of an ingredient is to blend varieties. E.g. pureeing butternut and acorn for a more robust squash. Several pie recipes recommended using two fats (I'd always used just one) to achieve a depth of flavor and flakiness for the crust. So after I spotted Karen Barker's Basic Pie Crust at Ed Levine's site, I knew I had one to try.

Folks I am here to report this is THE BEST PIE CRUST EVER!!!!!

As a Former Professional Pie Baker, I have made many many pie crusts, using lard, Crisco, and butter. And Karen Baker's Crisco and butter combination produces the nicest crust I've ever had the pleasure to work with. The magic started long before I ate it. Simply combining the ingredients (she said to use the food processor but I just used my hands), I ended up with a crumbly mixture that pulled together almost instantly when I added a small amount of water. After chilling, I rolled it out and was astounded at how easily and quickly it rolled into a perfect round. No tearing. No breaking or crumbling. It rolled out, I lifted it up, and I put it in the pie pan. After I added some apples, I did the same for the top. Did I say it didn't even break a teeny tiny bit?

I can't really explain how well this crust worked -- it was a pleasure it was to make a pie with it! And then the taste: flaky and light, almost melt-in-the-mouth. While I've tasted better crusts in my day (not that this wasn't really good), it was the ease of preparation plus crust flavor that makes this a hands-down winner. I will never use another crust recipe again. And I'm going to be making a lot more pies from now on. No more once-a-year pies for me. More like once-a-week!

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Snack reports Alan Gerson, NYC downtown councilman, is introducing a ban on foie gras this week. She shares a letter with a lot of information about foie gras and lists addresses and ways you can take action. Don't let New York turn into Chicago!

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Sadly it's that time of year again. At some point in the next few days, I'll be making my final trip of 2006 to the Shake Shack for my last Shack burger and black and white shake. With the weather being as warm as it is, perhaps they'll consider staying open longer? That could be a plus of global warming: a longer Shack Shake season.

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Lauren from New York writes to report:

Just wanted to send a feedback report on the White Castle stuffing recipe. I just tried it for Thanksgiving and served it to my husband and in-laws. They loved it! It really was delicious - kind of like a sausage-style stuffing, but without the complex spiciness. My husband's now asking me when I plan on making it again! Definitely give it a try!

Excellent, I'm glad to hear it was successful!

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And so ends the Thanksgiving Spectacular of 2006. I didn't get in all the links I could have -- heck, I neglected nearly every major newspaper's coverage of the holiday! The New York Times will probably have more stuff tomorrow in their Dining & Wine section, to cap off three weeks of Thanksgiving coverage they're doing this year. And I didn't even discuss wine choices for your meal. But there's only so much one gal can do in a week. Next year I'll get started sooner (maybe) so that I can provide more coverage. I hope you found something useful in all of it.

I'll be off for the rest of the week, enjoying time with my family out in the country. I'll be making an apple pie and a pumpkin pie with my grandmother tomorrow. I'll be taking walks in the woods, and hopefully I'll make a nice wreath out of dried vines and berries. And I'll be eating turkey and stuffing and lots of tasty sides, and enjoying shrimp cocktail. That's our family's traditional appetizer on Thanksgiving, and boy am I look forward to it. I hope you have a wonderful day with your family and friends, and I'll see you back here next Monday. Safe travels to all.

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I cooked the perfect turkey, now how do I carve it? Martha to the rescue with Turkey Carving 101! There's even a video, in case you're really stuck.

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An Ex-Pat Thanksgiving

I've written a lot during this Thanksgiving Spectacular about cooking for yourself and your loved ones. But what if you find yourself in a far-off land for the holiday? How do you enjoy an ex-pat Thanksgiving? The much-loved and sorely-missed R.W. Apple, Jr. writes about Thanksgiving in Paris. I spent Thanksgiving in Paris in 2002, but now searching for my write-up, I discovered I never wrote about it. So you'll have to make due to with There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, or my Thanksgiving in Saigon last year.

If you find yourself far from home this Thursday, I hope you find a way to celebrate wherever you are. Usually an English-language bookstore will have information about ex-pat get-togethers and ways to celebrate the holidays. Of course, you don't need to eat turkey to be thankful. It's really about taking the time to pause and reflect, and you can do that just about anywhere in the world.

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Some cooks think that because they throw a mean dinner party, they can run a restaurant. New York City chef (of Prune) Gabrielle Hamilton talks about what she's learned over the years, and how she started out drinking during service, changing the menu in the morning, and generally pissing off her staff. Great read. [via Gothamist]

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According to the American Pie Council, the pie-liking breakdown goes something like this: 65% Plain, 35% A La Mode. It seems to me that it depends fully on what type of pie one's eating. Ice cream on apple pie is excellent, but we always serve pumpkin pie with whipped cream from the can. And if I'm eating a clam pie, I sure don't want ice cream or whipped cream anywhere near that thing!

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Shake Shack Burger Stuffing

photo by Flickr user Slice

It occurred to me over the weekend, as I sat in Madison Square Park enjoying one of my last Shake Shack burgers of the season, that if you can make White Castle Stuffing for Thanksgiving, you can make Shake Shack Burger Stuffing! Though I haven't tried it, the recipe I'd propose is the same as the White Castle one, but substitute five Shake Shack burgers. Make sure the burgers are plain, with no lettuce or tomatoes or Shack Sauce. Then follow the directions. Somehow I think this could be really yummy. A new holiday tradition perhaps, for New Yorkers?

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There's a recent interview with me over at Associated Content. I talk about technology and food and past food-related jobs I've had, and why I dislike the term "foodie" and how to screw up a batch of fresh mint ice cream.

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Indulgent family dinners, cookie parties, and holiday work celebrations present some tricky diabetes management problems. "The dLife Recipe Box is your secret weapon for the holiday season. Filled with over 1,100 recipes that are delicious, diabetes-friendly, and complete with nutritional analysis." Sounds like a good source to help if you need to make some less-sugary dishes for your family.

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Alton Brown is witty, irreverent -- and the perfect person to take you step by step (from selecting to carving) to a delicious holiday bird. If somehow, after all the links and information from the Thanksgiving Spectacular, you still aren't sure how to proceed with Thanksgiving, this guide from Bon Appétit will help. Honestly, if you can't figure out how to cook a turkey after everything I've linked in the past week, I think you're better off going out to eat. Or having someone else cook! :)

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An oyster primer from Gourmet, including a list of some of the most reliable varieties. It's oyster season and now's the time to enjoy one of my favorite foods. Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food, and lots of B12. They don't have omega-3 fatty acids like fish though, so don't count them as part of your twice a week fish serving. My favorite way to eat them is raw, but fried oysters also have a special place in my heart.

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Today I'll continue with a little more Thanksgiving information, but I'll also have some other links. My poor non-US readers have suffered the tyranny of this holiday enough! So less turkey, more fish. Despite the risk of consuming contaminants, eating fish is good for your health. More information has been released showing the benefits of fish outweigh the risks. "Two servings of different kinds of fish each week" is now recommended. After giving up on fish for a bit because I couldn't make sense of all the contradictory information, I am now eating it again. Yippee!

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Wikipedia page for Hellmann's and Best Foods mayo, including the history of both products and why they have different names.

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More on Hellmann's

To get to the bottom of this terrible Hellmann's mayonnaise rumor, I called Hellmann's Consumer Services this morning. (The number's on the side of the mayo, how handy!) I spoke with a very nice woman who told me there was a "slight modification in the formula in March." But she stressed that it wasn't a significant change and that it shouldn't be noticeable. I asked how often such modifications are done, and she said not too often, about every couple of years, they'll make a minor change. So faithful readers and Hellmann's eaters, it's time for a taste test. Can you tell the difference? I don't want to call for a boycott yet, or start a movement to get the anything changed back, if it's only a minor flavor tweak. But my husband swears he can taste the difference. Can you?

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Choose your Thanksgiving pie recipe from among the 2006 Great American Pie Festival winning recipes. There's the traditionals like apple and pumpkin, cream and nut if you want a change, and even something called "Favorite Thanksgiving." I don't know what kind of pie that is, but it seems timely!

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Which roasting pan is best for your Thanksgiving turkey? We've talked roasting techniques and turkey breed types, but haven't yet examined which pan is best. This article examines a variety of pans, in case you don't have one yet.

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BREAKING: Hellmann's has changed their mayonnaise! "Yes, we have changed the formula of Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise" reports Hellmann's owner Unilever, via email with The Kitchen. This is tragic! The Kitchen talks about the alternative of making your own mayo, but that's not a great solution. Homemade mayo doesn't keep and each batch requires a lot of ingredients (at least a cup of oil). I know we don't use that much mayo in a week in our house. Honestly, I'm freaking out. Hellmann's is the only mayo I like! And what will become of our post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches if we have to use the new "sweeter with a chemically tangy aftertaste" version?! Please oh please don't let this be true.

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Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Day four of our Thanksgiving Spectacular continues, and with it, some tips for our vegetarian and vegan friends looking for holiday alternatives to turkey. Tofurky is the most popular meat alternative. Made from organic tofu, beans, and "natural vegetarian flavor", it looks like a boneless breast of turkey roulade, complete with stuffing. I've never tried one, but I can imagine it could be a nice change for folks tired of making do with side dishes.

Cooking with Tofurky for the Holidays offers various recipes for tofurky, including a Glazed Tofurky. Martha Stewart Living (November 2006) has four holiday dishes for vegetarians, including a Quinoa Pie with Butternut Squash that sounds excellent, but I cannot seem to locate the recipe online. Very few other magazines offered much in the way of vegetarian dishes.

If you want to make your own tofu turkey, All Recipes has a Tofu Turkey I that sounds pretty good (it calls for mushrooms, dried sage, tamari, and miso paste, among other ingredients). Over at the Washington Post, a discussion of vegetarian Thanksgiving options, including suggestions for winter squash lasagna and mushroom risotto as vegetarian main courses.

And for those hosting Thanksgiving, a gentle reminder: something cooked with chicken stock is usually not okay for vegetarians. Just because there are no chunks of meat present doesn't mean it's "vegetarian." It's nice to offer a dish or two that are completely free of animal products, especially if you know you'll have vegetarians or vegans in attendance. [Thanks Rebecca!]

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Yesterday I asked you about your favorite pies, then forgot to turn on comments. So please share your pie thoughts and tips here, if you're inclined. I used to work at a pie shop, so I'm always interested in hearing how other people prepare their pies.

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The flames were four feet high at times. I think at one point we had to dump a ton of rock salt into the grill and slam the cover shut. Heh. Near the surface, it tasted a bit like a Smithfield ham. I loved it, but I might have been the only one.

My friend Choire had some trouble last year, as you can see. Cooking a turkey on the grill is a popular alternative to using the oven, but you need to avoid serious fire. It's important to put a pan beneath the bird to catch the drippings, otherwise you could end up with turkey conflagration for Thanksgiving.

Detailed information about Grilling A Turkey on the Barbecue. They recommend a gas grill because the author's not sure how to get the coals to last. That's silly, add more charcoal as it's going! My uncle does a turkey on my grandparents' charcoal grill every year, and it's delicious.

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We're still talking turkey tips over here, for those that want to join in.

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The perfect pie crust smells like pig. That is, if it's made with rendered leaf lard. This New York Times article looks at various fats you can use to make a great pie crust, and not surprisingly, a combo of animal fat and butter comes out on top. I've used lard, butter, and shortening, and butter is my favorite, but it's more difficult to work with. This year I'll probably do a combo, and maybe even an animal fat combo after reading this.

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More about Martha's unstinky horses (okay, so this isn't Thanksgiving-related...). Via email from reader MaryLynn:

When she was profiled in Vanity Fair (about a year ago?) you may recall, if you read it, that she keeps her black Friesen's inside during the day and they only graze at night so their coats are not bleached by the sun and are, thus, impeccably maintained as a glossy black that matches the rest of her estate. Quite possibly the best thing I've ever seen in print. So sure, I can see that she's probably had a team of scientists working on making great strides in the area of horse excrement. Hell, I think SHE thinks her shit smells like roses, why shouldn't theirs?!

I couldn't possibly add anything more to this.

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What did the Pilgrims really serve at the first Thanksgiving? Bread-based stuffing was also not made, though the Pilgrims may have used herbs or nuts to stuff birds. But did they use White Castle Hamburgers?

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In case you've still got turkey questions, New York's How to Buy a Turkey, complete with some pictures, can help you figure out the proper bird.

And the New York Times concluded that temperature is nearly as important as breed. "When most turkeys are properly cooked, the differences diminish." I would not have suspected that.

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Thanksgiving Pies

Gourmet's Caramel Pumpkin Pie, photo by Roland Bello

Traditional pies didn't get as much coverage as turkeys in the magazines this month. Cook's Illustrated proposed an intriguing No-Bake Pumpkin Pie (reg. required), promising a "fresher, brighter pumpkin flavor."

Martha Stewart Living did a whole spread of "Great New Pies" (Mini Cranberry Meringue, anyone?) and instead of traditional pumpkin they offered Pumpkin Pie with Graham Crust & Candied Pepitas. "We spiced up the filling with a pinch of cayenne pepper." I'm not sure my grandfather would appreciate that!

Saveur created a Thanksgiving Twofer Pie (which doesn't seem to be online). The Twofer "bakes our two favorites into one delicious combo." It's a mix of pumpkin and pecan. Since my family doesn't ever have pecan pie at Thanksgiving, but rather apple, our "twofer" would be an apple/pumpkin mix. Hmmm...I'm not convinced that's better than two individual pies.

Food & Wine didn't offer a single traditional pie recipe, the closest they came was a Sweet Potato Tart with Red Wine Caramel.

And my choice for best new pie idea was Gourmet's Caramel Pumpkin Pie. Caramel sounds like a good addition to an old stand-by, but it's not getting very good reviews at Epicurious. One poster said, "The caramel dominated the other flavors. The recipe called for very small amounts of ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger, so the pie was very bland as a result." Another wrote, "The recipe was followed exactly, and it just didn't taste good." Drat!

So maybe this is the year to stick with your family pie recipes, and ensure that everyone will leave the table happy. What pies do you enjoy at Thanksgiving?

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White Castle is offering a new twist on traditional turkey stuffing that is made with that famous little burger, the Slyder. White Castle Turkey Stuffing is made with ten White Castle hamburgers, but hold the pickles. I guess it makes sense, since stuffing often has meat in it, but it seems a little odd. If anyone tries it, I'd love a report.

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Roots Anna is a savory golden pie variation of pommes Anna.
Pommes Anna is usually made with potatoes alone. This is a combination of sliced rutabaga and potatoes, arranged in a skillet. A nice change from basic mashed potatoes.

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Day three of the Thanksgiving Spectacular continues, and today we've got less coverage from the magazines and more from my favorite source, the web. Let's dive right in with a Thanksgiving Q & A from the New York Times: Answering Your Thanksgiving Questions. "The Dining staff will be answering questions on Thanksgiving cooking and entertaining." Though they claim all questions won't be answered, it looks like readers are chiming in to help. Pretty much any question you could have is probably in there.

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Yum, this Granny Smith Apple and Brown Butter Custard Tart from Pastry Chef Kate Neumann (from Chicago's MK the Restaurant) looks delicious. While I'm normally not one for changing things up in the dessert arena on Thanksgiving, this "sweet custard loaded with caramelized apples and baked in a buttery tart shell" could be a nice alternative to apple pie. Or maybe in addition to apple pie, so you don't have to chose.

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Turkey Tips

Martha Stewart's Roast Turkey with Quince Glaze

The food magazines love Thanksgiving and turkey, but offer differing recommendations for how to prepare it. So I examined five magazine approaches to cooking turkey, and discovered there's really no consensus about how to roast the big bird.

Cook's Illustrated
Cook's proposes a Roast Salted Turkey (reg. required). Long proponents of brining, this year (because of space constraints in a packed holiday fridge) they "rethink [their] brine-at-all-costs philosophy." They prepare and test a salt rub and find the meat nicely seasoned and pretty moist. They also state "while a brined bird shed 19 percent of its initial weight in the oven, a salted bird shed 22 percent of its out-of-the-package weight." To prevent over cooking of the breast while getting the legs up to temperature, they experimented with icing down the bird's breast. The breast and leg start at 41° when removed from the fridge. After an hour on ice, the breast was down to 36° while the leg was up to 43°. "That 7-degree head start for the leg meant the turkey could stay in the oven long enough to fully cook the dark meat without drying out the white meat." Very interesting.

Roasting temperature: 425° for 45 minutes, then 325° until breast registers 160° and thigh 170°

Martha Stewart Living
Martha prepared a Roast Turkey with Quince Glaze. She brined for twenty-four hours. Her technique to prevent the breast from over-cooking (which I've used before and it worked wonderfully) is to soak a cheesecloth in a melted butter and wine mixture and lay the cheesecloth over the breast for about half the cooking time. Martha insists on basting, which you must do if you use the cheesecloth. Otherwise it could dry out and catch fire. Basting every thirty minutes with butter/wine mixture is called for until a quince glaze is applied in the last ten minutes of cooking.

Roasting temperature: 425° for 30 minutes, then 350° until thigh registers 165°

Saveur
Saveur went with a Brined and Roasted Turkey. The recipe is not online. They are brining proponents and recommend eight hours to overnight of brine time to break down proteins and seal in flavor and moisture. They rub the turkey with butter and call for regular basting with butter every 30 minutes. Note their lower roasting temperature. Sadly, they don't explain why. Saveur doesn't seem that into Thanksgiving compared to the other mags.

Roasting temperature: 325° until thigh registers 165°

Food & Wine
Food & Wine wins the Renegade of the Year award for their Classic Roasted Turkey. Not only do they not brine, they also urge against basting! "Put it in the over, but don't baste it; repeatedly opening and closing the oven door makes it cook unevenly." Just season the bird with salt and pepper and put it in the oven in a pan filled with some vegetables. They recommend covering the breast with foil when you've got about 75 minutes to go, I suppose to keep it from drying out.

Roasting temperature: 350° until thigh registers 170°

Gourmet
Gourmet goes with a straight-forward Simple Roast Turkey with Rich Turkey Gravy this year. Calling it the "ultimate turkey lover's turkey" they claim a "succulent bird with crispy skin." There's "no fussing with brines" and since it roasts unstuffed, it cooks in under four hours. I'm an ultimate turkey lover and I have to say, that doesn't sound very good to me. I love the flavor of stuffing roasted in the bird! And in the brine vs. no brine camp, I firmly land on the side of brining. You could convince me not to brine for a scientific reason (see Harold McGee on brining's dilution of the meat’s own juices and flavor), but not out of sheer laziness.

Roasting temperature: 450° until thigh registers 170°

My Thanksgiving Recipe
Ever since I read The Basics of Brining (warning: link is a .pdf) in the December 2001 Cook's Illustrated, I've been a briner. I use the CI basic brine recipe and then have used Martha's Perfect Roast Turkey. I stuff my bird with our family recipe for Grandma Pete's Stuffing. And it's always accompanied by Grandma Pete's Gravy and My Mother's Cranberry Chutney. No matter how many other recipes I read, this is the one I always want to prepare.

Roasting temperature: 450° for 30 minutes, then 350° until thigh registers 180° (This now strikes me as too high, after reading all the other recipes above.)

Do you brine? Baste? Roast at high heat? Share your turkey tips!

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Thanksgiving ideas and facts

"Historians believe that the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving feast did not include ham, corn on the cob, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, or pie but may have included eel, swan, venison, and seal, in addition to other wildfowl." - Gourmet

"Early American settlers preferred pies to bread because they required less flour. Apple pie--which was served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner--was a favorite, because the plentiful apple could be dried and stored in barrels during the winter." - Martha Stewart Living

"The first Official thanksgiving was held in the Virginia Colony on December 4, 1619 near the current site of Berkeley Plantation, where celebrations are held each year in November. The Pilgrims set apart a day to celebrate at Plymouth immediately after their first harvest, in 1621. At the time, this was not regarded as a Thanksgiving observance; harvest festivals were existing parts of English and Wampanoag tradition alike. Since 1863, Thanksgiving has been observed annually in the United States." - Wikipedia

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Wondering what the best canned pumpkin filling is? Cook's Illustrated tested three products and reports: "Libby's and One-Pie ended up in a dead heat. While some tasters favored the 'creamy' texture and 'mild sweetness' of Libby's, others preferred the slightly 'denser' texture and 'sharper' pumpkin flavor of One-Pie. Farmer's Market was disqualified for its unpleasantly 'vegetal' and 'chalky' flavor." I'm partial to One-Pie myself, in large part because I love the old-fashioned packaging.

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I'm not one for changing things around on Thanksgiving. I like our family traditions. But a few recipes caught my eye as I was going through the glossies, including this one from Gourmet for Creamed Leeks. "Put a spin on creamed onions this holiday by using an ingredient from the same family instead. Not only do these leeks bake into something extraordinary, they get you out of the time-consuming task of peeling all those tiny pearl onions."

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If the thought of all those turkeys dying for your dinner has you bummed out, consider something else. This season, be a part of a new Thanksgiving tradition - adopt a turkey! "Adopt a turkey who lives at Farm Sanctuary's Watkins Glen, New York or Orland, California shelter for farm animals." For a one-time $20 adoption fee, you get a color photograph of your turkey and an adoption certificate. And you can feel a little better than everyone else when you sit down to your Thanksgiving dinner.

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Martha's horses don't smell

You know Martha Stewart is better than the rest of us when even her horses don't smell like shit. November's Martha Stewart Living features a long article on Thanksgiving With Martha. For the holiday, which was actually celebrated in 2005:

Martha invited 20-plus guests--friends, colleagues, and their children--to her farm in Bedford, New York, for a traditional Thanksgiving meal in the light, airy stable she had built just down the hill from her recently renovated farmhouse. While planning the stable's construction, Martha had envisioned it, with its extra-high ceilings and broad cruciform shape, as a place where she could entertain guests as well as keep her horses. In anticipation, she installed a small kitchen right in the barn.

I couldn't find a photo online, but in the magazine there's one that shows the whole group eating alongside the stables, with the horses looking over. Now you tell me, how is it that that place doesn't stink? It's a horse stable! I have never been in a horse stable that doesn't smell. Of course, I've never been in Martha's. Perhaps that's the difference.

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A Guide to Buying Turkeys

Commercial turkeys in cramped conditions

Saveur offers a short guide to buying turkeys. Though it's not online at this time, I'm posting it for you. They look at three types of birds:

Conventional: This perennial favorite--typically a Broad-Breasted White variety--boasts an ultraplump breast that has usually (but not always) been injected with butter, water, and salt; it will be labeled "self-basted" if it contains these ingredients. Though the flesh tastes appealing when spruced up with gravy and cranberry sauce, it can be bland on its own. The price is the real selling point: conventional turkeys go for about $1 to $2 per pound.

Natural: Our favorite turkeys (often described as "minimally processed") are those that haven't been treated with artificial colors or flavor-enhancing ingredients. (Higher priced "organic" turkeys are bred according to strict rules established by the USDA.) Like their conventional counterparts, natural turkeys are usually a Broad-Breasted White variety. Though you'll pay more (they run around $2.50 per pound), most have a clean, pure turkey flavor and moist flesh.

Heritage: This category of turkeys comprises a host of old-time varieties, like Narragansett and Bourbon Red, which were staples of the pre-World War II American turkey industry. These breeds mature slowly; thus, their flesh can be pleasantly flavorful and moist--or unpleasantly gamey and chewy. It's worth doing your research before buying: at an average price of $6 to $10 per pound, they're by far the most costly turkeys available.

A pretty disappointing guide, but a start I guess. I'm not sure why there's no mention of free range, humanely raised birds. Or why they don't talk about fresh vs. frozen turkeys. And I really can't believe they'd mention a "self-basted" turkey at all (especially when they don't discourage readers from buying it), that thing's an abomination! The best birds I've had are free range birds from local farmers. They tend to be fattier and more flavorful, and I feel better knowing the turkeys lived happy lives.

For more information about your Thanksgiving options, see What to Have for Thanksgiving: Fresh or Frozen? Wild, Organic, Free Range or Conventional? And check out your local farmer's market. Mine's been taking orders all fall for turkeys. You might still be able to order something.

What kind of turkey do you prepare?

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I reviewed all the major food magazines and Gourmet by far offered the most extensive Thanksgiving coverage. So it's no surprise to hear that they begin their Thanksgiving coverage planning a year and a half in advance. Says Ruth Reichl, Editor in Chief, in the November, 2006 Letter from the Editor: "We start thinking about what we're going to serve our readers at least a year and a half in advance...[A]t Gourmet the planning for Thanksgiving is rather obsessive." Obsessive is right. They offer eight different menus, and practically the entire magazine is devoted to the holiday.

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Let's kick off this Thanksgiving spectacular with a decorating tip from Martha Stewart: Autumnal Luminaries. "With the big holiday behind them, pumpkins are free to be themselves again. In their dressed-down forms, they make lovely lighted centerpieces. Simply cut tops from pumpkins with a miniature saw and scoop out their flesh." For Thanksgiving 2001, I did something similar with gourds and put small tea lights in them. They made lovely centerpieces and were a nice change from basic candles.

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Starting tomorrow, I'm going to be doing a Thanksgiving spectacular. By which I mean I'll be posting lots of information about the upcoming holiday. Food mags love turkey day, and there's no shortage of information out there, but don't fret! I'll help you navigate it all to find the best stuff so your holiday is great.

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Bar Code Revolution is a process to allow a design element to be integrated into a barcode. Many categories already exist (check out food) and are available for purchase and licensing. I like how they give human meaning to something that's been designed for machines.

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Is a burrito a sandwich? No, says a judge in Massachusetts. "The difference, the judge ruled, comes down to two slices of bread versus one tortilla."

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Nabemono or nabe, is a very traditional way of cooking and eating in Japan during the winter months. Shabu shabu is a type of nabe, and is one of the most popular. Lovely photos and more details about nabe.

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There is this unfortunate, grand misconception that mozzarella from water buffalo milk is a creamy and tangy cheese. "I have actually heard Mario Batali use these very words on TV to acclaim the qualities of this very rarefied product. I hate to tell Mario, but a 'creamy,' 'tangy' mozzarella is a spoiled mozzarella." Arthur Schwartz says that it's best eaten the day it's made, fresh and unrefrigerated. Sounds like I need to make a trip to Italy!

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When a reporter's hand was placed against the robot's taste sensor, it was identified as prosciutto. The robot is an electromechanical sommelier, capable of identifying wines, cheeses, meats and hors d'oeuvres. A cameraman was mistaken for bacon! No word on whether the family dog tasted like chicken. [via Wired Blog]

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To truly appreciate the finest Kobe it should be prepared Shabu Shabu. "In a nutshell, you quickly swish very thinly sliced Kobe through a hot, flavored liquid and pair it to differing vegetables and dipping sauces." I had Shabu Shabu over the weekend, but certainly not with Kobe beef. Augie's write-up sounds delicious.

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Not Martha made hostess snack cake sushi and I have to say this is the coolest thing ever! As a sushi lover and a faux sushi lover, I can't imagine a better thing to bring along to a sushi making party.

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Shake Shack tip: for all you pumpkin lovers, there's a secret concrete available at the Shake Shack that's not on the menu. It's a Pumpkin Pie concrete, made by mixing a slice of pumkin pie with vanilla custard. Topped with whipped cream, it's delicious!

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Several readers have emailed to alert me to a bit of controversy surrounding the photography link to Benjamin Christie I posted yesterday. Apparently many in the food blog community have received numerous emails from Mr. Christie and feel he's spamming in search of links. Two discussions of his tactics and food bloggers' responses here: Who's been getting celebrity spam? and Fed up with Benjamin Christie? I was not aware of any of this when I linked to him yesterday, and the link wasn't the result of an email he sent. It just looked like some good food photography advice to me.

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A few months ago, Japanese Wagyu was quietly allowed back in the United Stated in limited quantities. Not seen since a trade embargo banned its importation in 2001, the real Kobe from Japan has returned. In NYC you can get it at BLT Steak, BLT Prime, and BLT Burger, among other spots.

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Here are a few ideas, tips and more on how you can achieve your perfect food photo. Good information that I know I'll be trying to put to use on this site.

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The 9th Annual New York Chocolate Show starts Thursday night with a fashion show and runs all weekend. Exhibitors, demos, and chocolate galore can be yours for only $25 a day.

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I've been so busy, I've neglected to point out that Adam conceded defeat in our battle foie gras. Adam, I accept your gracious response. It was a pleasure to face off in a virtual cooking competition with you and I look forward to doing it again with another ingredient.

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Domino's new Brooklyn Style Pizza seems to be the same style you get in Manhattan and Queens. Even if they called it New York Style Pizza, that wouldn't make it authentic or delicious.

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Iron Chef (and NYC restaurateur) Masaharu Morimoto paid $10,500 for a 2-pound white Alba truffle. He was offering a 7-course truffle omakase with it at the beginning of this month, but I imagine that truffle's all gone now.

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Campbell Soup Company doesn’t like the idea that there are good and bad foods out there. Hannaford's, a New England grocery chain, has rated the nutritional value of nearly all the food and drinks at its stores from zero to three stars. And some food manufacturers are not happy about it. [via Rebecca]

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When it comes to the highly unsaturated omega-3s, we're far better off eating salmon than beef, even if it's grass-fed, says Harold McGee. Whether wild or farmed, salmon has more omega-3s by a long shot than any beef.

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Several readers have sent along this more hopeful article about the decline in seafood stocks from the Seattle Times. It points out the North Pacific fisheries are sustainably harvested and aren't in serious decline.

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Losing our fish

Last week I read an article stating there were 'Only 50 years left' for sea fish, and I've been thinking about this ever since. My first thought was shock. Can you imagine if this is actually true and we overfish the ocean completely? The second thought was an unusual one for me: pessimism. We probably will reduce populations to levels from which they cannot recover. We'll eat all the fish. I'm not confident about our ability to restrain ourselves and allow fish populations to recover to sustainable levels.

Then I started thinking about how my memories are so filled with fish, from eating bluefish for dinner as a child on Nantucket (and hating it) to digging soft-shelled clams on Cape Cod. Eating swordfish with my grandparents for a special treat. Enjoying fish and chips at the take-out spot in my old neighborhood. Collecting mussels and steaming them with my cousin. Going out in a friend's boat for stripers. The sweet taste of those first bay scallops of the season.

I tried to imagine a world in which my grandchildren wouldn't have any of those experiences and I got so sad. Of all the global warming/humans destroying their habitat news, this is the most distressing to me. And I don't know what to do about but simply hope it's not true.

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Here are some the tricks (no treats) that I’ve accumulated over the years to make commercial brownie mix taste more like a homemade delight. Interesting tips, though I'm not convinced that's any less time consuming than just making proper brownies from scratch. Of course, I'm a from-scratchitarian, so I'm probably biased.

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Everyone who eats asparagus has the metabolic byproducts in their urine...but not everyone has the genetic disposition to smell it. I'd always heard that some people didn't have the byproducts, and others did. This is interesting news.

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Various food psychology papers examining why we unknowingly overeat. It's a complicated mix of package size, package shapes, stockpiling, visibility, variety, convenience, and our moods.

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Don't have room for a commercial deep fryer in your kitchen? Try this 5-cup oil capacity
Snack-Size Deep Fryer. I have no idea if it works well and if oil will get hot enough, but if it did, it could be handy. For only $39.99 and you can be making fried apples for your friends soon! Anybody ever used one of these things? [via Uncrate]

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I always knew that San Francisco dining was different from other parts of the country...because food is such a part of our lives. A pretty dumb statement over at Michael Bauer's blog. What about the American South? New Orleans? The myriad other cities with thriving restaurant scenes and scores of farmer's markets? San Francisco doesn't have a lock on great food culture. What makes it different from other parts of the country is its irritating insistence that it does.

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A genuine moustache has been proven to contribute to a significant Guinness wastage. Men, maximize your consumption by drinking with a clean shave.

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When food borne illnesses typically associated with meat become regularly associated with fruits and vegetables, it's a failure of the produce industries AND the meat industries. Recent salmonella outbreak may be tied to tomatoes.

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Ocean Spray has constructed a vast artificial cranberry bog near the entrance to 30 Rockefeller Center. Whoa! This makes me think of fall on Nantucket. I'll have to get over there and check it out, even if it's silly.

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While we must conserve energy, we cut back where it makes the most sense; grape-shipping is not the place to start. An economist takes a look at Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. He raises some interesting points.

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Why did that gargantuan USDA Prime strip loin I ate in Las Vegas last year had about as much flavor as a cup of tap water? A test ensues to determine the tastiest steak. Is it the aging? The breed? The marbling? The feed? Yes, but not exactly in ways you'd expect.

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Easy poached egg using plastic wrap. I've always used the vinegar and water-swirling technique the commenters mention at the end for a nice poached egg.

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Dear Readers,

The Amateur Gourmet has resorted to slanderous attacks following our foie gras battle. Please do not believe such reports. You've seen the real pictures here. You know the truth.

Yours,
Megnut

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Battle Foie Gras

A few weeks ago, I received an email offering me a free lobe of foie gras from Mirepoix USA. Mirepoix is an ecommerce website launched by a husband and wife team with a passion for fine food. The site features some of their favorite products, including foie gras, charcuterie, and truffle mushrooms. I accepted their offer and received a Hudson Valley Grade A Foie Gras the other day. Battle Foie Gras, my competition with Adam to make the best torchon using Thomas Keller's recipe from The French Laundry Cookbook, was underway. Allez cuisine!

Trust me when I tell you that deveining a foie gras (especially to chef Keller's exacting standards) is a time-consuming and fairly disgusting process. I chose not to photograph this stage of my labors because I want you, if you enjoy foie gras, to continue to enjoy foie gras. Sometimes, as they say, you don't want to see the sausage getting made. Devein I did, then I seasoned it. I molded it into a log and I rolled it tightly in cheesecloth. Then I rolled it even tighter. Then I enlisted my husband to help me roll it even tighter. I poached it in water, removed it, rolled it again (even tighter!) in a dish towel. Then I hung it in my fridge. That took four days.

Last night, my husband and I invited two friends to join us for dinner. Both had experienced foie gras only once and found it "super oily." The table was set.

The table awaits

Keller's recipe calls for using fresh sour cherries and pickling them quickly in vinegar. I'd planned to skip that step and substitute a sour cherry jam, but the market didn't have it. Luckily they did have a jar of sour cherries. So I mixed water, sugar, and vinegar with the cherries and brought it to a boil. Then I strained out the cherries and reduced the liquid by half until I had a lovely ruby-colored syrup. Mmm, this was nicer than a jam. It was time to begin. I unrolled the foie gras.

Unrolling the cheesecloth

The outside had turned brown, so I peeled off the discoloration, exposing the lovely pink interior.

Peeling the outside

I sliced and plated the foie gras, accompanied by the sour cherries, some baby lettuce, freshly toasted brioche, and a small mound of fleur de sel.

Ready to eat

We drank a lovely 1999 Cru D'Arche-Pugneau sauternes that our friends brought.

A former vegan savors his bite

My friend Adriana, a Princeton PhD candidate, translator, and foie gras novice had this to say after the meal:

I really didn't know what to expect when I took my first bite of the torchon. The texture was the first thing that hit me--it's so light, buttery and almost sweet. But then, as it slides down your throat, you're hit with the full, incomparable flavor and aroma of the foie gras. I preferred to prepare each bite individually; doing so encouraged me to eat slowly. I varied the brioche, cherry, salt and foie gras proportions and finally settled into my "bite": brioche with a small piece of cherry, a dab of salt, and a substantial slice of foie gras.

We ate and ate, with hardly a vein in sight. We toasted fresh brioche, we drizzled sour cherry reduction, we sprinkled fleur de sel. The wine and conversation flowed. Every morsel was consumed.

The remains of the foie

As I raised a bite to my mouth, I paused and realized something. The bite I was about to consume looked just like I remembered from The French Laundry. And it tasted that good.

A perfect bite

It was a magical meal with wonderful friends. As for the competition, well you can judge by the photos. I think it's clear: my cuisine reigns supreme!

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