Mark Bittman,the minimalist, talks about stuffing versus dressing for a Thanksgiving dinner. Dressing is what Southerners call the bread-based mixture when it is baked outside of the turkey. Dressing can be veg-friendly, gets crisper at the edges for a lovely textural addition, is easy to make and there are no cooking temperature/bacteria problems to worry about, as there are when the stuffing is in the bird. Bittman uses a James Beard recipe, and there is a video how-to here.
One of the Times' writers tests a whole variety of different fats in pie crusts. She liked various animal fats. She doesn't say what her baking background is, but Rose Levy Berenbaum (author of the Pie and Pastry Bible) recommends a combination of mostly butter with a bit of shortening, much like this recipe.
Using colorful vegetables to dress up the Thanksgiving table is a great idea, as the soft textures and bland colors of mashed potatoes, gravy and turkey are uninteresting, to say the least. Try Stir-Fried Cabbage With Cumin Seeds , Hashed Brussels Sprouts With Lemon Zest , Wilted Chard With Pickled Red Onions and String Beans With Ginger and Garlic .
Have you tried Fragrant pears? They're one of the most recently exported fruits from China to the US and really make other Asian pears pale in comparison. They are small and oval, with long stems and light green or yellow skin that will sometimes have a red blush. "The flesh is extraordinarily tender, crisp and juicy.... the flavor is delicate."
Add corn to Thanksgiving dinner. Did you know that corn in mashed potatoes can give it a rich, creamy taste that will fool people into thinking that you've used a ton of butter and cream, but without the fat?
Frank Bruni dines at The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and gives it a "satisfactory" rating.
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