"dressing" news and stories

The stuffing on your holiday table is endlessly adaptable -- as seen in this hearty, bold-flavored version.

Get this stuffing recipe along with many others after the jump.

Do you like cocktails without putting in the effort of making them? Proving that there's something for everyone, you can pick up a Lazydrinker to bartend your holiday party, and all other libation-required celebrations in its wake.

And then there's the stuffing v. dressing debate. Do you stuff the bird? Do you dress it? What is the right way to handle that popular Thanksgiving side?

A really high-quality, aged balsamic vinegar is something that no chef should pass up, as it is basically the standard to which all other vinegars aspire. Other vinegars have their uses, of course, but few will be coveting the taste of white vinegar to top off a nearly perfect dish. Aged balsamics can be expensive, though, and as a finishing touch to a dish or to enhance the flavor in a dressing or marinade, flavored vinegars can be great options.

Flavored vinegars are infused with everything from sweet berries to fiery chilies and they seem to be everywhere right now. Trader Joe's, for example, is carrying at least four kinds right now, including the ones pictured above: California Grapefruit, Mango Chili, Strawberry Balsamic and Pomegranate. The flavors tone down the astringency of vinegar, while retaining its brightening properties. Of the ones pictured above, Grapefruit and Pomegranate are delicious in salads, while Strawberry is good on desserts and Mango works well as a marinade.

If you can't find a flavor that matches your own tastes, you can make your own fairly easily, with fresh herbs, fruits and spices.

I know that in some places Thanksgiving stuffing is called "dressing" when it is not cooked inside the turkey, but where I grew up everyone called it stuffing no matter how it was cooked; it was what went into it was much more important. My stuffing is much like a hot, crispy bread salad and uses bread, onions, celery, sage, apples and dried fruit for a mix that is half savory and half sweet. Because it is not stuffed into a bird, but baked in a casserole dish, it seemed prudent to go all-out and make the dish vegetarian. It will still be enjoyed by the meat-eaters, especially if they are they type that puts gravy on their stuffing anyway, and will provide an option other than straight veggies for vegetarians.

Need some ideas for stuffing recipes for an upcoming holiday dinner, Thanksgiving or otherwise? 50 Best Stuffings and Dressings has, as the name suggests, fifty different recipes to spice up your stuffing, whether you like to bake it in a bird or on the side. Not all stuffings are meant to be used in turkey, however, despite the fact that is what most home cooks are focused on right about now, nor are they all geared towards fall and winter menus. This book includes recipes for stuffing beef, pork and vegetables, such as acorn squash, and many of them are hearty enough to serve as a main course if you bake them in a casserole dish on their own. The recipes include Chile, Hominy, and Rice Stuffing, Gingered Cranberry and Almond Cornbread Stuffing and a Classic Bread Stuffing, which includes a number of additional variations.

As one-subject cookbooks go, the scope of this one is quite limited, but since stuffing and dressing recipes aren't covered too frequently in other books (and rarely are more than a handful presented) this could easily turn into a great resource at home.

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