"side" news and stories

If your family is anything like mine, you probably have at least one member of the extended family (perhaps a somewhat elderly member) who feels that Thanksgiving is no time to be messing with flavor fusions or untraditional side dishes. Relatives of this type want their turkey with gravy, potatoes, cranberry sauce and green bean casserole. Fortunately, you'll be able to find the very best versions of those sides, and many others, in Cook's Illustrated's Best American Side Dishes. In keeping with their usual style, the more than 500 recipes and the related background information is all exhaustively researched and pretty much guaranteed to turn out well. There are step-by-step diagrams and taste tests along the way to help you put forth the best finished product. And, for those not entirely inclined to stick with tradition, they provide variations and updated takes on many of the included dishes, so there will be things to please every member of the family in here. The recipes include Blanched Kale with Shallots and Cream, deviled eggs, potato salad and Savory Noodle Kugel with Caramelized Onions & Cauliflower.

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While there are many barbecue books that focus on the main course, some mention side dishes only in passing, if at all. It can be difficult to master smoking a piece of meat to perfection, but once that meat if ready to be served, you're going to want to serve something with it. The Big Book of Barbecue Sides is all about what to serve with that main course at a barbecue, or any time you're cooking on the grill. It has over 100 recipes and covers more than just coleslaw, though that is the first recipe included in the book. Other topics covered include breads, pastas, salads, veggies and fruits (dessert or side dish), with dishes that can be made on the grill as well as off it. It is great to have all these favorites in one volume that you can keep with your grilling books, rather than having to go searching all your cookbooks for recipes like Red Beans and Rice, Skillet Cornbread, Grilled Corn Salsa, Garlic and Parmesan Spuds and Barbecued Pineapple.

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