I’m here to tell you: there is NO magic about making pie crust. It takes four ingredients, about 20 minutes or less of hands-on time, and the results are so flaky, so buttery, so sublime, you will amaze your loved ones (and yourself) for life.
Enter the turducken. Despite its cultish presence in the cozy Thanksgiving lexicon, the turducken is aggressively weird, an unnatural, misshapen, stitched-up Frankenstein-like thing — something that perhaps resembled a “sneetch” in life — prior to being butchered and baked.
So by now, you’ve gone shopping, gathered your wares, and hopefully if you are reading this, you are well along in the cooking process (if not, get off the computer and get busy!). But what do you do if it all goes horribly wrong…?
Ok, I’m not trying to be doom and gloom here. And I’m not talking about familial relations, you are on your own there. But in the food and feast arena, it is nice to be armed with a few helpful hints when you are juggling a minimum of six different dishes in the kitchen. Something is bound to not be perfect. So what do you do?
Recently I was invited to a taste test of recipes submitted online. The culinary social network CookEatShare held a cooking contest and brought together a number of restaurant chefs and food professionals to cook and judge the recipes. I wasn’t a judge, but I did get to try all the dishes.
KQED talks with local chefs about new twists on the traditional Thanksgiving meal and listeners call in to share their new traditions. Guests:
Charles Phan, owner and chef at The Slanted Door;
Douglas Keane, chef at Cyrus;
Joey Altman, chef at Miss Pearl’s Jam House;
Annie Somerville, chef at Greens
Looking ahead at this week, it would make perfect and predictable sense for me to contribute yet another Thanksgiving-themed piece to the steaming, teeming masses already out there. However, I will not.
I am not being obstinate. I am moving. After five+ years in the same tiny (albeit well-appointed) San Francisco apartment, my husband and I are relocating for the suburbs where he can have a five-minute bike ride to work and I can have a larger-than-life kitchen while ferreting out fresh food finds. So, taking advantage of the 8 days off Stanford gives their professors, we are talking boxes and bubble-wrap, not turkey.
Thanksgiving cooks will be brining, stuffing and roasting their way into next week’s turkey feast. Foodies looking for a bigger culinary challenge can find it at a San Francisco market where home cooks can learn to be their own butcher.
If you’re into eating locally grown food and plan on including roasted chestnuts with your holiday meals, we have good news for you. California is one of the few places in the U.S. where you can still find American chestnut trees. Four types of them grow on Skyline Chestnut Orchard — a grove perched above the Northern California town of Woodside.
As far as I’m concerned, side dishes are what make a Thanksgiving dinner great. Sure, I like turkey, but I truly love stuffing, gravy and mashed potatoes. For me, carbs topped with gravy make this holiday meal delicious. The problem is that most of us don’t make these three dishes very often, so preparing them once a year — for a table full of family and friends no less — can seem intimidating and make you feel a bit like Dorothy walking into the dark unknown forest with the Tin Man and the Scarecrow.
Thanksgiving is a huge business in this country. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 45 million turkeys are purchased for Thanksgiving alone. Most of those turkeys are raised in confinement, on large factory farms, and are types which are raised for their large, white breasts. In the Bay Area, we have access to many types of sustainably-grown, free-range, and heritage variety turkeys that you may be interested in considering for your dinner table.
On my way home from Thanksgiving dinner, I walked down Capp Street in the Mission, fully bloated and lightly buzzed from an over abundance of great food, good wine, and a mild case of self-satisfaction over having won two games of Celebrity. I had just spent the past eight hours feasting and laughing with friends. [...]
Happy Thanksgiving! This is my favorite holiday of the year (ok, I love Christmas too) because it’s a time when I get together with my friends and prepare a delicious feast (always a good thing in my book), and look back over the past year and think about how lucky and grateful I am for [...]
The cost of an American Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people is $42.26, according to the American Farm Bureau. This is up $4.16 from last year, when the cost was $38.10. In 1986, the Farm Bureau invented a “survey menu” based on what the typical American eats for Thanksgiving, and then every year they send out [...]
Cassie Clemmons, 1942 I’ve always loved celebrity cooking stories. Maybe it’s because they’re proof that the starlets actually eat, or maybe it’s because it tickles me to think of them puttering around a kitchen with knives and saucepans just like us. Not that long ago, I hit a gold mine when I discovered Frank DeCaro’s [...]
Did you know Thanksgiving is barely a week away? If the thought of preparing a Thanksgiving meal sends you to heading for the Turkey Talk-Line here are a couple of books to consider. How to Cook a Turkey and All the Other Trimmings from the editors and contributors of Fine Cooking magazine has plenty of [...]
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Hot Dogs, Bacon And Red Meat Tied To Increased Diabetes Risk
A fresh study looks at what happens after people change their meat-eating habits. Those who upped their intake — about 3.5 servings more per week — saw their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes during four years of follow-up increase by almost 50 percent.
Nudging Detroit: Program Doubles Food Stamp Bucks In Grocery Stores
Incentive programs that double the value of food stamp dollars spent at farmers markets have been hailed as one of the most effective ways to encourage healthful eating and support local farmers. The flaw: Most people don’t shop at farmers markets. So a new program will soon pilot the concept at three grocery stores in Detroit.
Sorry, Dr. Oz, Green Coffee Can’t Even Slim Down Chubby Mice
An extract from raw, green coffee beans has been called a “miracle” weight-loss aid. But a study in mice casts doubt on the supplement’s fat-burning effects — and even offers preliminary evidence that it could be harmful.
Perfect for Summer! Recipe for Herbed Zucchini Fritters with Stone Fruit Salsa
Too many zucchini? Get the jump on summer’s abundance with this recipe for tasty Herbed Zucchini Fritters with Stone Fruit Salsa.
Kitchen Window: A Guide to Grilling Beyond ‘Dude Food’
As Father’s Day approaches, you can remind Dad that there’s more to Father’s Day grilling than just cheeseburgers.
Spotlight on Summer Vegetables: “River Cottage Veg” Cookbook
British homesteader and meat-lover Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall comes to San Francisco to spread the gospel of greens with his new book, River Cottage Veg. With a recipe for River Cottage Summer Garden Soup.
Watch Master Fruit & Vegetable Carver Jimmy Zhang Make Melons Bloom and Carrots Fly
Want to carve a rearing horse out of taro, tropical fish from carrots or a roaring dragon out of giant radishes? Watch Chef Jimmy Zhang, Master of the Chinese Art of Fruit and Vegetable carving in this video as he fashions an exquisite watermelon rose and shares the secrets of this ancient craft.
Hunan Home’s Restaurant, Radius, Guerilla Café: Check, Please! Bay Area reviews
Restaurants reviewed: Hunan Home’s Restaurant (San Francisco), Radius Restaurant and Café (San Francisco) and Guerilla Café (Berkeley).
Chris Hadfield: Space Chef In Chief
The Canadian astronaut didn’t just tweet and sing his heart out during his five months as commander of the International Space Station. He also took time out to show the world what it’s like to eat up there.
Watch Master Fruit & Vegetable Carver Jimmy Zhang Make Melons Bloom and Carrots Fly
Want to carve a rearing horse out of taro, tropical fish from carrots or a roaring dragon out of giant radishes? Watch Chef Jimmy Zhang, Master of the Chinese Art of Fruit and Vegetable carving in this video as he fashions an exquisite watermelon rose and shares the secrets of this ancient craft.
Sunset’s Celebration Weekend: Yigit Pura Demos and Shares Thai-Hawaiian Inspired Dessert Recipe
Stephanie Rosenbaum shares some highlights from Sunset’s Celebration Weekend — including a recipe for Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Papaya and Mango from Yigit Pura of Tout Sweet Patisserie.
Modern Day Food Foraging Comes to San Francisco
Gina Scialabba attended the third annual Wild Foods Dinner at the Hotel Vitale. Americano’s Executive Chef Kory Stewart and food foraging expert Connie Green, author of “The Wild Table” prepared a unique six-course meal that was shaped largely by the bounty they located in nature.
Burger Bonanza in the East Bay
Moxy Burger, The Bureau 510 and Grazzy Burgers are several of the latest arrivals to the East Bay burger scene.
Hunan Home’s Restaurant, Radius, Guerilla Café: Check, Please! Bay Area reviews
Restaurants reviewed: Hunan Home’s Restaurant (San Francisco), Radius Restaurant and Café (San Francisco) and Guerilla Café (Berkeley).
First Impression: Healdsburg SHED
What would a wine country locavore’s paradise look like? Stephanie Rosenbaum talks to Cindy Daniel, owner of Healdsburg’s new SHED, a 21st-century grange, store, and sustainable-living center.
Bocanova, Willi’s Wine Bar, The Rotunda of Neiman Marcus: Check, Please! Bay Area reviews
Check, Please! Bay Area reviews these restaurants: Bocanova (Oakland), Willi’s Wine Bar (Santa Rosa), The Rotunda of Neiman Marcus (San Francisco).
Spotlight on Summer Vegetables: “River Cottage Veg” Cookbook
British homesteader and meat-lover Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall comes to San Francisco to spread the gospel of greens with his new book, River Cottage Veg. With a recipe for River Cottage Summer Garden Soup.
Sunset’s Celebration Weekend: Yigit Pura Demos and Shares Thai-Hawaiian Inspired Dessert Recipe
Stephanie Rosenbaum shares some highlights from Sunset’s Celebration Weekend — including a recipe for Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Papaya and Mango from Yigit Pura of Tout Sweet Patisserie.
Cheese Books for the Curd Nerd
Every aspiring curd nerd yearns to embiggen their knowledge base about the dairy darlings they adore. Garrett McCord shares two books that help you gain a broader understanding of cheese and supply you with tasteful cheese-centric recipes.
Watch Master Fruit & Vegetable Carver Jimmy Zhang Make Melons Bloom and Carrots Fly
Want to carve a rearing horse out of taro, tropical fish from carrots or a roaring dragon out of giant radishes? Watch Chef Jimmy Zhang, Master of the Chinese Art of Fruit and Vegetable carving in this video as he fashions an exquisite watermelon rose and shares the secrets of this ancient craft.
Are the benefits of genetically engineered foods worth the risks? Check out this half-hour special from QUEST Northern California that explores the pros and cons of genetically engineered crops and what the future holds for research and regulations.
Baby & Toddler On The Go: fresh, homemade foods for a busy life (VIDEO)
A precociously independent toddler packs a healthy homemade lunch and heads off to snack in Bernal Height’s Holly Park in San Francisco. This video is a promo for Kim Laidlaw’s new book: Baby & Toddler On The Go: fresh, homemade foods for a busy life.
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