Start today to develop a very smart habit: Store necks, tails, wing tips, gizzards, hearts, backs, rib (breast) bones-anything except livers-in a gallon-size lock-top freezer bag in your freezer. When the bag is really full, you have enough chicken parts to make a small pot of homemade stock. Squeeze excess air out of the bag… Read More

A staple in the American South for several hundred years, biscuits deserve to be made more often. They are delectable when served hot out of the oven, and are not difficult to make. This version includes fresh oregano, parsley, and sage, and goes very nicely with the roast chicken.

“To Truss an Unstuffed Turkey Have ready one 4-foot length of kitchen twine. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a work surface with the legs facing you. Arrange the flap of neck skin so it covers the neck cavity. Center the twine across the back (on the work surface) under the shoulders of the… Read More

Roasting a turkey breast is a practical solution for a small Thanksgiving gathering. It’s quick, makes a lovely presentation, and there will be a manageable amount of leftovers. If the die-hard, dark-meat lovers grumble, just offer them an extra piece of pie. This turkey breast will be moist, beautifully browned, and brightly flavored with lemon… Read More

When I wrote my first Thanksgiving book, The Thanksgiving Table (Chronicle Books, 2001), brining a turkey was still a novel method for most home cooks. As I traveled the country teaching Thanksgiving cooking classes, I always demonstrated how to brine a turkey and gave the students an opportunity to taste how moist and flavorful a… Read More

This is an adaptation of a recipe given to me by Stephanie Rosenbaum, a San Francisco based food writer. Stephanie is a vegetarian, and this is her favorite Thanksgiving entrée. The festive combination of wild rice with sautéed vegetables, fresh herbs, toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries tastes great and looks pretty on the plate. The… Read More

Whether you are using Texas or Georgia pecans, this is simply the best pecan pie I have ever tasted. Pecan pies are too often sickeningly sweet. The secret here is brown rice syrup, which is readily available in natural food stores. I happen to think the booze helps, too. Add a little more to the… Read More

Pumpkin pie has been around since the Pilgrims’ second Thanksgiving in 1623, and there has been stiff competition out there ever since for the best pumpkin pie recipe. I have baked and sampled many, and this version is my favorite because of the delightful interplay between the smooth custard filling and the nutty flavor and… Read More

This is the simplest way I know to make a rich turkey stock, utilizing the turkey neck, tail, gizzard, and heart found inside of the neck cavity of the turkey. (I never use the liver, also found in the packet of giblets, for making stock, because it gives the stock a bitter flavor. Sometimes, I… Read More

This grill recipe uses a technique called “indirect cooking” or “indirect grilling.” This simply means that the food is not set directly over the coals or burners as it cooks in a covered grill. Essentially, this is grill roasting-heat rises and reflects off the lid and sides of the grill, circulating the heat. Indirect grilling… Read More