Thanksgiving Link Hysteria

“In the United States, we have the grandest plat convivial of them all, the holiday turkey, which we share with 245 million other Americans, including the members of the armed forces, for whom the government spares no expense in jetting turkeys about the globe. There is an uncanny and intoxicating sense of oneness in enjoying a dish with a quarter billion of your fellows. No fussy eating allowed, no irrational preferences or aversions, no cultish diet fads or hypochondria. Just feasting and drinking together, essential and fundamental nourishment, plus lots of trimmings.”
- Jeffrey Steingarten

Like nearly every other American, we'll be traveling over the holiday, and will be far away from our kitchens.  And since we have gracious relatives with adept kitchen skills, we'll be parked in front of the TV attempting to muster some some passing knowledge of football.  Which is fine by us.  So instead of attempting a futile piece on the sides, wine, or god forbid, the turkey, we're just going to pass on some of the best information we've seen out about this ultimate meal.

We'll start where the meal usually does, with the wine.  The Food Section had a round up of wine bloggers asking them what their favorites wines were for the meal.  The big winners, no surprise, were Pinot Noir, Riesling, and some Rhone varieties.   But there were also some interesting choices, including a South African Chenin Blanc.

Confused about your Beaujolais Nouveau and Villages?  For those thinking wading through the gamay grape for their meal can check some facts at intowine.com .

Finally with the wine, the Grocery Guy has been filling the web with Thanksgiving content all week, but it's his wine column that did it for us.  And I'll personally vouch for the sparklingly Shiraz.

For those who just can't settle for a roasted turkey, here's a youtube extravaganza of Alton Brown frying a turkey .

And for those who just can't settle for a roasted turkey and want to blow their retirement plans, check out New York Magazine where Thomas Keller guides them through how to vacuum cook a turkey, stuff the legs with foie gras, replace the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes with royale custard with truffle oil, and wash it all down with a $170 Champagne.

In the opposite extreme is the New York Times, which takes the minimalist approach creating dressing , based on a James Beard recipe.  There is even a video, for those who have already read too much about this meal.

Want to brush up on your Thanksgiving history ?   Just want to shoot some turkeys ?  Here are a few games to keep you occupied on this wonderful holiday.

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