If you want someone else to cook Thanksgiving dinner: eating out
Want to let someone else do the cooking? Here are some restaurants that will be serving Thanksgiving dinner. South Bay The Fairmont Hotel. 170 S. Market St., San Jose. (408) 998-3960. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thanksgiving champagne buffet in the Imperial Ballroom. Cold buffet includes prosciutto, asparagus salad, house-smoked salmon, Caesar salad, crab legs and shrimp. Sage-basted roast turkey dinner on the hot buffet. There will also be a waffle and omelet station, carving station and holiday desserts. $56... Read more…
If you want someone else to cook Thanksgiving dinner, order in
In addition to the options listed below, most local supermarkets offer a take-out Thanksgiving dinner. South Bay Marie Callender's Restaurant and Bakery. 620 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, (408) 578-0643. 333 S. Abbott Ave., Milpitas, (408) 263-7437; 20750 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, (408) 255-2317. For additional locations, check www.mcpies.com . Marie Callender's Five Feast Option: the Ultimate Ham and Turkey Feast ($129.99); Ham and Turkey Combo Feast ($109.99); Ultimate Whole Turkey Feast ($99.99... Read more…
WHAT TO HAVE ON HAND
One of the keys to putting together a stress-free dinner on the fly is having a well-stocked kitchen (including that mah-velous puff pastry). You'll be more flexible in creating a menu if you have some choices at the ready, to be supplemented if necessary by a whirlwind grocery store trip by you or one of your guests. Read more…
France takes cue from Aussies on some labels -- only the fine print says Made in France
The label on the 2004 Reflection Pinot Noir includes a sun-dappled black-and-white photograph of two children hugging a big dog. Under the name is the phrase ``Life, Family & Wine,'' and the whole thing looks like something Hallmark might create for a California winery. Read more…
Food Q&A: Stores are not yet required to label origin of produce, meat
Q I find it difficult to determine which fruits and vegetables are harvested in the United States and which have been shipped from other countries. Read more…
Produce picks: Grapefruit
Texas and Florida growers are harvesting grapefruit. The first of the season are on the expensive side, retailing for around 89 to 99 cents each, or even higher for the larger sizes. But this year, if Florida continues to stay out of hurricane danger, we should see the best prices we've seen in three years. Each week that passes, supplies will get better, and prices will become even more attractive. By the way, Texas and Florida grapefruit are likely to have scarring on the rind. That's because the... Read more…
Books for Cooks: In celebration of coffee cakes
If you think coffee cakes are all streusel-topped Bundt-shaped concoctions, think again. In ``Coffee Cakes: Simple, Sweet, and Savory'' (Chronicle Books, 132 pp., $18.95), veteran Palo Alto cookbook writer Lou Seibert Pappas bakes up more than 50 recipes perfect for breakfast, brunch or afternoon snacks. They are just the ticket accompanied with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, lemonade, smoothies or a glass of ice cold milk. Read more…
Daniel: A fruity young red is a match for Turkey Day
Some people fret over what wine to pour with something simple like roast chicken and salad. Imagine how much sleep they lose when they start contemplating a suitable wine for a complex meal like Thanksgiving dinner. Read more…
More Morsels: Heritage-turkey reservations required
Hankering for a heritage turkey for your Thanksgiving table? Be sure to reserve one soon, as there is only a limited supply each year. Read more…
Home Plates: Spaghetti pie offers winter comfort with less guilt
Barbara Malinowski dropped by the other day, just to say hi and to share a favorite recipe. Of course, dropping by for Home Plates regulars means a chatty e-mail. Although I must say, after reading Malinowski's recipe for spaghetti pie, I found myself wishing she'd show up on my doorstep, casserole dish wrapped in a dish towel. Spaghetti pie is just the sort of basic comfort food that many of us crave on wintry evenings. Read more…
Puff pastry to the rescue
Hosting a dinner party is loaded with expectations. A Saturday night invitation says: This dinner will be gourmet. It will not be a box of spaghetti. There will be wit and wine, and everyone will go home happy they spent the high point of their weekend at your house. Read more…
DO-AHEAD THANKSGIVING, PART IV: How to make gravy in advance
You wouldn't think having 120 people to Thanksgiving dinner would make cooking simpler, but that's what I found last year. I'll never stress or fret over last-minute Thanksgiving gravy again; each year, I'll calmly pull my container of homemade gravy out of the freezer. That's a lesson I learned in a rather convoluted way after helping feed a horde of hungry elementary school kids and teachers. Read more…
As Six Turkeys Tussle for a Title, Degrees Challenge Pedigrees
No matter the bird, it’s the roasting temperature that matters. Read more…
‘Brooklyn Style Pizza’ Meets the Real Deal
Domino’s began selling Brooklyn Style pizza at its 5,100 United States stores last week. But what exactly constitutes a Brooklyn Style pie? Read more…
The Minimalist: The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work
A foolproof method narrows the gap between amateur and pro bakers. Read more…
Fixings to Make Any Turkey Fly
As much as you might agonize over which of six kinds of turkeys to buy, and over which of six ways to cook it, the vegetables, grains, fruits and nuts that will go into the other dishes must not be shortchanged. Read more…
Surfacing: Street Food With Ambition in Berlin
In Western Europe’s most affordable capital, the fast-food scene has gone foodie bringing gourmet dining to the masses. Read more…
Bites: Reykjavik, Iceland: Saegreifinn
The concoction, called humarsupa, is straightforward, traditional, glaringly honest, delicious and the first thing you should eat when you arrive in town. Read more…
Food | In the Magazine: The Way We Eat: Cue Snack Track
For sitcom writers, endless junk food equals more than big laughs. Read more…
A Chef's Reemergence
* 1/2 PS 7's Read more…
Restaurants: A Texas Saloon Rides Into Town
The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro presents a mash-up of the Southwest, the Wild West, the Outback and maybe even Brokeback. Read more…
The Minimalist : To Stuff or Dress the Bird? James Beard Had It Covered
Stuffing is always crisp and light if you bake it outside the bird; it takes just a little effort and a few more minutes’ work. Read more…
Let's hear it for the bran rolls
I have always loved my grandmother's bran roll recipe, which my mother prepared every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Instead of butter and honey, my granny used sugar and shortening, but otherwise her recipe and Beth Hensperger's (``Pillowy rolls are a comfort classic,'' Nov. 1) are the same. I like Hensperger's recipe even better. I'm so excited to share these rolls with my own children. Read more…
Making sense of turkey labels
Opinions are like turkeys. Everyone has one at Thanksgiving. You say brine, I say deep-fry. You say frozen, I say fresh. You say baste, I say . . . let's go out. Read more…
Food 101: Is medium or high heat best for roasting turkey?
Q I have always roasted my turkeys in a 325-degree oven. But lately, I've been seeing recipes for very high-temperature roasting -- 450 or 475 degrees. What, if any, is the advantage to this? Read more…