The Thanksgiving Issue Part One

 Every home chef needs help, advice and new ideas duringt this time. LUckily - and as always the New York Times Food section comes to the rescue Here, home chefs can get ideas and aid in creating the perfect feast for next week.

Today's Wednesday issue is chock full of great dishes. The Food section;s heavy hitters such as Melissa Clark and Eric Kin have written superb how tos  alongside such new comers as Andy Baraghani  .Novice chefs and first timers will greatly appreciate Ms. Clark's pictorial on assembling the right tools for cooking the bird. she also has a handy explanation of the  differences between organic, heritage and free range pasture raised.There's also a list of the tools needed and surprisingly a turkey baster isn;t one of them. eric Kim has tips on sweet potatoes along with the history  of marshmallow topped sweet potato casserole.(it started in 1917 as a an ad campaign by the Angelus Marshmallow Company in an attempt for more hime chefs to incorporate more marshmallows into everyday recipes His take on this classic dish is  adding heavy cream, freshly ground pepper and bay leaves along with roasted and salted pecans to cut out the sugariness. Yes, there are other sides listed too.Emily Weinstein gives three easy ones. Make one or all three of mashed potato casserole, cranberry cornbread (good the next day warmed and with butter) and creamed kale instead of creamed spinach.

FOr a different take on the holiday there is Andy Baraghani's methodology os keep calm and carry on cooking. He offers a pomegranate glazed turkey with a brown butter sauce along with other recipes that are lighter and brighter int heir take on Thanksgiving foods. His glaze is a mix of pomegranate and orange juices. There is even pomegranate juice in the gravy too.He offers Brussels sprouts but they're drenched in cream as leeks and garlic add to their flavor. Yes he includes cranberries but they're  frozen,cooked with  honey, lemon juice and honey.Tahini is drizzled on top for a unami flavor. For a fun starter Chef Baraghani has a tasty green feta dip, herby with tender shoots of dill, parsley and mint. Greek yogurt and olive oil give it a smoothness , perfect with crackers or pita chips.Every table has to have squash , and his is no different. There is bright orange winter squash with citrus chile crisp.Mashed potatoes get livened up with cheddar and chives.Turmeric gives them a golden hue while a blend of both buttermilk ad heavy cream give the potaotes a creamy mouth feel.He  ends his meal with olive oil pumpkin cake topped with salted maple whipped cream. This is a different take on  pumpkin and a good way to end a feast.

It's Thanksgiving. Its a time to enjoy and not panic. These recipes and the advice with them will help get through this day.

The Slow Eating Movement

We have a tendency to gobble our meals. There's not time to really savor our food, hence we tend to eat more of it, to make up for the quick rush of taste. A much better way is eating slower. Relax and enjoy what;s on our forks and spoons. Surprisingly enough it will lead to less eating and less calories.

The "slow eating movement" was today's lead story in The New York Times Dining section. The piece , written by regular Jeff Gordinier, explains why we should relish our food. The longer we take to eat, the less we will have to eat. It's just a matter of stop the gobbling and wolfing and enjoy every savory morsel. This is what Buddhist monks and nuns do. There is even a reminder chime to let them know it's time to stop. Chewing literally comes to a standstill. Flavors are tasted - really tasted for their components of salty and sweet, sour and hot and then silence ensues. This also stops the eater from wanting more. It  creates a more calming experience.

Anyone can recreate this atmosphere at home or even in their favorite fast food joint. First click off the TV and any other electronic device. Nowadays we tend to bring our I Phones to the table .Don't. Indulge in conversation with the people around you. If you're with family, consider silence. Concentrate on the meal and its' components. Another good idea is chew twenty-five to thirty times. We often swallow after only five or six times and then move on to the next bite.Again, don't. Chew it slowly, appreciate the time and effort that went into the meal as well as the primary and secondary flavors.. Also make up a pretty table. Use flowers and candles as calming influences when you dine , especially around supper time.

We tend to eat and run way too often these days. It's time we break this horrible habit and get back to appreciating our meals. Eat slow. Take time to enjoy good food.