Thanksgiving countdown: A throwdown, a 'how to' for hosting, pies and more

Sure, times are tough. But is the answer to avoid restaurants altogether? Consider this a challenge from Times Restaurant Critic S. Irene Virbila: " ... if we don't support our restaurants now, they may not be still serving when things turn around and we really have something to celebrate." What do you think?

That throwdown helps kick off this week's Food section, but the star of the show is — what else? — Thanksgiving. Here are other can't-miss highlights:

• Thanksgiving is a holiday defined by sharing food, so don't be afraid of enlisting the troops. In some ways, though, that places an added burden on the host: When a lot of cooks pitch in, it's up to the host to make sure the mix works. Here's your checklist, and some words of wisdom: "Remember: It is not possible to be too organized when you're expecting a house full of cooks."
• We revisit a turkey recipe — Judy Rogers' dry-brining-and-roasting method — that has proven to be such a hit with readers that it even has its own lingo.
• Don't be intimidated by carving duties, either. Check out the video of Times Food Editor Russ Parsons, above, walking you through it.
• Are you the invitee instead of the hostee of a potluck this year? Be sure to bring a showstopper, such as creamy mushroom ragout over sweet potato cakes, warm barley and kale salad with roasted pears and candied prosciutto, or pissaladiere with spiced ricotta, radicchio and poached apricots. You could also try starters such as cream of parsnip soup with crisp-fried pancetta or Dungeness crab spring rolls with endive and almonds.
• Amy Scattergood shows you how to enlist the kids when it comes to making dessert, which is, of course, pie, as in pear-blackberry and apple-cranberry. We've also got pecan brittle and blackberry sauce on the side.
• When picking a wine for the big meal, Virbila maintains that you shouldn't stop at just one. (She won't get an argument from any of us.) A photo gallery takes you through her top eight picks.
• If you can't stand the thought of cooking, we've got you covered there too: Here's your list of places where you can dine out — or take out — on Thanksgiving Day.

And finally ...

Check out our photo gallery of Thanksgiving dishes in all their luscious glory.

— Rene Lynch

Thanksgiving to New Year's: We've got you covered

 

Let's resolve to make this Thanksgiving all about giving thanks -- and not about crazy-making relatives, overspending, counting calories or stressing out because everything isn't Martha Stewart-perfect.

Ditto for the rest of this holiday season. So how can we help? Glad you asked:

• Los Angeles Times Food Editor Russ Parsons will kick off a live chat at noon Wednesday, Nov. 19, to answer all your Thanksgiving questions as you begin preparations for your holiday menu. Join us here, at The Daily Dish. The following Wednesday, Nov. 26, Times Test Kitchen Manager Noelle Carter will be at the keyboard for any day-before-Thanksgiving complications you might have. Again, we'll start at noon, here at The Daily Dish.
• We're culling the best of the best Thanksgiving Day recipes from our archives to help you plan your holiday menus. (This recipe has already proved to be a hit with readers.) And you can rest assured that these recipes will work on the first try. They've all earned the Times Test Kitchen's stamp of approval: We can't print them until they've been refined, tested and perfected. Check back frequently -- we'll continue to update this collection with more tried-and-true recipes throughout this holiday season.
• For even more food news, check out The Guide's new Holiday Food page -- you'll find all the latest restaurant news there as well. (And if you are so inclined, you'll also find a way to completely bypass all the cooking this Thanksgiving and order in.)
• The Guide's new Holiday pages also go beyond Food. We know times are tough, so we have the entire staff of the Los Angeles Times on the hunt for the best shopping deals out there. Check out our new shopping blog, To Live and Buy in L.A. Whether you're all about the Grove, or you can't bear the thought of driving into a mall parking lot, it has you covered. And if you have any thorny etiquette questions -- is re-gifting really that bad? -- just Ask Alana.

Finally ... did we mistakenly overlook one of your favorite dishes in our database? Please let us know, and we'll have Santa's elves add it to our collection ASAP. Just e-mail us as many details about the recipe as you can remember -- the year it was published is particularly helpful! -- at food@latimes.com

-- Rene Lynch

Photo: Los Angeles Times

Father's Office, the best bagels, ribs, absinthe and more

The new Father’s Office location in Culver City is much like the original location in Santa Monica. There’s no table service. No substitutions. And no ketchup allowed with your fries. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila’s review kicks off this week’s Food section. Here are other highlights:

• If you want to start a fight in this town, bring up bagels. Here's a guided tour of the two biggest bagel bakers in L.A -- even if you’ve never heard of them, you’ve probably eaten their hand-crafted wares -– as well as a list of the city's best bagel shops and the best cream cheese. For you DIY-ers, making bagels at home is easier than you might think, as long as you’ve got the time. The best part? You can pile them high with the toppings of your choice. Here’s your recipe and a photo gallery taking you through it step-by-step.
• Why does “Ma Gastronomie” –- the embodiment of the late legendary French chef Fernand Point –- have such a devoted following? The newest edition, hitting shelves this month, certainly isn’t filled with the lush photographs or detailed recipes that we’ve come to expect. Times staff writer and editor Betty Hallock explains why it’s a book that chefs love to love –- and why it's beloved by food-loving readers.
• Our Find this week is Copper Chimney. You wouldn’t know it by the name, but it’s a new Indian restaurant in Woodland Hills where the entrees run $8 to $16. You can’t go wrong with any of the Tandoori dishes, but make sure you don’t miss the stuffed naan or the homemade, ice-cream-like kulfis.
• Bob Foutz of Huntington Beach loved the sweet-and-spicy ribs at Sage in Newport Beach, so much so that he just had to have the recipe. Times Test Kitchen Manager Noelle Carter –- who runs our Culinary SOS feature -- was glad to help.
• If you're looking for something to do, check out our datebook: We've got complimentary absinthe, cooking classes, truffles and a workshop on growing your own veggies.
• If absinthe is not your thing, Virbila suggests the moderately priced 2006 Ataraxia Sauvignon Blanc as her pick for wine of the week.

And finally.....

• Did you know they even bake bagels in China?

--Rene Lynch

Photo credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

Photo caption: If we can't have ketchup with our fries at Father's Office, we'll go with the soft-shell crab.

Today's Encore: Requests from the SOS mailbag

Fall may not quite be in the air, but you can feel the seasonal shift looking at all the letters and e-mails we've received lately in our SOS mailbag.

One of the top requests? Bread pudding. Warm, comforting and familiar, it's a classic dessert for this time of year. Check out today's Encore online and you'll find Barbara Hansen's article "Bread pudding on a pedestal," a celebration of the dessert with creative variations from some local chefs.

In the meantime, if you have a recipe request you'd like to send, feel free to contact us at Culinary SOS.  We receive more than 100 requests a month, but we read them all and do our best to respond to readers and track down those recipes.

Send your requests to noelle.carter@latimes.com or to:

Culinary SOS
Food Section
Los Angeles Times
202 W. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA  90012

Please be sure to include your first and last name, phone number and city of residence.

— Noelle Carter

Photo by Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times