Turkey and Dressing and Spam, oh my!

I saw this aricle at Voracious yesterday and had to chuckle.  Spam, Turkeys, and Other Food News of the Week

In this article Jonathan Kauffman discusses the truths behind the food writer and thanksgiving.  As he puts it:

Yes, boys and girls, it’s the start of holiday season, in which the nation’s greatest food writers are forced once again to reinvent the wheel. Every November I say a prayer of thanks that I write for an alt-weekly. God bless the Scrooges of the publishing industry.

How to Host a Successful Holiday Meal by Russ Parsons (LA Times): Spoiler alert — it’s all about delegating properly.

Using Salt and Science, We Can Roast a Nearly Perfect Bird by Andreas Viestad (Washington Post): The debates begin — brining or not brining, stuffing or not stuffing. (More critically, did you think to order the turkey yet?) I think this is the recipe I will try this year. It’s a little involved, but if Viestad swears it’s better than Cooks Illustrated…

There’s a lot more to the article, please check it out.  It really is a great piece of writing.

It is indeed that time of year for us Americans, and in fact the time has already passed for our Canadian Friends.  I’ve already had the brining/no brining discussion with a few people myself. (I do not, by the way.  I think that it changes the texture of the bird, and I don’t make a dry turkey, so…) As for stuffing.  Nope. Stuffing is evil.  I dress on the side.  If I’m feeling particualrly Rockwellian I add the dressing to the bird at the end, then toss it back in the oven for a few minutes.

So waht are your thoughts?  Brine or no brine? Stuffing or no stuffing? Smoked, roasted or fried?  Leave a comment and share!