Unique Food Recipes & Dinner Ideas

Before we discuss the food, here are some lists that may be both interesting and the fodder for trivia games or contests during the event...

• HOW MANY HORS D'OEUVRES DO I SERVE FOR A COCKTAIL PARTY?

• HOW SHOULD I PLAN THE MENU?

• HOW MUCH WINE DO I NEED FOR A COCKTAIL PARTY

To-Table features two types of quail. The jumbo Coturnix from Cavendish game birds in Vermont and Bandera (Bobwhite) Quail from the Diamond H Ranch. Both are considered the finest. We include recipes for quail, preparation for the poppers and ideas for using quail eggs.

The colonists at the first Thanksgiving definitively had venison, and the fowl also could have been wild turkey, but if so, it was a very distant relative of that bird in the supermarket case today. The wild birds (Heritage Turkeys are similar domestic birds) are firmer, and have a rich, intense flavor since they are mostly dark meat. If you decide to go wild here, why not add the produce of the forest floor to the Thanksgiving table? Foragers have been out gathering wild mushrooms and the flavors are perfect for your Thanksgiving Feast.

What exactly is a heritage turkey? It's a naturally mating bird with a slow growth rate (taking 26-30 weeks to mature) that spends most of its long life outdoors. In a Bon Appetit taste test, the Heritage turkey won, 4 out of 5 tasters preferring the Heritage. Learn more about why these turkeys are better and tastier than commercial turkeys.

Much of the foods prepared and served at Jewish Holidays are symbolic of specific themes. Food, in general, in the Jewish tradition is an integral part of the religion and if themes and Laws of Kashrut (Kosher) are followed, meals become a daily ritual of reminding the observant of good and evil, right and wrong, self control and Jewish practices.

The tradition at Rosh Hashanah is to eat symbolic foods  meant to help ensure a good new year. All items appearing on the Rosh Hashanah table contain an ancient significance for happy prosperous days to come. Yom Kippur break fasts are notoriously epic — all manner of smoked fishes and delicate pastries. 

Cooking with herbs and spices expand culinary horizons taking you to far off lands with unique flavors and traditions. Cooking becomes less tedious and more adventurous and interesting. And as comfort levels using diverse herbs and spices increase, the ability and desire to experiment and fuse the flavors and character of one ethnic tradition to another further opens the world of cooking and the joy it can produce.

And herbs and spices are believed, and in many cases proven, to impart important health benefits. We have included a listing of the specific most widely held assessments of each herb and spices' beneficial characteristics in our definitive chart of spices featured below.

And herbs and spices help you create healthier dishes. Ditch the sugar and salt and add some spice to improve and extend your lifestyle and challenge your culinary comfort zone.