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Cranberries, Pecans and Turkey Confit:

  For many Americans this time of year we celebrate these three treasured native American staples. My family, steeped in WASP tradition, delivered numerous incarnations of dishes and sides that include this American holiday trinity ingredients that grace the tables and shelve this time of year. I am not sure how many of us give much thought to these unique American ingredients and their origins. On a recent trip I landed smack dab in the middle of the origin stories of these widely favored foods.

  The cranberry I consider to be one of our more curious common foods. A raw fresh cranberry itself is not an obvious choice for a staple ingredient. When you think about it this simple native North American delight was first cultivated in the early 1800s and has since taken the world by storm and can be found in some form almost anywhere. This Fall I was on Cape Cod and stayed in a bog during harvest. It's a pretty captivating process and a unique New England Tradition. I encourage everyone to experiment with fresh cranberries this season.

  On to Fredericksburg, Texas for an event I landed smack in the middle of pecan harvest. Fascinated with the rich History of pecan cultivation and it's ties to Native American culture I marched into the Fredericksburg Pecan Company to mill through the 18 or so varietals of pecans and was immediately struck with the bustling chaos of a pecan distributor weeks before Thanksgiving. It was a struggle but I managed to coerce the frantic clerk to release a 25 pound box of fresh whole Pawnee pecans clearly marked for another customer. After carrying it home on the plane like a box of gold an onslaught of pecan preparations, savory and sweet, ensued for weeks. I think I have settled on Pecan Caramels with Dark Chocolate, Chili, and Coffee as my favorite for now.

 Pondering these great American culinary treasures my mind wandered naturally to our true national bird the turkey. Virtually everywhere you go in this great nation these birds seem to find a niche and remind us of their presence. After 3 decades of professionally preparing lavish Thanksgiving spreads I have settled on a very specific method for optimal whole bird presentation.