Thanksgiving’s Best Birds, Pies & Parades:

Thanksgiving’s Best Birds, Pies & Parades: The Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular returns on November 20, after a three year pandemic break. Stamford’s Parade Spectacular is one of the largest helium balloon parades in the country, featuring everyone’s favorite giant balloon characters, award winning marching bands and fabulous floats.

So we return to our regular format with this year’s version of Thanksgiving’s Best, Birds, Pies & Parades.

Where To Outsource Thanksgiving This Year

Chef Mark Kramer Thanksgiving Fest 2022 from Susan Lawrence Gourmet Foods: Susan Lawrence Gourmet Foods in Chappaqua has everything you need to make your Thanksgiving a perfect and easy occasion. Delicious accompaniments for your holiday turkey;  Classic Ready-Made Stuffing that is sure to please everyone, Truffled Creamed Spinach, Sweet Potato Casserole with just the right amount of brown sugar, citrus & spices, Perfect Whipped Yukon Gold & Idaho Potatoes (probably the best mashed potatoes you could imagine), Oven Roasted Harvest Vegetables, Our famous Kale Salad, Cranberry Raspberry Relish, Rich Brown Turkey Gravy, sublime Corn Bread Loaves and so much more! (26 N. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua, 914.238.8833; www.susanlawrence.com)

Chef Roxanne Spruance from The Barn at Bedford Post Inn: This year The  chefs Roxanne Spruance, Sarah Gouse & Luke Deardurff are offering full Thanksgiving to go dinners you can execute at home. The turkeys are prepped, brined, trussed, stuffed with aromatics, and ready to roast (pan, instructions and thermometer included!). All side dishes are fully prepped to cook or reheat and plate with full instructions. From Parker House rolls, and sausage stuffing & gravy to pecan pie with cinnamon whipped cream.

A Food Network Chopped! champion, Chef Roxanne’s Curriculum Vitae includes stints as Chef de Partie under world-renowned Chef Wylie Dufresne at New York’s WD~50, and a Sous Chef position at Blue Hill at Stone Barns under Dan Barber. In 2016 she opened Kingsley, a French-American restaurant that was named Zagat’s Best New Restaurant and Best American Restaurant that year. During her tenure it earned a Michelin Recommendation and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

Turkey fresh from the farm

Harvest Moon in North Salem: Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard is still taking orders for their farm-raised, fresh Thanksgiving turkeys. They raise Heritage Breed – Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys with the extra veggies and apples they grow. Their birds are 100% antibiotic free, never administered any hormones, and spend their entire lives foraging on open pasture on their upstate Farm. They also offer 11 kinds of fruit and pumpkin pies. (130 Hardscrabble Rd., North Salem, 914.485.1210; www.harvestmoonfarmandorchard.com)

Beyond Turkey at Quattro’s Poultry Farm & Gourmet Market: If you haven’t ordered your wild turkey from Quattro’s yet you are way late. They start taking Thanksgiving orders on October 1. The good news is they don’t start taking Christmas orders until the day after Thanksgiving. You can order Wild Turkey, Heritage Turkey, Geese, Ducks, Pheasants and Venison for your holiday table. Reserve by phone 845-635-2018. You can pick up your order at their farm store  or at the farmer’s markets in Union Square on Saturdays or Rhinebeck on Sundays.

Derek Todd of Wine Geeks Armonk likes Mauritson Zinfandel ’19, $36.99 from California’s Dry Creek Valley with its rich, jammy fruit to pair with the turkey and the sweeter flavors of the feast. While the Selbach Riesling Spatlese ’20, $20.99 from Germany’s Saar region brings a juicy sweetness and bright acidity that balances all the richer flavors of the traditional sides perfectly. Finally, the Morgan Highland Chardonnay from California’s Santa Lucia Highlands, lovely, balanced and buttery is a classic pairing with your butterball. (559 Main St., Armonk, 914.273.9463)

Where to buy Thanksgiving Pies

Salinger’s Orchard, Brewster: This is still the 0ur go-to place to shop Thanksgiving pies. Bruce Salinger’s Orchards in Brewster (just off Hardscrabble Rd. (Exit 8 on 684) grows and sells 18 varieties of apples, as well as pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, pumpkins, tomatoes and other local vegetables. Not to mention pure local honey. His wife Maureen, does the baking and makes “incredible fruit pies at incredible prices,” including apple, apple crumb, apple walnut caramel, blueberry, peach, cherry, mixed berry, strawberry rhubarb, red raspberry (our fave) pumpkin and pecan. Your mom/grandma will love the apple strudel. They make great chocolates too. (230 Guinea Rd., Brewster, 845.277.3521; www.salingersorchard.net)

Hard Facts About The Turkey 

How much to buy: 1 ¼ to 1 ½ lbs per person depending on how much you like left-overs.

Heat oven to 450 degrees and drop to 350 when you put the turkey in the oven.

Cook turkey to 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the thigh.

Plan on 13 minutes of cooking time per pound if roasting or 15 minutes per pound if stuffed.

Stuffing your turkey? Just don’t do it! 

Alton Brown, host of Iron Chef America says “turkey stuffing is evil!” That’s because the porous stuffing in the middle of the bird can soak up juices that may contain salmonella bacteria. If you do this you must heat the stuffing to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. And because the stuffing will take longer than the rest of the bird to reach 165 – you’ll wind up drying out your turkey. PS – Alton Brown also says, “if you cook the stuffing outside of the bird it is no longer stuffing, it’s dressing.” Adjust to the nomenclature.

The Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular

The Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular returns on Sunday, November 20 to Summer Street at Hoyt after a three year pandemic break. Stamford’s Parade Spectacular is one of the largest helium balloon parades in the country, featuring everyone’s favorite giant balloon characters, award winning marching bands and fabulous floats. Fun for the whole family!

Planned highlights of the parade include 15 giant balloons including favorites Bob the Builder, Mr. Potato Head and more! In addition to the procession’s signature balloons, the streets will be filled with music from marching bands, fabulous floats and dynamic dance groups! Plus Colin Cosell, PA announcer for the NY Mets, making his debut as Master of Ceremonies at the main review stand.

On the eve of the parade, a Balloon Inflation Party presented by Point72 will be held on Saturday, November 19 from 3-6 p.m. at the intersection of Hoyt Street and Summer Street. This pre-parade event will allow spectators a behind-the-scenes look at the balloons as they come to life. Music, parade talent, cartoon characters and Santa will greet and delight spectators.