Thanksgiving’s Best Birds Pies & Parades 2020

Thanksgiving’s Best Birds Pies & Parades 2020: Thanksgiving will be a little different this year so we are changing our annual Best Birds, Pies & Parades post – just a little bit too. First, the Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular has been cancelled. And while the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will no longer parade down it’s 2.5 mile stretch from West 79th Street to Herald Square – you can still see the balloons and the acts performing on tv or online in a safe, staged format in front of Macy’s.

The “parade” (which, we remind you, is not a parade) will feature 33 balloons including twelve giant balloons. Featuring a 42 foot tall Red Titan from Ryan’s World, a 48 for tall The Boss Baby, a 62 foot tall Greg Heffly from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and an astronaut Snoopy. Expect two dozen floats, clowns and stilt walkers, the Macy’s Singin Christmas Tree Choir and Santa. But no Rockettes or other Broadway Acts.

But hey, there’s still football and we can still eat. Here’s how to make this Thanksgiving a little bit special.

Where To Outsource Thanksgiving This Year

Chef Roxanne Spruance from The Barn at Bedford Post Inn: The Bedford Post Inn’s new chef Roxanne Spruance is offering up Thanksgiving Dinner packages for parties of 6-8 for $600. It includes a 12-14 lb. Heirloom Bronze Turkey, roasted turkey gravy, jellied cranberry sauce, fresh cranberry and orange relish, Parkerhouse rolls with cultured butter, a choice of six sides and a pie. For $1,200 you can get a bigger bird, double the sides and double the pies to feed a party of 12-16.

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.

Chef Mark Kramer Thanksgiving Fest 2020 from Susan Lawrence Gourmet Foods: Chef Mark Kramer says outsourcing is this year’s biggest trend – he already has more orders than last year. His 18-20 lb. Free Range Natural Stuffed Fresh Turkey is seasoned with fresh herbs and pre-basted with butter and brandy and sells for $8.50 per lb. Add on his Traditional Bread Stuffing and Turkey Gravy, and a host of Hors d’oeuvres, sides, soups, pies and festive holiday desserts and breads. You can also get a Brown Sugar & Bourbon Glazed Baked Country Ham and a Cedar Plank Salmon with Rosemary & Honey Lavender Glaze. Order by 11/21 for curbside pickup on November 25. (26 N. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua, 914.238.8833; www.susanlawrence.com)

Homemade Bread from Mount Kisco Childcare Center: Let MKCCC’s Feed Me Fresh Kitchen do the baking for you this Thanksgiving. Order your Pumpkin, Zucchini and Banana Breads by Tuesday, November 17 for Tuesday/Wednesday 11/24-25 pickup. MKCCC provides childcare for 145 children from 3 months to age 12. They remained open at the request of Westchester County during the New York lockdown because they care for many of the children of parents who work at Mt. Kisco’s hospitals and medical centers. As well as the parents who work in the town’s grocery stores and bodegas.

Turkey fresh from the farm

Harvest Moon in North Salem: If you want to go straight to the farm for your Thanksgiving bird try Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard in North Salem. They raise Heritage Breed – Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys with the extra veggies and apples they grow. These vegetarian fed and antibiotic/hormone free birds range in size from 17-28 lbs. Their birds, priced at $5.99 per lb. have “less fat so they naturally cook faster!” 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: At Quattro’s in Pleasant Valley you can order Wild Turkey, Heritage Turkey, Geese, Ducks, Pheasants and Venison for your holiday table.If you are like us, and you must have game, you won’t mind the hike to pick up your fowl. Reserve by phone (845-635-2018) or stop by their farm stand in Union Square on Saturdays or Rhinebeck on Sundays.

John Boy’s Farm/Outpost: John Ubaldo’s farm, in Pound Ridge, offers two varieties: a rare Heritage from the 1800’s called White Holland, and the more typical Bronze Turkeys, which are one of the most popular American breeds. Turkeys are roughly 16 to 24 pounds and sell for $7.50 per lb. You must order your turkey by email and then pick it up at John Boy’s Outpost in Bedford. To order please email: johnboysmarket@aol.com  (1 Court Rd., Bedford)

Derek Todd of Wine Geeks Armonk recommends a white and red to pair with your Thanksgiving dinner. White: Orealios Gaea ‘R’ 2019,The grape is Robola of Cephalonia – grown organically by a co-op on the Greek island of Cephalonia. It is mineral-driven with notes of peach, pear, lemon drop, sea salt and lime zest. It is crisp and refreshing, pairing well with most everything on the table and it’s a real steal at this price. $12.99 Red: Domaine des Fonds Saint Amour 2018, Beaujolais is a classic pairing with turkey and the fixings. This Gamay is supple with notes of peonies, cherry, blackberry, black pepper and strawberries in aged balsamic. $20.99. (559 Main St., Armonk, 914.273.9463)

Where to buy Thanksgiving Pies

Salinger’s Orchard, Brewster: Our favorite place to shop Thanksgiving pies is Bruce Salinger’s Orchards in Brewster (just off Hardscrabble Rd. (Exit 8 on 684). Bruce 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, peach, red raspberry (our fave) pumpkin and pecan. Your mom/grandma will love the apple strudel. (230 Guinea Rd., Brewster, 845.277.3521; www.salingersorchard.com)

Susan Lawrence Gourmet Foods, Chappaqua: Created especially for Thanksgiving, Susan Lawrence’ pies are made from select local orchard apples, nuts, and berries. Each pie is beautifully designed with distinct decorations such as pastry leaves, maple leaves, and miniature pumpkins. Chef Mark Kramer says, “because of the high quality of ingredients used, these are likely to be the best pies you will ever taste!” Including: Old Fashioned Apple Pie, Peach Raspberry Lattice Pie, Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie, Maple Pecan Pie, Apple Caramel Crumb Pie, Pumpkin Pecan Streusal Tart and Chocolate Cream Pie. (26 N. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua, 914.238.8833;  www.susanlawrence.com)

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.