20 AMERICANWAY
NOVEMBER 15 2008
T H A N K S G I V I N G
WhIlE thE NEWEst
trend of going
local with your food is all fine anddandy, if
you reallywant themost flavorful— andpolitically
correct— stuff on your plate, you’re going to have
to go for heritage breeds. Animals andplants, in
otherwords, that used to be standard fare in the
UnitedStates but that have since fallen out of favor
(and in some cases gone extinct) as agriculture
went industrial.
As far as heritage breeds are concerned, the
biggest of the big is the heritage turkey.With breed
names likeBourbonRed andWhiteHolland, they’re
raised outdoors, roam on pasture, and eat the var-
ieddiet nature intended.
Unfortunately, heritage turkeys costmore— a
lotmore. Since theyweren’t bred to pack onweight
as quickly as possible, farmers have to feed them
for at least 28weeks, comparedwith 18weeks
for the usual bird. But aficionados say theflavor is
habit-forming. This Thanksgiving, try tasting one
yourself.
—TracyStaton
Where to Buy
D’Artagnan
,(800)327-8246,
local harvest’s online shop
,
GoodshepherdturkeyRanch
,
.com
or
IGourmet
, (877) 446-8763,
Procrastinator tiP
If you’vewaited too
long to place an order online, try a farmer in your
region. Local Harvest has a searchable database at
Or, checkwith your natural-
foods grocer or specialty supermarket. Plus, some
Whole FoodsMarkets have them.
■
In the last five years, 60
breeds of livestock, including
pigs, cattle, goats, andpoultry,
have gone extinct.
■
In the last 15 years, 190
breeds have gone extinct.
■
When a breedgoes extinct,
the unique genetic traits that
set that breed apart from other
breeds is lost forever.
■
To truly be considered a
heritage breed, the animal
must have a unique set of ge-
netic traits andbe raised on a
sustainable/organic farm.
■
In theUnitedStates, 83
percent of dairy cows are
Holsteins and onlyfive breeds
make up all the herds used
inmost cases; 60percent of
cattle come from one of three
breeds: Hereford, Angus, or
Simmental; and 75percent of
all U.S. pork comes from one of
three pigbreeds.
Doing theNumbers
The number of
turkeys raised
in2007 in the
UnitedStates
A turkey’s aver-
age running
speed (if it
doesn’tweigh
86pounds)
Year the first
Thanksgiving
was celebrated
inAmerica
The number of over-
stuffed, sleep-deprived
revelerswho take a
nap onThanksgiving,
with football blaring in
the background
Weight of
biggest
turkey ever
raised
Year President
Lincolnmade
Thanksgiving a
national holiday
The number of calo-
ries the average per-
son consumes during
Thanksgivingdinner
PumPkin Panna cotta
Sherry Yard
, executivepastry chef,
WolfgangPuck restaurants
Yard likes to serve this dessert in part be-
cause it can bemade ahead of time, simplify-
ing the cook’s life onThanksgivingDay. “I love
this dessert. … It’s quick, easy, and the varia-
tions I can create are endless,” she says. “Best
of all, after the stuffing, I always have room
for this light version of pumpkin pie.”
Ingredients
1
/
4
ounce powderedgelatin
1
/
2
cup sugar
1
/
4
teaspoon ginger, groundpowdered
1
/
4
teaspoon cinnamon, groundpowdered
16
ouncesmilk
8
ounces heavy cream
8
ounces sour cream
1
/
3
cupmaple syrup
12
ounces pumpkin puree
(not the spiced kind)
1
/
2
teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
1.
Bloomgelatin in coldwater for 1minute.
Squeeze out excesswater and reserve gelatin.
2.
In a heavymetal saucepan, whisk together
sugar, ginger, and cinnamon.
3.
Whisk in themilk, heavy cream, sour
cream, andmaple syrup.
4.
Place over amediumflame andbring to
a simmer.
5.
Remove fromheat andwhisk in thegelatin.
6.
Vigorouslywhisk in the pumpkinpuree and
vanilla extract.
Pour into prebaked shell or intomartini
glasses. Refrigerate four hours or overnight.
Servewith gingerbreadwafer cookies!
sweet tidings froma
Chef’stable toYours
Theperfect dessert to topoff your
Thanksgivingmeal (andheritage turkey).
272
million
1863
86
Pounds
untold
millions
1621
2o
mPh
4,500
