Episode 121: Minimalist Thanksgiving

It's our annual Thanksgiving show and minimalist cook Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything, has streamlined a luscious feast you can prepare in three hours, start to finish, with nary an "instant" or packaged ingredient in the entire menu. Mark shares his recipes for this fast and fabulous dinner: roast turkey with bread stuffing and sherry gravy, sweet potato home fries, cranberry-orange relish, green beans with lemon, and pear, gorgonzola and mesclun salad. Jane and Michael Stern suggest a diner in Maine for post-holiday repast, wine wit Joshua Wesson says the side dishes you serve should dictate the wine you pour, food historian and author of The Story of Corn Betty Fussell explains why corn should be designated our national food, and we'll hear about Tofurky, a vegetarian option for your feast.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• November 20, 1999