Food & Wine November 2020

MICHTER’S 10-YEAR BOURBON ($130) The recent October release of this highly sought-after bourbon is an absolutely stellar whiskey: hedonistically luscious, full of toffee and spice notes, with a warming but not fiery finish. Or try the caramel-toasty Michter’s US1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon ($50); it’s very good as well, and it’s far easier to find. 2013 CONTRATTO METODO CLASSICO MILLESIMATO PAS DOSÉ ($30) This toasty, complex Italian sparkler was a revelation at a virtual tasting hosted by New Orleans’ famed Commander’s Palace restaurant. It went gorgeously with a Brie-style cheese from Wales called Perl Wen, but it would be equally delicious with any Thanksgiving dinner. 2018 CODIROSSO CHIANTI ($11) This garnet-hued Chianti is hard—maybe even impossible—to beat at the price. A touch of Malvasia Nera helps give it a soft, generous texture, while the Sangiovese that…

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Take a Bow LET’S TAKE the wayback machine to 1982, when a young Shakespearean actor named David McCann moved to New York City to pursue a career in theater. While working a catering gig, he met then-F&W entertaining editor W. Peter Prestcott, who recruited McCann to join his special events team at Food & Wine. A natural cook with a vibrant, gentle soul, McCann soon found his way into the test kitchen, where he worked until 2019, testing recipes, shopping for ingredients, and washing dishes, whenever an acting job didn’t lure him away. He counts staff from every era of the magazine among his friends and has saved every issue since the fall of 1982, a collection that takes up an entire wall at his home in Yonkers, New York. You’ll find…

MOONLYNN TSAI, New York City–based chef and restaurateur, and Yin Chang, actress and host of the 88 Cups of Tea podcast, didn’t plan to spend most of 2020 serving 20,000 meals to the elderly in Chinatown, Brooklyn, and Queens. But as they watched and experienced horrific displays of racism against Asian Americans, as well as the colossal hits in business local restaurants were suffering due to COVID-19, they felt it was a critical time to launch their community relief initiative, now known as Heart of Dinner. At first, the couple planned to run donation-based recurring food tours led by chefs and food writers to bring visitors into Chinatown. “Literally the day after we got everything set up, COVID was declared a pandemic,” says Tsai. “We were hearing news of food insecurity…

WHILE CASSEROLES, turkey, and mashed potatoes may anchor Thanksgiving spreads, the crudités platter is the star of any pre-dinner appetizer-and-cocktail situation. This year, take inspiration from some of our favorite restaurants, and revamp that relish tray. Do as Eleven Madison Park in New York City does and enrobe those carrots, celery, and radishes in butter with a sprinkle of sea salt before serving; fan out radicchio and lettuce leaves to pair with pimiento cheese like they’ve done at Dove’s Luncheonette in Chicago; or take your veg to the next level (literally) with a tiered “fruits de terre” tower (hat tip to Botanica in L.A.). The crudités platter is a vibrant, refreshing precursor to the heavier classics of the holiday–and it sure doesn’t hurt that it’s a beauty to behold. CRUDITÉS CUES FANCY…

TURN IT UP A NOTCH QUICK UPGRADES TO THE KITCHEN FOR THE HELPFUL SOUS CHEF Balmuda The Toaster ($329, balmuda.com) uses steam technology that keeps moisture inside bread while it gently toasts the exterior. Its five modes—artisan bread, sandwich bread, pizza, pastry, and oven—will also cook side dishes while your oven is busy doing turkey stuff. The pizza mode, which heats mostly from the top, helps buttery garlic melt into garlic bread; oven mode can bake a gratin to a delightful crisp. It can even revive your stale bread. For grilling, Cuisinart’s Contact Griddler now has a smokeless feature (pictured on p. 24; $120, cuisinart.com), which means you can grill vegetables or make leftover-turkey panini without smoking your guests out of the kitchen. The contact grill also has DuoControl, which lets you…