Thanksgiving Flash: Click in and click around for turkey day fun

An Insider's Guide To The Parade

PARADE ROUTE:

Dare to swap fish for turkey

I come from a mixed family, or sorts: half red-blooded carnivores, half health-conscious pescetarians. Pescetarians, for those not familiar with the term, are basically quasi-vegetarian. They eat fish, but no other forms of meat.

Give thanks for order in

Most of us plan to spend the holidays with family, but there are times when Thanksgiving in the city with friends is a fine idea. If this is the first time you've put together a Thanksgiving dinner, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Make reservations now for Thanksgiving out

Gobble, gobble

How to cook a Thanksgiving turkey

It sounds sacrilegious, I know. Roasting the turkey breast and legs separately for Thanksgiving may strike you as altogether wrong-headed, like serving a standing rib roast for July Fourth, shish kebab for Easter or cupcakes at a wedding (which, come to think of it, has become fashionable lately in certain circles).

Thanksgiving leftovers

Thanksgiving Pot Stickers from Ruby Foo (Executive Chef: Scott Drewno)

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade timeline

1924 – Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade debuts

Thanksgiving without the hassle

Some people can't get enough of cooking for the holidays. Others -- and we count ourselves among them -- would just as soon forego the baking and the roasting, the dirty dishes and the messy pots, and let somebody else do the work. Here is a selection of restaurants where they'll serve you a dinner to give thanks for, whether you hanker for tradition or for something a little different.

Attending the Thanksgiving Day parade

Broadway's longest running show turns 80 this year.

Order-in Thanksgiving

You want the pleasures of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at home, but who's got the time to cook? The answer, of course, is to let somebody else do all the work. Just pick up a phone or go online and you've got Thanksgiving in a box.

The vegetables

3 Simple sides

Sauteed Brussels sprouts with golden garlic, roasted cauliflower, balsamic-glazed green beans and pearl onions to accompany your Thanksgiving turkey.

The Turkey

3 Simple birds

When it comes to cooking the bird, brining and deep-frying are two trends that have gained a lot of popularity. To me, both methods are a lot of fuss and the results just aren't worth it. I put my trust in the good old-fashioned roasting method -- and I get moist, tender turkey in return.

Thanksgiving quiz

Tinkering With Tradition

It's a dilemma faced by every home cook contemplating the Thanksgiving menu: how to design a meal that is essentially traditional - this isn't the time for tuna tartare with mango chutney - but also conveys a sense that this is 2006, and not 1621.

THE BEST OF THANKSGIVING

The Main Course

For many, Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a homecooked meal.

THE BEST OF THANKSGIVING

And on the Side ...

GOLDEN EARTHWORM'S Matthew Kuszynski is vegetarian; his partner, Esther Wells, dotes on vegetables but still eats meat. With such a bountiful harvest, vegetarians could skip the bird and still have a feast.

Heading Off Last-Minute Disasters

No amount of planning can completely forestall disaster. In fact, the mark of a good host is the ability to recover gracefully from the unexpected. Here's some advice from the experts on how to cope with some common Thanksgiving mishaps.

Wines to Be Thankful For

For wine drinkers, Thanksgiving is the holiday when turkey may be the star, but the supporting cast is more important.

Balloon Handlers For A Day

Kathy Kramer, a vice president of operations at Macy's, remembers the year it rained all night before the Thanksgiving Day Parade.