We begin this Turkey Day with Rex Huppke of USA Today finding that the pardon of two turkeys named Liberty and Bell by President Biden is highly suspicious and may warrant investigation.
The 81-year-old president, who is both feeble and incapable of thinking for himself AND a devious global criminal mastermind, pardoned two hulking, 42-pound turkeys at the White House on his birthday Monday. The young birds, Liberty and Bell, allegedly hail from Minnesota, though I was unable to independently confirm their place of origin. Is “Minnesota” some kind of code word used by members of the Biden Crime Family? Are we to believe the president issued these pardons without expecting something in return? Adding to my suspicions, I could hear the turkeys speaking a language that definitely wasn’t English. Isn’t that an interesting coincidence? Was it Turkish? I can’t be sure. So let’s see … we have two young, strong male turkeys who may very well hail from a foreign country. Did they enter our country illegally with intent to do us harm? Is that why Biden pardoned them? I’m just asking questions here, folks.
In this photo provided by Ed Smith, Geoffrey Holt rests his leg on top of his riding mower in Hinsdale, N.H., on April 4, 2020. Holt left the town of Hinsdale nearly $4 million when he died in June. DePayWalled By Daniel Wu
THE POUR For Thanksgiving, 20 Wines Under $20 These lively, versatile bottles are perfect for a crowd. Don’t worry about pairing, these will go with anything.
By ERIC ASIMOV
Overlooked No More: Elena Zelayeta, Emissary for Mexican Cooking Beginning the 1930s in San Francisco, she transformed the image of her native Mexican cuisine in the United States with a restaurant and popular cookbooks, all while overcoming a loss of sight.
Elena Zelayeta in the 1970s. She wrote four cookbooks, a self-help book and a memoir, starred in a TV cooking program, and started her own frozen food brand. By MAYUKH SEN
Sally Darr with her sous-chef, Guy Reuge, right, and a cook, Jim Pender, at La Tulipe in 1980. She had been determined to open “the perfect little French restaurant.” By PENELOPE GREEN
Fallen Leaves NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Comedy, Drama | Directed by Aki Kaurismäki In the latest from the Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismaki, two lonely people find each other with tenderness, karaoke and deadpan comedy.
Quiet attraction: Jussi Vatanen, left, and Alma Poysti in“Fallen Leaves.” By MANOHLA DARGIS
The Strangler NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Crime, Drama | Directed by Paul Vecchiali This strange, seductive film from 1970, directed by Paul Vecchiali, borrows the conventions of the serial-killer thriller and turns them inside out.
Jacques Perrin in “The Strangler,” from 1970. By BEATRICE LOAYZA
The Lady Bird Diaries NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Dawn Porter Lady Bird Johnson proves an engrossing narrator to her own story and that of a roiling nation.
Lady Bird Johnson, right, beside her husband, the newly sworn-in president Lyndon B. Johnson, upon their return to Washington from Dallas, where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. By LISA KENNEDY
— Of Possible Interest —
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes PG-13 | Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller, War | Directed by Francis Lawrence This slow-burning prequel tells the origin story of Coriolanus Snow, the future president of Panem. By AMY NICHOLSON
The Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving We’ll get you through the day, one decision at a time: how to cook the turkey, which sides to serve, what to make ahead and how to end the meal. By TANYA SICHYNSKY, LEO DOMINGUEZ and EDEN WEINGART
. Clockwise from top left, a pecan slab pie, a cranberry cheesecake tart, a caramelized apple pie, a pumpkin pie with pepitas and a creamy lemon pie with honey and ginger By Claire Saffitz https://www.youtube.com/embed/0rHT0QPvLTc?si=u2q4GkzTRbyqr291
The Pies Are Here Caramel apple pie, pumpkin pie with pepitas, pecan slab pie and lemon pudding pie with honey and ginger. Oh, and a cranberry cheesecake tart. By THE NEW YORK TIMES COOKING
Black pepper and Demerara sugar make these Parker House rolls feel especially deluxe.Credit…Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. By Melissa Clark https://www.youtube.com/embed/YYxFvOpBgnw?si=zSK1oDL6UrQ2by1R
Fluffy meringue delivers the airiness of whipped cream in a pie with a nutty flourless crust. By Genevieve Ko Genevieve eats (almost) everything, but has been creating gluten-free and dairy-free desserts for friends for more than a dozen years.
Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard Field White NV; Roots Wine Company Klee Pinot Noir 2022; Trefethen Vineyards Eshcol Red Wine 2020. Perspective by Dave McIntyre Columnist, Food
Youth (Spring) NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Wang Bing The documentarian Wang Bing examines the cloistered world of young textile workers in China.
Workers at a factory in the documentary “Youth (Spring).” By BEN KENIGSBERG
Dream Scenario NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Comedy, Horror | Directed by Kristoffer Borgli Nicolas Cage plays a mild-mannered professor who inexplicably wanders into others’ dreams in this wonderfully weird dark comedy.
Nicolas Cage and Julianne Nicholson in “Dream Scenario.” By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
A Still Small Voice NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Luke Lorentzen This absorbing documentary follows a chaplain at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan.
Mati, the chaplain at the center of the documentary “A Still Small Voice.” By AMY NICHOLSON
Orlando, My Political Biography NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Paul B. Preciado The filmmaker Paul B. Preciado shares the title role with 20 trans and nonbinary performers to make a point about the cage of identity.
Written and directed by the philosopher and activist Paul B. Preciado, the movie draws inspiration from Virginia Woolf’s novel “Orlando: A Biography.” By MANOHLA DARGIS
— Of Possible Interest —
The Marvels PG-13 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy | Directed by Nia DaCosta Brie Larson stars alongside two Disney+ stars in this trope-ridden franchise installment, the 33rd movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By MANOHLA DARGIS
A Cook’s Tour of the Tokyo Food Scene Taking a cooking class in the Japanese capital adds layers to an exploration of the city’s abundant supply of restaurants, from a pricey kaiseki spot to a chain noodle joint. By TIMOTHY TAYLOR
Brown at the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival in Ferrum, Va. By Sydney Page
‘This Recipe is WOW!’ Emphasis reader’s own for Melissa Clark’s five-star coconut curry chickpeas with pumpkin and lime. By EMILY WEINSTEIN
A GOOD APPETITE Get Ahead on Thanksgiving With This Make-Ahead Turkey Whether you’re driving it to dinner an hour away or you just want to plan ahead, here’s the best strategy for a Thanksgiving bird you can prepare in advance.
This spatchcocked bird — roasted at a high temperature a few days before, then cooked low and slow before serving — is notable for its crispy skin and tender meat. By MELISSA CLARK
FOOD MATTERS How the Humble Sheet Cake Became Top Tier In the world of special occasion baked goods, pastry chefs are embracing the birthday party staple for its vast canvas.
Sheet cakes by Noelle Blizzard of the Philadelphia-based bakery New June. By MARTHA CHENG and SHARON RADISCH
THE POUR What if Wine and Cider Had a Baby? A growing number of producers are fermenting grapes, apples and other fruits together, or blending wine and ciders, to make fascinating beverages. By ERIC ASIMOV
Nyad NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Sport | Directed by Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi Annette Bening plays the long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad as a woman who doesn’t pity herself. Neither does the film.
Annette Bening as Diana Nyad in “Nyad.” By AMY NICHOLSON
In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50 NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary, Comedy, Horror, Music | Directed by Toby Amies Toby Amies’s documentary dives into the history of the British progressive rock band King Crimson and its chief disciplinarian, Robert Fripp.
Bill Rieflin offers another perspective on the staying power of King Crimson. He chose to spend his last years alive touring with the band. By GLENN KENNY
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt NYT Critic’s Pick | PG | Drama | Directed by Raven Jackson Raven Jackson’s film offers a rich portrait of growing up in rural Mississippi and heralds a fresh, poetic talent.
Jayah Henry and Kaylee Nicole Johnson in “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt.” By LISA KENNEDY
Beyond Utopia NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Documentary, Biography, History, News | Directed by Madeleine Gavin This film, directed by Madeleine Gavin, documents the experiences of defectors from North Korea.
Members of the Ro family in the documentary “Beyond Utopia.” By BEN KENIGSBERG
Fingernails NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi | Directed by Christos Nikou Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed play confused lonely-hearts torn between science and emotion in this adorable near-future romance.
Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed in “Fingernails.” By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
— Of Possible Interest —
Quiz Lady R | Comedy | Directed by Jessica Yu Sandra Oh shines in this road trip buddy comedy about a pair of sisters getting on a TV quiz show to pay the ransom for their stolen dog. By BRANDON YU
Panko makes this bread crumb-coated chicken especially crisp, but you can also use regular bread crumbs in a pinch. By MELISSA CLARK
This Is the Ultimate Chocolate Cake Claire Saffitz has cracked the code to an irresistible moist-tender cake that’s not too sweet and not too dense.
This supple cake is based on an oil-based batter, not a butter-based one, making it resistant to drying out. By CLAIRE SAFFITZ https://www.youtube.com/embed/Oz3jorq9QKY?si=5yBxRsf4wAWmEoCq
It’s the Great Pumpkin Veggie Save the big field pumpkins for carving (and roasted pumpkin seeds) and reach for a can to make coconut curry chickpeas, creamy pumpkin soup and a sheet-pan pancake. By TANYA SICHYNSKY
An Old Fashioned With … Brandy? This Must Be Wisconsin. Two state legislators want to declare this the state cocktail. “I’ve had a couple of calls from people: ‘Don’t you have more important work to do?’” one said. By SOPAN DEB
The Holdovers NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Comedy, Drama | Directed by Alexander Payne Alexander Payne’s jaunt to the past, with Paul Giamatti playing a curmudgeonly instructor at a 1970s boarding school, is crackling with pungent life.
From left, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Paul Giamatti in “The Holdovers,” | Directed by Alexander Payne. By WESLEY MORRIS
Deep Rising NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Matthieu Rytz Matthieu Rytz’s documentary about the bounty at the bottom of the sea examines the fight over whether to reap these riches or preserve them.
An undersea glass sponge, one example of ocean life seen in “Deep Rising.” By LISA KENNEDY
Priscilla NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Biography, Drama, Music | Directed by Sofia Coppola Sofia Coppola re-examines Elvis Presley from the perspective of the woman he married.
By BEN KENIGSBERG
Milli Vanilli NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary, Biography, Music | Directed by Luke Korem Luke Korem’s documentary retraces the manufactured pop duo’s rise and fall, while asking pertinent questions about the price of stardom.
Rob Pilatus, left, and Fab Morvan in “Milli Vanilli,” a documentary | Directed by Luke Korem. By CHRIS AZZOPARDI
36 HOURS 36 Hours in Glasgow Take in Gothic architecture, green riverside walks and a global banquet in Scotland’s largest city, which crackles with character. Just be waterproof. By NATALIE WHITTLE
Indigenous Chef Sean Sherman listens to a speech before receiving the Julia Child Award in Minneapolis on Tuesday. Melissa Olson
The Flavor of Lagos, in 3 Recipes Yewande Komolafe captures the Nigerian city’s essence — both rich and complex — in crispy bean fritters, richly infused chicken and rice, and jammy tomato breakfast eggs.
A classic weekday lunch, the flavor of iwuk edesi, a one-pot Nigerian chicken and rice dish, is an incredible sum of all its parts. By YEWANDE KOMOLAFE
This slow-cooked squash dish is placed on some Día de los Muertos altars. By Christina Morales
Five Quick Fall Pastas Think spaghetti tangled with butternut squash and brown butter, orecchiette with brussels sprouts, and cheesy stovetop mac with sausage and kale. By GENEVIEVE KO
A Fast and Easy Focaccia for Just a Bit of Baking There’s something about putting together a dough, about measuring and kneading and waiting on a rise, that allows you to get out of your head. By SAM SIFTON
It’s Cabbage Season Simmered in borscht, charred with lentils and griddled in vegetarian okonomiyaki. By TANYA SICHYNSKY
This Fire Chicken Is Fire Maangchi’s cheese buldak has a faithful following for a reason: It’s utterly delicious.
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