Today's food section is the Los Angeles Times, and I believe they have put together an extremely strong group of articles to help you out with making your feast next week.

Fit for a Pilgrim
Rich and pure in flavor, heritage birds are taking a place at the table.

The Stuffing: It's an Invitation to Tinker
MOST of our Thanksgiving menus are so bound by family ritual they could be carved in stone. That's why cooks are so thankful for stuffing, the one dish we can really play around with.

Choosing sides? Why not have both?
APPARENTLY there are people on the planet who actually think you can serve turkey without potatoes. These are the same traitors who would trot out a cheesecake instead of a pumpkin pie. Traditions are traditions, and potatoes are not just an essential ingredient. You have to have them twice in the same meal.

The ultimate relish: fresh, fast, flavorful
For real cranberry zing, nothing beats this irresistibly easy and delicious recipe

And the rest is...
THERE are few foods on the holiday table that carry the mystique of gravy. At its most basic level, it's nothing more than a paste of flour and fat thinned with turkey stock, yet it somehow has the capacity to strike fear in otherwise brave-hearted cooks.

You really can't go wrong
There are great wines for every Thanksgiving dinner, potlucks included. Match the mood, and guests will forgive the driest of turkeys.

It all starts with the dessert
It's the day serious cooks have been waiting for all year. What better way to begin it than with the aromas of apple and pumpkin pie?

The tool: enamel roaster

The tool: fat separator

The tool: masher

The tool: rolling pin