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LauriDaniel BayAreaNewsGroup Get 10 wine drinkers in a room, and you'll probably find 10 different opinions about what to drink with Thanksgivingdinner.When I've asked people in the winebusinessovertheyears whatthey'llbedrinking,the answers have ranged from GermanrieslingtoAlsatian pinot gris, French Cotes du Rhone or California pinot noir. Clearly, there's no one "right" wine. No matter what you serve with the meal, it's al- ways festive to start with a glass of sparkling wine. With such choices as Cali- fornia bubbly, Champagne, Italian prosecco or Span- ish cava, there's a sparkling wine in nearly every price range. The challenge begins whenit'stimetositdownto the meal. The turkey is the easy part. The side dishes — savory, salty, sometimes sweet — are much trick- ier. Through years of trial and error, I've settled on reds made from pinot noir or Rhone grapes, such as syrah, because of their ver- satility. I don't drink any- thing that's too delicate or easily overwhelmed, but I also don't want a wine that's too heavy or alco- holic. (The meal is stupor- inducing enough.) And for this all-American holiday, I drink American. Pinotnoir I haven't had much suc- cess with inexpensive pinot noir.Most ofitlackscharm, and doesn't even taste like pinot. One that I can rec- ommendisthe2013Francis Ford Coppola "Votre Sante" Pinot Noir ($14), with its brightstrawberryandspice. It's on the simple side, but the price is right. A lot of Oregon pinot noirs have a savory, for- est-floor note that I find appealing with the earth- iness of turkey. Two good values are the supple, bright 2013 Left Coast Cel- lars "Latitude 45" Pinot Noir ($24) and the more structured 2014 Ponzi "Tavola" Pinot Noir ($25). The 2013 Stoller Family Pinot Noir ($30) is a little more expensive but really pure and delicious. From California's Ander- son Valley, the more expen- sive 2013 Carpe Diem Pinot Noir($35) offers lively rasp- berry and spice with some structure. The 2013 Da- vis Bynum Jane's Vineyard Pinot Noir ($35) from the Russian River Valley adds a slight leafy note. Formoreofasplurge,the 2013 Gary Farrell Russian River Selection Pinot Noir ($45) is bright and refresh- ing, with raspberry, spice, a whisper of sage and a sup- ple texture. Rhones Syrah has gotten some negative press in recent years, but I think the more savory versions are some of the most food-friendly winesaround,makingthem a great choice for Thanks- giving. The reasonably priced 2012 Qupe Central Coast Syrah ($20) has am- ple plump, dark berry with some spicy notes and a hint of roasted meat, while the 2013 Bonny Doon "Le Pous- seur" Syrah ($26) is lively and dark with berry fruit accentedbynotesofsmoke, white pepper and roasted meat. The 2012 Baker Lane Sonoma Coast Cuvee Syrah ($28) is a great example of cool-climatesyrah:peppery and structured, with bright berryfruitandalongfinish. The Walla Walla Valley has gained a great reputa- tion for syrah, and a good example is the 2013 Amavi Cellars Syrah ($33). The wine, which displays bright berry, some spice notes and finetannins,iseasytodrink but also has some weight and seriousness. Grenachewouldbeafine choice for Thanksgiving. A lot of California grenache, however,ispricey;garnacha from Spain is often a better value. But here's a Califor- niabargain:the2014Bonny Doon "Clos de Gilroy" Gre- nache ($20), which is pep- pery and bright, with loads ofraspberryandstrawberry fruit,supportedbymedium tannins. Whites White wine drinkers can continue sipping bubbly, of course. Or they can turn to chardonnay. But in keep- ing with the Rhone theme, how about a white Rhone blend? The 2013 Lone Ma- drone Points West White ($35), a blend of roussanne, picpoul blanc, viognier and marsanne from Paso Ro- bles, has enough richness for the meal, but it also has a firm core of acidity to re- fresh your palate. A more affordable option is the 2014 Fess Parker Marcella's White Wine ($20), which is mostly viognier; it's racy and fresh, with some floral notesandahintoflimezest. Contact Laurie Daniel at ladaniel@earthlink.net. PAIRING WITH TURKEY Pi no t noi r, s yr ah great complements to Thanksgiving meal By Jacquelyn Grandy Special to Digital First Media It can be a bit of strug- gle coming up with some- thing to serve a vegetarian or vegan guest at Thanks- giving that will not only make him or her feel spe- cial, but satisfy them at the same time. I never want to just pres- ent a plate filled with side dishes to my vegetarian or vegan guests. I want them to enjoy a complete, satis- fying and beautiful meal. This acorn squash paired with quinoa is truly a com- pletemeal,andwilleasilyfill up guests who skip the tur- key, and the presentation on these is just gorgeous, in fact stunning.Servethesetoyour guestsforThanksgiving,and they will be impressed. This recipe is surpris- ingly easy to make. If mak- ing a stuffed squash rec- ipe seems daunting, give this one a try. You can also play around with the in- gredients and add in some roasted chestnuts, dried cranberries or roasted pis- tachios. If you're serving veg- ans, swap the feta cheese for some nutritional yeast, which has a mild nutty, cheesy flavor. This recipe is not only a great meatless alterna- tive for Thanksgiving, but a great meatless Monday meal, or side dish for any fall or winter night. Jacquelyn Grandy develops recipes and blogs at marinmamacooks.com, which features healthy, seasonal and tasty recipes for families, and appears the third Wednesday of each month. Contact her at marinmamacooks@ gmail.com. MARIN MAMA COOKS Meatless marvel Stuffedsquashisfestiveenoughfor your vegetarian Thanksgiving guests Acorn Squash Stuffed With Quinoa and Roasted Almonds Serves4-8 Note: If you're serving 2 people get 1squash, 4peo- ple then get 2squashes, 8 people then get 4squashes. The quinoa makes enough to fill 8small squash halves. INGREDIENTS 2-4small acorn squashes, halved and seeds removed 3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing on the squash Fine and coarse sea salt Fresh ground pepper 1cup quinoa, well-rinsed 1¾ cups filtered water ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped ½ cup feta, crumbled ½ cup raw organic al- monds with skins, coarsely chopped 2teaspoons red-wine vinegar DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 425de- grees. Using a sharp chef's knife, carefully cut the acorn squash in half, from stem to tip. The squash can rock back and forth; so take care as you are cutting it. Scoop out all the seeds and membranes, using either a spoon or a melon baller. Brush each squash half with a bit of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, until tender when pierced with a fork and caramelized, about 15-25minutes. It may take longer or shorter, de- pending on the size of your squash. I had a larger acorn squash, so it took mine about 25minutes. While the squash is cooking, place quinoa along with 1¾ cups filtered water and a big pinch of coarse sea salt in a pot set over high heat. Bring quinoa to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover pot, and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa's germs look like lots of little spirals, about 12-15minutes. Turn off heat, place a dry clean paper towel between the pot and lid, and let qui- noa sit for at least 5minutes before giving it a fluff with a fork. While the quinoa and squash are cooking, chop the parsley and toast up the almonds. Note: You can also toast the almonds ahead to time to save a step. Just store them in covered container till you're ready to use them. Heat 1tablespoon olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add the chopped almonds to the skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots and the nuts are fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a paper towel lined plate to absorb some of the oil. Sprinkle the almonds with some fine sea salt. Set them aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine to- gether quinoa, parsley, feta, almonds, red-wine vinegar and remaining 2tablespoons olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill up your squash halves with the quinoa, and dig in. Got le over quinoa? Reheat it in a skillet with a touch of coconut oil, or just eat it cold. RECIPE Special to Digital First Media Count us as fans of the home-cooking website The Kitchn. Find it at www. thekitchn.com. Here are their suggestions on getting a head start on Thanksgiv- ing. CHECK YOUR COOKING AND SERVING GEAR Do you need a roasting pan, potato ricer, or more pie dishes? On the serving side, do you have enough dishes, flat- ware and glassware? What about platters, bowls, and serving spoons? CLEAN OUT THE FRIDGE AND FREEZER Do this as early as possible — usu- ally about a week before Thanksgiving. You're go- ing to have a lot of in- gredients, and probably dishes you made ahead. Get your fridge and freezer ship-shape. Make some items ahead of time, like ... ROLLS Rolls can be made weeks ahead and frozen af- ter baking, then warmed gently in foil just before eating. CRANBERRY SAUCE Cran- berry sauce can be made a week ahead and refrig- erated, or several weeks ahead and frozen. Thaw overnight in the refriger- ator. TURKEY STOCK AND GRAVY Make a batch of turkey stock using wings and legs weeks ahead of the dinner, then use it to make a batch of backup gravy. Freeze any gravy or extra stock. APPETIZERS Choose pre- dinner nibbles you can make ahead. You could also make a batch of roasted nuts and store them in an airtight container. BREAD STUFFING/DRESS- ING Make your bread dressing one to two days ahead of time and refrig- erate it unbaked. Bake it at the last minute before serving. HOLIDAY-COOKING Get an early start on Thanksgiving PHOTO BY JACKIE GRANDY This stuffed acorn squash recipe is surprisingly easy to make. Finally make this the year that you get some cooking prep out of the way early NEEDED Whisk Uncooked pie shell and tin Optional: Standing Mixer INGREDIENTS 1large (6lb. 10oz.) can of pumpkin 21large eggs 51/4 cup sugar 13/4 teaspoon salt 7teaspoon cinnamon 31/2 teaspoon ginger 13/4 teaspoon nutmeg 3/4 teaspoon cloves 7cans (12oz.) evaporated milk DIRECTIONS 1. Mix ingredients together well 2. Pour mixture into an unbaked pie shell and bake at 425for 15minutes 3. Lower heat to 325and bake for another 40min- utes, or untill knife inserted in center comes out clean 4. 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