[1] Turn snack mix into party bars, with this recipe from Hannah Kaminsky’s new book, Sweet Vegan Treats (photo © Hannah Kaminsky).

[2] Turn a party mix into the party bars above (photo © Chex).

[3] A book for anyone interested in vegan desserts. including kosher and lactose-intolerant eaters),

We love this recipe from NIBBLE contributor Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog.

It ports the concept of a party mix (like Chex Mix) to a snack bar. Says Hannah:

“Don’t drag out that tired old bag of snack mix; whip up a festive batch of bars liable to become the life of the party!

“This sweet and salty treat takes shape as grabbable, munchable squares, rather than a handful of loose munchies, leaving less mess to collect between sofa cushions the next day.

“Make it for a movie night, a game of Scrabble, video games, or just for hanging out with friends.”

This recipe comes from Hannah’s new book, Sweet Vegan Treats.

You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy every one of them. People who are kosher or lactose intolerant will also enjoy these non-dairy recipes.
 
 
RECIPE: “PARTY MIX” BARS

Non-vegans can use regular butter instead of vegan butter.

If you want a nut-free recipe, substitute crispy dry roasted chickpeas and/or soybeans (edamame) instead.

Ingredients For 20 To 24 Bars

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the pretzels, both types of cereal and nuts in a large bowl. Liberally coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set both aside.

2. SET a medium saucepan over low heat melt the butter. Once it has liquefied, add the sugar and syrup, stirring as necessary until the sugar crystals dissolve.

3. TURN up the heat and bring the mixture to a steady boil. Cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until it appears to have thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the vanilla. Pour the contents over the dry mix and fold it in carefully but briskly, being careful not to crush the cereal.

4. POUR everything into the prepared pan and gently press it out into an even layer. Let it cool completely before cutting into bars.

Because Thanksgiving is the American holiday, we always serve American wines.

If you pour just one white wine and one red wine at Thanksgiving, that’s O.K.

But for those who want to up their wine-pairing game, the folks at Cameron Hughes Wine (photo #3) have put together a Thanksgiving food and wine pairing guide and an explanation of their choices.

Cameron Hughes focuses on value wines: good wines for $12 to $18 a bottle. He does it by not owning his own vineyards, but instead purchasing grapes directly from growers.

Check out all the wines from Cameron Hughes.
 
 
HOW MANY WINES ARE “TOO MANY?”

If you think the following amount of wine is “too much” for one Thanksgiving meal…well, it depends on how much of a foodaholic you are. We’ve been serving six different types of wine with big dinners for decades.
 
1. Apéritif & All-Purpose White: Chardonnay

For those who want a white wine aperitif, Chardonnay is a popular choice. At the table, it pairs with all the traditional dishes. It really shines with green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, which is why it’s also the go-to for vegetarian meals.

2. Turkey: Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is the go-to wine for the main course. It is the perfect pairing for turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. If you choose one wine for the dinner table, make it Pinot Noir.

3. Beef: Cabernet Sauvignon

If your Thanksgiving dinner includes prime rib, Cabernet Sauvignon is a heartier wine that stands up to beef, and more substantial dishes and sides like stuffing with especially with sausage or dishes with spicy ingredients like chiles.

4. Beef, Ham & Turkey: Zinfandel

Zinfandel is the happy medium when serving turkey or a roast, and is also a perfect pairing with ham. Its spiciness complements ham’s cloves and a sweet or savory glaze.

5. Seafood & All-Purpose White: Pinot Gris

Pinot Gris (pee-no gree) can be your white wine aperitif, or wine of choice for anyone who only drinks whites. But it shines with shellfish dishes, especially those with olive oil. Its acidity cuts through the rich fats and enhances the crustacean flavors.

6. Apéritif & All-Purpose White: Albariño

This grape from Spain is not as well-known in the U.S., but is is now being planted by more American growers. It is an excellent aperitif, a touch more aromatic than Pinot Gris. It’s an excellent alternative to Pinot Gris for seafood.

7. Dessert

There are fewer dessert wines made in the U.S., but your wine store’s clerk can help you here. If not, look for a Late Harvest Riesling, Ice Wine, Orange Muscat, or one of our favorites, Bonny Doon’s Viognier Vin de Glacière.

In Vino Veritas, and for Thanksgiving, In Vino American Veritas.
 
 
>>>CHAMPAGNE PAIRINGS FOR THANKSGIVING<<<

[1] So much to eat, so many wines to pair (photo © Aldi).

[2] There’s even a wine for pumpkin pie and other Thanksgiving desserts (photo © Williams Sonoma).

[3] If your crowd are wine enthusiasts, treat them to wine pairings for Thanksgiving (photo © Cameron Hughes).

[1] You can serve either gnocchi or tortellini in his rich pumpkin soup (photos #1 and #2 © DeLallo).

[2] If you like, substitute tortellini for the gnocchi in the photo.

[3] Flash-fried sage leaves. Here’s the recipe (photo © Saveur Magazine).

This bowl of soup is hearty enough to be the main course at lunch or dinner, with a green salad.

It’s gnocchi in a bowl of thick, silky pumpkin cream soup (here are the different types of soup).

The soup is a creamy pumpkin purée with fresh sage and bacon. The gnocchi are topped with grated parmesan.

“It’s like autumn in a bowl” says DeLallo, creator of the recipe.

You can buy the gnocchi or, if you’re a hand at pasta-making, make it with this kit from DeLallo.

We bought ours, and we also bought some pumpkin tortellini to try it both ways. Both were great!

You may wish to serve the soup with crusty bread and a dish of olive oil for dipping.
 
 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN SOUP WITH BACON, SAGE & GNOCCHI

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BOIL a large pot of salted water to cook the gnocchi or tortellini.

2. HEAT a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes.

2. REMOVE the bacon, set aside and pour in the vermouth. As the alcohol simmers, scrape up any crispy browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a spatula (these bits are known as the fond*). Let the vermouth reduce by roughly half, about 3 minutes. With the pot on medium-high heat…

3. ADD the onions to the pot and cook until translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the pumpkin and stock, stirring until thoroughly until combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. ADD the cream to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the sage, pepper and bacon. Then add the vinegar and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the gnocchi to the soup and serve with the sage leaves. When the soup is brought to the table:

5. PASS around the parmesan cheese so people can choose how much they’d like. We prefer to pass around a wedge of parmesan and a hand grater for the fun of grating one’s own—and also because freshly-grated cheese tastes better.

Parmesan is salty so this recipe has no salt added, and chicken stock is salted as well. You may wish to have a salt shaker on the table for those who want more.

________________

*Fond is the French word for bottom, indicating food which sticks to the bottom of the pot and has to be scraped off to be eaten.