For the Thanksgiving dinner table, we have long used chocolate “place settings,” a [confusing] name given to a party favor presented at each place setting [of flatware and dishes].

For many who follow this tradition, the place setting is a chocolate turkey. Some people add a ribbon or a tag that substitutes for a name card.

A couple of years ago, thinking “We’re all sophisticated adults,” we chose bottles of artisan maple syrup instead. The universal response: “Where’s the chocolate turkey?”

This year we’re using boxed miniature turkeys from chocolatier Larry Burdick.

Each chocolate turkey has a center of dark chocolate ganache and toasted almonds for feathers. It is enrobed in either dark or milk chocolate.

It is presented in a lovely gift box with a satin ribbon, like an edible jewel.
 
 
GET YOURS AT BURDICKCHOCOLATE.COM.

You can also purchase boxes of four turkeys.

Burdick is one of the country’s great chocolatiers; so even when it’s not a holiday, treat yourself to some.
  

Tribali foods was launched by a holistic nutritionist and vegetarian who sought to add meat back into her diet. But she wanted “clean” meats.

That meant sourcing top organic cuts: grass-fed and grass-finished pastured beef, free-range chicken and humanely raised pork.

She then created versatile, minimally-processed patties and sliders, and seasoned them global flavor combinations: herbs, purées, spices and vegetables.

The line was then frozen but the meats cook up quickly: “ready to nourish” in minutes.

Tribali fits with popular eating plans such as the Mediterranean/Greek diet, the Keto diet, the Paleo diet and the Real Foods diet.

But more importantly to us (we eat every diet) is that everything is very flavorful and nutrient-dense. We try a lot of prepared foods, and most of them are under-seasoned, requiring that we add condiments, salt or other flavor boosters.

Tribali is perfectly seasoned—so much so that we were taken by delightful surprise and immediately made them a Top Pick Of The Week.
 
 
GOOD CITIZENSHIP

Animal welfare is a priority for Tribali; the supply chain is transparent.

The line is dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, CCOF Certified (organic), non-GMO Certified, Paleo-Certified, and Whole 30 Approved.

There are no binders, fillers or hormones. You can feel good about what you eat.

And what you’ll eat is so delicious!
 
 
THE TRIBALI LINE

There are options for breakfast, lunch and dinner—not to mention sliders with cocktails. The line currently includes:

 
Use them to make:

 
There are recipes on the website, all of which we want to make. We especially like the sliders that use baby portabella mushroom caps instead of mini-buns.
 
 
BUY THEM

[2] A yummy Thai burger with rice noodles and a red cabbage slaw. Add a bun if you like. We added Stonefire Naan, a soft Indian flatbread; roti also works*.

[3] Ready to dig in? This burger stack was created by Primal Gourmet.

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*Both of these flatbreads, of Indian origin, look similar. The difference: Roti is typically made from whole wheat flour and is cooked either on a tawa (a flat skillet) or in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay or metal oven. Naan is made from all-purpose white flour, is leavened with yeast, and then cooked in a tandoor.

Glass rimmers, available in every color in the rainbow.

Here’s a holiday gift idea for a baker: edible fancy sprinkles from Fancy Sprinkles, a well-named company.

Yes, it’s a bit of a niche product, but the right person will be tickled pink [sprinkles], or any colors you bestow.

We’ve never seen such assortments of creative sprinkles, including eight designs just for Christmas:

 
Each is a beautiful mix of colors and shapes: not your mother’s sprinkles!

The company has done a great job of putting together colors and shapes. Everything is mixed to order.

Use the sprinkles on:

 
The sprinkles are conversation-starter—so if conversation wanes at Thanksgiving, sprinkle the gold, orange and white Pumpkin Spice collection over the pumpkin pie or the rim of your pumpkintini.

Individual jars are $5 and up, depending on the complexity of the mix.

There are gift-boxed assortments from $15 to $32, and a “sprinkles club” with a different assortment each month, seasonally-themed.

>>TAKE A LOOK!<<