Whether you’re scrambling to finish food preparations or already nursing a turkey-induced food coma, here are some of the most essential Thanksgiving reads from the pages of TIME.
Food & Drink
Hong Kong Chef Tragedy Prompts Road Safety Concerns
Two chefs of the Michelin-starred Fat Duck restaurant in England are killed in a Hong Kong car crash.
Is a Thanksgiving Dinner Really 4,500 Calories?
It’s still probably going to be a lot
Bad Idea of the Week: Caffeinated Cracker Jacks
In Cracker Jacks’ latest line of snack foods, who knew the surprise inside would be ‘a mildly addictive stimulant drug’?
Hold That Toast: France’s Champagne Harvest Is the Worst in 40 Years
French Champagne producers are facing an “unprecedented” combination of bad weather and disease that is bringing down harvest yields by 40 percent.
Guy Fieri’s Not the First: Restaurant Critic Pete Wells’ Most Scathing Reviews
Wells has an axe to grind, and he has no shame in sharpening it right against the cleavers of some of New York’s most storied chefs.
Bad Eggs: Another Fake-Food Scandal Rocks China
In the latest food scandal to emerge in China, customers are being duped by fake eggs made out of resin, starch and pigments.
Most Exclusive Coffee in the World: Elephant Feces
An Asian hotel chain now offers the world’s most expensive coffee, which derives its refined taste from the subtle workings of an elephant’s digestive system.
Will Ferrell Shills for Old Milwaukee — in Sweden
Tasteless, frigid lager seems like the stuff borne of America. But now, Will Ferrell is trying to spread his love of the dry lager to the beer-loving Swedes.
Breakfast Like Bilbo: Denny’s Launches a Middle Earth-Inspired Menu
You know you want to try a “Gandalf’s Gobble Melt.”
Schools Launch Fiery Campaign Against Flamin’ Hot Cheetos
Schools across the nation are wondering if there’s any truth to Cheetos’ “Dangerously Cheesy” slogan.
McDonalds Forced Out of Mall in Milan to Make Way for Second Prada Store
Perhaps patrons were sick of getting Big Mac grease all over their $1,300 Gucci purses. Or maybe the presence of the Golden Arches was just a bad fit for one high-end shopping mall in Milan, Italy.
A McDonald’s franchise …
