"Pumpkin Cloud" by Wayne Thiebaud.

The November 23 issue of The New Yorker is the special food issue. Here is a peek at some of the articles:

Taste Makers: How do the flavors of Snapple, ice cream, and gum get manufactured? A profile on a real-life Willy Wonka named Michelle Hagen who works at Givaudan in Cincinnati, the largest flavor and fragrance manufacturer in the world.

Lunch with M: A special look into the rating process of the Michelin guide. For the first time in history, the company allowed a journalist to chat with an anonymous inspector at a three-star Michelin-rated restaurant (Jean-Georges in New York City). Only 26 three-star restaurants exist in France, and only 81 in the world.

Funny Food: Calvin Trillin examines poutine, the Canadian mess of French fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. Here is a special audio clip with Trillin.

More after the jump.

Pilgrim's Progress: Jane Kramer looks back at her various Thanksgivings—ranging from one served by Sufi curers and musicians in Morocco to one celebrated in August in Italy.

Reds: China is now the world's fifth-largest wine consumer. Though the country had a history of diluting wine with soft drinks (red wine and Sprite) they've come a long way in the grape business.

Spit Cake: Baumkuchen, or Germany's "king of cakes," also goes by a less glamorous name: "spit cake." They are cooked on a rotisserie as layers of batter are added, and contain rings, like a tree, when cut down the middle. Mimi Sheraton tastes variations from Munich, Chicago, Japan, and the French village of Blayac.

What's the Recipe? Adam Gopnik on why we use cookbooks.