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Well I've read all the comments and It sounds like to me that maybe there is a little predjudice going on! Noone seems to like the two shows that feature african american cooks as the host but on the same note, I personally don't really like the Neely's show either. I thought I was the only one that thought Gina's voice was annoying. Her personaility is too over the top and the slick references to sex as they are cooking is a bit too much. You almost don't want your kids to watch the show. He's not really a cook, he just does most of the chooping and order taking! She is too controlling. FN needs to can this show. My favorite is Paula Dean. She is so realistic and her husband is such a cute big ole teddy bear.

@PerkyMac I agree Duffield's is good but Zimmermans Farm on Salina Road is much better. There is nothing like getting corn still warm from the field to eat a couple hours later. It's so sweet and perfect.

As for rye, the Rittenhouse can be hard to find. Jim Beam makes a quite serviceable 80-proof rye for mixing that comes in around $14 US. Sure beats Old Overcoat, er, Overholt for flavor.

if you're looking for palatable, inexpensive rum, the Puerto Rican brand Don Q is really good for mixing -- much better than Bacardi. & it wasn't widely available in the mainland US until fairly recently, so it has the added bonus of surprising people who haven't heard of it before.

I don't drink myself, but I buy the booze for the group of us (usually 8). I tend to buy higher priced liquor, but I've started infusing my own vodka, tequilla, and rum. Now I can take cheaper liquor and spice it up. A favorite is a bag of frozen organic strawberries(organic to make sure they aren't frozen with added sugars) and a split vanilla been soaked in vodka for a few weeks.

It doesn't last as long, because it's delicious, but it still ends up cheaper.

I'm not a big fan of using roast chicken leftovers in anything other than chicken salad or chicken sandwiches. Of course, the carcass is great for stock, but to me, when I reheat the chicken, no matter how gently, it tastes kind of weird. That's okay though because chicken salad and chicken sandwiches are quite wonderful. Sometimes I just slice it cold and dip it in buffalo sauce and eat. But always cold/room temp, never heated.

Bagels

OK, I have to throw in the southern holiday favorite sweet potato casserole with brown sugar-pecan crust.
Bake, or nuke, the potatoes, cool, peel, haul out the trusty Kitchen Aid and mix with vanilla, sugar, etc. Chop pecans and mix streusel topping.
For the last 2 years I have been buying the St. Clair's casserole and honestly my family and I thinks it is even better than homemade.
And I appreciate the time to prepare other goodies I can't, or won't, order.
Happy holiday eatings to all.

I read everyone of these and i agree with some of them, but I sense a serious case of laziness running deep in this thread ;)
Nobody said Pâte à choux, or Crème Anglaise, which are more tedious than difficult, I remember making 200 Eclairs for a family gathering, and spending hours whipping by hand and stressing the final result was a labour of real love only to have my favorite aunt say "you could have just used vanilla pudding, nobody would have known any different", I was crushed..I would have known, but made from scratch is worth it almost 97% of the time IMO.. happy HoliDaze Everyone, Love to ya SE!!

I can't believe anyone considers stock a problem to make, just put it in a pot and simmmer. How hard is it to strain,skim and freeze to have fresh stock for your cooking? It only costs a bit of time and is so superior to any you can find in the stores!

Puff pastry is the thing I find totally unnecessary to make yourself unless you enjoy the satisfaction that comes with making such a time consuming recipe, if so then more power to ya!

@chanterelle, the secret to polenta is that you don't actually have to stir it all that often if you put it on a flame tamer, and you don't have to cook it for an hour -- 20 to 30 minutes is just fine. you can also bake it in the oven and it will turn out great.

Amen to pumpkin. During a period of righteous self-sufficiency, I bought pumpkins, cut them up (a perilous chore) and made my own (stringy, mealy) puree for pies and bread. Yuk! Good ol' Libby's every time now. As for stock, I know you can avoid all the preservatives, especially sodium, making it yourself, but there IS a kind that's better than MY homemade: Pacific Natural Foods Organic Free Range Chicken Broth - Low Sodium. Just 70 mg per cup of the salty stuff, and so help me, when rice is cooking in the boiling broth, you'd swear there was a chicken in the oven. Also if I can find it in MY little bitty town, you can, too.