The Thanksgiving edition of the dream-food magazine Gourmet features – guess what? – an exquisite turkey dinner on the cover. Inside this special holiday edition are upscale recipes for, guess what? Stuffing, cranberries, squash, green beans, and pumpkin pie. Although a few snooty ingredients are scattered throughout Gourmet's versions of these old favorites (Shitake mushrooms, black truffles), no matter how you stuff it, Gourmet's Thanksgiving dinner feast is still just good old turkey with dressing and all the trimmings.

At other holiday celebrations, family tastes, traditions, ethnicity, and creativity can alter menus drastically. Not Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving refuses to change. Know anyone serving spaghetti and meatballs for Thanksgiving dinner? A Greek salad instead of sweet potatoe…