Thanksgiving : What you eat for Thanksgiving dinner says a lot about you. Just by looking at your meal, some scholars can tell where you come from. Who eats these dishes? Answers begin on H13. : Regions: You Are What You Eat

Texas Menu Chicken and Dumplings Turkey with corn bread dressing Buttered boiled onions Cabbage salad Potato salad Coconut Cake Chocolate cake Curdled custard Buttermilk Tea CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

1 (4-pound) chicken, cut up

Chicken broth

2 carrots, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces

2 stalks celery, cut in 1-inch pieces

1 onion, quartered

4 to 6 black peppercorns

Salt

Buttermilk Dumplings

3 tablespoons flour

Chopped parsley

Place chicken in large pot. Add chicken broth or water to cover chicken. Add carrots, celery, onion, peppercorns and salt. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is tender, about 1 hour. Remove vegetables and chicken and reserve.

When Buttermilk Dumplings are ready, bring broth back to boil. Drop dumplings by tablespoonful into boiling broth. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove dumplings and keep warm.

Reduce broth to 1 quart. Blend together flour and 3 tablespoons water. Stir into simmering broth. Heat until thickened. Add reserved vegetables and chicken and heat through. Serve topped with Dumplings. Garnish with chopped parsley. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Buttermilk Dumplings

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons melted butter

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sage and parsley in bowl. Beat egg in another bowl. Stir in buttermilk and melted butter. Stir into dry ingredients to blend.

COCONUT CAKE (From “Glorious American Food” by Christopher Idone)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

4 eggs, separated

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup fresh or canned coconut milk

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Lemon Filling

Seven-Minute Icing

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at time, beating until blended.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Alternately add with coconut milk to yolk mixture. Stir in lemon zest.

Beat egg whites in separate bowl until stiff and glossy. Gently fold into batter. Divide batter equally between 2 buttered and floured 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake pulls away from sides of pan.

Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

Trim tops and bottoms of each cake with serrated knife. Cut each cake horizontally in half. Spread three layers with Lemon Filling, stacking evenly. Cover with remaining cake layer. Ice cake with Seven-Minute Frosting. Cover tops and sides with shredded coconut. Makes 10 servings.

Lemon Filling

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/3 cups water

8 egg yolks, at room temperature

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter

Dissolve cornstarch in 1/3 cup water in bowl, then mix in yolks. Combine lemon juice, sugar and remaining 1 cup water in medium saucepan (non-aluminum). Bring to boil. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until smooth. Place sheet plastic wrap directly on surface of filling and set aside.

Seven-Minute Icing

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup ice water

Combine sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar and ice water in large heat-proof mixing bowl. Set bowl over pot of boiling water and beat with electric mixer about 7 minutes, until soft peaks form. Remove from heat. Beat until stiff. Use immediately.

Midwestern Thanksgiving Menu Gravy Mashed potatoes Glazed Sweet Potatoes Tangy Cranberry Relish Creamed Peas and Onions Pumpkin pie Mincemeat pie CREAMED PEAS AND ONIONS

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups peeled pearl onions or 1 (1-pound) can boiling onions, drained

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 cups milk

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 (2-pound) package frozen peas, thawed and drained

Freshly grated or ground nutmeg

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in saucepan. Add and saute onions until lightly browned. Remove and reserve.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in same saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly add whipping cream and milk, heating and stirring until smooth and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add peas and simmer 5 to 10 minutes until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Serve hot, garnished with sprinkling of extra nutmeg. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

GLAZED SWEET POTATOES

3 to 4 pounds sweet potatoes or yams (about 6 medium)

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup pecan halves, optional

Wash sweet potatoes. In large saucepan, heat enough salted water to cover sweet potatoes to boiling. Add potatoes. Cover and simmer about 35 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Slip off skins. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.

Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and 1/4 cup water. Heat until bubbly. Add sweet potato slices and heat through until glazed, stirring gently. Sprinkle with lemon zest and pecan halves. Place under broiler for 5 minutes to brown top, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Variations:

In place of 1/4 cup water, substitute orange juice, bourbon or Sherry. Add grated orange zest if using orange juice. For spiced sweet potatoes, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or mixed sweet spices.

TANGY CRANBERRY RELISH

2 (12-ounce) packages cranberries

2 unpeeled Red Delicious apples, halved and cored

2 unpeeled navel oranges

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons triple sec or Grand Marnier

Grind cranberries, apples and oranges in food mill or food processor. Add sugar and triple sec. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Pacific Northwest Menu Oysters with Biscuits Smoked salmon Turkey with mushroom and herb stuffing Mashed potatoes Whole roasted sweet potatoes Cranberry Upside-Down Muffins Creamed onions Green beans in hazelnut butter Walnut pie Gingerbread OYSTERS WITH BISCUITS

6 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup minced onion

6 tablespoons flour

2 cups half and half or whipping cream

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram

2 teaspoons dry Sherry

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 to 1 1/2 pints freshly shucked or bottled oysters, drained

Biscuits

1 tablespoon melted butter

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Stir in half and half and chicken broth. Heat to boiling and boil 1 minute, stirring. Add lemon juice, marjoram and Sherry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in oysters. Turn hot mixture into 9-inch square dish or 2-quart casserole.

Top with Biscuits. Brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Bake at 425 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until Biscuits are golden brown. (If biscuits are browning too fast, cover with foil.)Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Biscuits

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter, diced

3/4 cup milk

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl. Mix in butter until crumbly. Add milk, mixing just until dough is moistened. Roll to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut into square biscuits.

CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN MUFFINS

2 cups cranberries

Sugar

1/2 cup water

Chopped pecans

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup oil

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Combine cranberries, 1 cup sugar and water in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened and syrupy, about 15 minutes.

Place 1 heaping teaspoon pecans in bottom of each of 12 buttered muffin cups. Divide cranberry sauce equally into each cup.

Beat egg in small bowl. Stir in milk, orange juice and oil. Combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Add to liquid ingredients along with orange zest. Stir just until ingredients are moistened. Spoon into muffin cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with extra sugar. Bake at 400 degrees 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Old New England Menu Oysters Roast turkey with giblet gravy and cranberry sauce Chicken pie Boiled onions Squash Mashed potatoes Sweet potatoes Brown bread Mince Pie Meat Apple pie Pumpkin pie Chestnut-Meringue Pudding Raisins, nuts Cider MINCE PIE MEAT (From “The Original Boston Cooking School Cookbook 1896” by Fannie Merrit Farmer)

1 pound lean beef

1/2 pound beef suet

4 cups finely chopped apples (peeled or unpeeled)

1 small quince, peeled

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup molasses

2 cups apple cider

1 pound raisins, cut in pieces

3/4 pound currants

1/2 cup finely cut citron

1 cup brandy

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground mace

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Salt

2 unbaked (9-inch) Two-Crust Pastry

Combine meat and suet in large pot. Add boiling water to cover. Cook over medium heat until meat mixture is tender. Cool in cooking water. Suet will rise to top, remove cake of fat that that forms on top. Reduce cooking liquid to 1 1/2 cups.

Finely chop meat and return to pot with suet and reduced meat liquid. Add apples, quince, sugar, molasses, cider, raisins, currants and citron. Simmer gently 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add brandy, cinnamon, mace, cloves, nutmeg and pepper. Season to taste with salt. Cool.

Divide filling equally into pastry-lined pans. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of plate. Place folded top pastry rounds over each filling and unfold. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on rim to seal. Flute as desired. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, if desired. Bake at 425 degrees 30 to 35 minutes. Makes 2 (9-inch) pies.

Two-Crust Pastry

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup lard

4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

Combine flour and salt in bowl. Cut in lard until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl.

Gather pastry into ball. Divide into halves and shape into 2 flattened rounds. Roll each pastry 2 inches larger than inverted pie plate. Fold 1 pastry into fourths, unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

Fold top pastry into fourths, then cut slits for steam to escape. Makes 1 (9-inch) pastry.

Note: Double recipe for mince pie.

CHESTNUT-MERINGUE PUDDING

1 (10-ounce) bottle whole chestnuts in vanilla or marron glace

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

3 eggs, separated

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons rum

Drain chestnuts, reserving syrup. Cut chestnuts in quarters and divide equally in bottom of small ramekins or souffle dishes. Place 1 teaspoon syrup over each (reserve remaining syrup).

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch in top of double boiler. Stir in whipping cream. Heat over simmering water until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Very quickly whisk in egg yolks. Add vanilla, rum and 2 tablespoons chestnut syrup. Divide into 6 (4-ounce) souffle dishes or ramekins.

Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Slowly add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Beat in vanilla. Pipe meringue atop custard, peaking edges. Bake at 350 degrees 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 6 servings.