A Discussion to Gobble Up

With Thanksgiving only a week away, it’s time to talk turkey.

Or perhaps you would prefer to talk stuffings and side dishes. These will be the focus of a panel discussion and food-tasting Saturday at the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum.

The panel will discuss the “different ways the people in Los Angeles prepare dishes that reflect their own history and heritage,” said Allana Elovson, a food historian and social psychologist who is on the panel. Emphasis will be on the stuffings and side dishes, she said, because “that’s where the action is. We’re going to sidestep the turkey and show the variations and deviations and how that shows who we are.”

Also speaking will be Doyce B. Numis, USC professor emeritus and an expert on California history with an interest in food culture. Participants will be able to sample small tastes of the dishes, and the recipes will be available. Seating is limited to 100 people, so reservations are required.

The panel will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at the museum’s Mary Pickford Education Center. The museum is in Griffith Park, next to the Los Angeles Zoo, at 4700 Western Heritage Way. Parking is free. Admission to the panel discussion is also free, but it does not include admission to the museum’s galleries. For reservations, call (213) 667-2000, Ext. 317.