Having Thanksgiving dinner with stellar service

The Los Angeles Mission boasted a star-studded lineup of food servers at its annual Thanksgiving dinner, held the day before the holiday. Even host Kirk Douglas did a double take when he saw Harrison Ford doling out gravy. 1. The Gloved One (a.k.a. Ford) went semi-incognito in a VIP red apron and baseball hat to help hand out over 3,000 meals to the homeless living in the Skid Row area. 2. Douglas, who has hosted the event for three years with wife Anne (who was home sick), challenged Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to a serving-spoon duel before unveiling the smoked turkey legs, while 3. Calista Flockart ran the mashed potato stand. Live bands offered up gospel tunes for well-fed attendees, some of whom even got their feet washed by the mayor at a cleaning station.

-- Jenny Sundel

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There’s no better way to spread the word

The fastest way to make friends in your neighborhood? Free food! Reach Back LA, a nonprofit dedicated to helping at-risk youth, offered up over 600 Thanksgiving meals in Watts on Nov. 20 to get the word out about their new afterschool programs. Actor 4. Clifton Powell served up the smoked turkey at the event, co-sponsored by the Mark Wahlberg Foundation, and the USC men’s basketball team piled on the fixings before signing autographs for kids, along with actor 5. Grand L. Bush. 6. Arielle Kebbel, left, warmed up to Penny Marshall at the ice sculpture, and 7. Lori Petty ladled out the gravy for one of the center’s teachers as guests grooved to jazz and R&B; tunes.

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Taste what I made

More than 30 kids who have aged out of foster care learned how to make Thanksgiving dinner without breaking the bank on Nov. 17, thanks to lessons at the Kitchen Academy in Hollywood. Two-time host 8. Angie Harmon, who teamed with The Alliance for Children’s Rights, and hubby Jason Sehorn helped kick off the cooking in the three teaching kitchens, where students mastered dishes including fried macaroni-and-cheese squares, yams and green beans. To re-create the meal, guests left with $25 gift cards from Albertson’s and a recipe book from lead chef Chanel Martinez.