As Turkey Day Approaches...

     The highlight of November for those of us in the culinary arts is the Thanksgiving feast. Recently the folks at Food Network magazine did some research and reported that, according to the National Turkey Federation, the average American eats 16 pounds of turkey every year.  That makes the United States the top turkey consuming country in the world!

     They also conducted a survey regarding the way Americans finish that epic meal.  Here are the facts:

The favorite Thanksgiving pie is pumpkin, leading the pack with 41% of the respondents favoring it.  Pecan came in second with 35% and apple with 17%.  Other pies totaled only 7%. 

And 61% of the folks around the table prefer a little slice of each as opposed to only 37% asking for just one slice of their favorite.  2% said no thank you to any pie for dessert.

Most home cooks prefer butter to make their pie crusts, 45%, as compared to 37% for shortening and 18% for lard.

An overwhelming 88% of people prefer to eat their pie with a fork, leaving only 12% who use a spoon.

And topping the pie, a clear 41% ask for ice cream as opposed to 21% who enjoy whipped cream.  22% have neither, and 16% have both!

61% of home chefs make their pie crust from scratch and 17% serve 4 or more pies after dinner.

                                  

It's not too early to begin composing your Turkey Day dinner menu!