Dining In: A Lobster Thanksgiving

There are already many cookbooks that teach ways to prepare turkey. I call this my lobster Thanksgiving.

GRILLED LOBSTERS: Another way to cook lobsters is by grilling. You can still use the shell and bodies for you bisque. Be careful not to burn the shells though or this can ruin your bisque. Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Thanksgiving is here, and of course there will be the usual turkey dinners with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, candied yams, and the like. When these traditional dishes are done well, they cannot be outdone in terms of pure satisfaction. And when you emerge from the tryptophan induced haze and reach for that partially chewed on drumstick or another helping of candied yams, nothing is more comforting.

There are already many cooks and cookbooks that teach ways to prepare turkey, from the usual oven roasting to deep frying the bird. I would like to present here, for those who are interested in non-turkey or ham options, a few alternatives to liven up your Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving, in my view, is one of the more meaningful holidays. There is something truly gratifying in the gathering of kin and friends to give thanks to the divine for the gift of life and and life-giving food. I call this my lobster Thanksgiving.

Lobster bisque is a richly satisfying soup if it is done well. Nothing compares to its velvety goodness: