5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

Thanksgiving is one overstuffed occasion to serve up a bone-dry bird. Whereas gravy is meant to be a savory accoutrement, for some, it becomes a defense mechanism for a thirsty turkey.

If all this sounds vaguely familiar, Melissa Clark is here to answer the age-old question of how to not burn or dry out your Thanksgiving turkey.

Clark is a James Beard award-winning writer who pens the wildly popular “A Good Appetite” column for the New York Times Dining section. She is also a Contributing Editor and weekly recipe columnist for Gilt Taste.

Five Things NOT To Do When Roasting Your Thanksgiving Turkey: Melissa Clark
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Ray Isle (@islewine on Twitter) is Food & Wine's executive wine editor. We trust his every cork pop and decant – and the man can sniff out a bargain to boot. Take it away, Ray.

For me, the onset of real fall weather seems to have a bizarre neurochemical effect on my brain, which is that I start thinking, nearly constantly, about what I can cook that involves mushrooms. Mushroom risotto, roasted hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, shaved mushroom salads, wild mushroom ragù, mushroom pizza, mushroom ice cream - OK, enough of that.

Assuming you’re wired anything like I am, this also means that it’s time to break out those autumnal wines that go so well with anything fungoid. For me, that’s Pinot Noir from pretty much anywhere, Chianti and Barbera from Italy, and Rioja (especially when it’s had a few years to age).

To that end, here are some great mushroom-pairing wines:
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Sink your teeth into today's top stories from around the globe.

• The peril of smashing pumpkins: A 64-year-old man suffered a concussion in a pumpkin drive-by. - STLtoday.com

• Forget rock, paper trumps wine in a newly designed papier-mâché bottle. - Daily Mail

• The word 'local' is big business, a $4.8 billion business to be exact. - Boston.com

• Three techniques that will leave you with anything but 'just another chicken dish.' - Wall Street Journal

• Is it just to have a homemade snack requirement in class? California State University at Sacramento investigates one professor's notions. - Inside Higher Ed

Wow, do people get their wattles in a wad about brining. It's probably partly because we're all still traumatized by the powdery turkey of our childhood Thanksgivings. It's also because people enjoy having extra things to fuss over 'round this time of the year.

But really, it's not that complicated and whether you opt for a dunk or a rub, roasting, smoking or deep-frying, it's bound to add some extra moisture and flavor to your meat. You'll just have to find something else to stress about. Sorry.

What is brining?
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While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Don't be fickle, it's just pickles - November 14 is National Pickle Day!

Whether you chomp down on gherkins straight from the jar or sneak some crunch into your sandwich, pickles are cool as a cucumber ... that's been pickled, of course.

Pickles get their moniker from the process it takes to make them. This funny name comes from the Dutch word pekel, meaning "brine." Leaving cucumbers in brine or vinegar and allowing them to ferment creates our favorite fantastically crunchy pickles.
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