We have a cookbook winner

Sorry for the delay. We should have had the totally-random cookbook drawing Wednesday. But when that big food holiday called Thanksgiving lands in my life, time gets gobbled. (Ow. Did I really type that?)

Speaking of our Thanksgiving package and books, I hope you've taken a look at the Holiday Cookbook posted at www.charlotteobserver.com/food. It takes about 1 minute to load, but it's worth the wait. It was a co-production of the Observer and the Raleigh News & Observer, spearheaded by my food-writing colleague, Andrea Weigl, and we're very proud of it. Also, Paul Malcolm's video on turkey-carving is worth reviewing before you have a hot turkey on your hands.

OK, without further ado, the winner of Cooking Light's "Way to Cook": It's Ann from Fort Mill. Ann, do the equivalent of coming on down -- send your mailing address to me at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com and I'll find a box for this big fat book.

To the rest of you, thanks for playing. The Monday Cookbook Giveaway will take a break next week (as will your food editor -- I'm taking a vacation). It will return when I do, on Nov. 30.

Ready for Thanksgiving?

We're trying some new things this year. Not a new menu -- although we have that. No, this is new technology.

Check our food page, at www.charlotteobserver.com/food, and you'll find my story and recipes on side dishes and a story and recipe by my Raleigh colleague Andrea Weigl on how acclaimed Durham chef Ben Barker packs more flavor into his turkey. You'll also find a link to a gorgeous holiday cookbook with all of those recipes, plus more turkey recipes, appetizers, desserts, a step-by-step slide show on making pie crust, and a video starring Johnson & Wales chef instructor Paul Malcolm on how to carve your turkey.

Even if you think you know how to cut up a turkey, Malcolm's video is a must-see. He specializes in meat cutting, and he knows some things about taking a knife to a turkey that are revelations. I've done the carving for years, and I learned tricks I've never seen before.

All of our Thanksgiving action this week is a combined effort between two food staffs, in Raleigh and Charlotte. Some readers have questioned the shared work we're doing with our sister paper, but this is one of those times when it pays off for you. We can do more together than we can do separately, and the holiday cookbook, which was lead by Andrea Weigl with support from me, is a terrific example.

I'm proud of what we were able to accomplish this year, and I hope you have a chance to put some of our new tools to use. Let me know what you think of them.