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I'd argue side dishes make Thanksgiving. I'd also argue you'd be nuts to argue otherwise. Turkey is a fine bird, but a relatively bland, dry canvas that's defining trait is its ability to put you to sleep. Desserts are well and good, but they serve as a coda separate from the heart of the meal. Side dishes, however, are the scene-stealers. The je ne sais quoi. The Thanksgiving Super Friends. But all sides are not created equal—which is why I've ranked nearly a dozen in 100 percent definitive, unimpeachable order. There is no arguing with this list. Keep up with this story and more by subscribing now Here we go, from worst to best. Drum(stick) roll, please! 11. Crescent rolls It's the biggest game of the year—Thanksgiving dinner—and you come here with a basket of rolls you popped out of a cannister? Please. Thanksgiving dinner is an event. And while crescent rolls aren't necessarily the worst-tasting Thanksgiving side dish, they are the most sinister. They steal joy. If I've seen it once, I've seen it a thousand times: A ravenous eater pops three rolls early in the meal, burning out before second helpings. The best dinner of the year is ruined. 10. Cranberry sauce I mean, does anyone really like cranberry sauce? It's either overly sweet, too bitter or just kinda there, jiggling on the table. It beat out crescent rolls because, for better or worse, it's a true Thanksgiving tradition. However (said in Stephen A. Smith's voice), cranberry sauce is a great spread on leftover sandwiches. Throw some turkey and stuffing on bread and layer with sauce on each slice. It's the perfect counter to the dryness of second-day ingredients. 9. Green bean casserole What's wrong with straight up green beans? They're delicious. Who sees decent vegetables and thinks, "Let's dump a whole can of Campbell's mushroom on those babies?" The good folks at Campbell's, who invented the dish in 1955, that's who. If you're taking more than a single scoop of this stuff, you're a sucker, or just too polite for your own good. 8. Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows Grow up, Peter Pan. You're a grown up. You're eating dinner not dessert. And they're called sweet potatoes for a reason. They don't need additional sugar. 7. Brussels sprouts Brussels sprouts are a solid, workmanlike side dish. They're not here to set off fireworks; they're here to do a job. And they are the perfect compliment for the richer heavy hitters—gravy-loaded turkey, stuffing and mac and cheese—and especially when roasted with a hint of char. Don't sleep on brussels sprouts! 6. Collard greens Again, greenery is a necessity on any well-rounded plate. In the parlance of sports talent-evaluation, collard greens have a higher ceiling—meaning potential to be great—than any other Thanksgiving green. The bitterness of the green coupled with the savory undertones of the cooking broth? My jowls are loosening at the thought. 5. Cornbread Cornbread is good—an unassailable fact—even when it's a little dry (that's what butter is for). If the cornbread has actual corn kernels mixed in the batter—or, better, some diced jalepeño or fresh herbs—stay out of my way. However you cook it, cornbread serves an important role at Thanskgiving dinner, adding much needed texture and chew. Crescent rolls don't come close. 4. Corn and corn dishes You're probably thinking, "What's with this guy and corn? I'll bet his favorite band is Korn." But in addition to being one of the things people actually ate back when there was a supposed first Thanksgiving, and unlike marshmallows, it offers an appropriate amount of sweetness to the meal. My mother, for example, prepares a corn soufflé that is an airy delight, worthy of second helpings (drop by if you're in the neighborhood). 3. Mac and Cheese Bring it—I will suffer your slings and arrows! Many will argue that it should occupy the No. 1 spot, including some of my co-workers. But being a good journalist means following the truth, no matter how uncomfortable or unpopular. Yes, you can get good mac and cheese any day of the year. There's nothing particularly Thanksgiving-y about it. It can also be a wildcard, rocking your world (I'm partial to adding bacon and jalapeño) or merely nudging it (when you inexplicably go for the boxed stuff). So make an effort. It's Thanksgiving! 2. Mashed potatoes Like mac and cheese, an absolute stud on the dining room table. It's the sort of side dish that you could, arguably, build the entire meal around, particularly when they are silky yet textured, and buttery and salty. Even bad mashed potatoes are relatively tasty, which is why they outrank mac and cheese. 1. Stuffing Stuffing is Thanksgiving. Period. End of story. But I will add that good stuffing, or dressing—with fresh herbs, the bread soaked in stock then ever-so-slightly burned, with sausage if you're so inclined—sort of sums up the harmony implied by the day. Without stuffing, you are simply eating dinner.
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A brand-new species of orangutan exists, scientists have determined, based on their analysis of a skull and a population of 800 animals living deep in the Indonesian forest. Before 1997, this isolated population of orangutans in a remote jungle was little more than a myth. Then people confirmed that the animals were living there, but they suspected that it was a group of Sumatran orangutans, which are already known to science. In 2013, scientists received a mysterious skull belonging to one of the individuals. After studying the skull and the living animals, researchers realized that this creature was a previously unknown species. The Tapanuli orangutan, Pongo tapanuliensis, lives in the Batang Toru area in North Sumatra, Indonesia, south of and isolated from Sumatran orangutans, Pongo abelii. It is genetically, physically, and even behaviorally different than the other two species of orangutans. Keep up with this story and more by subscribing now The new ape species is endangered due to deforestation, hunting, and other threats. Maxime Aliaga Until the Tapanuli orangutan was described, there were only six official species of nonhuman great ape: chimpanzees, two species of gorillas, bonobos, and two species of orangutan. The new Tapanuli species is more genetically distinct from the Bornean and Sumatran orangutan than they are from each other. The Tapanuli orangutan likely split off from the others more than three million years ago. At only 800 known individuals, this species is the most endangered group of great apes in the world. The designation of this group as distinct from Sumatran orangutans means that they are a very small population of their own, and also that there are 800 fewer Sumatran orangutans than before. The new species is genetically, physically and behaviorally different than other species. Maxime Aliaga All three species of orangutan face dire threats to their populations at the hands of humans. Hunting, habitat destruction, and a proposed hydroelectric dam all threaten their vulnerable populations. The dam would flood major areas of their habitat, and as humans encounter these animals more often, they become vulnerable to being captured as meat and as pets. The paper suggests that a mortality rate of even 1 percent per year could drive this newly identified orangutan species to extinction. It's known that, at least among Sumatran orangutans, females give birth to only one child every eight or nine years, so their ability to rebound is very low. It’s especially surprising that scientists were able to find this species of ape because apes are among the most well-studied animals on the planet. After 200 cumulative years of research on great apes, scientists had somehow missed this entire species. Before 1997, this isolated population of orangutans in a remote jungle was little more than a myth. Tim Laman According to the press release, the researchers hope to work with conservation organizations and the Indonesian government to help protect this critically endangered species. The research was published in the journal Current Biology. Tags:automation, industrial-transport, inhand, inhand network, inhand networks, InHand Networks - Global Leader in Industrial IoT |