When I was assigned to do a story on the Impossible Burger, now being served at Rowdy Hall in East Hampton, I organized my posse for the adventure. “Just don’t make me eat the fake burger,” one of my guests said. “I want the REAL Rowdy burger!” Understood. Just what exactly is the Impossible Burger? It is a combination of heme, water, textured wheat protein, potato protein, and coconut oil. And what is heme? In blood, heme lives in a protein called hemoglobin; in muscle, it’s myoglobin. In soy roots, it is leghemoglobin. Scientists discovered that when they take the genes that code for the soy leghemoglobin and insert them into a species of yeast called Pichia pastoris, and then feed it sugar and minerals, it grows, replicates, and manufactures heme. Thus, the Impossible Burger is a genetically modified plant-based substitute for hamburger meat. It is a miracle of modern science, fresh out of Silicon Valley onto the plates of customers at Momofuko Nishi in New York City, Jardiniere in San Francisco, and now Rowdy Hall in East Hampton.

The most important question to me is, how does it taste? It tastes damn good! I honestly believe that with a nice slice of red onion and all the other varied condiments we like to put on a hamburger, you would believe you are eating real meat, fatty, bloody, chewy, tasty meat.

The Impossible Burger is not on the printed menu at Rowdy Hall. It is a “verbal,” restaurant lingo that just means the waiter tells you it is available. We, or I should say I, ordered one Impossible Burger and two Rowdy burgers. The couple dining next to us were intrigued by our taste test and discussion, but refused to try it themselves.

It took the Impossible Foods company six years to develop this “Frankenfood” product. Patrick Brown, its C.E.O., declared that “almost half of the land area of Earth is being occupied by the animal farming industry, grazing, or feed crop production.” This is a compelling argument for those concerned about all the poofy gasses emitted by our bovine friends.

Rachel Konrad, chief communications officer, said, “We’re not a burger company, we’re a tech platform for food,” and Celeste Holz-Schiefinger, the company’s principal scientist, says “it’s a platform for how to make things that have tensile strength and are juicy.” She went on to say that such meats as chicken and veal could be next and that eventually the company could even produce faux whale meat if it wanted to. Good God! There’s a market for whale meat?

Impossible Foods uses a system called “gas chromatography mass spectrometry” to identify the correct aromas to replicate red meat. At this point in my research, I started to freak out, because I watch a lot of “Forensic Files” in the middle of the night and I’m pretty sure this is the method they use to find blood at murder scenes.

Quite a few jokes and jabs were tossed about at our test of the Impossible Burger. It was a regular Algonquin Round Table. “It’s the Esperanto of food,” quipped Steven. “Soylent green!” (See the 1973 postapocalyptic sci-fi film of the same name to know what he’s talking about.)

Although I have mixed feelings about food created to taste like other foods, I went home feeling less full and semi-virtuous. Mark Smith and Joe Realmuto (co-owners and chef, respectively) happened to be at Rowdy the night of our visit so I had a chance to get their take on it. Mark had tried the Impossible Burger a year ago at Saxon and Parole in the city, while dining with a vegetarian friend. “I’m not one for fake food, but this was good, and my vegetarian friend loved it.” Joe pointed out that people with the lone star tick allergy alpha-gal, or galactose-alpha-1, 3-galactose, which causes an allergy to red meat, can enjoy this substitute. As a matter of fact, I ran into quite a few people in the midst of my research who have alpha-gal, and their eyes lit up when I told them about this burger at Rowdy Hall.

I still wasn’t completely satisfied. I wanted to taste it raw, cook it in my own kitchen, see how it fried up. So I went back to Rowdy to get some “meat” from chef Ed Lightcap. Has he tried it? Does he like it? “I’ve eaten so many Impossible Burgers, I’m impossible!” he laughed. He thinks the flavor is 90 percent there, but detects a slight livery aftertaste. (I found this to be true when I tried it raw, but not once cooked.) 

Ed has taught the cooks in the kitchen to pan-sear it in a separate omelette pan (can’t use the grill that is shared with real meat, of course), and he pointed out the irony of Rowdy Hall being the first restaurant on the East End to serve the Impossible Burger. “It’s interesting that we’re a restaurant that focuses on natural, healthy, local food, and here we are serving a genetically modified product from a lab in Silicon Valley.” For any of you who get your panties in a twist over the term “genetically modified,” do some research, it’s not all bad.

Impossible Burger meat is not yet available in markets; it is distributed only to restaurants. It also costs four and a half times more than burger meat.

Cooking the burger at home was fun. It did require a bit of oil in the pan to prevent sticking and it didn’t give off any meaty aroma, which is okay with me. Slapped onto a toasted English muffin with some pickle slices and a few other condiments, it was a fine meal.

My food philosophy is one word: moderation. Easy to preach, difficult for some to follow. I seldom eat meat, but when I want a burger, like most people out here, I head to Rowdy Hall. Now I’ll be ordering something different, something Impossible.

New at Babette’s

New dishes have been added to the menu at Babette’s in East Hampton, where the dishes focus on healthy ingredients. They include the Babette’s house-made vegan burger, with selected fixings; “Rita’s Quesadilla,” featuring organic barbecue tofu, broccoli, white cheddar, jalapeno, and salsa on a whole wheat torilla, and turkey meatballs with fire-roasted tomato sauce, shisito peppers, crisp garbanzo beans, and feta cheese with grilled country bread. Local bay scallops are also a choice for lunch or dinner dishes. Winter hours at Babette’s are Monday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Time to Stock Up?

Those planning parties and get-togethers during the coming holiday time might want to think about stocking up on beer and other drinks, and on snacks, as Sam’s Beverage Place on Race Lane in East Hampton will start a “Twelve Days of Giving” promotion on Wednesday, which will run through Christmas Eve.  Givebacks to customers will differ daily, but include free items, such as sodas and snacks, and discounts when purchases reach various levels. 

Seasonal Events

The Sag Harbor Lions Club will hold a reception for the Guide Dog Foundation at Almond restaurant in Bridgehampton from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Appetizers, beer, wine, and cocktails will be served, with a program beginning at 4:30 p.m. A $45 fee will help support the foundation. Following the event, Almond will offer a prix fixe dinner for $35.

Gingerbread Houses

Adults and children can participate in a gingerbread house workshop on Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Townline BBQ in Sagaponack. The $45 cost includes all the fixings for a fully assembled gingerbread house — unlimited candy, icing, and so on — and a juice or soda to sip on while constructing it, as well as one happy hour drink for those of age. Reservations have been requested for the event, which is co-sponsored by the Salty Canvas.

Holiday Specialties 

Italian takes on holiday treats will be the focus of a program tonight at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor from 6:30 to 8. Theresa Caruso, an Italian chef, will teach participants how to make easy hors d’oeuvres, a cioppino, or Italian fish soup, to serve for the Christmas Eve Feast of Seven Fishes, and a panettone bread pudding. 

On Wednesday at the library, from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., Hanukkah cooking will be the topic, from potato latkes to jelly doughnuts. Toby Spitz, a volunteer from Temple Adas Israel, will showcase her grandmother’s latke recipe. Registration is required for both programs. 

Cookie Exchange

The Southampton Historical Museum will host its annual cookie exchange at the Rogers Mansion next Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. Each participant is asked to take two to three dozen cookies — homemade, from scratch, and festively decorated — and will end up with a wide variety. Copies of the recipes used, a tray to display the cookies, and a container to take home the goodies should be brought to the event as well.  Kathleen King, the former owner of Tate’s Bake Shop, will give a short talk about her love of cookies. Refreshments will be served. The cost is $15; preregistration with the museum is requested as space is limited. 

Drink, Eat, Shop

The Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton will have a holiday event on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. to include half-price drinks at the bar,  healthy bites, discussion and networking, and a chance to pick up some holiday gifts. Participants will include the Amber Waves farmers, who will share healthy holiday recipes and tastes of their organic vegetables and products; Tracy Anderson exercise studio trainers; Tathiana Teixeira of the PlainT tea company; Stefanie Sacks, a culinary nutritionist, author, and workshop leader; Susan Verde, who will sign her children’s books “I Am Yoga” and “I Am Peace”; Mickey Beyer-Clausen, a “happiness expert” and inventor of Timeshifter, a jet-lag cure app, and Karin Yapalater, a holistic health counselor and equine coach. Those interested in attending have been asked to R.S.V.P. to [email protected]. 

At the 1770 House

On Tavern Thursdays at the 1770 House, beginning at 5:30 p.m., specials in the downstairs tavern, which include burgers, meatloaf, Korean barbecue ribs, and chicken parmigiana, are $17.70. A glass of house wine is $9, and a house beer is $5. Diners can also order off the regular menu, either downstairs or in the main dining room. 

On Tuesday night, the 1770 House will offer a pre-theater dinner special for those attending the John Drew Theater lab presentation at Guild Hall. Two courses — an appetizer and main dish, or a main dish and dessert — selected from the regular menu will be $27. Reservations must be made using the code #JDTLab for seatings starting at 5:30. Orders will be placed by 6:30 for a 7:30 curtain time. 

I love lamb but seldom cook it at home. It’s expensive and kind of smelly. But of all meat and fowl, lamb and duck are my favorites. I have never cooked a rack of lamb and have probably roasted a leg only once or twice in my life. About once a year I’ll fry up some chops. This time of year, however, the idea of slow-cooked stews with shanks and legs is very appealing. 

One of my favorite recipes is from Patricia Wells’s “Bistro Cookbook,” a seven-hour leg of lamb cooked with a bottle of dry white wine, thyme, garlic, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes. It is a foolproof crowd-pleaser. 

From the 1600s to the 1960s, most farm families on Long Island raised all their own livestock. But real estate became too valuable and farms shrank. Nowadays, with the rise of “locavorism,” you can find pastured lamb on the North Fork at 8 Hands in Cutchogue and Golden Earthworm in Jamesport. 

American lamb is pretty good, but if you want to splurge and try truly tasty lamb, you should buy Australian or New Zealand lamb.

Lamb production and consumption is much higher in countries like Greece, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, and the aforementioned Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, roast leg of lamb (prepared with butter and rosemary) is considered a national dish and is consumed almost every Sunday. Lamb is also very popular in certain regions of China, but is rarely seen in Japan. In the United States, according to a BBC News report in 2015, only 14 ounces are consumed per year per person, and half the population has never tried it. Oddly enough, there is a part of Kentucky that is fond of mutton, fully grown sheep, seldom eaten outside of Scotland.

Lamb is full of protein, but can also be high in saturated fat, so leaner cuts are better for you. It is also full of Vitamin B12, selenium, zinc, niacin, phosphorus, and iron.

Lamb terminology can be confusing. “Baby lamb” is redundant, like “shrimp scampi.” Lamb already means baby and scampi means shrimp. Lamb is a young sheep, under 12 months old, a hogget is slightly older, and mutton is an adult ewe (female) or wether (male). Milk-fed lamb is meat from an unweaned lamb, four to six weeks old. Young lamb is between six and eight weeks old, and spring lamb is a term that is fairly meaningless today, but used to mean three to five months old, born in late winter. Salt marsh and salt grass lamb are those that fed on samphire, sparta grass, and other marsh grasses throughout Europe, and it is believed to be a bit saltier and more flavorful than pasture-raised.

Because lamb is a fatty meat, many cultures use an acidic element or strong aromatics to temper it. In England, a vinegary mint sauce is served alongside; in Spain, wine or vinegar is popular, and lemon juice beaten with egg yolks is used in Greece. In North Africa, apricots and quince are stewed with lamb. Garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oregano are common accompaniments in France and the U.S., paprika in Spain and Portugal, and anchovies, garlic, and rosemary in Italy. Mint is also popular in India and the Middle East. 

Vegetables with some sweetness, like turnips, parsnips, and carrots, pair well in a stew, and potatoes, rice, and couscous do a fine job of absorbing some of the fat and flavor of the lamb.

So, yeah, lamb is expensive and rich in fat, but it can enhance special occasions. As the days get shorter and colder, working on a seven-hour leg of lamb stew is a nice weekend project. Or try my friend Stephanie Reiner’s lamb tagine cooked in a pressure cooker — delicious and done much faster. As an occasional treat, it can’t be beat.

Click for recipes

At the Baker House 1650 in East Hampton, Tad Carducci, an award-winning mixologist, will be on hand for Cocktails & Conversation on Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. Mr. Carducci of the Tippling Bros. mixologist group, a co-author of two Tippling Bros. books, will demonstrate how to make holiday cocktails and have copies of his books available for purchase. Tickets are limited and cost $50. They can be reserved by calling the Baker House or purchased online at bakerhouse1650.com. 

The event is being co-sponsored by the Domaine Franey wine and spirits shop in East Hampton.

Impossible Burger

Rowdy Hall in East Hampton will offer the Impossible Burger, a vegan burger that is designed to mimic the flavors, aroma, and texture of meat. It was developed in Silicon Valley from plant-based ingredients and launched last year, with Rowdy Hall the first restaurant in these parts to add it to the menu. 

Described as a “carnivore’s delight,” it includes several types of protein as well as a substance abundant in animal muscle, called Heme, which the burger’s producers have learned how to extract from plants and produce through fermentation. The result is free of cholesterol and other contaminants associated with beef production. The burger is served with traditional burger garnishes, along with French fries, for $19.

Greek Prix Fixe

Elaia Estiatorio restaurant in Bridgehampton is offering a three-course prix fixe for $32 on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights.  A glass of Greek red or white wine can be added for $6. 

Dining Deal

At the Springs Tavern, police, firefighters, and emergency service people will receive a 25-percent discount off their entire order, including food and drinks, on Thursdays from 4 to 9:30 p.m. A current ID must be presented. The tavern serves dinner nightly from 4 to 10. 

Wings of Fire

An ongoing contest at Townline BBQ in Sagaponack will test participants’ ability to consume hot wings with sauce made from ghost peppers. The challenge is to consume seven ghost pepper wings in seven minutes, and endure a seven-minute “burn period” when one cannot consume any other food or beverage, except beer. A manager or bartender will supervise and judge, and victors will have their names and photos posted at the restaurant — and receive the wings and beer for free. One can take on the challenge anytime the restaurant is open. 

Almond Artist

Jake Lear, a musician, will be the featured guest at the next Artists and Writers Dinner at Almond in Bridgehampton, to take place on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. Besides a talk by Mr. Lear, a blues musician who played in a Memphis trio and has toured Europe, South America, and the United States, the evening will feature a family-style, three-course dinner. The cost is $45, which includes tax and a glass of local wine or craft beer. A gratuity is not included. Reservations are required. 

Wine Wednesdays

“Producers’ Stories: When Wine Is the (French) Family Business” will be the topic at the next Wednesday wine workshop at Wainscott Main Wine and Spirits. Erica Sigler, the European brand manager at Verity Wine Partners, will be on hand. The session begins at 5:30 p.m. and costs $10. Registration can be accomplished by sending an email to [email protected] or by calling the shop.

In addition to food, the Springs Tavern also serves up music. Tomorrow, a special tribute to the Allman Brothers will feature Andy Aledort, Bosco Michne, Rich Rosch, and Roy DeJesus at 9 p.m. There will be no cover charge.

Mr. Aledort, a blues-rock guitarist, performs with his band the Groove Kings regularly in the area and has recorded several albums. He appears on the “Dickey Betts and Great Southern: 30 Years of Southern Rock” DVD.

The restaurant has also announced a new “first responder Thursday,” when police and fire officials with identification will receive 25 percent off their entire order.

The Springs Tavern

15 Fort Pond Blvd.

East Hampton

631-527-7800

Dinner daily, lunch Saturdays 

and Sundays

What is now the Springs Tavern has operated as a watering hole both famous and infamous since 1934. It was the Jungle Inn, Jungle Pete’s, Jungle Johnnie’s, Vinnie’s Place, the Boatswain, the Frigate, Harry’s Hideaway, and Wolfie’s Tavern. About 25 years ago a regular told me that Wolfie’s had some planters out front. Occasionally, inebriated guests would help themselves to the flowers. Fed up, the proprietors filled the planters with poison ivy to deter this pilfering activity. Whether it’s true or not, I like to believe this story. It gives the spot a bit of edge, danger, a Wild West (East?) don’t-mess-with-us aura.

Fast-forward to now and you will find a charming, cozy spot, neat as a pin, and friendly as can be. Yeah, so what if I still had to squeeze through the clutch of smokers outside as I glanced around looking for those planters.

The space essentially remains the same, but now has lots of black-and-white photographs on the walls, oodles of flat-screen TVs, marine gray wainscoting, a bar in front, and a dining area to the right.

The menu is short and reasonable. We began our meal with clams casino, fish tacos, and Caesar salad. All three were delicious. The six clams had a buttery bacony topping with finely diced sweet red peppers, red onion, garlic, parsley, and chives. The fish tacos were superb, the three grilled and charred tortillas were filled with crispy cod pieces, some excellent pickled slaw with radishes, avocado, and perfect chipotle sauce. The Caesar salad had a good dressing and homemade croutons.

For entrees we ordered the burger, pan-roasted chicken, fish and chips, and a side order of the Tavern’s “best” macaroni and cheese. 

The burger was cooked to order and we topped it with cheddar cheese and grilled onions. It was excellent, served on a toasted brioche bun with a thick slice of a really good pickle. It’s the little things, folks! The crispy, batter-coated sweet potato fries served with it were insanely good. 

The pan-roasted chicken was also very good. It was the kind of dish you’d have as a nice, homey, Sunday supper. The chicken was moist, nicely seasoned with pan gravy, and served with mashed potatoes and sauteed baby spinach. The fish and chips were another winner. The three big wedges of fish were crispy, served with good fries, some more excellent slaw, and a tartar sauce that tasted like it had a whisper of that good chipotle sauce that came with the tacos. 

The only slight disappointment was the macaroni and cheese. Anytime something on a menu is trumpeted as “the best,” one’s expectations go way up. It was just okay, with very creamy seashells but not very cheesy. Maybe this dish is tailored more for children.

The place was quite busy on the night of our visit, and our waitress, Sam, was excellent. Another woman visited our table to let us know about upcoming music events. The Springs Tavern definitely has more of a “Cheers” feel than the late night, slobbery Jackson Pollock watering hole of yore. 

The prices are extremely reasonable, especially considering the quality and freshness of the food. Small plates, soups, and salads are $5.50 to $15, sandwiches, burgers, and other entrees are $11 to $26, sides are $3 to $7, desserts are $5 to $9.

The desserts are made in house and we tried two of them, the key lime pie and cheesecake. The key lime pie was good. It had a thick graham cracker crust, lots of whipped cream, and was garnished with fresh lime slices. The cheesecake was also good, if a bit dense. It had a nice vanilla flavor and a chocolate cookie crumb crust.

Halfway through our meal, I told my guests, the ever delightful Pebo and Claude, that if Sag Harbor had a place like Springs Tavern I would go all the time. “Then you should say that in your review,” they suggested. There, I just did. Lucky Springs. 

For Procrastinators

Just decided to come out east at the last minute and have no plans or food in the house for the holiday? Maybe the Bumpuses’ dogs ate your turkey as it was cooling on the kitchen table?

Some last-minute ideas for Thanksgiving dinner include the Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton, where a four-course prix fixe meal is being served up for $85, $40 for children under 12, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The restaurant also offers a nightly prix fixe for $37 from 5:30 to 9 from Sunday to Thursday and Friday and Saturday 5:30 to 10 p.m. Kids and dogs are welcome at the sunroom brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The bar’s nightly happy hour includes $10 cocktails and snacks by the fire from 4 to 7 p.m. 

In Southampton, Tutto Il Giorno will also be open on Thanksgiving with a prix fixe menu for $65 that includes a choice of baby kale Caesar salad or a baby artichoke appetizer, wild mushroom tortelli or roasted turkey pastilla as an entree, and carmelized pear crostata or pumpkin semifreddo for dessert. These items can also be ordered a la carte along with the regular menu. The restaurant will remain open during its regular hours throughout the weekend.

Farther East at Highway

Highway Restaurant and Bar in East Hampton will have a special Asian menu next Thursday. Chef Anand Sastry’s Thai, Singaporean, and Chinese-inspired dishes include a Thai Jungle Soup with chicken, shrimp, galangal, and lemongrass, crispy Long Island duck with hoisin sauce and moo shu pancakes, and Singapore noodles. A $39 prix fixe menu or a la carte options will be available.

Highway continues to offer its chicken pot pies on Monday nights to comfort and warm during the colder months this season. The restaurant is open Thursday through Monday from 5 p.m. (the bar opens at 4), with brunch on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant is closed today for Thanksgiving.

Lunch Special at Rowdy

East Hampton’s Rowdy Hall is offering a daily $12 lunch special this season beginning at noon. The meal consists of a cup of soup and salad or half sandwich and will change daily. It will not be offered on holidays.

Sips and Strokes

The Baker House 1650 on Main Street in East Hampton will host one of its regular Paint and Sip evenings on Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30. Instruction and materials will be offered by the Salty Canvas, a “traveling paint studio,” for $50, which includes a glass of wine.

With a husband who is a chef, Patty Sales cannot generally be found cooking. But baking is a different story.

The namesake of a grassroots East Hampton business, Cousin Patty’s Cookies, she grew up with a wooden spoon and mixing bowl at hand. “It’s very relaxing,” she said on a recent rainy day, perfect for baking. 

Ms. Sales’s decorated cookies come in all shapes and sizes. Individually packaged or boxed, they are perfect for special occasions, and are catching on as gifts. “I paint, too,” she said, so it was not too far a step to make decorated cookies her medium. She gets ideas, she said, from Food Network shows, or online baking sites. She makes her cookies from a “basic shortbread recipe,” but a tasty one, she said, “because if you go to that much work, it should be good to eat.”

But there’s technology involved, too, which helps set Cousin Patty’s treats apart. She invested in a printer that can turn a photograph into an image made with edible ink on rice paper that can be affixed to cookies. 

Over time, her cookies have been decorated with all kinds of images — from a “Grumpy Cat” character for a child’s birthday to vintage greeting card designs, which she is partial to and uses for cookies meant as Mother’s Day gifts. There are Cousin Patty’s cookies appropriate for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays. Gingerbread cookies made to look like a rabbi were even sent into Manhattan on a Hampton Jitney for Hanukkah. And there are many simply intended for a friend. 

 For the Fourth of July, Ms. Sales does patriotic designs.  She has made cookies for a party to which military families and participants in Jordan’s Run, a tribute to Jordan Haerter, a marine from Sag Harbor who lost his life in Iraq, were invited. With three Gold Star families that had also lost loved ones, she made cookies with images of the families’ “challenge coins,” medallions that had been carried by the service members. She’s made cookies for baby showers and bridal showers, and created edible business cards and welcome cookies for real estate brokers to leave for clients who have just purchased a house. 

With an inexhaustible number of possibilities, the print-decorated cookies also, she said, lend themselves to gags, a surprising way to rib someone or make a joke.  

She’s often done cookies as mini books for book clubs and for authors to offer as treats at book signings. Once, they stood in for books themselves. In August, before the East Hampton Library’s Authors Night, Ms. Sales made cookies depicting the cover of Tom Clavin’s “Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the Wickedest Town in the American West.” Mr. Clavin was on hand at the event — but his books had failed to arrive. So he signed a cookie or two instead. 

Ms. Sales’s chocolate chip cookies, the result of tweaking a few recipes to create a custom mix, are a staple and a “crowd-pleaser,” she said.  She also makes her grandmother’s peanut butter blossoms.  “My grandmother, who lived in Montauk — you’d go to her house … she was always baking. You’d probably leave with an apple pie, or cookies.”  Her mother baked, too, and “we were always a big part of it, hands on,” she said. The oven was going whenever there was a bake sale or other event coming up. “As soon as we were old enough,” Ms. Sales said, her mother would say “make them yourself.”

Baking also was a family activity when her two daughters were growing up, and now she bakes with a young child who is a friend of the family, and with preschool children her daughter teaches. “I think it’s important,” she said.

“I’ve always enjoyed baking,” Ms. Sales said. “Wherever I went, I would bring cookies.”  She would deliver a gift of cookies in a jar or tin with an offer for refills. But the “turning point,” she said, came after a friend impressed upon her that people would pay good money for her baked goods. This fall, as Election Day neared, Ms. Sales was making “candidate cookies” for a friend on the ballot. Another friend, a summer visitor to East Hampton who lives in New York City at other times of year, was always amazed at how many people Ms. Sales knows or is related to here. 

“Everybody’s her cousin,” the friend would tease.  One day, she turned the joke into a logo on a Facebook page, but the business continues to be run largely by word of mouth. Although you might encounter Cousin Patty’s Cookies at a local fair or bake sale, you don’t have to wait to buy some. Orders are now taken by email, at [email protected].

In the late 1970s and early ’80s I worked for National Public Radio in Washington, D.C. Every year around this time, our beloved “All Things Considered” host Susan Stamberg would share her mother’s recipe, Mama Stamberg’s Cranberry Relish, with her listeners. “Mama” Stamberg got credit for this wildly popular concoction until the true inventor, Craig Claiborne, gently reminded Susan that it was his recipe from a 1959 New York Times column. In 1993, Mr. Claiborne told Mrs. Stamberg: “I am simply delighted. We have gotten more mileage, you and I, out of that recipe than almost anything I’ve printed.”

It is a somewhat peculiar recipe, and the color is disconcerting. It is a vibrant Pepto-Bismol pink, but it is delicious and I make it every year to go with turkey, and later, roast beef sandwiches. I like to imagine Mr. Claiborne foraging for cranberries in the bogs of Napeague long ago.

What are some other old local recipes suited for Thanksgiving Day? How do eel, coot, and samp sound? Ground nuts? Montauk Starve to Death? These are some of the treasures I found in a first edition copy of the “Ladies Village Improvement Society 60th Anniversary Cookbook,” published in 1955. The names are as familiar as today: Rattray, Tillinghast, Wainwright, Dominy, Lester, Hand, Bennett, Edwards, Gay, and more.

Hector Bonomi of the Devon Yacht Club shared his recipe for vichyssoise, but his “clamssoise” was a closely guarded secret. This got me to thinking: A completely pureed clam chowder could be a marvelous first course. There are plenty more clam chowder recipes and they all include salt pork, not bacon. We should bring back salt pork as a chowder ingredient! There is nothing better than rendered “cracklins” on top of a bowl of clam chowder.

“Torup” were the big turtles found in local ponds and turned into stew after being “fattened on sour milk in the swill barrel.” With a little touch of xenophobia, the cookbook proclaims “big, fat, salty, fresh Gardiner’s Bay oysters have it all over the poor little greenish things that are considered such a delicacy in France and England.” Meow. The clam pies of Mrs. Conrad, Bennett, Russell, and Edwards duke it out on page 14, and they all sound delicious.

There is a chapter titled “For Men Only,” and since that isn’t enough, the next chapter is called “Hearty Fare Recommended by Other Men.” These chapters include an interchangeable recipe for breast of coot or venison (“shot by Dudley Roberts Jr.”), which involves soaking the coot in salt water, then frying in butter. I’ll pass on that one. 

Root beer was homemade in those days with a gathering of sassafras root, wintergreen, wild cherry, hops, and ginger root, then fermented with “turnpikes,” as yeast cakes were called. It is also noted that East Hampton was mostly a dry town, while Sag Harbor always voted “wet” at town meetings. No wonder I live in Sag Harbor.

Interestingly, there isn’t a single recipe for bluefish in the book, whereas there are four in the “L.V.I.S. Centennial Cookbook,” published in 1994. There are plenty of clam, oyster, scallop, lobster, flounder, potato, cauliflower, duck, Montauk grape, cranberry, and beach plum recipes, so this was curious. I’m guessing the ladies just didn’t much like bluefish or no one was enjoying it at the time.

“Palette to Palate,” Guild Hall’s local artists’ cookbook published in 1978, has some interesting recipes as well. At least the artist Ralph Carpentier talks about how delicious freshly caught, filleted, and fried bluefish can be. Leif Hope, on the other hand, is quite the scamp, offering his recipe for a peanut butter sandwich. It includes raw onion, bacon, mayonnaise, longhorn cheese, blackberry jelly, mustard, and . . . cinnamon.

One of the recipes I am going to try this Thanksgiving comes from a suggested side dish to Chicken a la Mowry, from Mrs. Stuyvesant Wainwright in the 60th-anniversary cookbook. She recommends a “spinach ring filled with small beets.” I got to thinking how pretty this could be on the table, green and red, perhaps even better suited for a Christmas dinner. No recipe was given for this, and I feared it may have involved gelatin, but I found a pretty tasty recipe online and filled mine with roasted beets in a shallot Dijon mustard vinaigrette.

I am also going to make the mashed turnip and potatoes, layered with fried onions and topped with crushed Corn Flakes, provided by Mrs. Samuel Cline. Besides Mama Stamberg’s, a.k.a. Craig Claiborne’s, cranberry relish, I’m going to make the simple sounding recipe from the same book for cranberry orange relish, no more than one pound of cranberries, two cups sugar, and one orange ground together and chilled.

It is comforting at holiday times to enjoy foods that are not just rich, but rich with history, lore, and legend. Have a happy and historical Thanksgiving, everyone! And let us give an extra thanks for those who recorded these local recipes so that we can replicate them hundreds of years after our ancestors.

Click for recipes

It is sad to say, but even one of the seasonal restaurant holdouts will be closing its doors for winter soon. Inlet Seafood in Montauk will close for the season after its lunch service on Nov. 26. It will continue to operate until then Friday through Sunday, opening at noon.

No Turkey Talkathon

Wondering what to serve your vegan and vegetarian friends and relatives at Thanksgiving? Julie and Dan Resnick of Amagansett and the website Feedfeed.com will be joining Rachel and Andy Berliner of Amy’s Kitchen for a Twitter chat today with the hashtag #NoTurkeyTalkathon at 4 p.m. 

Anyone who has ever walked down the Wild by Nature aisle in King Kullen will recognize the organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, and other specialty options the Petaluma, Calif., company makes, such as pizzas, burritos, soups, and much more. Feedfeed is a digital cooking publication and community of chefs, cooks, and bloggers that the Resnicks started in 2014. It draws on sources all over the web, but often features East End food products and chefs.

Townline Tunes

Townline BBQ in Sagaponack is offering happy hour specials with its live music on Friday nights this season. Fresh lime margaritas are $8, tap cocktails are $6, cans of beer are $4. They are joined by $6 wings and $3 warm pretzels with mustard. Tomorrow’s performers are the Waylan Brothers. 

Rowdy Hall in East Hampton, owned by the group that also operates Townline, is now offering a lunch special weekdays starting at noon. For $12, patrons can order a cup of soup, a half sandwich, and a salad, with the selection changing daily. The special will not be offered on holidays. 

For Thanksgiving

For those looking to get out of the house on Thanksgiving, a handful of South Fork restaurants will be open for the holiday meal next Thursday, as mentioned in last week’s paper. They include Pierre’s in Bridgehampton, which will be serving from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the 1770 House in East Hampton, which will offer a three-course holiday prix fixe from 2 to 8 p.m. for $95, with a $40 two-course option for kids 12 and under. The Coast Kitchen at the Montauk Yacht Club will serve a buffet dinner from noon to 6 p.m. for $39.95 for adults, $15.95 for children over 6, and Lulu Kitchen and Bar in Sag Harbor will serve a Thanksgiving meal for $38.95 or offer its a la carte menu from noon to 4 p.m.