New to the Goose: Vivianne joins the flock

Before she was 10, Vivianne had a house address in more time zones than she had years. But home is always where her Anyu and Apu are around the dinner table.

Her Hungarian parents left Budapest for Austria where she was born. As a toddler, Vivianne and her parents moved to Canada until her Apu's (or dad's) work brought them into the U.S. With her Anyu's (or mom's) commitment to delicious, traditional cooking and her parents' commitment to maintain their culture, there was always good food on the table and good Hungarian vocabulary in the conversation.

With a degree in forensic science, Vivianne runs a DNA lab by day but supports her passion and training for food and wine in the evenings in the Goose's Enoteca. A dedicated home cook, she admits that after her first shift at the Goose, she went home and whipped up a beef tartare for her 10 o'clock supper.

Stop by the Enoteca and help us welcome Vivianne!

Turkeys still available at the Goose!

Turkeys still available at the Goose:
317.924.4944, stop in, or order online

Presenting...

The Goose's Guide to Thanksgiving in Three Easy Steps:

1. Get hungry.
Greg Gunthorp has been tending his flock of all-natural turkeys on the open pastures of Gunthorp Farms in LaGrange, Indiana. Free of antibiotics and growth stimulants, these mouth-watering turkeys have the kind of flavor only nature can deliver.

2. Get turkey.
The birds are flying fast and we sell out every year. Thanksgiving is this week! Get off your tail feathers and get one: 317.924.4944, stop in, or order online!

3. Get dinner on the table.
Get our recipe for the perfect Thanksgiving turkey, watch Chris brine the bird on Goose TV, and even print a ready made ingredient list. It's all here.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Goose!

Thanksgiving Wine: Sip & Sample before you buy

We've paired three bottles to compliment turkey and all the trimmings. Stop by the Goose's Enoteca TONIGHT: Tuesday, Nov. 16, 5-7pm to sample all three.

RED: Abadia Retuerta Rivola 2007
This Spanish blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo comes from the small vineyard of a 12th Century abbey where the juice is moved exclusively by gravity and only history and nature control the barrel room's perfect microclimate. A winery that's been on Robert Parker's list since the '90s, Retuerta's dry, earthy juice brings ripe raspberries with jasmine and spice. It won't overshadow the bird but stands up to the lively and diverse flavors of a T-day menu.

WHITE: Dr. Pauly Bergweiler Noble House 2009
90 points, Wine Spectator
We selected this Thanksgiving white many moons ago, but the Wine Spectator
that hit stands today awarded it 90 points!
Made in the 1743 "Noble House" winery of the Prince Elect of Germany's oldest city, this Mosel dry riesling whips apricots, peaches, cream, and spice out of the glass. With a minerality that keeps it crisp and dry, this is the refreshing sip that happily follows all the fall flavors on our table now.

ROSE: Belle Glos "Oeil de Perdrix" 2009
Rosés aren't like Grandma's white shoes...they shouldn't be put away after Labor Day. Perhaps the most ideal goblet next to turkey's gobble, a rosé with structure, depth, and luscious mouthfeel is ideal for autumn and its menus. This pinot noir rosé from California delivers on all fronts. Made in the copper-pink "eye of the partridge" or oeil de perfrix style born in Medieval France, the wine keeps us coming back with refreshing strawberry and tart apple flavors mingling on a balancing, dry acidity.

Scientific proof: the Goose can keep you calm during the holidays

We've known it for a long time. Now the scientists have proved it. Want to have a less stressful and more calm Thanksgiving? Get your turkey from the Goose ... and stare at it.

Researchers from Canada's McGill University announced last week that their experiments suggest looking at meat makes people more calm and less aggressive. Put a turkey from the Goose on the table and "Want gravy now!" just became "If you wouldn't mind, the pan sauce, please."

Let science improve your life. Order your all-natural, pasture raised Indiana bird from the Goose. The sight of it will ease your mind (and your appetite), but don't get too relaxed. These birds are flying fast and we sell out every year. Thanksgiving is next week!

And the winner is...

Congrats to Laurel! She's the randomly selected winner of two free tickets to see Michael Pollan as part of the Spirit & Place festival this week.

We'll contact her to let her know where to pick up the tickets...and we can't wait to see y'all for those Thanksgiving table ingredients. Thanks for playing along!

Turkey Time: order your Thanksgiving bird from the Goose

The Goose is taking online orders for all natural, pasture raised, Hoosier turkeys this Thanksgiving. But these feathers are flying fast. Order your turkey today! When you reserve your bird, you'll be automatically registered for the chance to take home your turkey for free.

Just a few clucks, er, clicks, to reserve the tasty birds happily fattening up at Gunthorp Farms in LaGrange, Indiana. Greg Gunthorp has been tending a flock of free-range, melt-in-your-mouth turkeys, and Chris dedicated the inaugural episode of Cooking with the Goose to make sure your bird is brined to perfection. Check out the episode, print a ready-made ingredient list for easy shopping, and get Chris' recipe.

Turkeys from the Goose are available through on-line orders only. Place your order and the Goose will give you the bird beginning Saturday, November 20, at Goose the Market (10:00 am -- 6:00 pm).

P.S. Man cannot live by turkey alone.
Don't forget the sides! Along with your turkey, place your pre-order online for lily-gilding treats from the Goose and the ladies at Country Mouse City Mouse:

• Smiling Turkey Basting Butter
• Cranberry Ginger Chutney
• Butternut Bisque
• The Goose's "Just Add Water" Brine Kit
• Hoosier Momma's Bloody Mary Bar in a Box: each gift box includes one quart of Hoosier Momma's Bloody Mary Maker, a jar of Momma's Garden Dilly Beans, a bottle of Spicy Mommacita Hot Sauce, and a bag of Hoosier Momma Glass Garnish

Michael Pollan tickets to give away

Having an omnivore's dilemma deciding how to get tickets to hear author Michael Pollan in Indy? The bestselling author is coming to the Scottish Rite Cathedral as part of the Spirit and Place Festival on Friday, Nov. 12, 12-1:30pm. And the Goose has two tickets to give away to our Twitter and Facebook friends!

Let us know which of the Goose's goods you'll be using to make Thanksgiving dinner delicious. Is it the bourbon barrel sorghum for Grandma's biscuits? The smoky applewood bacon for the stuffing? Or an all-natural, pastured turkey from Gunthorp Farms?

Follow or Friend us @Goose the Market and tweet or post your reply: Which Goose the Market ingredient will be on your T-Day table? A randomly selected winner will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 10.

In Defense of (good) Food, let the posting begin!

Brining with Style: Chris and the Goose on Indy Style TV

Earlier this week, the folks at Indy Style invited Chris on the show to share the secret of a flavor-packed, moist and tender bird for the center plate of the Thanksgiving table. Watch his segment and get the Goose's brining recipe. The hosts were also interested in the new book Primal Cuts: Cooking with America's Best Butchers featuring Chris and the Goose. Check out the book and pick up a copy at the Goose for a meaty, protein-packed, page-turner...perfect for passing the time while your turkey brines!

Complimentary Wine Tasting Tonight!

Stop by the Goose's Enoteca tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 3, from 5-7pm, when the rep from Daedalus Cellar Company will be making complimentary pours of a white wine that's ideal for fall and so limited in production that only 232 cases exist.

Just a handful of American producers are bottling gruner veltliner, an Austrian grape that yields a dry white wine with zip and spice. Oregon's Daedalus Cellar Company--named for Icarus' Greek dad who invented the wax wings they used to escape their labrynth prison--produces an extremely limited amount from just a half acre of the gruner vines.

The fruit of this little vineyard makes for a bottle that's intense and full. Autumn herbs and spice like thyme, sage, and black peppercorns are lush alongside the kind of tart fruits that could decorate a turkey--kumquats, cranberries, and lemons. Daedalus' Gruner is a versatile food wine that's suited to the fall foods returning to our tables.

Stop by to try this rare juice and sample the snacks from the cheese & charcuterie case that we've paired with it. See you in the Enoteca tonight!

Don't be dull: Last knife sharpening before Thanksgiving

What do you get when you cross kitchen cutlery with a math problem? Pot pi! Pretty sharp, eh?

Don't forget to drop off your knives and kitchen sheers at the Goose before closing tomorrow...that's 8pm, Wednesday, Nov. 3. It's the last chance to have them professionally sharpened by The Mobile Sharp Shop before the Thanksgiving holiday! Pick 'em up after 6pm on Thursday, Nov. 4.