DRESSING:
 4 tablespoons butter
4 celery ribs, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 medium yellow onions,
finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
7 cups crumbled cornbread
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken or turkey stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Rinse turkey well, pat dry with a clean cloth, and sprinkle inside and out with salt, pepper, and paprika. Place
onions, celery and carrots inside cavity. Tuck wings under back and tie
legs together with kitchen string. Rub 4 tablespoons butter all over the
turkey. Put a paper bag in a roasting pan; rub inside of bag thoroughly
with remaining butter. Place turkey breast side up in bag, with cavity
facing out. Pour stock into cavity, fold bag closed, and cook 2 1/2
hours. Leave turkey in bag at least 30 minutes before carving. Reserve
pan juices for gravy.
2. Meanwhile, [for dressing] heat butter in a large skillet over low heat.
Add celery, garlic, onions and carrots. Cover and cook until tender,
about 20 minutes. Set aside.
3. Combine corn bread, bread crumbs, sage, thyme, and poultry seasoning
in a large bowl. Add the vegetables and 1 cup stock; mix well. Stir in remaining stock to taste, then season with salt and pepper. Transfer
dressing to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Put in the oven when turkey
is in its last 30 minutes of roasting, and bake until golden brown.

from 'Saveur Cooks Authentic American':

"A Feast from Memory"
"Anne Scott Coleman's kitchen is filled with the innardy scent of giblets
simmering with sage and celery. Corn bread warms in the over while yeast
rolls rise in the pantry, fragrant and barmy. Sweet potato pies and pecan
pies honey the air with cinnamon while languid oysters hang suspended in
their bath awaiting Coleman's skillful ministrations. A turkey, flecked with
butter, looks like a naked guest at the party. We are in the very maw of food.
Coleman, a Memphis cook and caterer, makes Thanksgiving dinner not from
recipes but from deep personal memory. 'My father was the maitre d' at the
Memphis Country Club,' she says, 'so we grew up around food and cooking.
There are eight of us and we always had Thanksgiving dinner at my grand-
mother's house. He name was LouElla Hill, but everyone called her Mama
Lou. She was a wonderful cook. I used to watch her in the kitchen. throwing
in a little of this and a little of that. I guess I learned it from her. Now I'm
a throw-it-in cook too. I never measure."

Featured Archive Recipes:
Saveur Cooks Authentic American
A Collection of Cornbread Dressings
Emeril's Funky Brined Turkey
Mama Lou's Candied Yams
Mama Lou's Macaroni and Cheese
Mama Lou's Scalloped Oysters