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Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

This Sunday before Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season for us here at "Sunday Morning," and each year we celebrate our nation's bounty and culinary delights with our special food issue: "Eat, Drink and Be Merry."

Here's a brief look at what's on this year's menu, along with links to articles, videos and recipes:


Americans love to eat, but we also have a long, sordid history of devising new ways to deny ourselves. Correspondent Tracy Smith looks at the history of dieting in America.


Mo Rocca examines the pros and cons of two ways to start the day.


Vienna's Vegetable Orchestra
(Video)
Martha Teichner caught up with an innovative music group, the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra, and got a behind-the-scenes look at just what goes into this highly unusual (and tasty) musical performance.


Heinz: The King of Ketchups?
(Video)
When it comes to spicing up burgers and fries, most Americans reach for the same iconic ketchup brand, Heinz. Charles Osgood investigates why.


Chef Bobby Flay reveals the secret to why we love pumpkin so much.

Pasta: Past and Present (Video)
Pasta comes in a lot more shapes and sizes than just spaghetti. Allen Pizzey reports from Rome with the story of pasta past and present.


Nothing says style and elegance quite like a proper tea service. It's a timeless tradition that many aficionados consider something of a cure-all. Serena Altschul invites us to tea time.


Rita Braver goes forth unto Pennsylvania to investigate where pretzels come from.


Barry Petersen reports on brewmasters who say their creations are more complex than wine.

The Importance of Po' Boys (Video)
The people of New Orleans take their food seriously, and no food is taken more seriously than the Po-Boy sandwich. Bill Geist reports.


Correspondent Russ Mitchell looks at the history of one of America's favorite desserts.

Bobby Flay's Passion for Pomegranates (Video)
Chef Bobby Flay talks about his relationship with the mysterious fruit, the pomegranate, and shares a recipe which combines pomegranates and roasted Brussels sprouts.


Nancy Giles gets answers to the burning questions about the beloved bean that have kept her up so late.

PLUS:


On the 30th anniversary of the "Dallas" episode that finally revealed to the world "Who Shot J.R.?", Katie Couric sits down with Larry Hagman.

WEB EXCLUSIVES:

Molly O'Neill's Portrait of American Cooking (Video)
New York Times food writer Molly O'Neill, author of the book "One Big Table: A Portrait of American Cooking," shares her journey of traveling the country to find recipes and food stories which included a number of surprises along the way.

Joel Sartore's Taste of the Real World (Video)
National Geographic Photographer Joel Sartore shares a photo essay into his family's particular and sometimes peculiar eating habits.

Recipe Index
A plethora of great recipes featured on our show.

Links
For more links to the contributors, chefs, restaurants, and foodies that helped make this week's show so delicious!

And to close out our meal this Thanksgiving week:

Fall Foliage in the Blue Ridge Mountains (Video)

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