Thanksgiving is a superb time to try out your cooking abilities and to wow your guests with both classic and innovative dishes. However, cooking can also be anxiety-producing and time consuming. You want to create a fabulous meal you designed all on your own, but you also want some help as well. That's what is so wonderful about our frozen foods section. We have a myriad of different items to choose from, all of superior quality and easy to use with your own cooking.

For the holiday, we wanted to highlight one such brand: Dufour. Dufour makes their products with only the finest and freshest ingredients, and these products are found in the best restaurants, clubs, and gourmet markets. We'll be carrying not only their baking specialties, but their appetizers as well. This means that while you're rolling out Dufour's buttery pastry dough to make your own dessert, your guests can be charmed by the variety of hors d'oeuvres you've set out to munch on before dinner.

Dufour's puff pastry is made in the traditional French way, so it's hundreds of layers of dough and butter all rolled and flattened together. When it's baked, the moisture from the butter creates steam that causes the dough to separate and puff to several times its height. Puff pastry can be used to make a variety of baked goods, including croissants, strudels, and tarts. Dufour packages their dough with instructions and recipes, so it's easy to make your own dishes.

In addition to pastry dough, Dufour also makes mini tart shells. The plain/traditional style are ideal for quiches, souffles, and other pie-bakes. Dufour also makes a "sucree" tart shell, which is excellent for dessert fillings such as mousse, lemon curd, and fruit fillings. What is wonderful about the puff pastry and the tart shells is that you assemble the ingredients, and bake it yourself - a dessert you can rightfully take credit for.

Unless you plan to serve dinner right as guests are arriving (which is nearly impossible), you'll need to have something on hand to tide them over. Appetizers are ideal for staving off hunger and getting everyone excited for the main course. Dufour's hors d'oeuvres are a wonderful choice. Try serving the following varieties: Indian "Salsa" Curry Phyllo Triangle, Mushroom Truffle Risotto, Hot & Spicy Asian Spring Roll, Smoked Swiss & Bacon Cup, 4-Cheeses & Roasted Garlic. It's epicurean quality without the mess, time, or effort.

This Thanksgiving, make your finest dinner possible. And let the treasures you'll find in Balducci's Frozen section help you serve it with flavor, style, and appeal.