FLAY

Tune in Saturday night to the Food Network for a hearty helping of Thanksgiving recipes, including a local bread connection.

At 8:30 p.m., the Food Network's acclaimed "Throwdown" program, featuring top chef Bobby Flay, will take place at Kendall College Culinary School and will feature Great Harvest Bread Co. artisan bread bakers Patti and Matt Thobe as well as "Talk Turkey to Me" cookbook author Renee Ferguson.

The Great Harvest Bread Co., with a shop in Thousand Oaks, will feature the same breads and recipe for interested area customers.

Viewers will learn the art of preparing "the perfect Thanksgiving meal," according to the network.

Ferguson, a self-proclaimed former "Butterball turkey hot-line lady," will showcase recipes from her humorous and down-home cookbook, with an emphasis on her old-fashioned apple sausage stuffing featuring Great Harvest's Oregon herb bread.

Featuring colleagues of Thousand Oaks baker Jim Costello, the program will air multiple times in November on the Food Network, which shares a parent company with The Star.

Costello's colleagues the Thobes have nothing but praise for the show — and for Ferguson.

"No one talks turkey like Renee Ferguson," said Patti Thobe, owner of the Geneva, Ill., Great Harvest bakery. "She has answered America's questions on how to prepare the best turkey dishes for nearly 14 years. We are thrilled to share the stage with the amazing Bobby Flay and Renee Ferguson."

Neighborhood Great Harvest bakeries across the country are gearing up for Thanksgiving with signature whole-grain herb breads, rolls, pumpkin sweets and more.

The recipe from the Food Network program is available at Great Harvest in Thousand Oaks, and the complete cookbook can be found at www.turkeytools.com or by calling 800-269-6839.

Free menu ideas also are available online at the Turkey Tools Web site.

The local Great Harvest Bread Co., 2092-H Newbury Road, Thousand Oaks, uses the same recipe as in the show but calls it California herb bread. (Traditionally baked every Monday, it will be available every day during Thanksgiving week.)

Founded in 1976 in Great Falls, Mont., Great Harvest Franchising Inc. has more than 215 bakeries nationwide, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Great Harvest is known for its handcrafted breads made daily with freshly ground whole wheat from the high plains of Montana. Unlike most American bakeries, Great Harvest mills its whole wheat daily. The fresh flour is used within two days to guarantee optimum freshness, nutritional value and taste.