Last year, we devoted a lot of blog space to Thanksgiving, by Sam Sifton. And since we’re editors and writers, supposedly on the pulse of what the lastest, greatest, trendiest everything is, we should probably be featuring this year’s of-the-moment holiday cookbook. But here’s the thing: “trendy” and “of-the-moment” are not words that should EVER EVER EVER be in the same sentence as “Thanksgiving,” and we stand by our claim that Sam Sifton’s timeless, authoritative, delicious guide to our country’s greatest holiday is The Only Thanksgiving Recipe Collection You Will Ever Need. (Outside of your grandmother’s recipe box, of course — we don’t want to get anyone in trouble here). As such, we launch our “Countdown to Thanksgiving Series” with a bountiful giveaway: In the next 48 hours, five readers are eligible to win a free copy of Sifton’s Thanksgiving, and five more are eligible to have a free copy sent to whoever is cooking/hosting the feast… as a little pre-holiday pump-up and thank-you-in-advance. That’s TEN COPIES WE ARE GIVING AWAY. All you have to do is leave a comment below (we wouldn’t complain if this comment included a Thanksgiving tip) and tell me which one you are: #Host or #Guest.
Update: All winners have been notified. Congrats Josh, Betsy, Candice, Eva, Molly, Susan, Colleen F, L, Divya, Memegirl and to everyone else thanks for playing!
Related: Sam Sifton’s 1o Laws of Thanksgiving.
My tip: have lots of wine!
And I am #host
Host Thanksgiving dinner for 15-20, going on 9 years and counting. I love every second of it. My tip is to start drinking early: mimosas are in full flow by 10AM T-Day morning.
I am the host. Advice – Be yourself and keep it simple. The food will be great because it was made with love.
Enjoy the company around you and have meaningful conversations.
My wise mother’s advice: Don’t have too many appetizers; they will spoil your appetite for the main event. I am a guest this year.
I have hosted for 38 years and this year we are going out! Would love the book for next year though.
Don’t feel like you have to have every dish in the rota every year. They can take turns. #host
Host – we are doing a building wide (2 family) thanksgiving this year. My tip: don’t forget the other meals that day and the day before. Have plenty of easy meals/food ready for breakfast, snacks, dinner the night before. Otherwise you may have lots of cranky little ones on hand (I learned this the hard way).
My elderly parents are being hosted by my sisters, I wish I were going to be a #guest, but I’d still love to send this to my sisters as a gift (which I may just do anyway).
Here’s my tip:
Just break down and get a fat separator. You may not use it often, but it will make your Thanksgiving so much less stressful at gravy time. This turkey is the only one I ever find worth eating, and the resulting gravy will change your life:
http://www.marthastewart.com/353184/perfect-roast-turkey
XOX
I’m a guest. Homemade cranberry sauce is the best!
We make the gravy ahead of time (recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Make Ahead Cook Book). It saves us from the last minute panic of is the gravy going to thicken!
#Guest because I’m traveling across the country, but I plan to help with at least half the cooking and a lot of dishes. Tip: When doing ahead, don’t forget to take your contributions out of the fridge/freezer when packing up the car…
#host. You can’t go wrong brining a turkey. I know some food writers don’t like it, but it takes the stress out of cooking the turkey for me.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Host – i could not agree more with the tip for cranberry sauce and gravy “making” the whole meal. My aunt insisted on making this burnt flour gravy last year and let’s just say, that won’t be happening again 🙂
Spatchcocked turkey. Enough said.
I’m going to be the #host of one thanksgiving and the #guest of another! If you’re looking to get away from marshmallow laden sweet potatoes I love this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chipotle-smashed-sweet-potatoes-recipe/index.html
PS – finally got your book this past week and read it in one sitting. So, so fantastic.
#guest, though i love being #host
use meaningful china 🙂
I’m a #host. Can’t wait to have my toddler “help” make pies for the first time. With no family nearby, we always host an assortment of friends, and ask them to bring a dish that they loved from their own family celebrations, regardless of national origin. It makes for a great ecclectic feast. (and I provide the turkey/cranberry/stuffing/gravy/pie, so we have all the essentials)
I’m the #Host this year and my tip is to invest in an electric turkey roaster, especially if you have a small oven like me 🙂
Thanks for the giveaway!
#Host My husband and I host Thanksgiving every year. The best tip I follow … prep and cook ahead as much as you can! Makes the day of much more enjoyable 🙂
I’ve learned a lot over the many years I’ve hosted Thanksgiving. But, my favorite tip is this: I order my fresh turkey completely brined, seasoned and buttered. All I have to do is pull off the plastic wrap covering the baking pan and put in it the oven. No nasty necks to pull out, no raw turkey juice dripping on every kitchen surface to contend with – nothing! For this, I am thankful. Happy Thankgiving.
#Guest
Always offer to bring anything the host needs, and always take over clean up so the host can rest after cooking all day!
#host. every.damn.year.
I’ve learned that when guests ask “Can I bring something?” the correct answer and is “Sure! What would you like to bring?”.
There isn’t a medal for doing everything yourself.
#host. My tip is to buy the pies from the Grand Traverse Pie Company. They can’t be beat, and I don’t have time to do everything 🙂
I have always been the guest. But someday, I hope to host!
I’m a #guest and after marrying my vegetarian husband, have converted to a no-turkey thanksgiving. This means I need as much help as I can get finding tons of awesome traditional t-giving recipes and making them veg. It’s creative fun.