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.
#guest — Gather some guests to do the dishes for the host(s)!
Have each guest make their favorite vegetable- then you know they’ll eat them! #host
Host. My best tip is prepare ahead. I prepare and freeze apple pie ahead. I think the frozen pie bakes up even more flaky than freshly made.
I am going to be a #guest, but I want to be a super good one and make brussels sprouts with bacon as an appetizer. Nothing makes brussels sprouts better than bacon!
Last year I was the host for the first time and the key was being organized and prepared. This year I’ll be a guest. Happy Thanksgiving!
#Host
For the past two year’s I’ve hosted my parents in my tiny apartment, and I’d love to have this book to improve my hostessing skills! My tip? Stay calm, give yourself plenty of time. And don’t bite off more than you can chew. Oh, start prepping as far in advance as possible.
I am the #host. We love to play some kind of “thankfulness” game at the table.
I’m a guest this year, but I’ve hosted many times.
I have a shortcut for stuffing. If you use bread, don’t cut it the same day because the pieces will have to be toasted dry in the oven. Instead, cut the day before and leave out to dry overnight. Don’t forget to add lots of home-cooked broth when making the stuffing. Good luck!
#host Although I declared I was taking a one-year break from cooking any holiday meals, I somehow will be cooking for double the number of people we usually have.
#Guest/#host? We have a family reunion (50+ people) every Thanksgiving in the American Legion Hall — and each family member brings a dish (or two or three). Always fun!
Host this year and for the past 9 of 10 years! The last few years we have had a small gathering and this year will be the same thing. The thing that helps me the most on thanksgiving is to prepare a head of time and make a timeline of when dishes need to go in the oven so everything is done at the same time. We always have a traditional Thanksgiving, my problem is there are certain side dishes we always want but always have so many leftovers with 5 sides, a turkey and dessert!
#Guest I was the host for many, many years. Now I’m the (gracious) guest.
My favorite holiday. Love to host. With so many modern family factions, lifestyles and locations it is the one time in the year we really get to sit and enjoy being with everyone, even if it is in phases over the course of the day. Standbys and new recipes, everything tastes wonderful heaped together on a plate.
Ten copies?? What a great giveaway–thank you! I’m going to pick #host although I actually still don’t know whether we are hosting or guesting it this year–we’ve hosted vegan T-days 3 years in a row, but there may be a trip to see family and eat actual turkey happening this time. We’ll see!
Tip: make a massaged kale salad! It goes with everything and everyone especially loves it on Thanksgiving!
I will be a guest at my Mother’s delicious feast.
Thanks for the give-a-way opportunity!
I’m a host, for the first time, enjoying all the tips from everyone else! Maybe I will have one next year.
Frying turkey and frying latkes! First Thanksgiving in our new home #host
I will be hosting 21 people this year. thanks for the giveaway!
Guest—headed to the inlaws…my advice…a bottle of wine (or two) makes a great hostess gift when headed to my inlaws…..
Well, I am both guest and host. I will be making a couple dishes to take to my sisters for Thanksgiving day. My 3 children who will be traveling Thanksgiving day to come home (1 son in the Army, 1 son in the AirForce, and my daughter who lives 3 hours a way and is in retail and must work Thanksgiving) and we will have our Thanksgiving feast on Saturday.
The tip is… (for me) I don’t want to ever be that parent that causes trouble for kids and their spouses about what time they “must” be at my house for dinner. Let the other mother- in-law do that 😉
#Guest – would love to win this for my mother-in-law who is hosting a whole bunch of us this year.
I am planning to #HOST for the very first time! I can’t offer many tips since I’ve never hosted before, but as a guest, I can say to never understimate the number of appetizers and snacks you should have available throughout the day. People come early, and though there’s a big feast, I like to munch while watching football and am not thrilled when there aren’t lots of snacks going around. And my husband will be the first to admit that when he gets over-hungry, he doesn’t enjoy the meal anymore! Happy feasting, I hope to have some help with this incredible book!!
Well, I am both guest and host. I will be making a couple dishes to take to my sisters for Thanksgiving day. My 3 children who will be traveling Thanksgiving day to come home (1 son in the Army, 1 son in the AirForce, and my daughter who lives 3 hours a way and is in retail must work Thanksgiving) we will have our Thanksgiving feast on Saturday.
The tip is… (for me) I don’t want to ever be that parent that causes trouble for my kids and their spouses about what time they “must” be at my house for dinner. Let the other mother- in-law do that 😉
I’m a guest at my parents, so I’ll be right in the mix cooking. It will be just family. Thanks so much for the giveaway, and I can’t wait to check out this book!
My husband and I are the hosts, and the best thing we do is butterfly the turkey and cook it on the grill. Hubs pops it on the grill and it doesn’t take much time to cook. This also gives me the oven to bake other things. We’ve done this for at least five Thanksgivings and all guests agree that a brined, grilled turkey it tops!