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.
We’re hosting this year for both families. 13 adults and 2 children. The control freak in me doesn’t want to let anyone bring anything and my husband says let them bring what they want.
Would love this book for inspiration!
Guest. This will be my first Thanksgiving not with my parents (I am 36….), and with my in laws. My MIL goes crazy trying to please everyone at these types of events, so I am getting stressed out already. So my tip, as a guest, is to try and be helpful and remain calm. Also, my MIL makes the Swanson Mashed potatoes recipe with chicken broth (vomit), so I think I will offer to make real mashed potatoes (ie, no broth), and “help her out.”
#host for 34…..my tip is to have fun:)
I am the host, much to the shock of my entire family, who for many years only new me as someone who put salt instead of sugar into her own birthday cake as a child. I’m sure I’d love this book!
My husband and I (along with our chubby 4 month old) are hosting this year! Woooo! My tip, have mashed potatoes. Last year, my mom thought that no one (me) would notice if there were no mashed potatoes – uh please. Guess who ended up going to Wegmans on Thanksgiving Day. That’s right. MOM.
I will be hosting this year as usual. My key to a great Thanksgiving is to put more butter than humanly possible in the mashed potatoes! (Diet LATER, it’s Thanksgiving!)
Well this is my first year hosting so I would be very honored to win this contest in particular!!! I’m 25 years old, in graduate school and have a 2 year old and a 3 month old…. someone please help me!!! haha!!! #Host
I’m in between host and guest…my parents are hosting so I’ll be back home helping out. My tip is go easy on the appetizers–people are there to spend time together and eat dinner, so a cheese plate and some nuts and olives are fine!
Host. I freeze pumpkin pies in unbaked crust then bake after turkey and sides come.out.
I’m hosting Thanksgivukkah this year and couldn’t be more excited!
I am cooking and someone else’s house, I a not sure if this makes me the guest or the host! This year I created a Googledoc so that my mom and I can collaborate on the menu despite living on opposite ends of the country! It also means we can each work on it at times that our convenient for each of us.
I’m a guest. Would love to send this great book as a hostess gift!
I so wish I was hosting. my mother in law is and I wish I could plan the entire meal. Maybe next year:)
#guest this year, but we all contribute to the meal. We will pick up the fresh turkey from the farm on Sunday. I prepped the squash when I picked it by baking, then mashing, then freezing in a large bag labeled Butternut Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday!
guest (potluck style)- DALS is my goto for a tasty side dish each thanksgiving!
Host. Keep it simple, do what you do best, and let your guests help! It’s great to experiment on a couple of side dishes, but if all of your guests live for your _______ (fill in the blank), Thanksgiving is NOT the time to replace it with something new and different!
#host. we just moved and this will be our first time hosting the big family thanksgiving dinner!!
First time reluctant host for 4…reluctant not for the cooking, but for the stress that goes along with making a dinner for the holiday!
Ooops! Mistakenly checked the box below…. I have 100s of emails now….
#Guest who dreams of hosting. 24, married for a year, gobbling up every post of DALS and have practically memorized the book. Grew up with lots of family dinner, but very little real food. Counting this blog when I count my blessings, for all it’s teaching me about life around the family table!
First time spending a big holiday with my boyfriend’s family. I’m very excited but very nervous too. What should I bring? #guest
If hosting, especially a new family member, find out what dish means Thanksgiving to them and include it on your own table. Happy to be a guest this year, but at my mom and dad’s house, so I’ll be cooking while they child wrangle. A nice holiday switch!
Try to include everyone’s traditions. My husbands family is originally from South America, and so we have an adapted Thanksgiving dinner. That being said even as a guest, I provide the traditional mashed potatoes, can of crannberry sauce, and tons of apps because who can hold out until dinner?
Love it! #guest this year, but will be making about three sides and a dessert, so any help I can get will be appreciated!
I’ll be a guest but will be contributing to the meal and would love some new ideas!