For home cooks, Thanksgiving is the calendar’s high holy day. No other holiday is simply about gathering for a meal; in fact, the food is the whole point. There’s no gift-shopping pressure, noisy fireworks displays or early morning visits from mysterious bunny rabbits. Just dinner or lunch, if you prefer and the people you love the most ringed around the table, ready for a feast of familiar family favorites.
Tradition is a flexible thing, though. As time goes by, different faces join the gathering, taking the seats of loved ones who have departed. New memories are made, joining those we already treasure. A family’s traditions are constantly growing and expanding with each year’s experiences. In that spirit, I hope you will find a few new recipes in these pages to add to your holiday repertoire, whether it’s something as simple as a fresh side dish to try or a novel and time-saving way to roast a whole turkey.
