Thanksgiving is only a week and a few days a way. Do you know what you’re cooking? If you want some ideas, you might check out one of these Thanksgiving cookbooks. I just picked these up from the library and haven’t had a chance to cook from them, but I still thought it might be fun to look through them and get some ideas.
First up, is Williams-Sonoma The Best of Thanksgiving: Recipes and Inspiration for a Festive Holiday Meal. As you might imagine if you’ve ever looked at a Williams-Sonoma catalog, this cookbook contains beautiful photos of traditional recipes. The whole meal is covered, including recipes for leftovers. Chapters on planning, wine pairing, and menus are included to provide inspiration. There is even a chapter called “Turkey Know-How.” I would say that my main complaint is that everything in here is pretty standard, and most of the tips included I’ve already read. That being said, I’ve always had good luck with Williams-Sonoma recipes, and there were several in here I would like to try, including Spicy Corn Break Stuffing with Chorizo & Pepitas, Bite-Sized Pecan Tartlets, and Turkey Panini with Blue Cheese & Chutney.
The second book I picked up is Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well by Sam Sifton. Sifton is the food editor of the New York Times, and he has lots of ideas about Thanksgiving. This book looks (and reads) more like a memoir. It includes stories about Sifton’s experiences cooking Thanksgiving along with tips and recipes. There are no photos, but a few illustrations. This book was actually a pretty fun read, and I think I sort of agree with his two strongest opinions about Thanksgiving: no appetizers and no salad. If you can get the Thanksgiving meal on the table at a reasonable time, then you shouldn’t need appetizers. Also, I think the salad idea is good because it’s just one less thing to worry about. (TBH, I have my mother bring the salad.) Interesting recipes include Roasted Butternut Squash with Butter and Sage, and Pear Cobbler.
For even more inspiration, I picked up the Thanksgiving issue of Southern Living. Isn’t it gorgeous! Now I have to have apple, pecan, and pumpkin pie at my Thanksgiving dinner. I’ll be back later this week with more Thanksgiving inspiration, including a few of my favorite recipes.
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