Planning for Thanksgiving: Cookbooks

By Nora    

Hey, are you guys big Thanksgiving nerds like I am, and start thinking about/planning menus like WAY in advance of the actual holiday? As someone who loves to cook and feed her family, Thanksgiving is a sacred day, and thus I must prepare accordingly.  Last year we spent Thanksgiving at my in-laws, and while it was nice to get together with the extended family, I have five words for you: Mashed Potatoes from a Box. I know. I know. Thank you all for your sympathies.

One of the things I like best about planning the Thanksgiving meal is finding new recipes in magazines and going back to the old favorites in cookbooks i've collected over the years. I am one of those people who likes to try new recipes every year. Here are some of the best Thanksgiving cookbooks i've come across, which can help you craft the perfect holiday meal.  Or, you could always just order a ready-cooked meal from Boston Market, which is what my father suggests EVERY YEAR, even though he cleans his plate every year regardless of what I make. Aren't family traditions wonderful? 

The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Thanksgiving 

(Buy this now. Seriously. The photography and recipes are fanastic and it's only like 6 bucks on Amazon for the hardcover.)

 

Barefoot Contessa: Parties!

(Not a Thanksgiving cookbook per se, but there's a whole section on cooking a Thanksgiving meal and other great holiday recipes, which are simple and delicious)

 

 

Martha's Entertaining: A Year of Celebrations

(Expensive, but hey, it's Martha. Everything she does is perfect. Not only does this cover Thanksgiving, but she does other holiday meals as well.)

 

Thanksgiving 101: Celebrate America's Favorite Holiday with America's Thanksgiving Expert

(I'm not sure what makes someone a "Thanksgiving Expert", but this is a great book for the first-time Thanksgiving host)

Comments

[Jen L.]

I had no idea a Thanksgiving Expert existed...am intrigued.
I LOVE hosting Thanksgiving and the cooking is as much fun as anything else for me. Last year was epic and this year's shaping up to be much of the same. We must compare notes.