9. Batons are meant to be passed.
Growing up, I spent as much time in the kitchen as I could, glued to my mother’s side and watching her work intently. We loved cooking together: hot breakfasts most days of the week, dinners after work and school let out, ambitious projects on the weekend, like my tween obsession with molten lava cakes.
But our big day, the one we made spreadsheets for and talked about for weeks, was always Thanksgiving. As her dutiful sous-chef, I was eager to learn, and the holiday became a cooking boot camp. I peeled mounds of potatoes, washed dishes, buttered parchment, and perhaps most importantly, sifted flours for popovers. You might think turkey would be the pièce de résistance of Turkey Day, but for my family, it’s all about the steaming hot popovers. My mother’s would bake up so tall that they toggled magnificently, deploy brown with bubbly streaks of Gruyère and specks of chives. (And might I add, they’re rather perfect as individual gravy boats on each person’s plate.)
So when I was 22, home for the holidays and ready to assist, I knew exactly what it meant when my mom handed over her trusty popover pan. It was my turn to create the menu, to take the lead in the kitchen, and, of course, to make the popovers. I’d been steadily gaining confidence as a cook, experimenting more, and fine-tuning my knife skills. And with that gift, my mom was telling me that she knew I was ready to handle it all.
I may have gone a bit overboard that first year, designing a 13-course menu that included a chestnut soup and an Alsatian potato pie, but I did it. My popovers rose to lofty heights, everyone was well-fed, and our traditions were safely in my care. —Kelsey Jane Youngman
10. Because delivery pizza hits different after a Wednesday pie making marathon.
11. Sugar-dusted pie scraps are a great snack while waiting for said pizza.
12. Not everything needs to be homemade.
Part of the joy of Thanksgiving is that we finally have the time to dive into ambitious recipes. Why not confit your turkey? Why not get scientific about the proofing process for your Parker House rolls? But experienced cooks know how to play to their strengths and be strategic about what they DIY and what they don’t. Give the rest of your menu the attention it deserves! Here are some store-bought swaps our staff can get behind. —Sam Stone
13. The grocery store becomes our town square.
The grocery store the day before Thanksgiving holds a special kind of magic. At first glance it appears chaotic: aisles packed with shoppers, carts piled high like oversized Jenga towers, and slightly frantic voices asking, “Where are the fresh cranberries?!”