Sam Sifton

It's a cookbook framed around the idea of gathering people together once a week either on a Sunday or another day that substitutes for Sunday. The recipes are varied with options for scaling up or down based on the number of people attending. There are also recipes for multiple styles and moods, including one-pot meals, formal dinners, dinners that require less time, etc. Most importantly, Sifton weaves in stories about the importance of gathering together on a regular basis. Even if you're show more not into cookbooks, those stories alone make this book worth reading. show less

The title pretty much says it all. Don't look here for trendy deconstructions of roast turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. Sam Sifton feels they have no place at the Thanksgiving table. But if you're hyperventilating over how to get the turkey and all those side dishes to the table at the same time, or wondering how to set the table, or what to provide for drinks, this little book is exactly what you need. It provides the guidance you need to decide what type of turkey to buy, how long to show more defrost it (in the refrigerator, please, let's not poison the guests), and several options for how to cook it (brined, not brined, roasted, grilled, butterflied). It includes a number of recipes for traditional side dishes (no asparagus, please, and no salad, either). The answer to the question about what to drink is "anything you like," although he does have some suggestions to make. If you're in charge of Thanksgiving dinner, get your hands on a copy of this book and you'll have no worries. show less

This recipe collection focuses on foods one finds on Sunday menus around the country. While the illustrated recipes are nicely done, far too many of the recipes lack photos. The recipes which interested me were ones from my own heritage, and I'm unlikely to exchange my family favorite recipe for another. The book is probably best for younger or less-experienced cooks than for the more seasoned cook.

I won a copy of this book from Goodreads. Are there no photographs because I received an ARC?? Or are there not going to be any photographs in the final book? Really?

Most of the recipes were similar to what my Dad used to do for Thanksgiving and, therefore, meet with my complete approval. One thing I thought was funny was how the author stated that there was to be no garlic used on Thanksgiving and then proceeds to give us not one but two perfectly good recipes that contain garlic. I guess show more that rules are made to be broken.

If you are the person who takes a Mexican cruise on Thanksgiving or spends Thanksgiving alone eating pancakes and drinking vodka martinis, then this is not the book for you. Go read something else.

This is a carry-on-the-traditions sort of book. It is the kind of book that I would give to a young person moving out on their own, send to someone who would be hosting their first Thanksgiving, or pass out copies at the family reunion. show less