Everyday Food would be a kitchen staple for me even without my slight Martha obsession. Unpretentious, seasonal, and vaguely health-minded (without the off-putting lose-weight-now! theme of many women's mags), plus helpful tips: this month, a reminder to keep potatoes and onions separate (the onions will cause the potatoes to turn on you quickly).
This month's thanksgiving focus is practical and useful, including classic recipes, a count-down chart, and a "Do-ahead Tips" page with photos and dates for how and when to prep items in advance. Specifically: I'm not a fan of slimy/crunchy green-bean casserole, but certain people demand it. Everyday Food offers a home-made alternative with fresh beans, mushroom sauce, and home-made fried shallots in place of those canned onion sticks -- along with a plan for prepping the components in advance and assembling day-of, making the whole ordeal no more of a T-day burden than the classic canned-ingredients version.
Bourbon sweet potatoes are another appealing alternative. While my stepdad loves a marshmallow-encrusted yam, I'm pretty sure he loves bourbon even more.
Some of the non-holiday recipes look awesome. Of particular note: Spice-Rubbed pork with Acorn Squash, Winter Vegetable Soup, Roasted Tomato and Fennel Salad, and Lamb Chops with Herb-Mustard Crust (will attempt with cheaper meat before buying lamb).
So I've agreed to host thanksgiving for the second time, and while it went fine last year, I'd like to aim a little higher. Everyday Food recipes are not gourmet, but hopefully the practical advice will allow me to see beyond whether the menu is complete to what might make it interesting. And if not, this month's edition offers instructions for making a very large pitcher of whiskey-sour -- undoubtedly a better recipe of "interesting" than a bean casserole.
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