Sam Sifton?s Thanksgiving: How to Master the Sides & Desserts

From the planning of the meal to the washing of the last plate, Thanksgiving poses more—and more vexing—problems for the home cook than any other holiday. In this special demonstration-style Sur La Table class, Sam Sifton, the New York Times’ resident Thanksgiving expert, will show you that the fourth Thursday of November does not have to be a day of kitchen stress and family drama, of boring side dishes and sad, cratered pies. In addition to sharing recipes for exciting, reliable sides to accompany your turkey and cooking techniques that will serve you all year long, Sam will field questions about how to handle unexpected Thanksgiving scenarios.

Sam Sifton, the former restaurant critic for the New York Times, the paper’s current national editor and a food columnist for the Sunday Times Magazine, has written Thanksgiving: How To Cook It Well (Random House Hardcover, on sale 10/30), a definitive, timeless guide to Thanksgiving dinner—preparing it, surviving it, and pulling it off in style. In this smartly written, beautifully illustrated, recipe-filled book Sifton delivers a message of great comfort and solace: There is no need for fear. You can cook a great meal on Thanksgiving. You can have a great time. With simple, fool-proof recipes for classic Thanksgiving staples, as well as new takes on old standbys, Thanksgiving: How To Cook It Well is your guide to making Thanksgiving the best holiday of the year. You can make a better turkey than anyone has ever served you in your life, and you can serve it with gravy that is not lumpy or bland but a salty balm, rich in flavor, that transforms all it touches. There are recipes for excellent side dishes and robust pies and festive cocktails, instructions for setting the table and setting the mood, as well as cooking techniques and menu ideas that will serve you all year long