Holiday Cooking – Live Laugh Love Do

Make Your Own Tradition This Thanksgiving

admin — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 17:20:38 +0000

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“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?”

I have been asking myself this question since late summer as I sort through my work calendar, restaurant openings, and vacation schedules. My family asks too, and my friends remind me of their standing invites. I’m still not quite sure as I write this letter.

I have been traveling the last few Thanksgivings—usually for work—and have had to send kind wishes through group chats and swoon over turkey and dressing and dishes of macaroni and cheese on FaceTime. Figuring out what I’m going to do every year has challenged what was always tradition: heading home for Thanksgiving. But one year I caught up with my dear friend over a long, lazy lunch at one of the world’s finest restaurants. Another year I was on a plane somewhere. Another year, at a neighbor’s house, though it did feel odd to trade my hostess apron for a guest’s chair.

Although I have been too busy to host Thanksgiving in recent years, it’s still my favorite holiday. I love being in the kitchen with the smells of celery and sage, cinnamon and clove, and rolling out dough for yeast rolls between my fingers. I can quickly end a canned versus fresh cranberry sauce debate with Bon Appétit’s gorgeous Cranberry-Lime Tart from the archives.

Over the past few decades, Thanksgiving has become more about peace, grace, and friendship, where we celebrate our chosen people and our family ties. Even if I’m not at home, I still feel the connection and intimacy I’m thankful for. We’ve also moved away from culinary conventions with access to spices and produce from all over the world, allowing us to make Thanksgiving dinner whatever we want.

Tradition, after all, is also something we create.

A few years ago I invited some friends of a friend to Thanksgiving dinner and asked them to bring side dishes they loved. As immigrants mostly from Europe and South America, they didn’t believe this American holiday was “for them,” or that their dishes would be appropriate. But their soups, ceviches, and paellas sat beautifully alongside my herb-roasted turkey and potatoes dauphinoise, making them more connected to this US tradition. Being part of a welcoming, inclusive environment is what I want to do every Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Hot Takes and Tips

CALL IT SIDESGIVING

This is really what we want anyway: lots of sides, variations of ones we know, and ones we didn’t know we needed, like the spicy squash. Tip: Stay on auntie’s good side. Rather than replace a beloved family recipe, add a new side to try.

CHOOSE A SMALL TURKEY

Tackling your first turkey? I recommend Shilpa Uskokovic’s choice of a small bird (12 to 14 pounds). Slightly larger than a duck or chicken, it cooks faster and feels familiar. Hot take: The skin does not have to be crispy. You’ve got gravy.

CAKE IS THE NEW PIE

I’m a certifiable pie person. But if you want to impress guests and be on trend with the cake parties we saw all year, make one, or all, of the cakes. Hot take: The chocolate-pumpkin cake is the stronger case for canned pumpkin than pie.

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23 Recipes With Dijon Mustard for Weeknights and Holidays

admin — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 21:16:05 +0000

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Proof that certain pantry staples punch above their weight, these Dijon mustard recipes span crisp salads, hearty roasts, tangy BBQ sauces, comforting casseroles, and more. The versatile French condiment packs a ton of tangy brightness into each spoonful, and its nuanced flavors complement everything from honey or brown sugar to fiery hot sauce and fresh citrus. It perks up marinades, brightens BBQ sauce recipes, and turns weeknight salads and sandwiches into company-worthy affairs.

While overachievers humblebrag about blitzing their own vinegar-soaked brown mustard seeds into homemade Dijon mustard, you can also find excellent store-bought options pretty much anywhere condiments are sold. Choose your fighter and scroll down for 17 of our favorite Dijon mustard recipes to serve for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or whenever the mood strikes.

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Walmart is selling a 22-piece bakeware set for only $29

admin — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 21:12:10 +0000

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TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

Why we love this deal

For a lot of people, the kitchen isn’t just a place to cook meals. It’s a place to destress and get creative while baking, sautéing, searing, stirring, and experimenting with foods, spices, and so much more. And with the holidays coming up, even the most novice bakers will end up in the kitchen roasting ham, baking cookies, and creating other sweet and savory treats to feed the friends and family who end up visiting through Thanksgiving and Christmas. In order to do that, you have to have a dependable set of pans to make sure what you’re creating doesn’t end up an overcooked (or undercooked) mess. Cookware can certainly be costly, but a lot of retailers package pans in a way where you can get a wide variety for an affordable price, and right now Walmart has an absolute steal of a deal.

For a limited time, you can get the Kikcoin 22-Piece Bakeware Set for 58% off its usual price. As part of a Walmart Flash Deal, you can get the full set, which usually costs $70, for only $29.

Kikcoin 22-Piece Bakeware Set, $29 (was $70) at Walmart

Why do shoppers love it?

With 22 pieces, this bakeware set has a tin, tray, or pan for whatever you want to whip up in your kitchen. The non-stick set comes with a pizza pan, square cake pan, roast pan, loaf pan, 12-cup muffin tray, cookie sheet, and a 304 barbecue grill that doubles as a cooling rack. You also get 12 silicone muffin cups, a silicone oil brush, silicone spatula, and measuring cups. With them, you can grill veggies, roast meat, and bake desserts — the possibilities are truly endless. And with the season of holiday cheer and eating almost at our door steps, you’ll be thankful you picked up the set so you can create a holiday feast or prepare for a cookie decorating party easily.

The trays are all made with high-quality heavy carbon steel, which can withstand temperatures up to 446 degrees Fahrenheit, is non-toxic and safe, so you don’t need to worry about putting down parchment paper or foil if the recipe doesn’t call for it. It’s multi-layered with a protective base, anti-rust coating, protective layer, and non-stick coating in addition to the carbon steel layer, making the pans very heavy-duty and durable for years of use. The barbecue grill is designed with stainless steel and can withstand the typical grill temperatures up between 1,500 and 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit.

To get the most out of your trays and keep the non-stick coating in tack, it’s best to wash your pans and additional tools by hand. When you’re not using them, they’re designed to stack together easily and save up to 70% more space in your cabinets and under your countertops.

Details to know

Material: The set is made with heavy carbon steel, stainless steel, and silicone.
Includes: With your purchase, you get a 304 stainless steel barbecue grill, a pizza tray, square cake tray, toast tray, large cake tray, 12-cup muffin tray, cookie tray, 12 silicone muffin cups, a silicone oil brush, silicone spatula, and measuring cups.
Temperature: The baking trays can withstand temperatures of 446 degrees Fahrenheit. 304 stainless steel barbecue grills can typically withstand temperatures up to 1,500 to 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit.
Space-saving: The stackable design of the pans makes them easy to store and can help save up to 70% more space in cabinets.

Shoppers say it’s a great purchase for those just starting to build their kitchenware collection, with some even noting that they’ve purchased multiple sets. The set doesn’t take up a lot of space, and comes in handy for cooking and baking pretty much anything you could want.

Shop more deals

It’s always great to add new equipment to your kitchen, if not for anything but to make sure your food is being cooked on clean, well-designed kitchenware. But with the holidays coming up, you won’t find a better time to expand your kitchen collection with the Kikcoin 22-Piece Bakeware Set.

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89 Thanksgiving Side Dishes That’ll Outshine the Turkey

admin — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 16:16:36 +0000

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Thanksgiving side dishes are what turn a good holiday meal into an unforgettable one. Sure, roast turkey is the centerpiece, but the true stars are the family favorites that round out the holiday feast.

This year, let our guide to the best Thanksgiving side dish recipes help you plan a menu everyone will rave about. From staples like our superstar cranberry sauce recipe and Ultra-Creamy Mashed Potatoes to emerging favorites like sour-cream-and-onion mashed potatoes and fried sweet potato tempura, there’s something here for every palate. You’ll also find plenty of Thanksgiving vegetable sides like gratins and salads to keep non-meat eaters feeling full and festive.

Whether you’re craving balsamic-roasted brussels sprouts, cornbread muffins fresh from the oven, make-ahead options to ease day-of stress, or a last-minute Thanksgiving salad, these recipes ensure no one leaves hungry.

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53 Thanksgiving Recipes We Turn to Year After Year

admin — Sun, 14 Sep 2025 00:45:53 +0000

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Preparing and hosting a literal feast is hard enough without scouring the internet for the best Thanksgiving recipes—so we’ve done the work for you. From classic roast turkey, cranberry sauce, and marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes to modern sides and desserts, this collection has everything you need to build the perfect Thanksgiving dinner menu.

If turkey is nonnegotiable, you’ll find roasted, grilled, and smoked options here, along with guides on turkey cooking times and turkey carving. Prefer a vegetarian Thanksgiving? We’ve got menus for that too. Of course, no holiday table is complete without the real stars: Our top-line Thanksgiving side dishes include buttery dinner rolls for soaking up gravy, tangy green beans, and golden cornbread stuffing.

We didn’t forget about holiday cocktails, appetizers, or desserts either—our pies, cakes, and other sweets ensure the meal ends on a high note. And when the day is done, our turkey leftover recipes guarantee more than just sandwiches. Ready to plan your ultimate Thanksgiving? Let’s dig in.

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43 Sweet Potato Recipes for Every Occasion

admin — Sun, 07 Sep 2025 17:58:51 +0000

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If this extensive list of our best sweet potato recipes doesn’t make it obvious, we’ll just say it: We love these sweet, starchy, colorful spuds, which thrive whether they’re mashed, baked, or fried.

Maybe you already know your way around this kitchen workhorse—you’ve been making simple roasted sweet potatoes and festive candied sweet potatoes for years. But you still need some fresh ideas, right? So we’ve collected all of our favorite ways to cook sweet potatoes below.

First things first: Make sure you know the difference between sweet potatoes and yams. In short, true yams are an entirely different vegetable. American yams, on the other hand, are merely mislabeled sweet potatoes thanks to a marketing gimmick from the 1930s. Other varieties, such as Japanese sweet potatoes, have distinct characteristics; while you can often substitute a regular sweet potato, it’s worth finding a specific variety when a recipe calls for it.

From there, follow your cravings. This collection includes the kind of cozy casseroles you’ll want to snuggle up with, a sweet potato pie you can make right now and freeze for Thanksgiving, actually crispy sweet potato wedges, and a wide variety of methods for transforming the tubers into hearty vegetarian dinners.

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