Thanksgiving Words

 There is all sorts of advice for tomororow's big feast. Should home chefs and host take them seriously? Yes and no.Advice is I just that - advice.Take what makes sense and use it.

That was the main article of  today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.New contributor Tanya Sichynsky . the paper's food and cooking sections editor gathered all sorts of gems and nuggets/Should they be followed?Maybe.Maybe not. There are sixty-one points to argue or agree with.  There is the Guest List. One , from Becky Hughes of Where To Eat suggests inviting someone you don;t like that ex or old high school bully. That's not going to work for a huge amount of people. A better suggestion regarding guests is everyone ,including family, should wear name tags. This is a good idea from Luke Fortney , also of What To Eat. There is also Vibes Management - with the best advice - from fashion designer Rachel Antonoff,. Don;t wear anything with a waistband. Everyone ets too much.Loose  comfy clothes, casual or Friday casual should be allowed and worn.Also please accept help.This is from Kia  Damon, recipe developer and chef. If someone wants to clear the table and wash dishes, let them.Chefs should have a moment of relaxation after a heavy day of cooking and prep.

Then there is the bird. Surprisingly a few have suggested other fowl.Melissa Clark suggests duck. She doesn't give a reason why but maybe it;s because the skin can cook up crispier and more burnished than turkey.If turkey isn't liked, then there is chicken. Another Foo section writer, Ali Slagle suggests having two of them. They're easier to store in the fridge.The meat is also juicier which means no dry areas like with turkey. There's also no spatchcocking.This from Katherine Lewn , the owner of BigNight.This method has been done to death.Yes, the meat is well cooked but it's a flat bird. Who wants a flat bird? The sides are also up for discussion too. Challah makes the best stuffing according to the author of this compilation, Tanya Sichynsky.It should be homemade too.Of course there is the marshmallow on yams debate. No, as per StacyMe Yan Fong, author of Fifty Pies and baker. Speaking of sweets what about those ubiquitous pies?There are two camps on this. Pro pie is Eddie Huang, chef , writer and director. Then there is the anti pie crowd.Vaughn Vreeland, who hosts Bake Times nixes it. Panna Cotta can be made according to Paola Velez, pastry chef and owner of Bar Provencia.

So what makes a good Thanksgiving. Everything a home chef wants it to be. A dinner shines when a chef shines. Only he and she can make it sparkle and memorable.