How do you know where to start when you're planning a Thanksgiving feast?

It's about more than turkey and the trimmings, right?

Can you prepare and present a dinner that will have something for everyone?

Getting started.

You need to know how many people are coming to Thanksgiving dinner and what your main dishes will be. This book will help you plan and serve a successful holiday meal, whether you've made dinner for this momentous day before or not.

Planning a great menu is the easy way to becoming a good cook. You'll impress your guests with the dishes you choose to make and the way they look, feel and taste. Proper meal assembly will come more naturally with experience.

Try to avoid using ingredients repeatedly. Pecans, for example, are used a lot in some side dishes and desserts alike and having them in just one or the other would be preferred.

Think about variety in the dishes you make. Guests may have allergies, aversions, and different tastes. Vegans and vegetarians should be able to choose dishes that appeal to them. You can organize your dinner with colors, too. Thanksgiving has many white & brown dishes. Add red in cranberry sauce and oranges to a pumpkin pie to create a picture. Read on, let's cook!