If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year, you hopefully enjoy the role. It certainly comes with its share of rules, especially when it comes to setting the table. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind when it comes to preparing the space you'll gather around.
» A well-set table doesn't require covering. You can simply use place mats. But if you want to use a tablecloth, make sure it's generous enough to fit. Even a bed sheet can work in a pinch.
» Forks on the left, knives on the right. The knife edge should be facing the plate. That is only polite.
» As for plates, you don't need a separate plate for bread, a plate for salad and whatever else. One generous china plate will do.
Daily countdown
Need some help getting everything ready for your Thanksgiving feast? Today through Nov. 22, we’ll offer tips, advice and recipes on these pages and at www.timesfreepress.com.› Sunday: Thanksgiving tools› Monday: Choosing a turkey› Tuesday: What to drink› Wednesday: Sumptuous sides› Thursday: Beer and turkey pairings› Friday: Setting the table› Saturday: How to be a good guest› Nov. 19: Tips for your turkey› Nov. 20: Buffet essentials› Nov. 21: How to snag the wishbone› Nov. 22: Ideas for your leftovers
» Don't worry about different kinds of glasses for different drinks either - even for bubbly. It's the Champagne that makes it fancy.
» As for napkins, as big as possible, and cloth - please, cloth. A paper napkin will tear apart and be a sticky mess by the end of the meal.
» You can decorate your table in any style you want. Just make sure any centerpiece is not so big that it interferes with your guests' eating or conversing.
» Before the guests arrive, empty the dishwasher to make cleanup easier.
» And while you're at it, empty a coat closet for guests. Better that your coats are piled on a bed than theirs.
» Once everyone has gathered at the table, clink a glass, ask for quiet and thank your guests for joining you.
» Of course, there can be disasters. Just let it go. Clean it up quickly and deal with it later. The whole object is to entertain and make your guests feel happy they are gathered together.
Keeping It All Warm
No matter how large or intimate the group, Thanksgiving requires you to serve many dishes at the same time. A pressing concern is how to keep them all hot.
Food need not be piping hot, particularly when the table is large, but it should never be cold. Here are some tricks for keeping everything warm.
» Heat plates and platters before putting food on them. Stack them in a low-temperature oven for a few minutes or on a shelf above the stove if you have one. Some dishwashers have a plate-warming function. In a pinch, run hot water from the sink over them to heat, then towel them dry.
» Keep a quantity of hot turkey stock going on the stove. Use a ladleful of it to refresh and reheat sliced turkey on a warmed platter before sending it out to the table. You can do the same with dressing.
» Put that slow cooker to work. There is no better ersatz chafing dish for mashed vegetables or dressing. Set it on "warm" and forget it.