Caramelized squash with cinnamon toasted nuts; scalloped potatoes with horseradish

Thanksgiving rehearsals are underway, and they're delicious.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 15, 2024 Andy Baraghani's caramelized squash with cinnamon toasted nuts. Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards. Let's take it from the top By Sam Sifton Good morning. We're sliding into dress rehearsals for the Thanksgiving feast, and I'm still adding songs and bits, cutting lines, rethinking the ending. It's tempting to fall back on the old favorites because they're favored, because they're familiar, because I know they'll kill. I'm a traditionalist, after all. But there's something thrilling about the introduction of new dishes to the Thanksgiving table, something novel, something sly. There's the promise of a great payoff, a new authentic truth revealed. This year, I'm thinking I might add Andy Baraghani's recipe for caramelized squash with cinnamon toasted nuts (above) to my menu, alongside the turkey, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce and gravy. It's a dead-simple preparation: Roast wedges of squash with shallots in a hot oven until they're caramelized and sweet, then top with buttery toasted pecans tossed in maple syrup and cinnamon. I'll try it out this weekend to accompany a roast chicken and see how it lands. Featured Recipe Caramelized Squash With Cinnamon Toasted Nuts View Recipe → To go with, another newcomer: these scalloped potatoes with horseradish from Vivian Chan-Tam. I like the idea of a horseradish kick against the sweetness of the potatoes and cheese, and I think that'll be true of the squash and the luscious chicken, too. We'll see. Rehearsal's important. It's not the show, but it suggests what the show might become. On which subject, take a look at this new recipe from Naz Deravian for butter swim biscuits. It's perfect for biscuit novices because it doesn't require cutting cold butter into flour or rolling out dough. Instead, you make a batter and then spread it out over a pool of melted butter in a pan so that, as it bakes, it absorbs the fat while getting crisp and tender at the sides. Teach that technique to someone this weekend, so that you can ask for it on Thanksgiving morning with strawberry jam. There are many more Thanksgiving recipes waiting for you on New York Times Cooking. If you haven't written a menu yet, the time to do so is now. While you're at it, you'd also do well to begin to lay in the supplies you'll need to serve your meal — dry goods, beverages, flatware and china in particular — so that you're not racing around next weekend doing so while also securing your turkey and produce. Thanksgiving comes slowly and then all at once. Whatever you can do now to lessen your burden during the week of the 25th will be well worth the labor. Write to us at cookingcare@nytimes.com if you need assistance with your account. (You are a subscriber, right? Subscriptions support our work!) Someone will get back to you. And write to me if you feel the need to complain or have the urge to pay us a compliment: foodeditor@nytimes.com. I can't respond to every letter. But I read each one I get. Now, it has precious little to do with chestnuts or rutabaga, but Melissa Kirsch recently spoke to my colleagues Gilbert Cruz and Jason Zinoman about horror movies for the "Culture Desk" podcast here at The Times. I don't think of myself as a horror fan, but their words greatly improved my experience watching the operatic and extremely over-the-top violence of "Gangs of London," on Netflix. Horror is fun? I'm learning new stuff every day. Overheard: talking birds in The New Yorker, by Rivka Galchen. Julie Miller documented one strange sleepover for Vanity Fair this month: a lengthy interview with Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused in 2022 of killing her boyfriend after a night of drinking. The trial ended in a hung jury this year. The state will try Read again in 2025. She maintains her innocence. Finally, do spend a little time with Tong Yang-Tze, a Taiwanese calligrapher my colleague Zachary Small recently wrote about for The Times. There's video of Tong at work, and it's mesmerizing. Her work will be at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York starting Nov. 21. I'll see you on Sunday. IN THIS NEWSLETTER David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Simple Roast Turkey By Melissa Clark 3 1/2 hours, plus brining Makes 10 to 12 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist:Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane. Mashed Potatoes By Julia Moskin About 45 minutes Makes 4 to 6 servings Jim Wilson/The New York Times Cranberry Sauce By Sam Sifton 10 minutes, plus chilling Makes About 2 cups Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Scalloped Potatoes With Horseradish By Vivian Chan-Tam About 1 1/2 hours, plus 15 minutes' resting Makes 8 to 10 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Butter Swim Biscuits By Naz Deravian 40 minutes Makes 9 biscuits Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Roasted Brussels Sprouts By Sam Sifton 40 minutes Makes 2 servings Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times Make-Ahead Gravy By Mark Bittman 20 minutes Makes 5 to 6 cups Sign up for Dinner Tonight One quick and easy recipe in your inbox each night to answer that eternal question: What's for dinner? Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. 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