Let the turkey save the day.

• Position: WHAT'S NEW? Holiday Gift Guide - How to Cook a Turkey and All the Other Trimmings - Brief article - Book review

In the idyllic fantasy we have in our minds as we close in on the holidays, we picture the perfect gathering: All of our extended family brought together under one roof, with children and adults thoroughly enjoying one another's company, as we celebrate a wonderful day filled with love, harmony, and good food. The reality, of course, is that, despite everyone's best intentions, things don't always turn out that way. This year, however, we're focusing on the menu; after all, a well-fed bunch is a happy bunch.

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We're going right back to basics with How to Cook a Turkey and All the Other Trimmings from the editors and contributors of Fine Cooking magazine (The Taunton Press, $19.95). This book is a survival guide for first-timers who may not even know how to begin to cook a Thanksgiving feast as well as more experienced cooks who quite likely prepare this meal just once a year. It's filled with tips for planning, shopping, mapping out fridge space, etc., and answers such pressing questions as, "What are giblets, anyway?" A great help is that each recipe explains which steps can be done ahead of time, allowing for a...