It’s Thanksgiving week! That usually means travel for you or others in your family. If you’re one of the lucky folks that gets to simply pack up and go to someone else’s place (so they can deal with the annual roasting of the holiday bird), consider yourself fortunate.

If, however, you’re one of those who have bravely volunteered your own home for the big Thanksgiving festivities, the onus of the cooking then falls squarely in your lap.

Well, hopefully not literally. Let’s try to keep it in the roasting pan.

Perhaps you’re already a seasoned pro at consistently delivering the Thanksgiving meal of the century. If so, kudos! But many folks are still amateurs at cooking for the most important food day of the year. Granted, expectations from your guests will be extremely high, so the pressure’s on.

Don’t panic. Just breathe, have a quick drink or two if you need to settle the nerves, and read this article. It’s honest, informative and just might keep you from being locked in the kitchen for a half-day only to produce a dried-up, horrid bird reminiscent of the ghastly beast served at the Griswold Family Christmas.

Remember. Thanksgiving is all about family.

. . . and booze. Don’t forget about the booze.