Book excerpt: The Complete Hands-On Guide to Cooking a Great Thanksgiving Meal Whether you're cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the first time or have hosted this celebration for years, here's all you need to know to make your holiday special. Thanksgiving can be the most challenging meal to prepare-even for the most experienced cooks. Betty Crocker comes to the rescue with this complete do-it-yourself guide to making Thanksgiving delicious. Here are the treasured recipes with all the trimmings that you grew up with, plus plenty of great new twists on the traditional. You'll find: * The most popular and time-tested recipes for the classics, from roast turkey with pan gravy and bread stuffing to pumpkin, apple and pecan pies and much more * New and innovative ways with the bird include brining, grilling, smoking and even deep-frying, plus plenty of inventive ideas for turkey alternatives * Easy how-to's for tricky techniques cover carving the turkey, making lump-free gravy and rolling out pie dough, plus how to safely take food on the road * Menu ideas to suit everyone, whether vegetarian, diabetic, on a low-fat diet, or a first-time cook, plus easy ways to cook for a crowd of 20 or more * Countdown menus to time every step, from starting some recipes days (or weeks) ahead, to setting the table, to making gravy so it's piping hot when dinner's served * Mouthwatering color photos of your favorite Thanksgiving foods for ideas and inspiration * 130 tested and trusted recipes in all, to make this year's Thanksgiving your most memorable-and delicious-feast ever!