Plus, our tips for Thanksgiving dishwashing.

Good morning. A reminder: When done right, washing dishes becomes Thanksgiving’s one guaranteed joy.

Food and family are fickle—even the best Thanksgiving recipes can go awry and relatives, well, they’re liable to, occasionally, absolutely, stink. But dishes? Dishes are constant. And when tackled using these three tips, a surefire opportunity to experience holiday bliss.

Make Yourself a Drink
Before ascending the sink, fill your best glass with a strong pour of your favorite sip. For me, that’s pitch-perfect Irish coffee, this mezcal amaro cocktail, or any of our team’s 10 favorite NA beers. And yes, you fully deserve whatever your heart desires—you’re about to scale a Himalayan peak of sheet trays.

Organize Your Team
Take the sink. Once you’re there, don’t leave. Then, cobble together a squad of table-clearing minions. Have said underlings deliver you all that needs to be scrubbed. Do the scrubbing. Employ Minion 1 to do the drying. Enlist Minion 2 to blast the Space Jam theme song through the nearest Bluetooth speaker. Now you’re ready to work.

Have The Right Gear
Wear an apron. Your outfit will appreciate it. Also, it’s fun to drink in costume. Most importantly, have plenty of high quality towels, a really convenient dish rack, and somewhere to dry your soon to be very soaked sponge.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve inundated you with every possible recipe for Thursday’s feast. So let’s talk about something—anything—else. Here’s a thought: There’s no better way to jumpstart your holiday weekend than by serving a pitcher of Erika Kotite’s margarita and any of these 8 taco recipes on Wednesday night.

Braised Short Rib Tacos

Pork Belly Carnitas

Mahi Mahi & Avocado Tacos

Chipotle Braised Lamb Tacos

I don’t want a syrup-covered kitchen counter. That’s why I heat mine in a Dansk Købenstyle Butter Warmer—the only pan I’ve found that doesn’t spill while pouring. Also, they’re beautiful. Sturdy. And the wooden handle’s nice to the touch. Not to mention: likely the coolest thing you could use to serve gravy this Thursday.

The Food52 Hotline is back and better than ever. Thanks to our newly appointed Hotline operator, Justin, we’re again able to respond to any food or hosting related inquiries submitted via our community page or very, very active voicemail line: 1 (877) 52-HOTLINE.

Again, that’s 1 (877) 52-HOTLINE.

And, once more, that’s 1 (877) 52-HOTLINE.

A few years back, we highlighted our 10 most popular chocolate cookie recipes of all time—a list that simply cannot steer you wrong. However, of all these recipes, none are better alongside an afternoon cup of coffee than Ovenly’s Secretly Vegan Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies.

That’s a wrap for this week!

See you next Sunday for more chatter about what’s happening at Food52 HQ.

—Paul, Editor

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