In the midst of Thanksgiving preparation, the test kitchen provided us a breath of fresh, turkey-free air.

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

There's no getting around it -- everyone's mind is on Thanksgiving. As the big day grows nearer, our plans fall into place: we decide which sides should grace the table, which way is best to cook the bird, what to serve before the meal. And then there's always the pumpkin pie. 

But what if this year, there wasn't? 

The test kitchen gets a good dose of DIY.

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

It snowed in New York this week, which sent us scrambling not just for our coats, scarves, hats, and mittens, but also for our saucepans. Why? To make warm drinks, of course.

This week we're sipping from our mugs by a roaring fire and answering the question: What's your favorite cold-weather drink? Be sure to check out Peter's nostalgia-licious hot chocolate memory!

This week, Tuesday meant turkey day.

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

This week, the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy brought us all together as New Yorkers. We've been office-less and working from home this week, and our hearts go out to all Food52ers and beyond who have been affected by the storm. You can donate to the Red Cross to help relief efforts here, and there are volunteer opportunities available throughout New York and New Jersey as the rebuilding effort begins.

Today, we're going back in time a few days to our preparation efforts before the hurricane hit. The question: what did you cook before the storm?

The Food52 test kitchen was back in action this week, braving bus routes and ruthless taxi lines to get cooking again.

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

You'll forgive us, I hope, if we're a little hyper today. You see, with Halloween weekend coming up, we've all got phantom sugar highs from the memory of candy bars past.

Today we head to the candy aisle to answer the question: What's your favorite Halloween candy? Bring on the Twix bars, the Warheads, and the Nerds! There'll be time for homemade caramel apples all fall.

You never know what to expect in the Food52 Test Kitchen.  Whether it's missing a food delivery, spilling a container full of peppercorns, or standing over a pot of caramel that won't seem to cooperate, we try to handle any hurdles in style.  This week was no different, but we still had fun cooking, tasting, and folding (yes, folding). Check out snapshots from another day in the kitchen, and remember to follow us on Instagram @Food52 for more foibles and fun.

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

What's the best apple? That's the important, autumnal question that we're answering this week. Childhood memories, honeycrisps, and explanation points loom large, although some of us (ahem, Amanda) would prefer no apples at all.

Which variety of apple do you like best for eating out of hand? Tell us in the comments!