We're sitting down with our favorite writers and cooks to talk about their upcoming cookbooks, their best food memories, and just about anything else.

Today: Sam Sifton on the new Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well -- the perfect book for Thanksgiving newbies and family-bound "fellows in sweaters" alike.

Merrill finds dinner inspiration on a sign at a local coffee shop, and does them one better.

As the first pangs of hunger for that glorious Thanksgiving feast begin to settle in, so too does a longing for some preemptive super-healthy meals.

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!

Here's a lunch we'd happily turn to any day of the week: roasted chicken salad with celery, Dijon, mayo, and tarragon (says Amanda, "chicken and tarragon are besties").

The tiny spoons are just right for 6-year-old hands piling salad on the slices of whole grain bread, and chocolate spice cookies make for a perfect dessert.