entertaining

We interviewed a TON of chefs this pre-Thanksgiving season! And would you believe it, they all had really good advice for making the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. These tips will keep you going strong from the days leading up until many days and sandwiches after. What does Dale Talde do to...uh, with his leftovers? How long does Jeff McInnis brine his bird? The answers to these and more, after the jump.

At this stage in your life, party prep hopefully no longer means rolling in a keg and popping open a few supersized bags of chips (OK, maybe if you're still pre-senior year in college). Sure, hosting a proper bash takes a little more effort, but if you get a jump on the evening you’ll actually be able to kick back and enjoy your own party.

So, you’ve stepped-up to host a holiday dinner. You’ve got the menu, music and drinks covered no problem. However, figuring out where to seat your mix of friends and family requires some intense diplomacy and military mapping skills. How can you keep Aunt Betty and Uncle Ed at a safe distance to avoid a blow-up this year?