Preparing a Thanksgiving feast can be a daunting task, even for the most experienced cooks. We got advice from two chefs.
Between taming a turkey into edibility and ensuring a pleasing panoply of side-dishes, those hosting on America’s most famous Thursday can run themselves absolutely ragged.
LAist's daily news program AirTalk, which airs on 89.3 FM, brought our questions to Francis Lam, James Beard award-winning writer and host of The Splendid Table and Noelle Carter, chef, food writer and culinary consultant for Noelle Carter Food.
What we learned
Newspapers are good for more than local news (your turkey needs them to stay cool).
Spatchcocking isn't just a funny word; it cuts down cooking time.
Yes, mashed potatoes can be plant-based and still good.
The secret to brining lies in the salt.
Editor's note: we published this story last Thanksgiving, but we figured good cooking tips never expire
You’ve done your grocery shopping. Family members are en route. The table is (pretty much) set. Now, there’s just one thing left to do — cook the food.
That’s when things get overwhelming. Throwing our beautiful creations into the fire is risky business. From undercooked pies to burnt turkey, mistakes are common during the holidays and the pressure is on.
Lucky for you, we’ve got some advice. LAist's daily news program, AirTalk, which airs on 89.3 FM, brought our questions to Francis Lam — James Beard award-winning writer and host of The Splendid Table — and Noelle Carter, chef, food writer and culinary consultant for Noelle Carter Food.
Here’s what they had to say.
Turkey transport
Are you on turkey duty? Are you a 20-minute drive away from your dinner destination? You’re probably wondering how to get that bird from Point A to Point B.
According to Carter, the answer is newspaper. A lot of it.
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Image via University of Illinois Library (A. Stangl)/licensed under Flickr Creative Commons
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“There’s still a lot of good reasons to buy newspapers, but having some newspaper to cover that warm bird when you’re done is great,” she said.
You could also pad your turkey with bath towels, or keep her cozy in a cooler while you haul to your in-laws.
Serious spatchcocking
A spatchcocked turkey is coated in a baking powder and salt mixture to crisp the skin.
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Oh, did that word catch you off guard? Us too.
“It’s always a whiff of like, what does that mean? Is that something I should be talking about at the dinner table?” Lam joked.
He explained: Spatchcocking is when you cut the backbone out of the bird. Then, you flip it over and flatten it out. If done successfully, the technique cuts down cooking time (by more than half in some cases).
“You might have someone say, 'Why did someone hit the bird with a car?' But If you’re not concerned about that Norman Rockwell moment of showing up with a turkey intact … it’s a great way of cooking,” Lam said.
These days, milk alternatives are everywhere. Whether you’re vegan, dairy intolerant, or just over the whole milk thing — you’re guaranteed to find an almond/oat/coconut substitute.
I’m scared it’s gonna just taste like coconut milk at the end of the day.
— Emma in Silver Lake
But when it comes to mashed potatoes, people are understandably wary about going no-dairy.
“I’m scared it’s gonna just taste like coconut milk at the end of the day,” said Emma from Silver Lake, who called into AirTalk.
If you do embark on the dairy-free mash journey, Carter recommends going for an unflavored, nut-based option. You’ll want to add it in slowly (but surely), and be careful not to over-mix.
Potatoes!
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Creamier oat milks work the best, according to Lam. He also says if you cook potatoes in water before the mash process, you can re-use that water to enhance potato flavor. It won’t be as rich, but if the water isn’t too salty, it could work in a pinch.
And “just butter the bejesus out of it,” he adds, if that’s allowed.
Your burning brining questions, answered
When it comes to brining, the secret lies in the salt. Consider giving your turkey an overnight savory bath this year — because she deserves it.
“You can flavor it with garlic, with herbs … over time that salt and those seasonings will work their way into the bird slowly,” Lam says.
You’ll want to take it a few hours before roasting it first thing on Thanksgiving morning. And, store it in a cool place to let the skin dry.
A Thanksgiving meal with ham, sides and pie.
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Another method is dry brining, which involves doing a salt scrub of sorts 24-48 hours before cooking time. That’ll save water, and space in your fridge, Carter says.
One thing to look out for: Many store-bought turkeys come with a salt or saline solution injected. You’ll need to be cautious not to over-salt.
Bonus: Pop off with this popover recipe
Light and buttery, popovers are a scrumptious addition to any Thanksgiving meal. But their delicate nature makes them prone to oven disasters, like burning and imploding.
Check out this bonus popover recipe.
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Yumwatch
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So, how do you get the perfect popovers? Carter recommends investing in a good set of popover pans. And, following this recipe of hers:
Popovers with Cheddar and Thyme
Ingredients
4 eggs
¾ cup milk
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup (4.25 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
⅓ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Instructions
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Once the oven is heated, place 1 (6-cup) popover pan or 1 (12-cup) standard muffin pan in the oven for a few minutes to heat.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the eggs well, then beat in the milk and salt. Add the flour, and whisk to form a smooth batter. Stir in the cheddar and thyme. Pour the batter into a large measuring cup (this will make it easier to divide among the cups).
Remove the pan from the oven and divide the melted butter evenly between the cups. Pour the batter evenly between the cups, filling each about halfway up.
Immediately place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, without opening the oven door. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to bake until the popovers are puffed, crisp, and golden brown, about another 10 minutes. Remove and serve. If not served immediately, the popovers can be reheated in a 350-degree oven until just crisp.
Listen to the full conversation
Listen
19:35
Turkey Acquired…What Now? Tips And Tricks For Your Thanksgiving Table
Up to an inch of rain is expected today across Los Angeles County from the effects of Hurricane Marie hundreds of miles away in the Pacific Ocean, according to the National Weather Service.
Street flooding: Roadway flooding was reported this morning on the westbound 134 at the 5 Freeway, near Glendale and Griffith Park.
Coastal Flooding: All weekend, forecasters have warned of dangerous rip currents and an elevated risk of coastal flooding.
Flooding was reported yesterday in Seal Beach and Long Beach.
"We have quite a few reports already of waves up to 10 feet on some beaches — Zuma Beach especially, where we've gotten reports [of] strong rip currents," said Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
What's next: Hall said to expect more showers across L.A. County today. Tomorrow, he said isolated rain is expected, mostly in the mountains.
Topline:
Up to an inch of rain is expected today across Los Angeles County from the effects of Hurricane Marie hundreds of miles away in the Pacific Ocean, according to the National Weather Service.
Street flooding: Roadway flooding was reported this morning on the westbound 134 at the 5 Freeway, near Glendale and Griffith Park.
Coastal Flooding: All weekend, forecasters have warned of dangerous rip currents and an elevated risk of coastal flooding.
Flooding was reported yesterday in Seal Beach and Long Beach.
"We have quite a few reports already of waves up to 10 feet on some beaches — Zuma Beach especially, where we've gotten reports [of] strong rip currents," said Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
What's next: Hall said to expect more showers across L.A. County today. Tomorrow, he said isolated rain is expected, mostly in the mountains.
Fiona Ng
is LAist's deputy managing editor and leads a team of reporters who explore food, culture, history, events and more.
Published September 6, 2026 7:08 AM
Firefighters assess the remains of the Lineage warehouse that burned for a week and sent smoke into nearby communities.
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Andrew Lopez
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Boyle Heights Beat
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Topline:
Final cleanup of the burned Boyle Heights warehouse was completed Saturday, according to Lineage Logistics and air quality officials.
Why it matters: On Aug. 29, Lineage removed an estimated 88 million pounds of rotting food waste from the site. It then faced a seven-day deadline to complete the final phase of cleanup, including debris removal, power washing and disinfecting of required areas.
What the company says: Lineage said workers have spent 210,000 hours on cleaning up the 491,000 square-foot site, which burned for about a week after igniting on July 7. The cost of cleanup, the company said, is more than $100 million.
Odor issues: Air quality officials from South Coast AQMD said odor complaints have fallen to fewer than 5 per day since food waste removal — instead of several hundred per day in July.
What's next: Lineage must continue to comply with an odor abatement order from South Coast AQMD, including sealing wastewater from the cleanup in a tank.
Lineage is also required to continue air monitoring around the warehouse.
Keep up with LAist.
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The Bee Museum is inside the vintage store, Hive & Hanger, in Burbank.
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Topline:
Hive & Hanger in Burbank sells vintage clothes and antique jewelry. Inside, you'll also find a pop-up Bee Museum.
What? The owner is Carrie Diazzz, a vintage maven turned urban apiarist. She admits with a smile two extra Zs at the end of her real last name are a homage to her beloved bees.
The backstory: When the store opened in 2020, it was originally all-vintage. The museum was opened almost a year ago after Diazzz became fascinated with the honeybee.
A sign on the front door says “Beekeeper owned,” and inside the Hive & Hanger store in Burbank, the layout is a mix of vintage clothes, antique jewelry and something rather unexpected: a pop-up Bee Museum.
The owner is Carrie Diazzz, a vintage maven turned urban apiarist. She admits with a smile two extra Zs at the end of her real last name are a homage to her beloved bees.
When the store opened in 2020, it was originally all-vintage. “I was not looking to change careers,” she said, but after taking a two-hour beekeeping experience course, she was hooked.
Hive & Hangar in Burbank doubles as a bee museum.
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“I don’t like dirt, and I don't like bugs. I'm a heels and lipstick, nails, kind of person,” she said. “There's just something magical about the honeybee. The more you know, the more you want to know.”
That prompted her to pursue a bee master certification at UC Davis. She collaborated with Elina Niño at the university’s Bee Lab to curate information and research to bring her pop-up Bee Museum to life almost a year ago.
A crash course in bees
The Burbank Bee Museum.
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There’s a Bee 101 explainer by the front door, which shows the differences between bees and wasps, and fun touches like pop songs containing the word “Honey,” and a list of Noteworthy Beekeepers including Aristotle, Benjamin Franklin, Leo Tolstoy, Emily Dickinson, Angelina Jolie and Sherlock Holmes.
One long-standing myth is that honeybees are stingers. “People always ask me how often I get stung, but I don’t wear gloves, and I don’t use smoke, and it very rarely happens. And honeybees die after they sting, as opposed to wasps, who can sting repeatedly,” she said.
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Most arresting is a floor-to-ceiling collage series of framed model fruits, vegetables, nuts and berries, all of which the honeybee has a role in pollinating. Beside that is an exhibit on pesticides, one of the insect's biggest threats. Pieces of dried honeycomb are everywhere.
Diazzz has also been hosting school trips for the Boys & Girls Clubs. “I might be the only beekeeper they will ever meet,” she noted. The point is to give bees the respect they deserve. “Did you know that it takes 12 honeybees their entire lives to make one teaspoon of honey?”
Rescuing hives across Southern California
The Bee Museum serves up not just honey, but bee knowledge.
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There are no live bees in the store, but Diazzz has her own hives in Burbank.
“They are from rescues: I cut the hive out from a wall,” she explained. She takes care of hives from San Diego to Bel Air, with many in the San Fernando Valley, and a couple with a view of the Hollywood Sign. Her caretaking quests have taken her on skyscraper roofs, at apartment buildings and in parking lots.
Almost a year ago, she began her studies as a honey sommelier at the American Honey Tasting Society in Connecticut, where she learned about the science and experience of honey. Her future includes going off to Bologna, Italy, the world honey hub, for the final round of studies and tests at the Albo Nazionale degli Esperti in Analisi Sensoriale del Miele or the National Register of Experts in Sensory Analysis of Honey.
Carrie Diazzz, owner of the store and the museum, sells small jars of honey sourced locally and from her own hives.
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“Nectar and honey are not the same thing,” she explained. “Nectar is the liquid sticky substance that bees collect from flowering plants and take back to the hive. They transform it into honey by dehydrating the moisture out of the nectar, and capping it over with wax.”
Diazzz recently held her first informal tasting experience at The Bee Museum, and has small batches of various local honeys for sale: cactus, sage, and honey from her own hives. “I usually leave the honey alone, and only take any extra they have made to sell,” she said, because bees use the honey as sustenance. Her favorite? “A toss-up between dandelion and sunflower. Orange blossom is delicious too, but very sweet.”
NPR's Linda Holmes is a daily puzzle devotee. She recommends games that will test your knowledge of geography, history, and even the most obscure corners of Wikipedia.
Keep reading and dive right into her list of recommendations.
Maybe you, like me, are a daily puzzle player. Maybe you like a Wordle, or a crossword, or one of the other entries from the New York Times puzzle empire.
But maybe you're looking for something else.
So, with a tip of the hat to the people on Bluesky who helped me discover a bunch of games I love in the last month or two, I'm sharing a few games that I'm particularly enjoying these days — ones that are not NYT word games. (No disrespect to my original love, Spelling Bee.)
There are more, of course: the spelling bee game Beeswax, the word game Smush, the vexing Anthropeum, the movie games Framed and Cinematrix. Truthfully, I have more games in the "daily games" folder on my phone than I could ever actually play daily. But given a choice between puzzling and doomscrolling, I'll take the puzzles every time.
Any idea where Regina is? Do your best in MapTap's daily geography game.
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MapTap is a very simple game. You are shown a 3D globe that you can rotate with your finger, but there are no lines dividing countries or territories. So you are just looking at the unmarked terrain of the world, and you are challenged to tap as close as you can to a particular named location. Maybe "London, England, U.K." You tap. It shows you the distance between where you tapped and where the place really is. You get more points the closer you are. There are five questions in each daily round.
This game can be genuinely humbling, because without those familiar borders showing, it can be difficult to even locate places you are very familiar with. (Without state and national boundaries, it always takes me a minute to precisely find even a place I myself have lived.) But what I love about MapTap is that as I do it, over and over, I actually get better at world geography, which is worthwhile and enriching.
Look carefully: What's your best guess for where and when this photo was taken? TimeGuessr makes you a detective.
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In the same family as MapTap is TimeGuessr, where each day's challenge is made up of five puzzles that each start with a photo. Your task is to choose, on a timeline, what year the photo was taken, and to choose, on a map of the world, where it was taken. Sometimes, the photos are of historically meaningful events, like the aftermath of a battle or a natural disaster. Sometimes, they are photographs of ordinary people going about their lives.
The trick with TimeGuessr is detective work. Some hints are straightforward: a sign in the window of a store that might tip off the location (if you can figure out what language it's written in), a license plate, something along those lines. But sometimes, the clues are more subtle. What are the people in the photo wearing? What do the cars look like? How is everybody wearing their hair? It's a fascinating exercise in putting together clues, and again, you can actually increase your knowledge of the world while you play.
Everything is connected (somehow) in The Loop, which is a perfect first-thing-when-you-wake-up game.
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The Loop is my favorite early-morning game, perfect for when I'm only partially awake. It offers you 12 simple illustrations that you have to arrange in a circle so that each illustration connects in some way to the ones on either side of it.
So, for instance, in one round I played, a square-root symbol connected on one side to a carpenter's square (because square/square), which then connected to a picture of a toolbox (because a carpenter's square is a tool). On the other side, the square-root symbol connected to a carrot (because it's a root vegetable), and then the carrot to an icicle (because they're the same shape). It can be fun to crack all the different ways that the images connect to each other, but the game design also offers so many chances to get it right that there's a huge amount of grace for making mistakes. That, of course, is why it's perfect for being half-awake.
It's up to you to figure out who's innocent and who's guilty in Clues by Sam.
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Clues by Sam is a logic puzzle. It presents you with a grid — four across and five down — of people, each represented by a name, an emoji and an occupation. Your job is to figure out which of those people are innocent and which are criminals. (There is no set number; there could be lots of criminals or only a couple.) Your opening clue might say, "Michael is one of three criminals in row 2." Then you click on Michael and mark him as a criminal, and when you're right, that gets you another clue, and so on.
Like most of these games, this one is enjoyable largely because it's simple, but its diabolical twist is that you can't guess. If you try to label Jane innocent, for instance, and she eventually will be, but the game hasn't given you enough information yet to actually know that, then that answer is wrong and is rejected. You are only allowed to deduce from the clues you have, because it is genuinely the journey and not the destination. Note that Clues by Sam gets harder each day from Monday through Sunday, so if you're a beginner, give it a whirl early in the week to get the hang of it.
Catfishing asks you to figure out the title of a Wikipedia page from its categories — which is harder than it sounds.
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Without a doubt, the hardest game I play regularly. In this game, you get a list of at least some of the categories that a particular Wikipedia page belongs to, and you have to try to figure out what page it is. There are ten questions; my average score is about four, and the highest I've ever gotten is eight.
For example, if you know a page is filed under "20th century musicians," and "21st century musicians," and "American folk musicians," and "people born in Minnesota," you might start to zero in on Bob Dylan. But be warned: Many of the answers are far more obscure than that, and it's very common for me to give up and reveal the answer, only to learn that I never stood a chance, because I've never heard of the person (or event, or phenomenon) at all. It doesn't matter how many ways you classify certain medieval rulers or political conflicts of 19th century Iowa; I may never get there.
This piece also appeared in NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter so you don't miss the next one, plus get weekly recommendations about what's making us happy.
