It is not my intention to frighten anybody on this day after Halloween, but what I’m going to say may strike fear and loathing in the hearts of many.

Thanksgiving Day is 23 days away.

That’s right, the biggest single one-day eating event in the calendar year is about three weeks away. The day when you will gather around your seldom used dining room table, load it up with foods you will only consume this one day of the year and try to impress the world with your culinary prowess.

And if that weren’t enough, no sooner than the table is cleared on Thanksgiving we will turn our attention to readying for Christmas and right after that will be New Years. It can be a daunting task even for the most seasoned home chefs.

If only we had a roadmap for how to prepare and get ready for the feast to come on the fourth Thursday of November.