Thanksgiving Appetizers: Why Sam Sifton Thinks You Don’t Need Them

updated May 24, 2019
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

In the hours before Thanksgiving, most cooks are so focused on getting the meal on the table that appetizers are the last things on their minds. And that’s just fine, says Sam Sifton. Appetizers don’t belong at Thanksgiving.

Quite simply, Sifton believes appetizers take up valuable stomach space that should be reserved for the main meal. He has a couple exceptions to his no-appetizers-at-Thanksgiving rule — oysters or any special pre-meal family traditions, such as his own father’s bisque — but for him, the best appetizer on the big day is simply the scent of roasting turkey.

This rule is just fine with me, as I hate sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner stuffed with cheese and charcuterie, and skipping hors d’oeuvres means I can spend more time in the kitchen prepping the real meal.

Read more: A Few Thanksgiving Questions for Sam Sifton at Dinner A Love Story

What do you think? Are appetizers a part of your holiday tradition or are you just as happy without them?

(Image: Faith Durand)