Dawn Perry
Digital Food Editor, Emeritus
Dawn Perry is the author of Ready, Set, Cook; How to Make Good Food With What's on Hand and a former digital food editor at Bon Appétit. Before joining Condé Nast, she developed recipes in the kitchens of Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, and Real Simple. She got her culinary start at Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco and has since worked in professional kitchens and private homes on both coasts. After BA, she returned to Real Simple as food director and made stints editing for Delish and Marley Spoon before co-founding her own direct-to-consumer line of baked goods, Superkind Cookies. She once made a burger for President Barack Obama.
The Baking Essentials You Should Always Keep in Your Fridge, Freezer, Pantry, and Spice Rack
Whether you're an occasional or an everyday baker, these are the baking pantry essentials you should never be without.
Parm Broth
A rich and versatile broth you can use in soups, brothy pastas, or beans in need of a boost.
Tempura Green Beans with Mushroom Salt and Shallot Dip
When you get right down to it, very few people actually really and truly want a green bean casserole. Lacy fried green beans with an addictive shallot dip? That’s another story, and a great way to use up any leftover beans.
Thanksgiving Butterball with Spicy Honey
If you like it hot, this one's for you. Adjust the heat to your liking, or use another finely ground chile in place of the cayenne.
Thanksgiving Butterball with Chai Spice
Warm spices without the sweetness work on biscuits and rolls, mashed potatoes or green beans.
Thanksgiving Butterball with Salt and Maple
This is especially good on tomorrow's cinnamon toast.
Thanksgiving Butterball with Lemon and Pepper
The zest cuts through the richness of the butter (and the rest of the Thanksgiving meal). Try this one tossed with roasted vegetables—your green beans, your brussels sprouts–just before serving.
Stuffing Cookies
We were inspired to use traditional stuffing flavors in a sweet and savory shortbread with sage and anise. Put these out next to the pumpkin pie.
A Great Gravy Recipe Will Solve All Your Problems
The turkey’s resting, which means one thing: It’s gravy time
Your Mashed Potatoes Are Good. These Are Better.
Every taste of these smooth and buttery spuds aims straight for the brain’s pleasure center.
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
When it comes to tasty pumpkin seeds, it's all about the seasoning—don't go crazy, but do be a little creative.
Cranberry Grilled Cheese
“A tart twist on the crisp, comfort-food classic.” —Dawn Perry, senior food editor
Extra-Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Drying the cooked potatoes in the pan means that they'll absorb that much more flavor from your herb-infused dairy. Don't skip this step!
Rich Turkey Gravy
While the turkey roasts, it releases tons of concentrated flavor into the pan—this is where the gravy takes on another dimension. As the bird rests, set the pan on your stovetop, roll up your sleeves, and get to work. Watch this video for more.
Pumpkin Bread with Toasted Coconut
Make sure your eggs and coconut oil are at room temperature for this pumpkin bread recipe: Cold eggs can make the oil seize, making the batter uneven.
Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Grinding half of the walnuts into the streusel makes for extra tender, buttery muffin tops.