10 apps to help you survive Thanksgiving

Are you a would-be Thanksgiving host feeling the dread welling up? T-day is only THREE days away! Eeep!

If you’re the type who already has a menu set, all your T-day shopping already done and a list of to-do’s written and well under way — well, then this list isn’t for you. You’ve already got a cool handle on the biggest feast of the year, and can probably cook a Turkey with blindfolded.

This round-up is for the rest of us: The unsure, the n00bs, the ones who thought hosting Thanksgiving was a great idea — until the reality sets in and you realize you have no idea what you’re doing. To these brave souls, I salute you. This list is for you.

(Unless stated, all apps are free.)

THE FOOD:

First thing: Calm down. Even if everything else is a disaster, just get the Turkey right and everyone will go home happy. The food is the most important part of the occasion, so here are a few different choices to help you with this holy grail of annual feasts.

The Chow Thanksgiving Dinner Coach offers step-by-step instructions on how to make the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, including roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, and green beans, plus others. It also tells you what cookware you’ll need and the best ingredients for a masterful meal, and the automatic shopping list it creates is a lifesaver. You can’t really customize it, so this probably best for absolute beginners who need some handholding.

If you want handholding AND some customization options, there’s iFeast: Thanksgiving ($2.99). It offers four different menus and a scheduled countdown, so you’re on top of meal prep and cooking times. (You want everything to come out hot at the same time, don’t you?) There’s even push notifications, to tell you when to hop back to the kitchen. And if the menus and schedules are exactly what you need out of the box, you can also create your own.

If you’re not hot on single-purpose apps, but would rather have something that can help you all year long, there are plenty of other great choices. Here are some of my favorites:

Neophyte home cooks (or wannabe) who just want simple, delicious, community-offered dishes, then AllRecipes is terrific. (There’s also a beautifully done iPad app and a Pro iPhone version ($2.99), with shopping lists and better searches.) I love AllRecipes, since there are many offerings that won’t presume you want to do everything from scratch.

If you’re more of a foodie, there’s Epicurious (which now has a featured Thanksgiving section) and the Food Network’s In the Kitchen app ($1.99), for dishes from those fancy celebrity chefs. Both let you save recipes and auto-create shopping lists based on your selections within the app.

Of all these, though, my personal favorite is Cook’s Illustrated. It’s a free app that offers some sample content, but really shines if you have a subscription. There’s nothing like having recipes and techniques tested a dozen different ways, and the results handed over to your, for fool-proof food that everyone will love. Frankly, if you cook more than just once or twice a year, the $35 subscription is well worth the price.

TABLE SETTING/PLATING:

Looking for a little oomph in your presentation? Thanksgiving Dinner Maker could help you create a nice table presentation, or plan a sitdown meal plated like a pro. Though technically a game, it does give you a chance to play with your virtual food, to check out combinations that are as much a feast for the eyes as the palate. (Be warned, though — the app is free and comes with sample items, but to get all the elements you want, you’ll need to purchase the Master Dinner Maker inside the app.)

HOSTING/PARTY PREP:

iHost Thanksgiving ($0.99) is a party planner app that will organize your day end-to-end. Plan your menu, organize your recipes, make a shopping list, stick to a budget, track dinner guest counts, and more. There’s even a spot for “What else am I forgetting?”

WINE PAIRING:

There are a ton of wine pairing apps in the App Store, and they all have different strengths and weaknesses, depending on what you’re looking for. (For a Top 5 list of them, click here.) But since hosting Thanksgiving can be an expensive proposition as it is, I’m going to go with the NatDecants wine app. Not only is it free, unlike many of its other competitors, but I have reason to believe that the pairings are sound. (I’m no wine aficionado myself, but I had a chance to chat with some wine bloggers who told me that Natalie Maclean really does know her stuff, so I’m taking that as an affirmation.) Plus, it seems quite newbie friendly, which is precisely what many of us need!

KEEPING THE KIDS ENTERTAINED:

Have you got little ones coming for dinner? Even the most well-behaved can meltdowns, and if that happens, you’ll want to be prepared. Turkey-themed, point-and-shoot game apps like Turkey Hunt and Turkey Blast: Reloaded are in keeping with the spirit of the holiday, while refocusing their attention on shooting birds instead of each other with mashed potatoes.

Take heart — you WILL get through this holiday with some of these apps at your side. And who knows? You may even enjoy it