If you make it right, meatloaf is a juicy treat that tastes even better the next day when you slice it up for sandwiches.

The trick is to make sure the mixture doesn’t get too dry and that means getting the proportion of meat to filler just right.

There’s whole-berry sauce that’s tart and sweet at the same time with berries that burst like bubbles in your mouth. And finally there’s cranberry-orange relish that’s made from scratch and provides a fresh, palate-cleansing tang to the feast.

It’s pretty hard to mess up a turkey sandwich. But there’s more to life than just turkey on white and right after Thanksgiving is the time to branch out.

If you want to end your Thanksgiving meal with a little something sweet that’s not a gust-buster, small bowls of ruby-red cranberry sorbet will hit the spot.

There are two ways to make cranberry sorbet—the easy way and the easier way, even if you don’t have an ice cream maker.

We’re not talking a big production here. All you need is your three courses—cerveza, chips and guac to start; quesadillas with salsa for the entrée with maybe a salad on the side; and something sweet for dessert.

The ingredients of a successful Oktoberfest are music, beer, food and girls. Traditionally, the music played at Oktoberfest is heavy on brass and backbeat. If you don’t happen to have any CDs of oompah bands handy, you can substitute anything else you have as long as it’s loud and festive. Old school Metallica, for example, can really set a mood.

Next to beer, nothing goes down better with a ball game than a spicy bowl (or two) of home-made chili. This one is a spicy, meaty version you can enjoy even if the Giants never made it anywhere near a playoff this season.

Meat has been consumed with beer since man first brewed alcohol from grains. A good idea never goes out of fashion. Meat cooked with beer is an even better idea, whether it’s beer-battered shrimp or beer-can chicken.