Three Things

We're a week from Thanksgiving - here's three things from science to help.

Thanksgiving on the Western Front in 1944.

What’s the best way to cook a turkey? By dry-brining the bird for three days. Why? Because coating a turkey in salt draws out moisture pockets, which dissolve the salt, which causes the flesh to re-absorb the water more evenly, delivering a juicier meal. (It also makes the skin crispier.)

How does this make your life better? We’re a week from Thanksgiving. If you start defrosting your turkey today (it takes about three days in the fridge), then you can dry-brine on Monday, which means it’s ready for roasting on Thursday.

“I tried taking pictures of my nephews on Thanksgiving”

How am I going to make dinnertime conversation with Uncle Gary? Ask questions; the kookier the better. The Fast Friends Protocol is a list of 36 questions – Would you like to be famous? Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die? When did you last cry in front of another person? – that studies show bring people together (and let you avoid discussing politics).

How does this make your life better? You think you won’t enjoy asking and answering these questions. Science says you will. The key, however, is going back and forth: I’ll ask and you answer, then you ask and I’ll answer. When people use the same list without alternating, it feels awkward and boring.

Why does Thanksgiving always fall on Thursday? To help churches and merchants make money. Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving would be on the last Thursday of November at the urging of religious leaders, who worried a weekend celebration would impact donation plates. Then, in 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday a week earlier, to the third Thursday in November, to boost shopping days before Christmas.

How does this make your life better? It’s true, deals can be found on Black Friday – but prices typically remain low until Christmas. So the smart choice is to wait until after Black Friday and Cyber Monday to make purchases (when studies show we’ll be much less impulsive.)

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I’m trying something new with this newsletter. What do you think? What should I change? And, most important, what’s your favorite Thanksgiving hack? (Mine is “# of Pies > # of People”.) Let me know in the comments!