The sun sets in South Kona in October. (Cindy Whitehawk/Community Contributor)

There’s a lot at stake when you put together a Thanksgiving meal. For starters, you need to be a multitasker. There’s a turkey to roast and stuffing and gravy to make. Count on making that green bean casserole, too.

Fall is full-swing, with Thanksgiving upon us. So, in order to spice up your seasonal dishes, we went digging into The Dallas Morning News Archives

This time of year, you can find all kinds of squash and gourds at local grocery stores, far more than the variety found just 10 or 15 years ago.

Last year, pan-slammed chocolate chip cookies were declared Best. Cookies. Ever. by social media tinkerbells. The technique involves slamming a pan of half-baked or just-baked cookies against the counter so that the air bubbles from baking soda and beaten eggs that lift the dough pop, flattening the cookies. Their tops then ripple like waves on a lake when a stone hits the surface. A dramatic look for mouthwatering photos.

Homemade pie fillings prove easy. Crust not so much. Practice makes perfect. With every pie, our skills improve. It’s an acquired art to turn out flaky, beautiful crust. My mother regularly reminds us of her early crust adventures — many of which ended in the garbage can. No worries, she says, the crust ingredients cost far less than the filling.

If you’re a pumpkin spice person, you’ve probably already had at least one Pumpkin Spice Latte, and if you’re really into PSL, perhaps your cupboard is overflowing with pumpkin spice chips, salsa, cookies and granola bars.

Thanksgiving is a meal about comfort food, and that’s a good thing.

Cooks are harried on Thanksgiving, so any dish they can make days in advance is highly welcome.

I was surprised to find crispy eggplant on the menu of an Irish pub. It wasn’t the usual pub food. The crisp topping and creamy inside made a great vegetarian entrée. Here it’s served with pasta mixed with a garlicky tomato sauce.

Let’s face it. While you’ve done your best to plan enough for Thanksgiving, chances are you probably have leftovers. Plenty of cooks planned their Thanksgiving meal counting on leftovers.