"The Thanksgiving Table" is more than a cookbook -- though, as cookbooks go, it's a pretty good one.

This briefing on Thanksgiving cooking and traditions brims with fresh ideas for both food preparation and table decoration. The author, Diane Morgan, is the anti-Martha Stewart. None of these recipes are fussy for the sake of fussiness. She is a cooking teacher and food columnist and delivers all the basics of Thanksgiving dinner, plus some interesting new ideas (pumpkin pound cake instead of pie, for one).

The chapters cover the history of Thanksgiving, the backgrounds of the different foods, equipment needed and the meal itself: soups, salads, turkey, vegetarian alternatives, stuffing and other bread dishes, side dishes, desserts, uses for leftovers, and sample menus, with timetables, for different sized groups from four to 20. Throughout the book, there are directions for easy, inexpensive crafts to decorate the table and keep the kids busy.

The tone of the book is warm and conversational. Morgan tells stories about her own Thanksgivings, admits that recipes like pumpkin lasagna can seem like too much trouble and says things like, "Forgive me. I know this is the sweet potato recipe that is supposed to have miniature marshmallows melted on top, but I can't bring myself to write such a recipe because I don't like the sticky-sweet topping."

If you just want to cook a basic Thanksgiving dinner, everything you need to know is here.

Jessica Messinger is the manager of Empire Books and News at Pullman Square in Huntington.