
Coffee Table News
27 TV Characters Who Would Cook a Mean Thanksgiving Dinner
They say food is the way to a man’s heart, but I’d say food is the way to anyone’s heart.
TV characters have been using their culinary skills to win me over for years now.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to reach into the screen and grab whatever dish they were cooking.
Food brings people together, and there’s nothing like bonding over a good meal, especially during the holidays when everything revolves around dinner… and Black Friday shopping.
If it’s Thanksgiving, we want to be invited to the houses below.
1. Gabi Diamond – Young & Hungry

Gabi Diamond is a spunky, ambitious and self-taught young chef who scores the gig of a lifetime whipping up meals for tech billionaire Josh Kaminski. There isn’t a problem in Josh’s life that Gabi can’t fix with her Julia Child-inspired comfort food.
On the Menu: Gabi’s famous grilled cheese and stuffed mushrooms with garlic, eggplant, and fresh grated parmesan.
2. Monica Geller – Friends

Chef Monica has scored the title “queen of Friendsgiving.” Throughout the series’ ten season run, Monica has cooked up a storm, hosted plenty of parties and laid out massive holiday spreads. Sure, over the years, the sous chef improved the Thanksgiving menu, but we’d still gobble up the mac and cheese she made Chandler for their first Thanksgiving.
On the Menu: Mac N Cheese, a variety of potatoes, mockolate deserts, roast turkey, stuffing, yams with marshmallows in concentric circles, cranberry sauce, “amazing” vegetarian stuffing and generous pours of red wine.
3. Sookie St. James – Gilmore Girls

The Gilmore gals love to eat so it’s a good thing they have Sookie around because she loves to cook. She’s the executive chef at the Independence Inn and later, the co-owner and head chef at the Dragonfly Inn where she whips up mind-boggling food creations and even scraps and redoes whole menus at the last minute.
On the Menu: Deep fried turkey with all the trimmings!
4. Red – OITNB

Red, the Fiery Russian, runs the kitchen at Litchfield and doesn’t let the fact that she’s in prison or that she’s scant on resources hinder her creativity in any way. Have you ever met anyone who tried to cook a full Thanksgiving meal on a tight budget? I’m talking $1.05 per prisoner. And she did it well. Just imagine what she could do with quality ingredients that she isn’t growing out of the prison garden.
On the Menu: Handmade creamy corn and leek quiche, golden corn on the cob from the garden, turkey and pumpkin pie. Sorry, no gravy.
5. Pacey Witter – Dawson’s Creek

Pacey is a chef at a fancy and pricey restaurant so he can cook up just about anything that your heart desires. And his meals tend to make things at the dinner table a little less awkward with every bite.
On the Menu: A Thanksgiving Dinner that you’ll probably have to eat at the restaurant cause he’s busy cooking.
6. Mrs. Patmore – Downton Abbey

The lavish meals on Downton Abbey don’t just cook themselves. Mrs. Patmore is the head cook who takes great pride in her cooking, even ordering around her assistant cook, Daisy.
On the Menu: Kedgeree.
7. Jacob – Grace and Frankie

A man with the nickname the “Yam Man” can cook Thanksgiving dinner for me any day. We have a major soft spot for him as he even attempts to cozy up to Frankie using his cuisine.
On the Menu: Candied Yams.
8. Pops – Riverdale

A burger with fries and a side milkshake? No one makes ’em better than Pop Tate which is why a Thanksgiving reservation at his Chock’lit Shoppe would probably have to be made months in advance. That, or you can go to TGIT’s.
On the Menu: Burger, fries, milkshake, turkey on rye – hold the tomatoes.
9. Maggie Amato – Younger

Maggie’s lasagna makes people cry. Or so I’m told. It’s apparently so good, even real Italians become emotional when taking a bite of the dish. For Americans, lasagna might not be a Thanksgiving staple, but then again, we never say no to the meaty, cheesy goodness.
On the Menu: Make ‘Em Cry Lasagna.
10. Abuela – Jane the Virgin

Abuela is a staunch believer in family dinners so there’s no doubt in my mind that she would throw a Thanksgiving feast with a little Latino flair. Just be prepared for Abuela to bestow her wisdom about life and love onto you during the meal.
On the Menu: Pernil, Thanksgiving tamales, and pumpkin flan.
11. David Rossi – Criminal Minds

Rossi believes cooking is an art form and tends to retort to the kitchen when tensions are high. That being said, he often cooks for his work family to help them eat off a bad work day.
On the Menu: Carbonara, his grandmother’s specialty.
12. Hilda – Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

In a cannibalistic household, you have to admire Hilda for remaining a vegetarian. Unlike her sister, Zelda, Hilda is the nurturing, gentle soul who keeps things real. She’s always in the kitchen preparing something like a vegetable pie for the Dark Lord.
On the Menu: Vegetable pie and Aunt Hilda’s “Truth-Telling” cake. You’ve been warned.
13. Hannibal Lecter – Hannibal

Hannibal puts much detail into his culinary skills, whipping up meals that appear succulent and mouth-watering. And though we have no doubt that the feast would look incredible, our appetites would be ruined by the whole cannibalism aspect.
On the Menu: Turkey that, most definitely, isn’t turkey.
14. Karen – One Tree Hill

Karen’s cafe was a staple in tree hill even before she was accepted into a cooking course in Italy. Though, I’m not sure the family dinner would be all that pleasant given their longstanding family drama.
On the Menu: Turkey-Breast Roulade with Mushroom Stuffing and garlic bread.
15. Janet – The Good Place

Listen, Janet cooked up a wicked plan with Michael, so I have no doubts about her culinary skills. She can get anything done and summoned with the snap of her fingers including a mouth-watering dinner.
On the Menu: Frozen yogurt in two flavors: Thanksgiving turkey and full cell phone battery, clam chowder, shrimp.
16. Liv – iZombie

Liv is always experimenting with new dishes as she attempts to make brains taste better than they do. Seriously, we’re willing to pay for a zombie cookbook and just replace the protein, for obvious reasons.
On the Menu: Gnocchi Stuffed with brains, spaghetti with brains and lots of hot sauce.
17. Izzy – Grey’s Anatomy

It’s revealed that Izzy can’t really cook during a Thanksgiving episode, but that doesn’t exclude her from our list because she’s a killer baker. The more stressed she is, the more muffins she bakes which is a win for her colleagues.
On the Menu: Her mother’s chocolate chip cupcakes with coconut extract.
18. Granny, Regina and Sabine – Once Upon a Time

Despite being cursed, Storybrooke is a “foodie town.” Granny’s is the heart of StoryBrooke and her lasagna is a staple for the locals. Regina’s signature dish is also lasagna, however, she also enjoys using apples as the main ingredient. And no one makes beignets quite like Sabine.
On the Menu: Granny’s lasagna, Regina’s apple cider, Sabine’s beignets.
19. Midge Maisel – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Mrs. Maisel’s priorities in life include food and family. One blog described her as a “domestic goddess who cooks brisket like Julia Child,” so obviously, she’s in charge of Thanksgiving dinner.
On the menu: Retro appetizers like deviled eggs, gougeres and martinis with olives followed by meatloaf, shrimp and egg rolls.
20. Bob – Bob’s Burgers

Bob is really big on Thanksgiving traditions which explains why there’s been several Thanksgiving episodes thus far. Bob is particular about having the perfect Thanksgiving as it blends his love of cooking with tradition. He even names and talks to his turkey!
On the Menu: Salad, rolls, cranberries, mashed potatoes and the turkey.
21. Grandma Ruby – black-ish

If you’re looking for gravy-slathered Thanksgiving options that are bad for your heart but make your stomach happy, look no further than Grandma Ruby’s holiday feast! After all, Thanksgiving is no time to be health conscious.
On the Menu: Granny’s specialty – a soul-licious spread of fried pork chops, biscuits, and thick-ass gravy.
22. Lily – How I Met Your Mother

Lily has the cooking skills of a gourmet chef but only cooks on special occasions. When she does dabble in the kitchen, her friends are in for a real treat.
On the Menu: Seared scallops, turkey, and mango chutney.
23. Alex Kamal – The Expanse

Alex is a blessing because not only is he a badass pilot, he’s also an incredible chef which, believe it or not, comes in handy when your in space.
On the Menu: Piping hot lasagna.
24. Max – 2 Broke Girls

Max’s cupcakes are considered to be some of the best in town. While she offers some regular flavors, we’re particulary draw to the “specialty” ones. Who wouldn’t want delicious cupcakes as a Thanksgiving dessert?f
On the Menu: Cupcakes in two flavors – “The Salty and Spice” cupcake and “Beer Batter Maple Bacon” cupcake.
25. Raj – The Big Bang Theory

Raj takes Thanksgiving very seriously and it’s all hands on deck in his kitchen. However, the result? A holiday spread that will leave you full.
On the Menu: Corn, gravy, yam, rolls, cranberries, and turkey.
26. Regina – A Million Little Things

Regina is a talented chef with dreams of re-opening her own restaurant that will be successful this time around.
On the Menu: Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings for all of her closest friends.
27. Violet Bordelon – Queen Sugar

After years of baking some of the best pies in town, Aunt V was presented with the opportunity to sell them commercially and turned her passion into a business called, “Vi’s Prized Pies.”
On the Menu: Aunt Vi’s Prized Pies, obviously.
Coffee Table News
‘Chicago PD’: Are Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos Dating IRL?

The rumors have been circulating for quite some time now, but neither Jesse Lee Soffer nor Tracy Spiridakos ever acknowledged them—no confirmation or denial from either party…until now, it seems.
If their Instagram posts are anything to go by, they may have just given fans a massive hint at the status of their relationship with an upload on August 29, 2024 that had the internet buzzing with thoughts.
Both Soffer and Spiridakos—whose characters Jay Halstead and Hailey Upton were married on Chicago PD–shared shots from their European vacation together. And yeah, sure, former co-stars can remain friendly and vacation together, but it was Soffer’s caption, “Europe is is kinda cool ,” that made heads turn and jaws drop.
The duo also looked smitten with each other in several of the selfie-style photos taken in the city streets and beaches of Lisbon, Portugal—and fans definitely took notice in the comments.
“They are a real life couple. Yayyy…. That makes me smile ” someone wrote of the alleged confirmation, as another noted, “real ones know they’ve been dating for years.”
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Someone else suggested this was the duo finally “hard launching” their romance.
Back in January 2024, The Post confirmed that the duo was dating after appearing on the show together for six years.
Soffer left the police procedural in 2022 after 10 seasons, while Spiridakos followed shortly after in season 11 after signing on as a series regular in season 5.
While things didn’t turn out well for the on-screen couple as their characters broke up and filed for divorce, fans are hoping things work out better in real life.
Soffer previously dated his Chicago PD co-star Sophia Bush for about a year. She departed the series in 2017 at the end of season 4.
TV Preview
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Fans, We’ve Got Some Bad News About Season 3

Summer 2024 is going to be one without Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah.
During Amazon’s Upfront event on Tuesday, which was attended by writer Jenny Han, Lola Tung, Gavin Casaelgno and Christopher Briney, it was revealed that the highly-anticipated third installment of the series is being delayed, with an expected release next year in 2025.
While that isn’t ideal for everyone waiting to see how this love triangle pans out (you should probably just read the book, if you haven’t, at this point), there is some good news on the horizon.
Minimal details about what to expect have been revealed, however, to make up for the long hiatus—season 2 aired its last episode in August 2023 making this a two-year gap—the third installment will come with an expanded episode count: 11 episodes instead of the previous 7 and 8 in season’s 1 and 2, respectively.
And as an extra little something-something for fans, the official TSITP X account shared a video of the cast playing beach volleyball with the caption, “see you in Cousins in 2025.”
https://twitter.com/thesummeritp/status/1790393767330984091
And even better—the series has already begun filming, which means that while there’s a wait, there’s also momentum and excitement.
me with no the summer i turned pretty until summer 2025 pic.twitter.com/sHzUuspRrs
— ash (@swiftbeers) May 14, 2024
As for those who have read the book series—avert your eyes if you haven’t—it’s unclear if the 11 episodes will span the entire third book, We’ll Always Have Summer, which finds Belly making a choice between the brothers—or if it will divert from what’s already been established to something more fitting for television (and maybe even appeases the fandoms a bit more?).
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!
Tracker
When Is the Season 1 Finale of ‘Tracker’?
Tracker, CBS’ new hit series starring This Is Us actor Justin Hartley, was an instant hit amongst audiences after it premiered in February.
And now, 13 episodes later, the first season is coming to an end.
Fans will have to say goodbye… for now… to Hartley’s Colter Shaw, a lone-wolf survivalist/reward seeker on May 19, 2024, when the series airs its season 1 finale.
Titled “The Storm,” the 13th episode’s synopsis notes: “Colter investigates the disappearance of two amateur storm chasers that the local police have written off as an accidental drowning; Colter’s expert tracking skills lead him to uncover the seedy underbelly of a small town resort.”
Of course, fans are already looking forward to the episode’s guest star and Hartley’s former co-star Jennifer Morrison, who is just one of several recent A-list appearances on the thriller drama. Earlier episodes of this season saw Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles and Manifest’s Melissa Roxburgh guest star as Colter’s siblings, Russ and Dory Shaw, respectively.
You can check out the season finale promo below, which finds Colter working against the clock to find his friend’s daughter alongside Morrison’s character. “She could still be alive,” he dramatically concludes as the teaser ends, reminding fans that he never gives up on those he’s helping.
Many fans hoped for a romantic pairing between Hartley and Morrison, which never happened, but maybe this is their second shot at love. Even though he’s a nomad driven by wanderlust and the need to help citizens and police solve crimes, he still needs a romantic interest. For now, the chemistry has mostly been with Reenie (Fiona Rene), a firecracker lawyer who helps him get out of plenty of close calls, but there’s always a chance he’ll meet the “right one” during one of his many stops across the U.S. that will encourage him to settle down or join him.
Check out the promo below and tune in next Sunday to see how the first season concludes:
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