Iam not a naturally good host. I’ve learned to fake it over the years, doing things like stocking the refrigerator with my in-laws’ favorite coffee creamers, laying a stack of fluffy towels in the guest room, and timing all the food at a dinner party to come out hot at meal time. But it doesn’t come easily, and the cracks show. Rock bottom is always the first morning when I stumble downstairs, uncaffeinated and in my pajamas, and there are a bunch of people in the kitchen who want to talk and know where the jam is and are messing up my microwave . I just want them to go away, at least until I’m awake and dressed.

Now that the holiday season is upon us, I have some serious hosting responsibilities coming up for Thanksgiving, and I decided to learn from the pros. What if the worst hos

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