11.   DAYTON, Ohio - Thanksgiving is one holiday dinner that demands pulling out the stops.

12.   Earlier this month, the Chronicle wine tasting panel had its annual holiday dinner at Aqua restaurant in San Francisco.

13.   For chefs trying to price and sell advance reservations for special holiday dinners in which truffles traditionally play a starring role, the uncertainty is maddening.

14.   For many Americans the holiday dinner will be a carryout meal.

15.   Grandma is waiting with a holiday dinner.

16.   Just before Thanksgiving, Jody called Gale Spitalnik, her mother-in-law, who always makes a large holiday dinner.

17.   Not long ago I forced myself kicking and screaming onto the Internet and was sharing my new e-mail address with my computer-literate brother-in-law at a holiday dinner.

18.   On Christmas Day, the cook responsible for the holiday dinner is also likely to be the one picking up wrapping paper and consulting on the assembly of toys.

19.   One of the biggest hurdles in putting on the holiday dinners has been a lack of ready cash to buy food and supplies.

20.   Or kids too fragile to return home for a Christmas holiday dinner.