Any ideas for a non-American who is going to cook his first Thankgiving dinner.
I can get most of the traditional ingredients where i live, with the exception of yams and (fresh) cranberries.
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | November 14, 2021 9:45 AM |
Where do you live?
I cooked it when I was in the states but did not bother once I had left.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | November 13, 2021 9:27 AM |
Use sweet potatoes and not that many people like cranberries
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | November 13, 2021 9:45 AM |
Hope to hear a few good recipes before Greg ruins the thread with some vomit inducing, pretentious dish.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | November 13, 2021 9:48 AM |
Loneliness and Despair. Same as most years.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | November 13, 2021 10:28 AM |
R4 Go work at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving. I've done it. Great experience.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | November 13, 2021 10:44 AM |
Turkey breast, don't need or want a whole turkey. I've used this Ina Garten/Barefoot Contessa recipe many times, very good.
Sweet Potato Casserole, recipe to follow.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 6 | November 13, 2021 11:10 AM |
I’m having a big ole hairy pussy.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | November 13, 2021 12:05 PM |
Most Americans can't or don't get yams either. What we call yams are actually sweet potatoes.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | November 13, 2021 1:43 PM |
Tradition, what a boring word. Break the rules, serve Pork and apple sauce...Lamb and mint jelly. A side of Salmon cooked on the BBQ with cracked pepper and lime juice. 400 years has passed, move on.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | November 13, 2021 1:49 PM |
[quote]Most Americans can't or don't get yams either. What we call yams are actually sweet potatoes.
Well...we tend to use the words interchangeably in casual conversation, but they're distinctly different vegetables--sweet potatoes have greater nutritional value, for one thing-- and I'm guessing a store could get in trouble for selling yams as sweet potatoes.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | November 13, 2021 1:50 PM |
Here is what my family traditionally eats -
- Turkey: just a breast is a good idea if a small group; I’ve also bought a smaller turkey and spatchcocked it for a group of 6
- Gravy: make this from the turkey drippings or buy—Williams-Sonoma has a good version
- Cranberry sauce: you can find fresh cranberries in nearly any grocery store in the US and it’s actually quite easy to make, but I’d say half or more Americans prefer the canned cranberry sauce you buy ready-made
- Stuffing: there are tons of variants and people usually prefer the version they grew up eating. My mother hated to cook so we were raised on the Pepperidge Farm bagged mix you can find in most grocery stores. If you want to be more gourmet, cornbread stuffing is very good.
- Green bean casserole topped with French’s friend onions
- Mashed potatoes: just the classic recipe
- Parker house rolls
- Pecan pie and pumpkin pie with dessert wine for dessert.
Other families make macaroni and cheese (especially in the South) and sweet potato casserole with or without marshmallows (especially in the Midwest), but these aren’t part of our spread.
Some families eat dinner in the early or mid-afternoon, but we eat at a typical dinner time and dress up, like we do for Christmas Eve.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | November 13, 2021 1:55 PM |
I love how r10 pretends to be above tradition, and proposes 100% traditional substitutions.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | November 13, 2021 2:11 PM |
This is not meant to be cranky, but I always wonder why people in other countries celebrate an American-style "Thanksgiving." Just about every culture with agrarian roots has a harvest festival. Why would you want to celebrate our version?
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | November 13, 2021 3:08 PM |
Addendum to R14: I guess it's different if you aren't making a point of doing it on the actual day and just want to try our traditional foods, but the food isn't that exciting outside of the cultural context and without the personal history and memories we bring to it. It's all pretty heavy stuff.
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | November 13, 2021 3:14 PM |
I have a Mexican-American friend and when I offered him an extra turkey that I didn't need, he told me that they always have ham on Thanksgiving because turkey is "too dry."
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | November 13, 2021 3:27 PM |
Deep fried turkey pre-ordered yesterday from a local meat shop that’s been here 40 years. I’ll pick up the sides from Costco the day before. No more cooking for me.
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | November 13, 2021 3:30 PM |
Succotash used to be a traditional Thanksgiving food, but lima beans aren't very popular anymore in American cuisine. I sometimes make a vegetarian version for myself.
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | November 13, 2021 3:50 PM |
I do a vegetarian version of Thanksgiving every year:
stuffing casserole mashed potatoes Waldorf salad asparagus with Hollandaise corn cranberries with orange and walnuts potato bread rolls pumpkin pie pecan pie
I make stuffing pancakes with the leftover stuffing and mashed potatoes.
It's a total carb blowout, but you can eat healthy on another day!
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | November 13, 2021 3:56 PM |
Skip it altogether. It's a stupid American invention.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | November 13, 2021 4:12 PM |
It's black Friday every day at my house...
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | November 13, 2021 5:16 PM |
20 people - Turkey with gravy made from the drippings, stuffing (apples, onions and a ton of butter), spiral-cut ham, mashed potatoes with parmigiano reggiano, corn with basil, squash casserole, homemade and canned (it's what we grew up with) cranberry sauce, pecan, apple and pumpkin pies and cookies, all baked by my sister-in-law. My generation does all of the cooking together and the nieces and nephews do all of the cleanup.
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | November 13, 2021 8:03 PM |
R22 - That all sounds wonderful, except the part about nieces and nephews.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | November 13, 2021 8:26 PM |
Roast human baby, smothered in shallots and served with tasty cranberry sauce.
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | November 13, 2021 8:28 PM |
[quote]Succotash used to be a traditional Thanksgiving food, but lima beans aren't very popular anymore in American cuisine. I sometimes make a vegetarian version for myself.
Trader Joe's has frozen SOYcuttash. Uses edamame in place of the lima beans.
| by Anonymous | reply 26 | November 13, 2021 10:04 PM |
100% order it already done, it's pretty much the same cost if not cheaper than cooking everything at home and buying all the ingredients and cooking it all yourself really just sucks and benefits no one- you just end up stressed and overwhelmed- not fun for you, not fun for your guests. Pick one special side and dessert to make yourself- and get both canned and homemade cranberry sauce. It's a very personal thing to each American and you can win everyone over.
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | November 13, 2021 10:40 PM |
Fresh cranberry sauce is a must. That canned shit is disgusting. I'm wondering where OP is that he can't get fresh cranberries. Boil them in orange juice, sugar to taste (I cut the recipe amount in half and add more if needed), cinnamon stick and after it's done cooling add some grated orange zest and a splash of grand marnier.
| by Anonymous | reply 29 | November 13, 2021 10:55 PM |
R4 = I have. If you think watching homeless hungry people and even little kids living on the street is "uplifting", I assure you I did not. It was even more depressing.
| by Anonymous | reply 30 | November 14, 2021 12:32 AM |
Take a look at some old menus for inspiration.
Turkey if you like it, but so many do not.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 31 | November 14, 2021 9:45 AM |
