thanksgiving

menu and thoughts

Thanksgiving Leftovers for shabbat

For the Shabbat following Thanksgiving, my menu is always the same, no matter what Parasha we’re reading. Thanksgiving Leftovers!

It may well be my favorite meal. All the delicious foods we ate the day before, without the work. All I need to do is add a challah and we’re done!

Thanksgiving is not a Jewish holiday. We've already had our harvest celebration, at Sukkot.

But Thanksgiving is an American holiday, and here we are, in America. It's a day that, like so many other American Jewish families, my family has always celebrated and made a big deal over.

Historically, the reality of this day is very different from what we were taught in elementary school. There were no magnanimous Puritans sharing a special meal with friendly Indians. The history is actually horrific, exemplifying the worst of what religion can bring out in people, and for this reason there are many socially aware people today who've rejected joining in on the celebration all together.

For me, it's not about the past, but about hope for the future. I imagine a time when what we believed to be true as children becomes reality. I imagine a time when our differences will be celebrated. Whatever we look like, whatever our culture, whatever words we use to talk to God, we will joyfully gather to share a meal that celebrates each other, and to give thanks for the bounty with which we've been blessed. In other words, in the time of mashiach.   

But, the coming together of disparate peoples to share a meal can get tricky. Hindus don't eat beef. Many people of the east, and increasingly people of the west, are vegetarian and/or vegan. Muslims comply with the dietary laws of halal. And observant Jews keep kosher. Tricky to put a menu together for a multi-cultural family.

About half the people around our Thanksgiving table are vegetarian. But for those of us who eat meat, even if it's only occasionally, it's not Thanksgiving if there's no turkey. Those among us who are vegetarian eat dairy, but for those who keep kosher, there can be no dairy products in any of the sides if there's going to be a turkey on the table. Fortunately, in our family no one takes issue with the use of eggs—that would make it even more challenging. So, our table is laden with an array of pareve sides and a small turkey for those who would be unhappy without it.  A little tricky, but it works.     

And what, exactly, does a traditional Thanksgiving spread look like? If you're from the south, you add a casserole of macaroni and cheese. If you're Italian, you add a lasagna, manicotti, or a baked ziti with meatballs. In Maryland, there's got to be sauerkraut. In Utah there's going to be a jello salad. You'll find wild rice casserole in Minnesota, Oyster dressing in New England, and sweet potato dumplings in Alabama. In perhaps a surprising number of states, you'll find ambrosia salad—a combo of canned pineapple, maraschino cherries, mini marshmallows, and cool whip.      

The first Thanksgiving looked nothing like what we now consider traditional dishes for the day. There was venison, wild turkey (not the drink) and other wild fowl, corn in various forms, squash and other vegetables, and an assortment of fresh fish and shellfish.  

For many families, it's uncomplicated. Mix up a bag of herbed stuffing mix, perhaps with the addition of aromatics, chestnuts, or sausage. Open a can of cranberry sauce. Do something with sweet potatoes, such as adding maple syrup to the ones that come in a can. Make some mashed potatoes, either from flakes or from scratch. Assemble a green bean casserole with a can of mushroom soup and a can of crispy fried onions. Pop a turkey in the oven and open a jar of gravy. Warm up some dinner rolls. Grab a few pies at the market.

If that's your style, I respect the simplicity.

Some folks order a pre-made Thanksgiving from a deli. And, when I'm still washing up at 4:00 am, I understand the allure of making a reservation at a fancy hotel buffet.

But when it comes to holidays, I'm obsessive-compulsive. I have to do it all.

In case you haven't noticed, I love to entertain; I love dressing up for formal dinners with multiple courses served on fine china, preceded by cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. And I love spending three days making way too much food, everything from scratch.

But that's me. Whatever your style may be, whatever brings you joy—making everything from scratch, keeping everything as simple as possible, or some combination, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving, with much to be thankful for.

About this menu

For years, I've been trying to nudge my adult children away from their beloved, marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole of their childhood and towards something more sophisticated. I've given up. They must have their marshmallows. I'd rather have a crunchy praline topping. So I make stripes. A line of marshmallows, a line of praline crunch, another line of marshmallows, etc. It makes a pretty pattern and everyone is happy. This year I'm using maple flavored, vegan mini marshmallows from Trader Joe's. The sweet potatoes are steamed, skinned, and mashed, then lightly sweetened with brown sugar, and flavored with vanilla, warm spices, and bourbon (The alcohol is cooked off, leaving just the flavor).

Scarborough Fair Stuffing contains exactly what you'd expect—parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Gran Gala adds a hint of orange flavor. I tend to change it up from year to year, with a variety of additions—sometimes with an assortment of mushrooms, dried fruits such as apricots—the choices are virtually endless. This year I'm adding a sophisticated hint of orange, with orange liqueur. I'll also sauté chestnuts in the same liqueur, with butter and brown sugar, until they're beautifully glazed. I'm also adding in some vegan bratwurst, crumbled and sautéed.

Cranberries cooked with elements of both sweet and savory are fabulous; much more compelling than the one note taste of those berries cooked with only sugar and water. I used to vary the recipe from year to year, but once I tried this combination, I stuck with it.

Even if we're going veg all the way and dairy can be included, I'm not a fan of green bean casserole; not even if it's done with a homemade mushroom cream sauce instead of the canned soup. It just seems like glep to me. I'd rather have a bowl of caramelized brussels sprouts. My two-step process makes them tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. Maple, mustard, and garlic make them taste like fall. A squeeze of lemon brightens the dish.

When I was a kid, we never had mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. As much as I loved them, they weren't a holiday specialty. We ate them often, any day of the week. But several years ago, my son asked that we add them to our menu, so I have done so. No one objected. To make them pareve, sub pareve milk and butter for the dairy.

To me, a nice dinner starts with some combination of appetizer, soup, and/or salad. These tend to vary from year to year. This year, I'm fanning a few slices of Hasselback Butternut squash over a swirl of date syrup and a squiggle of pomegranate molasses. A puff pastry basket filled with greens and sliced pear will be on the same plate. And this year, I'm going with a roasted mushroom soup.

After everyone's had time to digest, I'll bring out the pies. I'm a traditionalist here. Pumpkin, pecan, and a fabulous apple pie with a layer of marzipan.

And that my friends, is dinner.