Thanksgiving At Home

It always seems that the words worst ever begin to spring up during the Thanksgiving season

. Historical travel delays, escalating prices and limited supplies of pumpkins thanks to a particularly rainy crop seasonthe holiday is feeling an incremental annual strain just like the polar icecaps and Californias deficit.

This Thanksgiving, my husband and I wanted to remain at home without the stress emphasized on a single meal. However, we are both holiday revelers, stocking up on recipes all summer long and saving the keepsake dishes and special carving knives our ancestors used. So what if it takes longer to cook a turkey than it does to take your college entry exams? Leftovers! Ah, the millions of things you can do with that glorious bird for days, even weeks, after its time on the table when it is oohed and aahed. The kitchen becomes a studio of inventive leftover masterpieces when the torn-apart turkey gets called upon the next day. Thus, we thought, Thanksgiving must happen.

Despite family members who extend thousands of miles in both directions from our home (Allans family is in Hawaii while my parents live in New York), we have the sense not to hoard the bird for ourselves. We made a few casual inquiries to local friends about their holiday plans. Almost everyone we spoke to was in a similar quandary: They wanted the full meal but felt overly consumptive creating such a menu with no formal dinner plans. Very soon we rallied enough people to rival a three-generational family.

Everyone invited had something to contribute. The ones who cook were eager to share their favorite recipe, while the culinarily challenged knew the right wines to bring. Since Allan wears the chefs hat in our family while the table setting and dcor is my strong suit, there was little controversy over our tasks. Though I could not go without making my annual zesty cranberry sauce, I had the sense to use the neighbors stove so Allan was given free reign in his kitchen.

Decorating a Thanksgiving table is simple. Naturally, the highlight is the food, where colorful dishes are plotted on every inch of the table in a festive tapestry of autumnal colors. Stacks of dishes and family silver are laid out buffet style. This informality fosters an easygoing atmosphere, and guests are more apt to make return trips without having to ask for permission to pass the stuffing.

The day turned into evening, and conversation never lulled. Reserve bottles of wine were called upon, and guests hesitated to leave until the late hour summoned the end of a memorable holiday.

by: Jack Benson

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