Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
This is, of course, the best holiday of the year, and one that my family celebrates in its full glory. But being the non-traditional family that we are, we tend to put our own twist on things. Thanksgiving in the Volvovski household technically starts out two weeks before the actual holiday, when we have our annual menu planning conference. This year it looked like this:
Taking screenshots during the video chat is one of my favorite ways to annoy my sister, and you can see evidence from 2013, 2012, and 2011 here.
This year, in addition to the usual crowd, my cousin, his wife, and his two brilliant children joined us too, as well as a couple of my sister’s friends.
Tim, the youngest, challenged Jason to a game of chess. And proceeded to beat him. Three times.
But there is no shame in losing to a six year old this smart.
But not only could these kids beat adults at chess, they are also excellent artists and were very helpful with the actual preparations of Thanksgiving dinner.
Of course, we cooked enough food to feed 30 people instead of 12, but that’s the case always, isn’t it?
Here’s what our menu looked like this year:
Aperitifs
Mojitos. Because what says Thanksgiving like a summery mint cocktail?
Salads
We made a variation of this Kohlrabi, Apple, and Walnut Slaw Salad but instead of kohlrabi which we couldn’t find at the grocery store, we went with a watermelon radish. The texture was different than the original but the flavor was perfect. Rating: 5/5.
Roasted Beet, Pear, and Walnut Salad with some feta and arugula. A good balance to the sweet salad above. Rating: 3/5.
Turkey
My mom’s classic brining recipe that I’m sure she will someday divulge to me. This one is consistent every year. Rating 5/5.
Stuffing
Kale & Shiitake Mushroom Stuffing adapted from Love & Lemons. I did love the variety of mushrooms in this recipe but I can’t say it was the most exciting stuffing we’ve ever made. Rating 3/5.
Potatoes
We just can’t stop with this Mascarpone and Leek Mashed Potatoes recipe. It’s the only one that doesn’t get taken out of the rotation every year. Rating 5/5.
We also went with a Roasted Sweet Potato and Red Onion with Tahini Sauce. It’s this recipe, but with sweet potatoes subbed for butternut squash. Rating 4/5.
Vegetables
Roasted Brussel Sprout with Pears and Pistachios adapted from Food52. Yes, make this. Rating 5/5.
And I was happy to make this Sautéed Swiss Chard and Crispy Shallots dish again, so simple. Rating 4/5.
Cranberry Sauce
This Spiced Red Wine Cranberry Sauce from Serious Eats is also a repeat from last year. Rating 5/5.
Desserts
An amazing Holiday Spice Cake with Orange-Vanilla Sugared Cranberries adapted from my friend Bowen Appetit. We went with a single layer rather than doubling it up, knowing that at this point we would be struggling to find room. Rating 5/5.
And last but not least, a Pumpkin, Chocolate, and Hazelnut cake (this but with pumpkin instead of sweet potatoes). Rating 4/5.
Now we only have 80% of the leftovers to eat. And it’s time for lunch. Goodbye!
[…] holiday kind, would always be delicious. Unlike in my family where we treat holidays as an opportunity to experiment, in Jason’s family, tradition rules. Holiday meals are all about recipes that have been […]
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