Here in the US, Thanksgiving is the start of Feast Season. It’s a strange one, the Thanksgiving meal, because it’s a menu we’d never put together outside of this one Thursday. I don’t make cranberry sauce (or, honestly, turkey) to accompany any other meal, for example. But as soon as the calendar flips to November, I start craving it. Pavlov is grinning in his grave. There’s a kind of romance to it, right? To the idea that we Americans all start to salivate over yams at the same time and then not again until the following year.
So, yes, I have a soft spot for this once-a-year menu. But it can also be intimidating and a lot of work. To that end, the below has two sections: first, my favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Second, a game plan for getting it on the table without feeling like you completed a triathalon.
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COCKTAILS & SNACKS
Fun fact about me: I hate ginger. But I love ginger beer. I’m an enigma! This ginger spritz is a great palate opener for Thanksgiving. You could do a maple bourbon smash, a jumpstart on the flavors to come. Or a Sidecar, classic choice. Alternately, you could stick a few bottles of bubbly on ice and kick everything off that way.
Repeat after me: we do not serve appetizers on Thanksgiving. Olives, nuts, a tumble of fresh figs, a little pile of prosciutto sitting out on a wood board, sure. But I refuse to let anyone fill up on store bought hummus after I dry-brined a turkey for two days.
SIDES
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