I Just LOVE Thanksgiving in The U.S. of A. !

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Asmodean
So....I once heard that for a Thanksgiving dinner to be "just right" there have to be like a gazillion sidedishes. Could someone list these dished, and maybe some recipes as well?

And maybe post a picture of the entire table

I have this dream that I want to try a real Thanksgiving dinner sometime. And as I'm about as likely to be in the States on Thanksgiving as the Red Sox are to ever win the World Series again, I think I am gonna have to make it myself.

Any info appreciated

Asmodean

Lets see: cranberry sauce.
sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes.
Stuffing cooked "inside the bird" or "outside the bird" bread or rice stuffing up north, cornbread stuffing down south.
Vegetables - carrots, green beans, etc.


My favorite thanksgiving customs - as a kid - going with my Dad to Penn Station to meet my Grandpa coming in from Philly. a little later - when my Mom wanted my dad out of the house while she cooked, going with my Dad to Chinatown for a father-son lunch (my mom was on a salt restricted diet, and my dad seldom got to go out for Chinese)

Thanksgiving always brings back memories of them.

[Japher]

So....I once heard that for a Thanksgiving dinner to be "just right" there have to be like a gazillion sidedishes.

For sure, that's the best part.

Menu Ideas:

Turkey (of course)
Honey Baked Ham (good alternative or addition to a turkey)
Gravey
Cranberry Sauce
Dinner Rolls (or other bread)
Stuffing
Yams (mashed, baked, candied, or all three)
Potatos (mashed, baked, fried, or all three)
Caseroles (potato, green bean, weird new ones you crazy aunt brews up and ends up feeding to the dog)
Jello Molds (why someone makes this I have no idea, but it always seems to make it to the table)
Sausage (my wives familly always has sausage, crazy Krauts)
Salads (green, potato, fruit, etc., generally around 2-3 salads at least)
Other random sides that turn into snacks afterwards (pickles, olives, candies, peppers, cheeses, deli meats, crackers...)

Then the pies!!! Pumpkin Pie... I'm hungry

[Asmodean]

So, what's more important to you guys?

Christmas or Thanksgiving?

My guess would be: Thanksgiving for grown-ups (what with the food and all). And Xmas for the children (because of the presents). Am I right? Or is it more complicated than that?

Asmodean

[Japher]

I get more time off at Christmas.

Christmas is too religious for me, so I like Thanksgiving better. Yet, Christmas dinner is a big event too, and there's a lot more football going on at that time.

Hard to decide. Thing is the "holiday season" here includes Thanksgiving.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Asmodean
So, what's more important to you guys?

Christmas or Thanksgiving?

My guess would be: Thanksgiving for grown-ups (what with the food and all). And Xmas for the children (because of the presents). Am I right? Or is it more complicated than that?

Asmodean

well er, Thanksgiving for me! (but then I dont celebrate Christmas!) Seriously, Thanksgiving was always my favourite "secular" holiday and i suspect it is for most American Jews. Probably the most widely celebrated one as well, all but the ultraorthodox take part is some fashion - kosher supermarkets are filled with kosher turkeys this time of year.

Id say thanksgiving ranked right up there with Passover and Hanukkah as a festival, even as a kid. Today of course i know a comparison doesnt make sense - theyre different

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by Albert Speer
BD:



*like a little child* does that mean that all the little kids will get to see their daddies? and grammie will come back from heaven?

thanksgiving is stupid. thats why i don't celebrate it.

Please spare us the cynical bs. Just because you can't enjoy yourself doesnt mean its stupid.

Ive always liked thanksgiving even through the very desparate times. In some ways its better than Christmans because there is no expectations of gifts. It's just being with someone or even looking back at the things that are good in your life. If you can't find any then you should probably start finding ways to change that.

[Asmodean]

Originally posted by Japher
I get more time off at Christmas.

Christmas is too religious for me, so I like Thanksgiving better. Yet, Christmas dinner is a big event too, and there's a lot more football going on at that time.

Hard to decide. Thing is the "holiday season" here includes Thanksgiving.

What is a typical Xmas dinner for you, Japher? Here it's a bit varied bost most people seem to agree that it's either roast pork or duck. If you're fancy you go for goose or even turkey

But our Xmas dinner is always eaten to quickly, I think. You see...we do dinner and presents on the 24th. So if dinner is a 7, then presents start at 8.30. (And in my family there are so many presents that this part lasts untill past midnight)

Do you do Christmas dinner on the 24th ? I know you normally do the presents on the 25 in the morning, right?

Asmodean

[Sprayber]

At our house we usually had the same thing for Christmas dinner. Sometimes, a ham instead of turkey, but I liked turkey better. I'll be eating leftovers for a week

[Sprayber]

double post

[General Ludd]

I had a thanksgiving curry this year.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
When the Pilgrims and Native Americans (Injuns) got together.

Of course, MrFun will come in here and say it was something else.

The lay people's version of the first Thanksgiving has only a kernel of truth to it.


The first Thanksgiving occurred when the Amerindians saved the few surviving settlers (not all of them were Pilgrims), from starving.

It was not the other way around -- Pilgrims teaching Amerindians how to take care of themselves.

[monolith94]

I work thanksgiving night. I wonder if anyone will come into the store to rent movies.

[Japher]

Christmas dinner changes every year for my family. My wives is always the same; sausage and turkey.

When I am with my folks I generally do the cooking. My mom usually finds something in a catalog she wants, but doesn't want to fork out the cash for so she buys the meat and has me make it. 3 years ago it was a Tenderloin stuffed with lobster tail with a pesto and caper sauve, last year it was Crown Roast of Lamb with a cranberry vinagerete dressing... Luckily I am not having Christmas with them this year so I don't have to cook

Yes, we do Christmas on the 25th... Dinner is around 2pm.

[DanS]

Not too many people know about the real origin of Thanksgiving, even among Americans.

Thanksgiving was created by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War to rally the morale of the union and to thank God because the increase in his blessings were greater than what we were pissing away in war.

http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/thanks.htm

[Hueij]

In case Thanksgiving is today (yes, I'm an ignorant Euro), happy Thanksgiving you guys and gals.