By Sheldon Greaves
Thanksgiving is becoming one of my favorite holidays of the annual cycle of spend-and-binge because, somehow, it has resisted the commercialization that infests Christmas and increasingly Halloween. Maybe it’s because Thanksgiving is centered around food rather than gift-giving. Oh, there are plenty of things that lure us into the shopping centers and food stores as Turkey Day draws near, but it’s also easy to dodge them, to ignore them and do it your way.
I decided to do a very simple Thanksgiving last year, and it turned out very well. This is because the focus was on reducing the fiddling around, the quantities, the number of dishes and so forth, just to make more room for conversation with my wife and I; just the two of us. This year I’m planning to repeat the experiment.
Guiding Principles:
You’re not trying to feed the whole block, so don’t try. Overindulgence sounds like fun until you actually do it. Make enough for nibbling afterward plus some leftovers. You want to enjoy yourselves. That means leisure from the kitchen.
Don’t eat a Thanksgiving meal alone. Better to go find a diner that’s open on Turkey Day and order the appropriate meal. The shared meal is one of the most defining of human activities. If there are other customers there, talk to them. Chat with your server. Take time to enjoy the social atmosphere that can make American Mom & Pop diners such wonderful places.
Here’s the menu:
Turkey. Get a small one; 8-10 lbs. max. By the way, the secret to cooking a juicy turkey is to cook a small one. If you need more, cook a second turkey, not a larger one. Hint: roasting bags are magical if you don’t have a proper roasting pan.
Yams. Just get the plain uncooked ones. Scrub, wrap in foil, and put alongside the bird on the rack while it roasts. Cooking times are not precise; they are very forgiving that way. Eat like a baked potato with some butter. Easy and delicious
Potatoes. Boil, mash, add your desired level of cream/milk/butter, or not. You know the drill.
Gravy: You don’t need to mix up anything special. Just spooning some of the juice from the pan onto your meat and/or potatoes is a treat.
Dinner rolls. You don’t need the extra bread.
Stuffing. Ditto. I rather like stuffing, but my spouse is indifferent to it. When it’s not there, I don’t really miss it, frankly. That goes for everything here. Cook what you really want. Don’t worry about tradition; it’ll get along just fine.
Vegetable. Whatever you like. In recent years I’ve grown to like the frozen tiny Brussel Sprouts you cook in the microwave. A little relish tray is also a good idea to have out while you prepare the meal. I like to get one heavy on small carrots and celery because when the meal is over, those get chopped up and used in making turkey soup from the remaining carcass.
Desert. Pie? Sure. Or some ice cream. You don’t need much.
Beverage. I like chilled plain seltzer water. It needn’t be Perrier or San Pellegrino. If you want something a little more festive, the onset of Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw “Two-Buck Chuck” has spawned several competitors in the $2-5 per bottle range. Reportedly, many of these labels and varietals are surprisingly good for the price.
Plan your meal, cook and enjoy. Go slow. Take your time. Chew your food for heaven’s sake. It’s perfectly fine to linger over this. This is your day off. Treat it accordingly and savor it. Try, try to do this with good friends and family. Think about what makes your life good. Remember how many Americans are now officially in “financial insecurity,” defined as living above the poverty line but still unable to pay their bills (almost 50%!). If you’re not in that group, be thankful. If you are, congratulate yourself that you’re still standing, and remember that you’re not alone.
Sometimes, holidays, like a good seasoning, need just a dash to bring out the essence of that holiday’s spirit. Try this and see if Thanksgiving (and Christmas) brings new pleasures and insights, richer friendships, and less hassle.
