We're not reinventing the wheel here
It's that time of year again. The time when many mugs of tea and coffee are consumed whilst pouring over trusty cookbooks. For some of you, Thanksgiving menus are set in stone. There are certain dishes that are expected to be on the table. That's another post entirely. Today is all about finding ways to incorporate new dishes into your menu and feeling good about it.
In my early teens, our family traditions became more fluid. That is, it became our tradition to be untraditional. This wasn't intentional, it was life. What it instilled in me though was that the people around us on a special day are what matter, and while serving the perfect meal and sitting down to the perfectly set table is wonderful. It's not requisite to showing gratitude.
Let me explain. One year my high school marching band had the opportunity to participate in the big holiday parade in Chicago, Illinois. My family and I took the train in early to take in some sights and assumed that we would have no trouble finding a restaurant serving a traditional meal. Or a restaurant the was open. Period. What we did learn is that many restaurants do serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal. If you made a reservation a month ago and are willing to shell out $50 per person! Needless to say, Our Thanksgiving dinner that year consisted of chips and salsa, a prepared cheese plate with crackers and whatever else my Mom could find at the White Hen Pantry across the street from out hotel. I'd never been so thankful for food to eat and couldn't have been in better company than I was on that night.
A couple of years later my mother required surgery on both of her shoulders and determined that the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend would allow her to take the least number of personal vacation days to recuperate. This also meant that it was up to my father to provide for our holiday sustenance. He did what any red-blooded American male would do in his situation. He fired up the grill and we feasted on grilled steak, baked potatoes, and tossed salad. It was wonderful, and I can probably speak for all four of us that we were thankful it wasn't chips and salsa again!
What I'm saying here is proudly peruse those Southern Living Annuals. You don't own every Barefoot Contessa cookbook there is only to serve the same old side dishes from year to year do you?
Tonight I'm giving you homework. After you've settled in for the night with a mug of hot tea or adult beverage of your choice, get that stack of cookbooks off the shelf and think outside of your traditions. We're not reinventing the wheel here. Concentrate of one dish and focus your browsing to that. Be inspired! Let it flow from there.
I'll be back tomorrow with some help. Can you guess who inspires me? Not going to lie, It's going to be a bit of a gush fest. you've been warned.
Cheers!
-Saron
In my early teens, our family traditions became more fluid. That is, it became our tradition to be untraditional. This wasn't intentional, it was life. What it instilled in me though was that the people around us on a special day are what matter, and while serving the perfect meal and sitting down to the perfectly set table is wonderful. It's not requisite to showing gratitude.
Let me explain. One year my high school marching band had the opportunity to participate in the big holiday parade in Chicago, Illinois. My family and I took the train in early to take in some sights and assumed that we would have no trouble finding a restaurant serving a traditional meal. Or a restaurant the was open. Period. What we did learn is that many restaurants do serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal. If you made a reservation a month ago and are willing to shell out $50 per person! Needless to say, Our Thanksgiving dinner that year consisted of chips and salsa, a prepared cheese plate with crackers and whatever else my Mom could find at the White Hen Pantry across the street from out hotel. I'd never been so thankful for food to eat and couldn't have been in better company than I was on that night.
A couple of years later my mother required surgery on both of her shoulders and determined that the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend would allow her to take the least number of personal vacation days to recuperate. This also meant that it was up to my father to provide for our holiday sustenance. He did what any red-blooded American male would do in his situation. He fired up the grill and we feasted on grilled steak, baked potatoes, and tossed salad. It was wonderful, and I can probably speak for all four of us that we were thankful it wasn't chips and salsa again!
What I'm saying here is proudly peruse those Southern Living Annuals. You don't own every Barefoot Contessa cookbook there is only to serve the same old side dishes from year to year do you?
Tonight I'm giving you homework. After you've settled in for the night with a mug of hot tea or adult beverage of your choice, get that stack of cookbooks off the shelf and think outside of your traditions. We're not reinventing the wheel here. Concentrate of one dish and focus your browsing to that. Be inspired! Let it flow from there.
I'll be back tomorrow with some help. Can you guess who inspires me? Not going to lie, It's going to be a bit of a gush fest. you've been warned.
Cheers!
-Saron
Can't wait!!
ReplyDeleteWhat Lauren said!
ReplyDeleteOh, and I too own every BC Cookbook. I love Ina's recipes. I love that they always turn out. I love that she has an aversion to cilantro. Every recipe cilantro free!!!! Sorry to all the cilantro lovers I just offended.
I love that Lauren is cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year! Which means, of course, that I, at age 31, still haven't had to deal with my fear of turkey. Can you write a blog post on that? :)
ReplyDeleteI think I've only hosted once myself. A couple years ago I did most of the cooking at my Mom and Dad's house but that hardly counts having your Mom telling you what to do. Turkey is no sweat, I use the same never fail Alton Brown recipe that Lauren does. I don't even brine my bird (Shhhhhh)
DeleteAlso, if you keep popping out babies for a few years you could make it well into your thirties before anyone could expect you to host! It's a perfectly reasonable qualification for more children. Right?
DeletePeople, I need that Alton Brown recipe. I'm on turkey duty this year and FREAKING out!
ReplyDelete