November 2007

When I was growing up, Thanksgiving dinner had a decidedly Italian accent. My mom, a native of Italy’s Abruzzo region, may have roasted a fresh, all-American turkey, but she made sure to stuff it with a dressing of sausages and chestnuts moistened with wine. No bowls of mashed potatoes or creamed spinach or green beans graced our Thanksgiving table. Instead, we rounded out our meal with garlicky braised rapini, cavolo all’agrodolce (sweet and sour cabbage), and cauliflower sautéed with cured olives, capers, garlic, and anchovies. Other sides might include thinly sliced acorn squash cooked with sugar, vinegar, and mint; or funghi trifolati, mushrooms sautéed with garlic, wine, and parsley.

On the dessert front, we actually did follow American tradition, although my mother eschewed canned pumpkin and instead made the puree for her pie filling from scratch using Hubbard squash. Sometimes she also made her signature dessert, an Italian ricotta torte with a golden lattice crust which she showered with powdered sugar before serving. At a certain point, I was appointed the family pie maker, and my Thanksgiving specialty became apple pie with a cinnamon crumb topping, still one of my favorites to this day.

As much as I love tradition, however, I also love to experiment in the kitchen, especially on a holiday like Thanksgiving that is so centered on food. Last year, I hosted a Southern themed Thanksgiving, with a cider-brined turkey and cornbread and oyster stuffing. In recent years, I have jettisoned classic pumpkin pie in favor of a superb pumpkin cheesecake using a recipe that appeared in Fine Cooking magazine some years ago. It is rich and smooth and, happily, not laden with spices so that the subtle flavor of the pumpkin shines through.

This year, I am forgoing my own apple crumb pie for Double-Crusted Cranberry-Blueberry Pie, a mouth-watering recipe in Diane Morgan’s cookbook, The Thanksgiving Table. As for the turkey, since my brother-in-law is hosting, I am off the hook!

Whether you are planning a traditional meal or a new-fangled feast, I wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.

Cheers,
Domenica