Thanksgiving Dinner with Mediterranean Ingredients
November 23rd 2008 18:00
Growing up, we never had bread stuffing with our turkey. I didn't even know that there was another name for it until my early twenties. When my husband and I moved to Ohio, my coworkers at the local bank were talking about their delicious turkey dressing. I thought it was another name for gravy. But when they referred to gravy in the same sentence, I was genuinely perplexed.
No, I wasn't sheltered. No, I am not allergic to gluten which would have made eating bread stuffing impossible. I am of Greek decent, and the notion of stuffing a turkey with bread is odd to the likes of us. Instead, my mother would serve a dish that is comprised of rice, hamburg, and chestnuts. The Greek name for it escapes me.
Yes, we had a turkey. Though I am sure there are plenty of Greek transplants in the US that abandon the American tradition and serve lamb. The allspice spiced "stuffing" would compliment the earthy taste of the lamb very well. Though it stands up to the Thanksgiving meal very well - especially when paired against the squash dishes and cranberry sauce - traditional American Thanksgiving elements that did make it to our table.
But that got me thinking - how else can the Mediterranean affect the Thanksgiving meal? I say, abandon the caramelized squash and sweet potato health nightmares and serve these delicious Mediterranean foods a the table. Why not? It can be fun to a culinariaphile like me to change things up a bit.
Instead, why not try dishes like pumpkin ravioli to replace the standard mashed squash? How about chestnut or squash soup as an appetizer, caponata substituting acorn squash for the eggplant. Or why not leave the eggplant in?
My Thanksgiving menu this year takes elements from the various places we've visited and lived. My husband charged me with the task of roasting a duck and making it "just as tasty as the ones we've had in Germany". I am also serving potato pancakes instead of mashed potatoes, chestnut soup instead of a squash dish (my Mediterranean meal element) and a salad which I will likely assemble put goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, arugula, and dried cranberries.
Happy Thanksgiving!
No, I wasn't sheltered. No, I am not allergic to gluten which would have made eating bread stuffing impossible. I am of Greek decent, and the notion of stuffing a turkey with bread is odd to the likes of us. Instead, my mother would serve a dish that is comprised of rice, hamburg, and chestnuts. The Greek name for it escapes me.
Yes, we had a turkey. Though I am sure there are plenty of Greek transplants in the US that abandon the American tradition and serve lamb. The allspice spiced "stuffing" would compliment the earthy taste of the lamb very well. Though it stands up to the Thanksgiving meal very well - especially when paired against the squash dishes and cranberry sauce - traditional American Thanksgiving elements that did make it to our table.
But that got me thinking - how else can the Mediterranean affect the Thanksgiving meal? I say, abandon the caramelized squash and sweet potato health nightmares and serve these delicious Mediterranean foods a the table. Why not? It can be fun to a culinariaphile like me to change things up a bit.
Instead, why not try dishes like pumpkin ravioli to replace the standard mashed squash? How about chestnut or squash soup as an appetizer, caponata substituting acorn squash for the eggplant. Or why not leave the eggplant in?
My Thanksgiving menu this year takes elements from the various places we've visited and lived. My husband charged me with the task of roasting a duck and making it "just as tasty as the ones we've had in Germany". I am also serving potato pancakes instead of mashed potatoes, chestnut soup instead of a squash dish (my Mediterranean meal element) and a salad which I will likely assemble put goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, arugula, and dried cranberries.
Happy Thanksgiving!
| 65 |
| Vote |
