Blending Tradition with Trend
Any time we gather with our closest family and friends, it’s something to cherish. We all lead busy lifestyles and because of this, sometimes traditions may fade from one generation to the next. With Thanksgiving being the holiday to reflect on what you’re grateful for, even as it relates to the seemingly simple elements of life, like having food on the table or a good support system of family, friends, and peers, slow down the hustle and bustle of hosting a dinner party to facilitate a moment for those gathered all around to express their gratitude to one another. This can take the form of a gratitude bowl, where everyone writes down what they wish to say on a sheet of paper, which individuals later draw and share aloud, or as a toast, where one can lead with a heart-felt statement and bits of conversation will begin to chime around the room thereafter.
We’re integrating some of the concepts and food trends restaurants have been exploring this year on our Thanksgiving dinner menu. Comfort foods are in. Experimenting with age-old recipes is also something Chefs have been doing. Featuring locally produced and harvested ingredients is also a conscious choice many restaurants are making this year, so when it comes to sourcing the mushrooms, apples, squash, kale, root vegetables, and herbs used in our recipes, see what your local farmers market has to offer or forage them yourselves!
As your guest arrive, greet them with an amuse bouche. Something to get their palate salivating and waiting forthe next course. A classic charcuterie board is a standard, but why not freshen it cured game meat salami like venison or bison. For a hot dish a Duck Confit Arancini will certainly wow your friends and family.
We are on to the main event; The turkey… oh the glorious turkey. What would a turkey be without the wonderful sides all around it. Butternut Squash & Apple Soup with Toasted Pepitas & Crème Fraîche would be the perfect start to this plentiful meal. Other traditional sides that have been tweaked with a trendy edge is a stuffing made with wild boar, apple, and sage or a cranberry sauce with orange and ginger.
End the night with some amazing pies and good conversation around the table or the football game, and you have kept with tradition while tweaking them to start some new ones.
Click here to view an amazing resource we have created which includes a cooking calendar to prepare your Thanksgiving feast with ease, as well as recipes for the dishes mentioned here and more.