So you want to host a Thanksgiving Day party. You know you want good friends, family, and good food. But this year, you want to break away from the traditionally formal turkey dinner. It doesn’t matter what the reason is: you just want to do something different. Here are some ideas to inspire you. Because food is a main focus of the season, try a different type of menu. Choose one, or choose several to celebrate Thanksgiving all month!
Planning and Preparation:
Guests: Make a list of all the people you plan to invite to your Thanksgiving Day celebration. Aim for a group that has a balance of interests and experiences for the most interesting conversational opportunities. Be sure to give special consideration to children attending.
Serving Table and Decorations: Thanksgiving table favors and decorations will contribute to the overall mood of your holiday feast. Make the day complete by creating a festive environment for your guests. Plan for activities, such as party games, board games, and--if you like--a movie or two. Don’t forget the impact good background music lends to a celebration.
Menu: If you plan to host a traditional Thanksgiving meal, the menu will certainly include turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, and pies. You also want to be sure to include:
· Appetizers-vegetables & dip, cheese & crackers, pickles & olive
· Side Dishes-green salad, dinner rolls, cranberries or cranberry sauce
· Vegetables-corn, green beans, mashed potatoes, and/or sweet potatoes
· Desserts-pumpkin pie, apple pie, and cupcakes
· Appetizers-vegetables & dip, cheese & crackers, pickles & olive
· Side Dishes-green salad, dinner rolls, cranberries or cranberry sauce
· Vegetables-corn, green beans, mashed potatoes, and/or sweet potatoes
· Desserts-pumpkin pie, apple pie, and cupcakes
Variations on the Traditional Holiday Menu and Themes:
Introduce yourself to the harvest foods of a different country or culture that interests you. For example, try empanadas de lomillo, served with sofrito, the Puerto Rican Salsa. Serve with tostones and arroz con habichuelas, and round out the meal with tomato and avocado salad and fresh mango slices. Drink pinas coladas, with or without alcohol. Decorate with coordinating accessories, such as piñatas, and luminaras.
Another approach is to celebrate one of the world’s many harvest festivals. These are typically either regional or religious in nature. Judaism celebrates a harvest festival called Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles. Occurring in autumn, it celebrates a bountiful harvest. A menu for Sukkot can consist of challah bread, gefilte fish, baked or roasted chicken, and kugel. Serve with a seasoned, creamy cucumber salad, and apple-pomegranate compote. Another idea is to celebrate the season with local products. Check beyond the local grocery store and farmer’s market. Are there companies that offer food products, such as bakeries, cheeses, wines that are produced in your hometown?
If you want a twist using traditional Thanksgiving foods, try a themed Thanksgiving dinner. Use a time period such as Medieval, or perhaps fictional characters, such as those in “Little Women”. Use the traditional menu in a new format. Serve a Thanksgiving tea, brunch, or cocktail party with lots of appetizers, with mini turkey kabobs, potato skins, and sweet potato tarts. Lighten the Thanksgiving meal work load by hosting a potluck. The hostess should provide the meat and potatoes. Ask guests to contribute dishes to complete the meal. For a fun take on the potluck idea, try this theme from Divine Dinner Party website:
The Iron Chef Pot-Luck Thanksgiving Party
Of course, no matter what kind of party for Thanksgiving you plan, it's the feast that is always the star of this holiday. So why not make a game out of it?
How to Plan this Thanksgiving Party: Put together teams of people, each of which will in charge of making a different one of the meal's components-- including:
Now, unlike the TV show you won't want all of your teams to be working with one main ingredient. For a whole meal that would be boring! Instead, several weeks ahead of time ask all teams to come up with several potential dishes. Choose several to round out the menu without duplication. Give the teams their assignments (recipes) with enough advance notice to plan, shop, and prepare.
Serving and Set-Up. Have the teams lay out the meal buffet style. Next to each offering include a voting cup and a card with the name of the dish. It's also nice if you have a printout from the teams of the recipes they use. Get them before the party so that you can create a recipe booklet as a party favor.
Judging and... Eating! When your guests arrive for this party, give them each voting tickets (to go into the cups adjacent to the dishes). At the end of the night declare the winners (and have a nice prize – like a good bottle of wine for each member of the team). And have fun! (Article accessed at: Divine Dinner Party)
~~Debra Contreras
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