Thanksgiving!
Who likes a parade? Philly held the first (of course) Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1920*. Of course the parade is often followed by… food! Thanksgiving is definitely one of our favorite food holidays. So, how do we celebrate after the parade? In lots of different ways, it seems. We asked our restaurant family how *they* celebrate Thanksgiving. This is what we learned:
Jill and Evan often celebrate with friends and reserve the Christmas holidays for family. What is on the menu? Anything and everything. Evan has made house-ground chestnut-flour ravioli (pro tip: just buy the damn chestnut flour!), paella, roast turkey, agnolotti – you name it. Jill finds wine to pour, which always changes, but which inevitably includes that Piedmontese gem, Arneis. Why? It is crisp enough for aperitivo, and its full flavor and creamy texture stand up to most foods you can throw at it, Her favorite is the Ceretto Langhe Arneis Blange. Find it if you can.
But, when it comes to traditional food, it is Jill’s mom’s turkey gravy that stands out. How does she make it? Well, sort of by feel.
Chef Yasi celebrates the holiday with her family and, as befits the chef, makes the stuffing! Do you want to make her all-full-of-goodness-and-love apple and onion dressing? Well you can because she gave us the recipe.
So, let’s see, there is “dressing”, “stuffing”, and… “filling”? Yep! That isn’t the most commonly-made Thanksgiving distinction, but Heather’s Mom’s “filling” (for filling *your* stomach, of course, and not the birds’!) does the trick. DO NOT ask her to eat the stuffing, she is not a fan of the offal (yum! giblets!).
If you happen to be with Qamara and her family, chances are you’ll be playing a lot of games – but Qamara won’t be competing, or anything. Nope. Not Qamara. Never.
You will also be eating. What will you be eating? Probably her Mom’s hand-made rolls. How does she make them? Looks like we’ll have to get that out of her next time… maybe we’ll challenge her to a game?
Not everyone goes “home” to eat, even if they go see the folks. If Heather isn’t having her share of “filling”, find her and her family out at Penang. Justin, too, spends the night on the town – er, Stadt. You’ll find them at the Cannstatter Club (Cannstatter Volksfest Verein), eating this club’s German influenced, but also traditional, feast. I see schnitzel, and pickled beets with onions, yes, but also roast turkey (with giblet gravy!) and Virginia ham. But wait, there’s more! Karaoke and Bingo are also on the agenda! Watch out, Family Swain, when Qamara finds out about the bingo she may crash the party 😉
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
*Photo from Special Collections Research Center. Temple University Libraries. Philadelphia, PA, information sourced here