Thanksgiving has always been a special holiday for me. I’m not religious, so Christmas is great for presents and all but it’s not a holy day for me. Birthdays are great when you are a kid but when you get older, meh.
When I was a kid we always had huge gatherings for Turkey day. My grandmother had remarried before I was born and I had more aunts and uncles than I knew what to do with. It was a real Brady Bunch type situation. How my grandmother managed to cook such a giant meal in such a tiny kitchen is something that still amazes me to this day.
When I got older and we moved away it became a much smaller affair. It was just me, my mom, her boyfriend and maybe one or two other people. I still loved the holiday but it was definitely missing something. We didn’t have much money so my mom always had the kind of job where she would work during the holidays for the extra cash. Eventually I was old enough that she let me cook the entire meal on my own while she worked.
The early years were rough – I mean as a kid your cooking isn’t very evolved. Most of the stuff I made came from a can or a box and I was barely competent enough to cook the turkey without turning it to ash or some sort of dry hard rock. Over time my technique evolved. I’ve gotten better at just about everything and culled recipes from various places and tweaked them to my satisfaction
When I first moved out on my own (or should say, when my parents moved out and left me to take over the rent) my first solo Thanksgivings were miserable things. I didn’t bother doing much more than a frozen turkey dinner. Then again I didn’t have money and I was the one working the shitty job with holiday hours because I needed the extra cash.
When I first moved to Colorado with my wife I had a chance to go all-out, but it was still going to be just me and her. Even though her sister lived in the area I think she was on a vegan kick or possibly being some kind of food snob at the time and didn’t want to join us. So we came up with a new tradition (one that occasionally annoys my wife to no end). We invited over a girl she knew from work who had no family in the area. This poor girl was starving for a good home-cooked meal and the look of happiness on her face totally made my day. I remember my wife freaking out about putting the turkey in a plastic bag to cook it, she thought the plastic was going to melt on the turkey and ruin it. Reynolds Oven Bags were one of the greatest discoveries, because I’ve never had a dry turkey using one, plus they cut down on the labor and cooking time.
Our new “tradition” was sporadic. We would invite people who we thought might want to come over but it was hit or miss on company. Whenever we did have company over though it was nice. My turkeys got bigger and bigger each year (We really like leftovers!) and my recipes became more refined. Rolls in a can? Nope! I found a homemade roll recipe I liked. Stove Top stuffing? Nope, give me a bag of bread cubes and some seasoning. Jar of gravy? Homemade is better (although it took me years to figure it out without cheating and using flour to thicken it)
Over the last few years I’ve managed to finagle at least one other guest over who was family. I take in friends who don’t have family in the area or can’t travel for whatever reason. The more the better. This year we will have 11 people sitting around the table, which might be a record for me (still pales in comparison to when I was a kid).
This year I have a lot to be thankful for. I mean it has been a rough year health-wise, but I have a roof over my head, so that’s something. I have a supportive wife, and we’re trying not to go insane through the entire organ transplant process. I’ve gotten offers of help from friends and people I barely know who understand that maybe I won’t always be having a good day or be in a chipper mood but have offered to help in any way they could.
Yes, there will be 11 people sitting at the table this year. Yes, I’ll have run myself ragged for 6 hours cooking the hell out of the meal only to sit down and eat less than the small children who will be present. My joy will come from seeing everyone else laughing and having a good time and enjoying the feast and the company of friends old and new.
Later, after I recover from my food coma and the guests have all gone home (and people have soundly been thrashed in a few rounds of “You don’t know Jack”), I’ll post pictures of each of the dishes and recipes. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
