Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for the following reasons:
1. No gifts. I love giving gifts, I just hate pretending to like the teal suede and faux fur vests of my life.
2. It's not religious. It'll never be turned into something more palatable and washed out so that everyone feels fuzzy and unoffended.
3. It's all about food. The whole point of the day is to eat well and be happy and thankful that you can. It's the only celebration of the year where the feast is real show.
As for the family angst, that's just gravy.
The only thing more certain than long lines at the grocery store, is the abundance of cooking advice offered by every media outlet on the planet. So I'll play along....
Go Turducken! because it's more than a meal, it's a David Blaine moment.
Watch Home for the Holidays with Holly Hunter or Pieces of April with Katie Holmes-Cruise before cooking, it will help remind you that there are bigger disasters than what you will likely produce. Confidence, dahling!
If anyone asks "What can I bring" tell them $20. Or bread. Or wine, that may or may not be consumed with the meal.
Forget the fancy name-place cards, I've got two words for you: hand turkey.
i love google. enter 'teal suede and faux fur vest' and be amazed at what you can get for less than 4 jacksons. don't be surprised if you find this under your tree someday.
Goodfellows' bar team knew how to crank out a good one, but alas and alack. I think the boys at Manny's have the knowledge and the rye whiskey.
Thanks for the Sazerac recipe - my husband's favorite drink but hard to find in these parts. Do you know of any local spots that know how to make one? We have asked around but without success.