I’ve always been picky, and that means I get guff for the foods I don’t like all the time. But I know I can always count on the worst culinary backlash in November, when I inevitably have to explain to someone the most accidentally offensive part of my palate: I don’t like Thanksgiving food.
“Who are you?” one reporter bellowed when I made my confession to the newsroom earlier this month.
Honestly, I wish I got excited when pumpkin pie and gravy come up in conversation the way most people do. Faking enthusiasm and being mildly hungry the rest of the day (or bloated from loading up on bland, starchy side offerings like rolls) is not my idea of revelry.
But when you find someone else who feels the same way, it’s as sweet (er — savory) as spotting a casserole on the Thanksgiving table that isn’t topped with browned marshmallows.
And lucky me, I did find some of them on Facebook to share their tips (and a few of my own), including:
1. When it comes to all your other holiday celebrations, consider nixing the turkey and/or ham so you don’t get burned out on it in the first place. One Facebook friend said she does mostly traditional foods for Thanksgiving, but then her family indulges in prime rib at Christmas to change things up.
2. This may be obvious, but fresh and homemade versions of traditional dishes went over better with the group I polled than canned varieties. If you’re not a fan of traditional dishes in the first place but still feel pressured to bring or make them, consider putting in a little extra time by making your own instead of just plunking out a can-shaped blob of cranberry sauce on a plate. Which brings us to…
3. Consider bringing a dish that loosely ties into the fall theme and the traditional staples of turkey, potatoes, cranberries, yams, pumpkin and green beans (at least, once you’ve talked it over with most of the guests or the host). After all, pumpkin curry is a thing! One friend of mine who isn’t a fan of T-Day food said her family does its own tweaks, but stays close to those staples with roast chicken, apple pie and peas instead of turkey, pumpkin pie and green beans.
4. Encourage appetizers. There are only so many Thanksgiving foods, so if you have plenty of appetizers, too, they can end up being a meal of their own for the turkey-averse (anyone with a Costco membership knows this).
5. If you’re in the extreme minority and no one will budge about non-traditional dishes, consider making — or buying — a feast of your choosing the day before or after Thanksgiving. One friend said his family developed a tradition of seafood gumbo the day after Thanksgiving — “different but tasty.” That way, even if you’re pushing things around on your plate the day of, you’ll have something to look forward to — and keep you feeling thankful.
6. Bring a bottle of your favorite sauce or condiment. OK, you sort of run the risk of looking difficult or eccentric with this one, but if you’d enjoy your meal that much more with a splash of sriracha, hey. A word of caution on this one: Make sure you’re bringing a product that can survive a while outside of the fridge, or else ask the host if there’s room for you to store it. There’s no use in going out of the way to enjoy your meal only to get food poisoning from rancid hollandaise.
7. And, finally — depending on how non-negotiable your group considers having traditional dishes — consider getting around the issue by just going with an alternative spread altogether. After all, if the day is supposed to be about coming together to show gratitude for all the food available in this country — not a national day of sage, poultry and yams — shouldn’t you be eating the foods that make your group feel most thankful?
Source: redding
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