Archive for November, 2010
Countdown to Turkey Day, Part 3: Cranberry Sauce
Hi, gang. Well, just a few more days and it will be the holiday that some people love and some people hate: Thanksgiving. This is my last installment before the big day and I’m dedicating it to cranberry sauce. Like the holiday, some people love it and some people hate it. I happen to love it because it is so diverse. It’s not just for turkey anymore—you can do so many things with it.
Photo by Mariluna
First of all, I’m not talking about the stuff that you have to plop out a can. I know that some people say that it’s not Thanksgiving without that log-shaped, gelatinous stuff with the can ridges going all the way around. But once you’ve had fresh, homemade cranberry sauce, there’s no going back. And it’s incredibly simple to make. Here is my favorite recipe, but keep in mind that you can add different things, like chopped walnuts, orange zest, rum, etc.
Countdown to Turkey Day, Part 2: Desserts Vegan Style
As problematic as Thanksgiving might be for vegetarians, it’s doubly hard for vegans. Aside from the turkey itself, the mashed potatoes often have cream, the peas and carrots have butter, the candied yams sometimes 
have honey, and forget the quiche that I threw at you last week.
Vegans can still pick their way successfully through a Thanksgiving meal. Where you can really shine, however, is at dessert time. Over the years, complaints about vegan desserts have ranged from tasteless and flour-y to boring and “hard” to downright “bad” and cardboard-flavored.
But recipes have evolved and been refined. Sugars have been replaced with fruit purees and agave nectar; dairy has gone soy; eggs have been deemed obsolete; and rich flavor has taken over. Vegans can now rejoice at their creations. So sayeth the agave god.
Photo by Alfred Cheney Johnston, 1920 or before
Countdown to Turkey Day, Part 1
Hi, gang. It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is upon us again. Three weeks from now will be the day that turkeys around the U.S. refer to as Black Thursday. Well, I’m sure they would if they could speak. For vegetarians, it’s a nightmare. With the turkey being the center of attention, what can they eat?
With traditional American Thanksgiving feasts, this would be an issue because one can only feel full on mashed potatoes and peas and carrots for so long. But as people from different cultures have incorporated their beloved dishes and flavors into holiday meals, and as Americans have expanded their palates to include multicultural fare, Thanksgiving is not the meat-and-potatoes affair it used to be.
