mizchef

posted by admin on Nov 22

Hi, all. I spent the better part of the morning today helping to hand out turkey dinners–with gravy, potatoes, stuffing, yams, apple juice, and canned veggies)–to needy people in the community of Elmhurst, Queens. This is something that my place of business does every year and it fell to me to organize all the families who were on the list to receive the dinners.

It was kind of frustrating because in order to have everything go smoothly, I required the cooperation of my co-workers, and that didn’t happen. It’s not that they were being deliberately uncooperative, but they just sort of did their own thing without checking with me.

Anyway, in the end, the important thing was that 75 families are going to have a decent Thanksgiving meal this year. And it made me realize that Thanksgiving is only 2 days away! So, if you’re still looking for some good recipes, here are some that will make your Turkey Day feast one to remember. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. May you have a happy, healthy one and, if you’re traveling, get to your destination safely.

www.thepartyanimal-blog.org

Spinach, Red Pepper, and Feta Quiche From Gourmet, March 1994

Brussels Sprouts Gratin from Food Network

Vegetarian Gravy from NPR

Chestnut Stuffing from Gourmet

Homemade Cranberry Sauce, plus 10 Things to do with Leftover Cranberry Sauce

Whole Wheat Bread Rolls from Foodista.com

Apple Galette with Vegan Crust

posted by admin on Nov 11

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

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posted by admin on Nov 5

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.

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posted by admin on Nov 28

Hi, there. I hope everyone had a great, safe Thanksgiving this year. This one was a little different for me because I’ve gone through many life changes this year, which have affected how and where I celebrate the holidays. I’ve been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family for the past 10 years. The number of guests has varied from 12 to 20, but the amount of food has always been the same. My philosophy is, better to have too much than not enough. After all, people will want to take leftovers home and there’s always THE DAY AFTER. 

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