Let’s Talk Thanksgiving

I very much meant to cook today. I had my recipe picked out (carrot-sweet potato soup), ingredients ready, and heart set on a homemade warming meal.

I peeled the sweet potatoes, and then while cutting them, sliced my nail and a sliver of my finger straight off. I’m okay, but ewwwwwwwww … needless to say, I did not finish cooking.

So, rather than talk about that ugly business (literally — I’m pretty sure my finger is now grotesque), let’s just talk about my favorite day of the year. More specifically, what you’ll be making on the most! important! cooking! day!

(Or at least that’s what every cooking site / show / magazine would have you believe. I have a lot of thoughts about this — obviously I love the holiday and enjoy browsing through the recipes [possibly because fall/winter veggies are my fave and they tend to get the royal treatment this time of year]. But, and this may be because we go to a pot luck-style Thanksgiving each year, it feels like all of the hoopla creates an anxiety about the day, like people should have had their menus planned out five months ago and their turkeys should already be in a spice-rubbed brine deep-fryer thing and god, that mashed potato recipe is so 2010 and what do you mean your menu doesn’t have five different dishes featuring kale? At the end of the day, you’re feeding your family, and they’re probably just thankful you’re there and in [mostly] one piece. Sorry for the crazy rant — blame my finger.)

Anyways (deep breaths), on the offhand chance your menu isn’t already set, might I suggest you check out my Holiday Recipes page? There’s no turkey recipe (yet.) but I’ve got a bunch of delicious starters, sides and desserts, including some all-time favorites that would look great on any Thanksgiving spread!

What are you cooking up this year?