Festival Food: ‘There is no Thanksgiving without turkey’

Thanksgiving is nearly here (Thursday) and the expatriate community in Chennai is extremely excited about the special day. Eating a lavish meal with family is the most important part of the holiday and an absolute essential on the menu is the turkey. Roasted, basted, and stuffed — the full bird on a big platter is about as American as apple pie. 

Talking about the same, Alexis Wolff, the Information Officer at the US Consulate General in Chennai says, “I think almost anyone would tell you that the turkey is the key part of a Thanksgiving meal. Preparing a perfect turkey dish is a lot of hard work and lot many people, might not relish it. Still, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a roasted turkey!”

Just as important as the turkey is the stuffing cooked inside a turkey, that is more flavourful and moist than the bird itself. “Stuffing is mostly made out of bread and spices, cooked inside the turkey. However, many families like to also eat some of the stuffing separately. So they cook some additional stuffing. Some people try to make stuffing more interesting by adding ingredients like nuts or berries as well. But I like the simple stuffing of bread and spices more,” she shares. Turkey is often consumed with a cranberry sauce, to give it a flavour boost. She also says that she loves to have mashed potatoes, a gravy and pumpkin pie as side dishes as well for Thanksgiving. 

So what is on her menu for this Thanksgiving? “Thanksgiving is a holiday that we spend with extended family or groups of friends. Often, everyone contributes with a certain dish for the elaborate meal. This year I’m planning to make the stuffing, a cornbread casserole and the pumpkin pie. Someone in my group will definitely cook a turkey, but as for everything else, we’ll find out on Thursday!,” she finishes.