Thanksgiving Abroad

I've been wrangling with the challenge of celebrating Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday, BTW) so far from home and family.  I believe I've hit upon a satisfactory solution.


First: Stream the Macy's Parade.  The 9 am eastern time showing is actually perfect for me, because that translates to 4 pm Helsinki time, right when I'll be getting home from work and preparing dinner.  After the parade, I'll scrounge for Charlie Brown Thanksgiving clips.


Second: Video skype with my family!  When I suggested that they set the lap-top a place at the table, I was only half joking.  This is a legit case of better living through the internet. 


Third: While turkey is not on the menu, I am taking this opportunity to experiment with 'special-occasion' dishes I've been wanting to try.  I've been pretty much a vegetarian since I got to Finland (meat is too expensive!), so Nigella Lawson's ham in coca-cola is perfectly festive.  The re-entry of meat in my diet is more than enough to compensate for the missing turkey.  I've included the rest of my menu below.

Thanksgiving Menu

(recipes adapted from Martha Stewart, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Nigella, and FoodNetwork)

• pan-seared brussel sprouts with pine-nuts and garlic
• roasted root vegetables (sweet potato, potato, beets, celeriac)
• popovers
• Nigella's coca-cola ham
• pumpkin pie (to bring to work)
• chocolate-dipped ambrosia almond coconut macaroons

links to recipes and reasoning after the jump...






sprouts: The man who uploaded this recipe ripped it straight from the Gourmet cookbook.  I remember using it before... so good.  After eating this, I can't make brussel sprouts any other way.  

http://www.food52.com/recipes/1334_pan_roasted_brussel_sprouts_with_caramelized_garlic

roasted root veggies: A good, basic recipe from Ina Garten.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-winter-vegetables-recipe/index.html

popovers: I had a plethora of recipes to choose from for this course and I have selected  Martha Stewart's.  Ostensibly, I like the simplicity, but I suspect I chose hers because she uses the word 'perfect' in the name.  Points for confidence!

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/perfect-popovers

coca-cola ham: This is from Nigella Lawson's website, and it is a recipe she developed based on a "trashy-foods" theme.  I am going to scale it down so I don't need to buy a massive ham to soak in an entire 2 L of coke.  The coca-cola/ham fat left over from the roasting process will be great for making baked beans.

http://www.nigella.com/recipe/recipe_detail.aspx?rid=253

pumpkin pie: Another Martha Stewart recipe.  I liked this one because it uses home-made pumpkin puree, and only 1.5 cups of it, which is about what I've got.  I'm going to have to sub double cream for the condensed milk.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/favorite-pumpkin-pie

chocolate-dipped ambrosia almond coconut macaroons: This is a recipe I'm pulling together by combining Martha Stewart's almond coconut macaroons with Bon Appetit's ambrosia macaroons.  I went a little crazy at the Indian grocer and bought unsweetened shredded coconut and almonds without a plan, and Martha's recipe calls for both these ingredients.  I am adding touches of the Bon Appetit recipe because dad always makes ambrosia for the holidays, and I want that little hit of tradition.  Also, I've been using depression-era zest saving tactics and skinning all my oranges before I eat them (you would too if it was a $/orange!), thus I have a stockpile of zest I'd like to break-into.  The chocolate is just a little extra decadence for the holidays.  Notice that I'm hording these for myself, and offering my coworkers pie instead. ;)

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/almond-coconut-macaroons

http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2008/12/ambrosia_macaroons

As for timing, I'm making the desserts a day or two ahead and starting the ham the night before.  I think the popovers and the roast veggies can go in the oven at the same time while I sear the brussel sprouts on the range.  The ham will have to roast first-thing while I prep the veggies- no one likes cold brussel sprouts! 

All in all, on Thanksgiving I should only be cooking for 1-2 hrs.  Perfect.