Gettin’ Carried Away

I’m not technically in London right now. This Thanksgiving is my first one at home in two years; I had spent time in England during the holiday in 2006 and 2007.  So on this day, I will always fondly recall my time in England, and the dinner I cooked for 17 people!

Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States. We celebrate escaping persecution in England and finding health, wealth and happiness in the New World. So, it’s pretty obvious why there would be no Thanksgiving celebration in New Cross, London… of all places. While studying abroad, us Americans decided we were going to have our own Thanksgiving. And surprisingly, our British friends wanted in on the action.

I assume that most of our friends wanted to participate since they would be eating a huge, home-cooked meal. Nevertheless, I was absolutely ecstatic at the thought of making a banquet-sized feast for 17 of my newest, dearest friends. My friend Lindsey and I headed to Sainsbury’s to pick up everything we needed for a nice Thanksgiving dinner: two turkeys, stuffing mix, potatoes, asparagus, corn, milk, butter, salt, spices and… apple pie!

After receiving some instructions from my mother, I learned that it’s not really that difficult to prepare a “traditional” Thanksgiving dinner. Once you defrost the turkey (and make sure to clear it of gizzards), you don’t have to do much else. My mom’s secret: take  two sticks of butter, cut them in half, and place the four pieces in the corners of the pan, around the bird. Once the butter melts, use a baster the make sure the turkey stays moist as it cooks.

When all was said and done, it did take me all day to cook dinner. However, everything turned out perfect! We created a “banquet table” using the round table already in the kitchen, along with four ironing boards borrowed from various flats in our building. Covered with golden table cloths, we made place mats for every guest, and we added red candles and white flowers for ambiance. The turkey was golden brown, the asparagus boasted lovely grill marks, the creamy potatoes were whipped, the corn smelled amazing and the rolls melted in your mouth. The apple pie also infused the entire kitchen with a sweet scent.

What a unique and memorable experience! The first Thanksgiving dinner I ever prepared was for my new London family. I will never, ever forget it.