Flavour with nostalgia

It may be an American holiday, but Thanksgiving kicks off the festive season

THE festive season holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Hanukkah) are not about winning awards for having tackled a complicated, intimidating set of recipes.

Worrying, particularly about something you can so easily control, is not the way anyone wants to spend the festive season.

Instead, when you follow my advice, your mindset will be calm and welcoming.

That’s a godsend, because the most important part of the meal isn’t actually what’s on the table, but the chance to connect with the people sitting around it, and to reflect on gratitude.

Here’s how to set things on the right track:

Keep the scope of the meal small and manageable.

Choose carefully. You don’t have to tick off every box. Just because so-and-so grew up with two types of stuffing and another guest waxes poetic about three desserts doesn’t mean you have to make them. You can have all the nostalgic flavours in a handful of simple dishes. Besides, the fewer the dishes, the easier the calculations of how many servings to make.

Forget the cocktails. Stick to beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages such as apple cider and sparkling water. If you do want a cocktail, make punch so you don’t have to play bartender. – The Washington Post

Recipes from Julia Turshen