thanksgiving, vegetarian-style.

I hope everyone had a very happy and very thankful day yesterday!

holiday vegetable prep

I have kind of an odd relationship with this holiday.  Very little of the traditional food has ever appealed to me:  I’ve never enjoyed turkey; I find mashed potatoes bland; the concept of stuffing baked inside a turkey kind of repulses me [sorry, everyone]. 

This year, however, rather than sit down with a sad half-empty plate, I chose to do something new.  I brought a dish of my own.  

It was rich and indulgent, but in the most wonderful way, as it was both raw and vegan.  And everyone who tasted it told me it was delicious.  Success!

preparing the raw stuffing

I did Thanksgiving Leslie-style this year.  I looked at the food on offer, and I chose to keep my meal vegetarian.  It was very intuitive and natural, and I left the dinner table – after seconds – feeling comfortable and satisfied, with room for dessert.  

I realized something this year.  

a vegetarian thanksgiving: spiced fennel and butternut squash; roasted squash

Thanksgiving is about the food, yes – but it is also about giving thanks.  It’s about sharing in the company we are lucky to have in our lives, whether that number be two splitting dishes over a countertop or fifty reuniting around a buffet.  It’s the reason my sister and I left right after dessert with a feast of leftovers for our grandma, whose hip pain yesterday morning kept her immobilized and unable to join us.

The holiday is one of those occasions where food is far more about memory and comfort than fuel and nutrition.  And whether you approached your meal yesterday as an omnivore digging into freshly carved turkey, a vegan loading up on sides, or a dessert-hound with an overflowing plate of pie – it doesn’t matter.  It’s one day out of the year; one day to give thanks for the food we are lucky to have at our disposal, and one day to overindulge – or underindulge – as we see fit.

hors d’oeuvres: mushroom cups, a famous family recipe

One day can’t affect who we are, what we weigh, or how we feel.  Being label-free, perhaps I’ll choose a dish with meat at our next family gathering – or perhaps not.  What I learned this year is that I am in tune with my body and in control of my choices.  As long as I do what makes me feel my best in body and in mind, then no one else really cares.

vegetable medley with thyme

So, yesterday I enjoyed wine, bakery challah, raw stuffing, tasty hors d’oeuvres, and vegetables of all kinds – raw, roasted, and steamed.  I delighted in my family’s company and even got my mom to tear up with a birthday speech.  And of course, I relished every bite of the most important part of the meal:

my favorite dessert of all time.

Though my grandma is no longer able to make us her recipe-less pumpkin pie, my aunt’s was a very, very worthy stand in.  Perfectly spicy, just sweet enough, ideal with a dollop of homemade whipped cream.  Also on offer were apple pie, cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake, and chocolate coconut cake, but when there’s pumpkin pie on the table, I’m not concerned with much else.

Lest you think I didn’t do a fair enough share of indulging on the holiday, my family is celebrating my mom’s birthday at a fine restaurant tonight, and on Saturday, we will be celebrating my cousin’s marriage with a reception of dinner and dancing.  

Also, there’s leftover pie.

How was your Thanksgiving?

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