“Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go.” This popular phrase is no longer the case for many of us who have moved across the country, or whose parents or grandparents are no longer with us.
So, for many in Southern California, we might be hosting a “Friendsgiving.” My son and I have a number of people attending our Thanksgiving dinner, none of whom are related to us!
AN EXPERT CHEF HOSTS WEEKLY FRIEND DINNERS
One of my favorite recent cooking shows is hosted by an experienced chef and cookbook author Samin Nosrat. She has been in the food business for over 20 years, and her cookbook, “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking,” reached the New York Times bestseller list and was recently made into a Netflix series.
Her newest cookbook, “Good Things,” shares 125 recipes from her weekly friend parties.
Her advice for large groups celebrating together is to “make the dinner a team effort. People bring their favorite dishes, or if they are not cooks, they can always stop by the store and get dessert. Elevate the occasion by bringing out the cloth napkins, add some fresh flowers and a special wine.”
Samin hosts a friend dinner once a week, so she is familiar with the role of host. She recommends that whoever is making the main dish to avoid the complicated: “Make a big-batch dish that doesn’t involve last minute tending. A simple side dish such as roasted vegetables, made the night before, can be reheated and served with a special creamy dressing. Anything that can be made before, like a Bolognese sauce, is a good choice.”
PLANNING THE MENU FOR FRIENDSGIVING
In our household, the challenge is pre-planning for a Friendsgiving so we don’t end up with all carbohydrates and no fresh vegetables. We post a sign-up sheet so we all don’t shop for the same groceries or make the same thing.
And the organizational plan is working. So far, we have (in addition to the traditional turkey), pasta Bolognese, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, spanakopita and cranberry-orange relish, and yes, roasted fresh vegetables!
I did mention to my son, Josh, who volunteered for macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and stuffing, that we might be overloading on carbohydrates, since his friend is making pasta Bolognese, but his response was, “You can never have too many carbs!”
STARTING NEW TRADITIONS
I heard an interview recently with a famous chef who talked about traditional recipes for Thanksgiving. When asked about serving only traditional food that we might have had as children, he suggested creating new traditions to add to the old ones.
When I attended college in Boston years ago, I worked in a Greek restaurant and sampled all of the amazing Mediterranean cuisine. My favorite was spanakopita, a Greek appetizer made with filo dough and a spinach ricotta filling. Years later, when I had catering business of my own, I found the recipe in “The Silver Palate Cookbook.”
Be certain to buy filo dough early in holiday season, at a specialty food store, since it sells out quickly. Josh and I prepare these appetizers ahead of time, so we can have them ready when guests arrive. This has become our family favorite, and when guests see how easy the process is, they sometimes join in!
SPANAKOPITA (Spinach pies)
INGREDIENTS/MATERIALS
• One box frozen filo dough, defrosted
• Two sticks unsalted butter
• 10 ounces frozen spinach
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ½ cup feta cheese
• Salt, pepper, dill, nutmeg – to taste
• Wax paper
• Aluminum foil
• Pastry brush for butter
• Large dish towel
SPINACH MIX
- Thaw spinach, place in a colander to drain. Press spinach to drain all liquid. Place in a clean dish towel, squeeze to remove all liquid. Set aside.
- In large bowl combine ricotta and feta, stir to combine. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper, dill. Mix spinach with cheeses and set aside.
TO ASSEMBLE
- Melt two sticks of butter in a small saucepan.
- Clear a space on your counter to spread out the filo.
- Place large dish towel on counter, unroll 12 inches of wax paper on top of the towel.
- Using one piece of filo at time, spread entire sheet with butter.
- Continue until you have three layers.
- Working quickly, cut six long segments with a knife, keeping segments on the towel.
- Spoon individual tablespoons of spinach mix at the bottom of the filo segment.
- Fold the filo into triangles, adding spinach mix to each segment.
- Top the triangles with more melted butter. Set aside on aluminum foil.
- Proceed with the same process until you have finished the roll of filo.
- Bake at 375 in a preheated oven until brown, less than 10 minutes. Monitor carefully, since they burn quickly!
- Serve immediately, or freeze on aluminum foil.
SHARE YOUR RECIPES
If you have family recipes, or new ones for the holidays, contact us and we just might include them in our holiday issues! Contact us at [email protected].
Jano Nightingale is a Master Gardener and horticulturist who teaches vegetable gardening at the Carlsbad Senior Center community garden. She can be reached for garden consultation or future classes at [email protected].
