Thanksgiving 2006, Asian-American style...

assorted charcuterie

seared ahi tuna

sesame seeds, nori flakes, wasabi

crispy salmon

soba wafer, soy-sake "gastrique"

pan-roased pork tenderloin

baked yam, roasted baby squash, pomegranate, coffee reduction

salad

endive, goat cheese, pomegranate

taiwanese sticky rice

shiitake mushrooms, pork, dried shallots, dried shrimp

seafood pasta

angel hair, scallop, shrimp, crab, asparagus

"90-minute" diestel free-range, hormone-free roast turkey
thyme, rosemary

mashed potatoes
roasted garlic puree, olive oil

A.D.D. stuffing

carrot, celery, onion, dried cranberries, golden raisins, cashews, bakesale betty pear-ginger scone (!!!), sweet corn

caramelized sweet onion gravy

homemade cranberry sauce

pumpkin pie

apple pie

fruit tart

assorted dessert tray

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I love thanksgiving... of course, it's a great time to get together with family and friends, enjoy some good food, and reflect on the many blessings in our lives.

We ended up with a pretty hefty menu for this year's feast, and like every year, the dishes were evocative of the diversity of food options that have become traditional or comforting for us. The overall options might seem a bit discordant with one another (seared ahi tuna and cranberry sauce???), but that's one of the great things about growing up as an Asian-American... you get to have the best food of both worlds during Thanksgiving. Turkey is a tradition as much as my mom's killer sticky rice.

This is the way we roll on turkey day.