Thaisgiving

Due to my round-the-world travels, I won’t be home (in Minneapolis) for any of the “holiday season” this year. Halloween really isn’t a big deal to me, but Thanksgiving always marks the start of the warm & cozy season of family time, yummy smells, comfort food, and hanging out with my family. Throughout my childhood we’d always make an effort to visit our extended family, but since they live several states away (Arizona & Washington) it’s not always easy. It’s strange being away from everyone for the first time. Even when it’s just our immediate family, I’m always the kid who keeps up the traditions and totally bathes in the holiday spirit.

Since we’ll be here in Bangkok for Thanksgiving, Jill and I decided to organize a holiday gathering of our own to bring a taste of home into our host family’s culture. Being the successfully domesticated chick that I am, I’ll be the boss chef and Jill will be my trusty sidekick. I think my Thai family is nervous.

We wanted to make enough food for the family to eat, plus a little extra to share with our friends at work.

Here’s the game plan:

Roasted chicken* (or turkey, but I have yet to see a Thai person eat a turkey)
Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Mashed potatoes & gravy
Crescent Rolls

Pumpkin pie (pumpkin is actually eaten frequently here, though they’ve never heard of pumpkin pie)
Baked Apples
Sweet Potato Casserole (or pie – haven’t decided yet)

Apple Cider for Wusses (hot apple juice + cinnamon)

*Yes, I’m a vegetarian. Yes, I’m probably cooking this bird. No, I don’t plan on eating it.

All of our planned dishes depend on availability of ingredients. Jill headed to the “Farang Market” a.k.a. the Villa Market to see what she can scrounge up. Prepping commenced yesterday evening. Baking and the main dish will be happening tonight. I’ll probably post pics as we go on instagram if you’re curious, but I’ll also post later with my Thai family’s reactions and which dishes we totally ruined rocked.