Remembering the true spirit of Thanksgiving is to celebrate what one is grateful for. From 20 pounder turkeys to family squabbles to counting calories to grateful prayers,thanksgiving is all about a time to love,reflect and eat.
Trivia about Thanksgiving:
-Pulling the “wishbone” is an ageless Thanksgiving tradition. Two people pull the turkey’s breastbone apart and only the person who has the larger piece of bone is allowed to make a wish
-The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920’s. -In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations. -Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States. -The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog. -Abraham Lincoln issued a ‘Thanksgiving Proclamation’ on Oct. 3, 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving.
Cook
Indians have a knack of adding an Indian Tadka in everything.Clothes,fashion, food,so how can Thanksgiving dinner be left behind.Here are some classic recipes that suit the Indian palate and will awaken the taste buds of just about anyone.
Trivia about Thanksgiving:
-Pulling the “wishbone” is an ageless Thanksgiving tradition. Two people pull the turkey’s breastbone apart and only the person who has the larger piece of bone is allowed to make a wish
-The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920’s. -In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations. -Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States. -The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog. -Abraham Lincoln issued a ‘Thanksgiving Proclamation’ on Oct. 3, 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving.
Cook
Indians have a knack of adding an Indian Tadka in everything.Clothes,fashion, food,so how can Thanksgiving dinner be left behind.Here are some classic recipes that suit the Indian palate and will awaken the taste buds of just about anyone.
Tandoori Turkey -
Ingredients
Tandoori masala
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 3"–4" cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
¼ teaspoon ajwain seeds
Garam masala
24 bay leaves, crumbled
3 tablespoons black cardamom pods
2 ½ tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 ½ tablespoons green cardamom pods
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons ajwain seeds
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 3"–4" cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
Turkey
1 12–14-pound turkey
¼ cup kosher salt
5 black cardamom pods
5 green cardamom pods
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves
Marinade
4 cups (1 quart) plain whole-milk yogurt
½ cup chopped peeled ginger
½ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup finely chopped garlic
¼ cup paprika
2 tablespoons tandoori masala
2 tablespoons garam masala
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Special equipment: A turkey roasting bag
Preparation
For tandoori masala:
Toast spices in a skillet over medium heat, swirling often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Working in batches, finely grind mixture in a spice mill.
Store airtight at room temperature.
For garam masala:
Toast spices in a skillet over medium heat, swirling often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Working in batches, finely grind mixture in a spice mill. Sift through a medium-mesh strainer into a small bowl; stir to combine.
For turkey:
Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Rub inside and out with salt; transfer to roasting bag. Stuff turkey with cardamom pods and cumin seeds, then onion, celery, and garlic.
For marinade:
Purée all ingredients in a blender. Pour marinade into roasting bag. Smear all over turkey. Tie bag and arrange turkey, breast side down, in a large heavy roasting pan. Refrigerate overnight.
Let turkey stand in bag at room temperature for 1 hour. Turn breast side up. Create steam holes in bag if required by manufacturer’s instructions.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Roast turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (puncturing bag with thermometer) registers 160°, about 1 ½ hours longer. Cut top of bag open, being careful of steam and juices, and pull back over turkey. Roast turkey until breast is deeply browned but not burned and a thermometer inserted into thigh registers 165°F, 15-30 minutes longer.
Transfer to a platter. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.Meanwhile, strain juices into a large saucepan. Spoon fat from surface. Simmer over medium heat until sauce is reduced to 3 ½ cups, about 20 minutes.
By Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez
Cope
Every family has relatives that are mean, inconsiderate or simply competitive.Especially around the holiday season,one gets to experience family drama at its best. Here are some easy tips one could follow to make life a little simple.
1. If you are the host, don’t exhaust yourself before Thanksgiving dinner.Right before the holidays, furniture and rug sales always go up. Many family members, especially siblings, are in competition over issues like who has the best and cleanest house, who is the best cook, etc. If you are hosting Thanksgiving, don’t get into this kind of competitiveness: it will only exhaust you and ruin your holiday. It is okay to cut corners. Include ready-made foods along with homemade ones, close off messy rooms, and accept help in the kitchen. Your relaxed mood will set the tone of the gathering.
2. Have a clever seating arrangement.Try using place cards to assign seats so that you can separate people who do not get along. Don’t seat family members who have been feuding for years next to each other.
3.Spend the holiday in a public place.
Give the family cooks a break by moving Thanksgiving to a restaurant. Most people behave better in a public place. This maneuver also gives people the right to leave when they want to.
4.Surround Yourself with Friends. Many a happy holiday has been formed by groups of people who have decided to celebrate with friends instead of family. Whether you’re unable to travel (or have family who is), or for some other reason find yourself without kin, celebrating with other people you know who are also without family for the day can be a great way to bond with friends and enjoy the spirit of the season
5.Take Turns with Relatives. If you and your spouse both want to celebrate with your families of origin, if you’re dealing with a divorce situation where not everybody wants to celebrate together or if you just have a lot of family, it can be stressful deciding who to see, and when. Taking turns is an easy solution. If you see one group in November, see the other in December, or alternate years. Then you can eventually see everybody.
Calories
There is nothing more depressing than the morning after a lavish thanksgiving dinner.Don’t beat yourself up over a guilt trip that’s not worth it,Hit the gym,go for a yoga class,dance those calories away or do some effective yet simple exercises at home.Jumping jacks, squats,Push ups,lunges are quite effective and you could do those between household chores.
Ingredients
Tandoori masala
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 3"–4" cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
¼ teaspoon ajwain seeds
Garam masala
24 bay leaves, crumbled
3 tablespoons black cardamom pods
2 ½ tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 ½ tablespoons green cardamom pods
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons ajwain seeds
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 3"–4" cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
Turkey
1 12–14-pound turkey
¼ cup kosher salt
5 black cardamom pods
5 green cardamom pods
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves
Marinade
4 cups (1 quart) plain whole-milk yogurt
½ cup chopped peeled ginger
½ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup finely chopped garlic
¼ cup paprika
2 tablespoons tandoori masala
2 tablespoons garam masala
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Special equipment: A turkey roasting bag
Preparation
For tandoori masala:
Toast spices in a skillet over medium heat, swirling often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Working in batches, finely grind mixture in a spice mill.
Store airtight at room temperature.
For garam masala:
Toast spices in a skillet over medium heat, swirling often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Working in batches, finely grind mixture in a spice mill. Sift through a medium-mesh strainer into a small bowl; stir to combine.
For turkey:
Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Rub inside and out with salt; transfer to roasting bag. Stuff turkey with cardamom pods and cumin seeds, then onion, celery, and garlic.
For marinade:
Purée all ingredients in a blender. Pour marinade into roasting bag. Smear all over turkey. Tie bag and arrange turkey, breast side down, in a large heavy roasting pan. Refrigerate overnight.
Let turkey stand in bag at room temperature for 1 hour. Turn breast side up. Create steam holes in bag if required by manufacturer’s instructions.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Roast turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (puncturing bag with thermometer) registers 160°, about 1 ½ hours longer. Cut top of bag open, being careful of steam and juices, and pull back over turkey. Roast turkey until breast is deeply browned but not burned and a thermometer inserted into thigh registers 165°F, 15-30 minutes longer.
Transfer to a platter. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.Meanwhile, strain juices into a large saucepan. Spoon fat from surface. Simmer over medium heat until sauce is reduced to 3 ½ cups, about 20 minutes.
By Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez
Cope
Every family has relatives that are mean, inconsiderate or simply competitive.Especially around the holiday season,one gets to experience family drama at its best. Here are some easy tips one could follow to make life a little simple.
1. If you are the host, don’t exhaust yourself before Thanksgiving dinner.Right before the holidays, furniture and rug sales always go up. Many family members, especially siblings, are in competition over issues like who has the best and cleanest house, who is the best cook, etc. If you are hosting Thanksgiving, don’t get into this kind of competitiveness: it will only exhaust you and ruin your holiday. It is okay to cut corners. Include ready-made foods along with homemade ones, close off messy rooms, and accept help in the kitchen. Your relaxed mood will set the tone of the gathering.
2. Have a clever seating arrangement.Try using place cards to assign seats so that you can separate people who do not get along. Don’t seat family members who have been feuding for years next to each other.
3.Spend the holiday in a public place.
Give the family cooks a break by moving Thanksgiving to a restaurant. Most people behave better in a public place. This maneuver also gives people the right to leave when they want to.
4.Surround Yourself with Friends. Many a happy holiday has been formed by groups of people who have decided to celebrate with friends instead of family. Whether you’re unable to travel (or have family who is), or for some other reason find yourself without kin, celebrating with other people you know who are also without family for the day can be a great way to bond with friends and enjoy the spirit of the season
5.Take Turns with Relatives. If you and your spouse both want to celebrate with your families of origin, if you’re dealing with a divorce situation where not everybody wants to celebrate together or if you just have a lot of family, it can be stressful deciding who to see, and when. Taking turns is an easy solution. If you see one group in November, see the other in December, or alternate years. Then you can eventually see everybody.
Calories
There is nothing more depressing than the morning after a lavish thanksgiving dinner.Don’t beat yourself up over a guilt trip that’s not worth it,Hit the gym,go for a yoga class,dance those calories away or do some effective yet simple exercises at home.Jumping jacks, squats,Push ups,lunges are quite effective and you could do those between household chores.
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