Thanksgiving Dinners Inspired By Ethnic Cuisines
Every Thanksgiving, I sit at the family table – which has included such fare as chapchae, steamed rice, and Peking duck – and imagine all the other melting-pot meals taking place across the country. Thanksgiving is the quintessential American holiday, and what better time to celebrate the diversity of our cuisines?
For some families, no holiday table would be complete without lumpia, kugel, or fattoush alongside the turkey and mashed potatoes. Others experiment with fusion fare – chorizo in the stuffing, hoisin sauce in the cranberries. Sometimes these multicultural touches are necessary to appease the older generations (grandpa can’t imagine a meal without kimchee); other times it’s the happy result of welcoming new family members and friends from different backgrounds. I just love hearing about how each cook and family makes Thanksgiving their own, and at the same time wholly American.
What ethnic-inspired dishes do you enjoy at Thanksgiving?
Dishes pictured above:
• Spiced Roasted Turkey with garlic, ginger paste, and toasted spices (Gourmet)
• Smoked-Oyster Sticky Rice Stuffing in Lotus Leaf with oysters, mushrooms, and Chinese sausage (Gourmet)
• Puerto Rican-Style Turkey with curry-and-chile-spiced marinade (Food & Wine)
• Pumpkin Flan with cayenne-spiced pumpkin seeds (Gourmet)
More inspiring menus:
• Asian-American Thanksgiving (Food & Wine)
• An Indian Thanksgiving (Epicurious)
• Italian-Infused Thanksgiving (Bon Appétit)
• A Mexican-Inspired Thanksgiving (Saveur)
• Thanksgiving with a Korean Twist (Real Simple)
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