Julia's (Vegan) Kitchen: Thanksgiving Roundup

Monday, November 7, 2011

Cranberry-Ginger Sauce with Deep-Fried Stuffing Balls

Ricki's awesome Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup inspired me to do one as well. Here are a bunch of things that I have made or would like to make for a Thanksgiving dinner.

As I've written before, I'm not much of a "main dish" person, for reasons that are vegan-political, gender-political, and mostly just plain aesthetic. I prefer to choose dishes that complement each other in more dynamic ways than just supporting one dish (which is itself likely to be an object rather than an ensemble). Anyway, this often makes organizing recipes a challenge--I'm still tweaking the categories I use on the right side of this blog.

I'm so wary of labeling foods as certain ethnic designations, but it seems as though this list might be my "Westernish"-themed one, with a strong Middle Eastern bent: note the prevalence of pomegranate, mint, tahini, apricot, pistachios, and harissa. I'd like to do a more South Asian-inflected roundup as well, as I've been cooking so much on that side of the globe.

It also seems important for Thanksgiving to choose dishes that can be prepared ahead of time: stews, soups, cold things, and things that just get popped in the oven at the end are ideal. Fried things are the worst, because they're never as good as they are fresh out of the pan, and it's more fun to be socializing with your guests than running in and out of the kitchen with small batches of fried things. Sauteed things are somewhere in between. Still, I found it impossible to leave deep-fried stuffing balls and braised cabbage with sausage off the list.

What are you excited about making or eating this year? I'm always down for more recommendations.

Appetizers and spreads

Cashew Goat Cheese

Cashew Beer Cheese (or this Caraway-Spiked Version from the Blooming Platter)

Ricki's Pate Campagne

Eggplant Caponata Spread

Hummus and baba ganoush, obviously; these recipes are a little fancier than average, or maybe a Squash Hummus variation? Also mouhammarah

Deep-Fried Stuffing Balls

Tempeh Crab Cakes

Roasted Garam Masala Chickpeas

Savory Sesame-Herb Shortbread Cookies
Crackers, flatbread, crudites, etc.

Soups

Kathy's slightly fruity Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Ricki's Apple-Red Wine Soup