Food & Wine USA - (11)November 2020

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26 NOVEMBER 2020

THE NEW NORMAL

How to Save Thanksgiving

Before you write off this year’s

holiday, read this.

By Ryan Shepard

IN MY FAMILY, we look forward to Thanksgiving all year long.

Grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, and old friends gather

at my mother’s home in Los Angeles to catch up, reminisce, and

be thankful for another year together. Inevitably, someone gets

a little too drunk (last year, that person was me), and you can

bet that at least two of my cousins will fight over who gets the

last crusty corner piece of gooey macaroni and cheese.

The prospect of not being able to physically be with loved

ones this Thanksgiving is a sad reality that many of us are facing.

But while we’re swimming in uncharted waters, the pandemic

doesn’t mean we can’t have a happy, delicious, and safe holiday.

Whether you’re choosing to cook for a scaled-back crew or are

planning on participating in a virtual dinner, this guide will

help ensure that you still have an enjoyable meal.

EMBRACE THE NEW

EXPECTING AN ORDINARY holiday this year will disappoint you. Start by acknowl-

edging that things have changed, and try to see it as an opportunity to be creative.

“Normally, I have one Friendsgiving that I host with around 50 people, and then

a smaller one on Thanksgiving Day with my husband, parents, sister, and a few

friends,” says cookbook author and blogger Gaby Dalkin of What’s Gaby Cooking.

“This year, our Thanksgiving probably will just be [me and my husband] and maybe

one or two other couples.”

One of the unexpected benefits of hosting a smaller crowd this year? “Less dishes

and more quality time with a smaller group!” exclaims Dalkin.

CHOOSE YOUR VIRTUAL

PLATFORM WISELY

IF YOU’RE PARTICIPATING in a bigger

dinner virtually, consider different

technology options. While Zoom al-

lows up to 100 participants with their

free plan, the 40-minute time limit

might not be ideal when your grand-

mother is trying to walk everyone

through how to make her famous

oyster dressing. Google Hangouts

doesn’t have time restrictions, but it

caps participants at 25. Houseparty

allows unlimited chat rooms, but only

eight people can be on each at once.

This is a good option if you’re having

a Friendsgiving and a family dinner at

the same time. You can (finally!) freely

jump back and forth between the two.

illustration by GRAHAM ROUMIEU