Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because we express our gratitude through food.  I’m a first-generation Chinese daughter, so I grew up in a pretty strict household where we ate rice with chopsticks at every meal.  But on Thanksgiving Day, mom would bring out the fancy, delicate china that I loved with it’s floral edging and we’d use the ornate silver table settings that were felt so heavy in my hands.  Contrast that with the wobbly plate of cranberry sauce that she always served.  Ridges from the can were molded into the gelatin cylinder of sauce, mom figured these were cutting guides.

This Thanksgiving, I have my own family, my own home, and while I’m keeping the fancy china and table settings tradition, the canned cranberry sauce is not making an appearance.  Here’s the in-progress menu so far:

Apps
Bacon wrapped dates 
Pumpkin soup: in shot glasses, drizzled with truffle oil

Sides
Cheesy potatoes
Bacon, mushroom and spinach stuffing
Roasted brussels with bacon
Roasted cauliflower
Caesar salad

Main
Turkey breast
Ham

Dessert
Pies: apple and pumpkin
Iced sugar cookies