I walked into a store on November 1 and couldn’t believe my ears – it was the sound of holiday music! Is it me, or is that a little crazy? I’m no Scrooge (I love the holidays) but I’m just not ready for them quite yet . . . and I certainly don’t want to skip over Thanksgiving to get to them! So as a Spirited Woman who likes to create her own path from time to time, I’m trying to slow things down a bit and really enjoy the lead up to the holidays – and my friend Sigrid is lending a helping hand.
Since Thanksgiving is a traditionally American meal, Sig had a great idea to hold a pre-Turkey Day dinner featuring the best of her friends’ ethnic backgrounds and cultures. For our circle, that includes Italian, Polish, Irish, Jewish and Icelandic dishes. Quite a mix! But it will also be a great way to pay homage to our unique ancestry before we celebrate our common heritage on November 24.
Now, if you don’t want to go to the trouble of pulling together a menu that blends a variety of cultural dishes, you can just concentrate on one. Here are some ideas based on my heritage – Italian and Polish:
- An Easy Italian Feast - Start with a green leafy salad or a Winter Caprese. Move onto to a hearty Pasta Bolognese – although this recipe isn’t 100% authentic it is easy and tasty. Sides can include a super-simple Sautéed Broccoli Rabe and some Herb & Onion Focaccia. Then, end with a plate of wonderful Italian cookies or pastries. Either buy them from your local bakery or whip up some of your own – like these Chocolate-Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies. NOTE: The recipe calls for a cream filling but I’d just use Nutella – even easier yet just as tasty!
A Traditional Polish Dinner - Start with a very traditional Polish Beet soup/Borscht or go for Kielbasa & Kale soup, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls/Golabki as a main course – toppings can include tomato sauce or butter or broth. Finish off the meal with another classic dish -- Polish Apple Cake.
No matter what your background or how you choose to set up your dinner, the idea is to have fun and really enjoy the process (not just the end result!). . . In fact, I’ll be writing two more posts that explore this same idea – one for Thanksgiving dinner and another for all the left-overs. Stay tuned!
- Sharen Santoski, www.SignalRockCommunications.com
Click here for more of Sharen's posts.
Sharen
Santonski, foodie extraordinaire, and a former member of the Spirited
Woman Blogger Team will be guest blogging for Spirited Woman on her
favorite subject "food." Growing up in an Italian/Polish/American home,
Sharen cultivated her love of food at a very early age. She is an
amateur aficionado of cooking, dining, entertaining and exploring. Bon
Appetit!
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