Italian Thanksgiving

Growing up Italian, I was often asked, “Do you eat turkey on Thanksgiving?” or “Do you Italians eat pasta with everything?”

We eat turkey only on Thanksgiving, but the answer is yes and yes.  On this week’s Cucina Chatter radio show, Chef Jacquie will come into the studio to help me describe the Italian Thanksgiving. We’ll get her brother Nick on the phone, since Nick does all the cooking (What’s up with that? She’s the chef and Nic

ITALIAN THANKSGIVING

When I was a kid growing up, Thanksgiving was a day to reflect on what we had to be thankful for and to see my family together.

After this peaceful moment, of no one screaming at each other, it was time to eat! ANDIAMO!

Now Italians do it all little bit different than the rest, but what else is new.

First we start with:

ANTIPASTO

then LASAGNA or

MANICOTTI (depending on what you had last year) with

MEAT IN THE GRAVY

then SOUP

Now we get to the Meal:

TURKEY

STUFFING

ROASTED POTATOES

BROCCOLI RABE

and / or ESCAROLE

ROASTED RED PEPPERS

SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

SAUTEED STRINGBEANS (picked from the vine in the backyard garden)

THE BREAD (that Grandma made)

and GOD FORBID YOU FORGET THE SALAD!!!

(picked from the backyard garden with homemade wine vinegar)

To wash it all down, we had:

HOMEMADE WINE

and 7 UP (IN THE GLASS BOTTLE)

Then after the men had a 2 hour nap and the woman cleaned all the dishes, we had:

CHESTNUTS

MIXED NUTS

FRESH FRUIT

DRIED FIGS

and FINOCCHIO

Then we started the dessert:

ITALIAN COOKIES

SFOGLIATELLE

CANNOLI

and ITALIAN PASTRY (just in case we missed something)

During this feast we enjoyed a nice ESPRESSO with

MARIE BRIZARD ANISETTE or

ROMANA SAMBUCA

Then after that we needed a little something for DIGESTIVO

We went straight for the BRIOSCHI!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY PAISANI

Mangia & Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving & God Bless America!