Thanksgiving Day in France

Although I 've never born children, there has to be at least one similarity between cooking a Thanksgiving Dinner and giving birth - the reflex reaction - the moment the last dishes have been washed or the day after delivery - whichever you please - when you say, "Never again!" And then, the next year, it's as if you're suffering from temporary amnesia and you repeat the whole process. Whether it's end-of-the year holidays or a new pregnancy, it's this kind of memory lapse that keeps the human race going.

So, once more, I've cooked Thanksgiving Dinner, but this year has been momentous. Only twice have I done so in France. The first time was in the fall of 1979 in Paris (shared with Angelique from Cambodia, and Nabbe, Mory & Kadiatou from Guinea- and this time in Normandy with neighbors from England, France and Mauritius.

The pleasure of preparing this meal is knowing that it will be the first time any of our guests have had a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Happily, this is one of the few holidays untarnished by outright commercialism (or nationalism). The original intention of the holiday was quite simply to acknowledge one's gratitude for a bountiful harvest. (Thanks, Thomas Jefferson for confirming the separation of church and state regarding this holiday!)

Whether you believe in God or not, recognizing all the goodness in one's life seems to be an excellent antidote to all the bad news that comes our way.

Thanksgiving Day can simply be another excuse to 'pig out' or stay in bed a few hours later, but also, a wonderful occasion to share with friends around the world.

As for the meal, depending on where you decide to prepare the 'fixins' this is a challenge. Here are some of the ingredients you may have trouble finding in France (especially if you're outside of Paris):
Turkey. Whole turkeys are usually only available starting in December. Although some families prepare whole turkeys for Christmas Day, it isn't as common a dish. I found a frozen whole turkey (with no innards included) at Thiriet, a frozen foods specialty store.

Cranberries (also called 'canberge' but more commonly called 'cranberries') Cranberries aren't cultivated in France - and until the past five to seven years, you couldn't find cranberry products of any sort except in healthfood stores. Nowadays, some large grocery stores sell Oceanspray Cranberry juice and dried cranberries, but fresh cranberries are still uncommon.

Sweet potatoes or 'patates douces' are availabe in produce sections of large grocery stores such as LeClerc or at some outdoor markets.

Canned pumpkin isn't available - outside of American products grocery stores (such as Thanksgiving in Paris). Instead I tried baking a parsnip pie. The word for 'parsnip' in French is 'panais'.

Hard to find spices:
Allspice
Mace
Ground cloves
These, unfortunately are also the essential ingredients for a pumpkin or parsnip pie.
Turkey dressing:
Bread cubes a la Pepperidge Farm variety- quite simply, you make your own.


Lard. A good pie crust, as my neighbors will confirm, needs lard. If you're making a French tart, the crust is 100 % butter, and two of the best tart crusts I've tasted are Jeanne's and Danie's mother's, but thanks to Ivy and Martyn, we have enough lard to make a pie crust. The results are astoundingly good - but I credit that to Ivy's magic touch. She has the just the right technique of blending flour, lard and butter lifting the batter with her fingers like Vladimir Horowitz playing Mozart.

Pecan Pie.
You can't get anymore American than pecan pie. And you can find pecans here, but in small packets. But another key ingredient - corn syrup - is also nowhere to be found.
Corn syrup can be replaced by dark honey or golden syrup - however both of these substitutes create a different consistency.

Not being an organized person, it takes me a long time to put this meal in action - Thanksgiving Eve, I finally turned out the kitchen lights at 3 am and started up again at 9 am on Thanksgiving Day. But unlike a similar meal in the US which can be devoured within an hour (or less!) here, in Europe, we can linger over cocktails (and make turkey gravy at the same time!), add a delicious crusted port to the end of the meal, and if you're really a gourmand, finish off with a cheese plate - none of us got that far.

Which means we'll have to extend the Thanksgiving feast for a second day - which is kind of a Basque tradition of returning for the leftovers. I like this tradition. For those of you who have two days off for Thanksgiving, rather than going shopping on Black Friday, why not just invite your friends and family back for a second day of thanks?

This morning, I'm still giving thanks for Martine, Ivy and Chris who are not shy about washing dishes, Martyn who mashed the potatoes and brought over the lard, Martyn again, who reminded me to take out the bread - and the turkey at the right time, Ivy who boiled and peeled the chestnuts (from her trees), and Peter who provided the cigars (and did the Pilgrims smoke a pipe with Native Americans on that first Thanksgiving?).

I now know the proper way to smoke a cigar, and the proper way to pass the port. So much for which to be thankful - but most of all, good family and good friends. Everything else is just icing on the gateau.