All Trussed Up

This Thanksgiving I gained a whole new appreciation for the bird of the hour. While this was not my first Thanksgiving away from home, it was the only where I wasn’t cooking. Not preparing a single item left me feeling like a trussed turkey, hands helplessly tied.

Thanksgiving is MY holiday! Even when I was little, my Mom would let me skip school on Wednesday just so I could help her in the kitchen as she made her famous pecan pie, mountains of sides and gorgeous turkey. I adore Thanksgiving because you get to A) cook a feast using delicious autumn ingredients, B) share the meal with those you love most and finally C) it officially kicks off the Christmas season.

The 2011 Rippinger spread for Thanksgiving

And so I’ll admit, I was a little sulky coming home from class and seeing my Señora bustling about in the kitchen. I would have hopped right in with her, but the liability issues of the university prohibit students from cooking in the homes. Lord knows I could cause a lot of damage if put near a stove and given a knife…

Walking away from a huffing-and-puffing Señora, I had a change of heart. I can’t even imagine the pressure of cooking Thanksgiving for seven American girls. We all were looking for a slice of home, and that is a tremendously tall order to fill.

Sitting down for dinner, the spread didn’t look or smell like an American meal. There was no sage-laced stuffing, no bright bowl of cranberries and definitely no green bean casserole.

Our meal began with an eclectic array of tapas that included pate, two potato dishes (one with an aioli and the other with a tomato sauce), pickles and olives. I know mayonnaise and potatoes sounds more like the 4th of July , but the pickles actually hit the spot!

Then the turkey made its debut.

It definitely was not a Better Homes & Gardens moment. On our plates we had a turkey breast roulade with gravy and mashed sweet potatoes. Interesting is probably the best word I can use to describe the turkey, which was stuffed with some kind of meat and other “goodies.” Playing culinary detective, I definitely found figs and raisins but those didn’t compare to the bite that revealed a quail egg. Who knew, Thanksgiving could be an Easter egg hunt too?!

Not a great photo, but you get the idea. 

We ended the meal with a delicious chocolate torte, and all of us felt just as full as in America. Even though it was nowhere near the classic interpretation of the holiday, my Spanish Thanksgiving left me feeling very blessed. Sure it was a bit of a weird meal, but my Señora could have easily coped-out and done a paella. Instead she took on the challenge of turkey, and even though it was a unique rendition, it was filled with love (and eggs…)

Running with a Pilgrims, Indians and America theme, we decided to do some arts and crafts before dinner.

I couldn’t possibly feel sorry for myself when I have so many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I have my loving family, supportive friends and the ample opportunities that have come to fruition in this incredible year. I don’t know if I will ever spend another Thanksgiving in Madrid, but the experience is one I will remember forever.