A New Tradition: Friendsgiving

By Dani

I'm convinced that all food tells a story. Most homemade recipes have love behind them - the dessert your best friend loves, the green beans your grandmother made, the scrambled eggs that taste just like Saturday mornings with your dad. Even when we try new recipes, I'm convinced that we're drawn to flavors based on the people and feelings they remind us of, even if it's subconcious.

This year, we got together with some of our closest friends and had a "Friendsgiving" a few weeks before the real thing. We're from all over the country, so our foods and stories were diverse: Turkey brined "St Louis style", vegetarian stuffing from California, sweet carrots from Michigan, homemade ice cream from Kansas, green bean bundles from Texas, potatoes from South Carolina, a relish tray from Oklahoma. We all had reasons for our foods, a memory or a special person who gave us our inspiration, even if the recipe wasn't exactly "the way mom made it".

It was one of the most fun (and tastiest) evenings of the year. It's nice to know that you can take your family and your traditions with you wherever you go, and we'll definitely be making "Friendsgiving" a priority every year.

Have you ever had a Friendsgiving? What's your signature recipe?

Comments

[Jennie]

I love this idea! I might try to do it next year.

[Cass]

My friends and I have been doing friendsgiving for the last 7 years, though we never gave it a name. Because our schedules are so hectic, we usually get together a few weeks prior. The bonus is our host went to culinary school so she takes care of the main course (turkey & stuffing) while the rest of us bring sides & dessert/wine.

I usually make sure I get to bring pie or cranberries because if I don't, someone will end up doing store bought. Both being so easy to make I don't know why people don't.

[Em]

We have been doing this for at least the past two years. The difference is that my husband and I do most of the cooking.