My sister-in-law (married to my husband’s brother) and I are both American, and this year we threw a Thanksgiving feast for our English inlaws. Should you ever find yourself in the UK on Thanksgiving and decide that a turkey dinner can’t be THAT difficult…well, it can be done, but it’s a bit tricky.
We planned our menu in advance, knowing two things to be truth-facts: Our inlaws save her husband and daughter had never had a “real” Thanksgiving dinner and there was no way we were going to attempt a turkey big enough to feed eleven people. We kicked around a few ideas in October and I brought some things back from my trip home at the end of the month (including my mother’s cornbread dressing recipe), then on the day decided to just see what the local Sainsbury’s had to offer and go from there.
Our inlaws almost had chicken for Thanksgiving.
Turkey is not as widely eaten here as it is in the States, I’m assuming. We found some 6-8lb turkeys but they were so very small and frozen solid. Seriously, could have been used as a WEAPON frozen solid. I mean thaw out in the fridge for two-three days in advance frozen. The kind butcher at Sainsbury’s in Wakefield giggled when we asked if there was a faster way to thaw out the turkey, bless him. Just as we’d given up and resigned ourselves to purchasing two whole chickens with various and sundry stuffings and rubs, we happened upon Cook From Frozen turkey roasts in the freezer section. It was a Thanksgiving miracle.
Luckily my sister-in-law Liz can actually cook and all I had to do was make two pumpkin pies and some cornbread dressing the night before to bring with me and re-heat. We arrived back at my sister-in-law Louise’s house, armed to the gills with food, then barricaded ourselves into the kitchen to get ready for our late lunch.
Here are some things that may help should you ever find yourself cooking in the UK, Thanksgiving or otherwise. Most recipes and instructions for cooking here come with either Celsius degree indications or “Gas Mark” directions rather than what we’re accustomed to in the US (Fahrenheit). 180 degrees Celsius is 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 400 degrees Fahrenheit is Gas Mark 7, where as 350F is Gas Mark 5 (I think). My favorite converter that I go to every time I cook an American recipe is found here.
After a marathon cooking session that saw the birth of a new dish, Caramel Praline Sweet Potatoes (with Pecans), we sat down to a meal with my new family, but somehow it wasn’t Thanksgiving. I don’t know what it is that makes it different “back home,” really, but something was off. Perhaps that’s how my own mother feels every year that she’s had to cook a Thanksgiving dinner and then can finally sit down and leave the kitchen for a bit. It’s a bit surreal.
Another helpful thing for those that find themselves in the UK long enough to miss American food (or those trying to re-create an American holiday meal) is the internet, specifically mail order sites that deal in American foods. My current favorite is the Stateside Candy Company, which do a lot more than just candies and sweets. I get the Pepperidge Farm Stuffing needed for the cornbread dressing there, as well as Libby’s pumpkin/pumpkin pie mix and Pop Tarts and lots of other things. The prices are fairly reasonable too, which never hurts.
So Liz and I wowed our inlaws with our attempt at American Thanksgiving, and we’ve had requests for a followup performance next year. I’m hoping to be in the US for Thanksgiving but if not, I’ll be heading to Sainsbury’s again, ready to add Kraft Mac and Cheese to the menu I think.
It’s a vegetable, after all. Thankfully.
Thanksgiving in Yorkshire
My sister-in-law (married to my husband’s brother) and I are both American, and this year we threw a Thanksgiving feast for our English inlaws. Should you ever find yourself in the UK on Thanksgiving and decide that a turkey dinner can’t be THAT difficult…well, it can be done, but it’s a bit tricky.
We planned our menu in advance, knowing two things to be truth-facts: Our inlaws save her husband and daughter had never had a “real” Thanksgiving dinner and there was no way we were going to attempt a turkey big enough to feed eleven people. We kicked around a few ideas in October and I brought some things back from my trip home at the end of the month (including my mother’s cornbread dressing recipe), then on the day decided to just see what the local Sainsbury’s had to offer and go from there.
Our inlaws almost had chicken for Thanksgiving.
Turkey is not as widely eaten here as it is in the States, I’m assuming. We found some 6-8lb turkeys but they were so very small and frozen solid. Seriously, could have been used as a WEAPON frozen solid. I mean thaw out in the fridge for two-three days in advance frozen. The kind butcher at Sainsbury’s in Wakefield giggled when we asked if there was a faster way to thaw out the turkey, bless him. Just as we’d given up and resigned ourselves to purchasing two whole chickens with various and sundry stuffings and rubs, we happened upon Cook From Frozen turkey roasts in the freezer section. It was a Thanksgiving miracle.
Here are some things that may help should you ever find yourself cooking in the UK, Thanksgiving or otherwise. Most recipes and instructions for cooking here come with either Celsius degree indications or “Gas Mark” directions rather than what we’re accustomed to in the US (Fahrenheit). 180 degrees Celsius is 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 400 degrees Fahrenheit is Gas Mark 7, where as 350F is Gas Mark 5 (I think). My favorite converter that I go to every time I cook an American recipe is found here.
After a marathon cooking session that saw the birth of a new dish, Caramel Praline Sweet Potatoes (with Pecans), we sat down to a meal with my new family, but somehow it wasn’t Thanksgiving. I don’t know what it is that makes it different “back home,” really, but something was off. Perhaps that’s how my own mother feels every year that she’s had to cook a Thanksgiving dinner and then can finally sit down and leave the kitchen for a bit. It’s a bit surreal.
Another helpful thing for those that find themselves in the UK long enough to miss American food (or those trying to re-create an American holiday meal) is the internet, specifically mail order sites that deal in American foods. My current favorite is the Stateside Candy Company, which do a lot more than just candies and sweets. I get the Pepperidge Farm Stuffing needed for the cornbread dressing there, as well as Libby’s pumpkin/pumpkin pie mix and Pop Tarts and lots of other things. The prices are fairly reasonable too, which never hurts.
So Liz and I wowed our inlaws with our attempt at American Thanksgiving, and we’ve had requests for a followup performance next year. I’m hoping to be in the US for Thanksgiving but if not, I’ll be heading to Sainsbury’s again, ready to add Kraft Mac and Cheese to the menu I think.
It’s a vegetable, after all. Thankfully.