A guest blog from Erika Ulring
Happy early Thanksgiving! For foodies, this is the ultimate holiday. It’s a great excuse to spend all day in the kitchen, cook up culinary treats and spread a full feast for family, friends and guests. And, in addition to the traditional spread shared with family, there’s a fun trend called Friendsgiving that’s gaining in popularity. This is Thanksgiving with friends. Simple. The bonus, though, is that because it’s often held before the actual Thanksgiving holiday, it can serve as an environment to try new recipes and get a bit more creative.
I recently had the pleasure of joining friends for an early Friendsgiving with a distinct culinary focus. All who came brought a dish and our hosts cooked the fowl: fried turkey, bacon-wrapped duck and game hen. Nobody went hungry!
To complement the meat, sides included risotto with dried cranberries, mashed potatoes loaded with butter (so delish!) and a traditional sweet potato casserole. Both the potato dishes went too quickly to capture, but below is the risotto, which was also amazing and seasonal.
Also featured among the spread, and available early for hungry nibblers, was a table full of veggies, cheese and dips with crackers and bread.
Now, we come to my favorite part: dessert! We may have gone a bit overboard here. Included among the spread was local San Diego favorite Julian apple pie; pecan pie, and peaches and cream pie, both made by yours truly; homemade lemon cheesecake, which had a refreshing zest; and an absolutely beautiful fruit tart.
Great food with great friends, that’s what Friendsgiving is all about. Hope you find the opportunity to host a gathering of your own or are lucky enough to get an invite to a Friendsgiving near you.
Cheers!
Erika Ulring is a member of Fleishman-Hillard’s San Diego office.
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