I enjoyed reading this fascinating post. It sounds like you really made the best of your Thanksgiving Valerie.
I love the Italian traditions and celebrations too, especially at this time of year. There is something more 'real' and less commercial about an Italian Christmas,at least that's how it seems in the more rural areas. It's such a joy to take the children into the local churches to look at the nativity scenes, in the late afternoon when the churches are lit with candle light it is just magical and we feel so lucky to be a part of it.
This year we have family from England visiting us for Christmas and so the search for a 'whole turkey' is on!! Wish me luck!
My husband Marcel is Canadian, so his Thanksgiving is on a different day, in October. We try and celebrate it here anyway. We cook a piece of turkey in a pan instead of the oven, and we cook the stuffing separately in the oven.
We generally cook it in some alternative way. Last year we had turkey breast in pancetta for instance. But it is so true that the succulent roasted bird is so much nicer!!!
Amanda - I feel that way, too. It seems less "hyped up", though I admit that this year many of the shops in the centro put up decorations earlier. They are all saying "times are tough, we're trying to drum up interest." But the lights are just starting to be strung across the narrow streets, and they're setting up the skating rink in the piazza. I wrote about the presepi (along with panettone and prosecco) last December, if you'd like to read it.
Gloria - thanks! I always thought the Canadian date made more sense...more harvest still in progress! It is amazing how many variations you can do with turkey breast when given a chance. We'd never really done much other than roasted turkey, but I like the cutlets and making them all'Italiana. Your pancetta version sounds good.
Great story, Valerie! Makes me long for the Christmas markets of Italy, with the nuts and wonderful mulled wine (is it vin brulee it is called? I think I remember them calling it that in Bologna.)
The story also reminded me of celebrating an American Thanksgiving in Bologna five years ago. I was getting my master's degree at an international program with about 50% of the people coming from the US. I was on student government, and one of our tasks was to organize a Thanksgiving dinner for 200 students, plus faculty, staff, and other guests. (I enjoyed the irony of a Norwegian being in charge of putting on the ultimate US holiday!)
We went to a wonderful rosticceria just outside of Porta Santo Stefano, where we made an order for a lot of turkeys (17, if I remember correctly!) They prepared them and roasted them and delivered them to us - and they were soooo good! The American students all brought side dishes and it all turned out wonderfully. There were even some leftovers to take home! One of my favorite things about being in an international environment is to be able to enjoy other people's holidays and festivities.
Chiocciola - That is funny that you were in charge of the Thanksgiving party! Glad it turned out so beautifully. Yes, vin brule` is the spiced wine. Yummy!
