Celebrating Thanksgiving

Celebrating Thanksgiving

If you feel a sense of gratitude for all the good things in life or simply want to indulge in good food with family and friends, here’s an occasion: Thanksgiving Day. The fourth Thursday of November is marked for the yearly celebrations, so hotels across the city are busy gearing up for November 23. Though a must-have dish of the feast is the traditional Stuffed Turkey, chefs in Pune are coming up with other interesting recipes as well.  

Anirban Dasgupta, executive chef, Hyatt Regency Pune, says, “With Thanksgiving being celebrated worldwide, India too is gearing up for it with the same enthusiasm. The centrepiece of a Thanksgiving dinner has always been the Turkey with the equally important dessert, Plum Pudding.” Talking about the dinner and this year’s theme at Hyatt,

Dasgupta says, “We are adding elements of Indian food from grills to roasts to the menu along with Thanksgiving dinner spread which will have traditional dishes of the Christian community belonging to places like Goa, Kerala, Kolkata and the North East.” The ingredients together will create a cultural melange, and the spread will be made from fresh and local produce, he adds.

Thanksgiving does not always have to be about rich food. You can try a few healthy options too. Praduman Bisht, executive sous chef, Marriott Suites, Pune, says, “Nowadays, a lot of people prefer to eat healthy food rather than eating an entire Stuffed Turkey. This Thanksgiving, we are planning a lighter meal and will include more salad options like Kale and Pomegranate Salad, Avocado and Cucumber Bites, Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon and Honey, and also a healthy roasted Pumpkin Soup. Also, the traditional Turkey Roulade is healthier than Roast Turkey with sides like steamed Brussel Sprouts, Roasted Carrots and Apple Cider Gravy that has less calories.”

Talking about the new trends that come up every Thanksgiving season, Christian Huber, chef de cuisine, Alto Vino, JW Marriott, Pune, says, “A trend that has recently surfaced is, having the veggies like carrots, collard greens and so on as charred and smoked. This adds a whole new flavour to the otherwise bland veggies.” The chef also mentions the irreplaceable and the season’s favourite — Meringue Pie Cupcakes that have all the goodness of a torched Meringue, delicious yet subtle sweetness of the pie filling and all in a size of a cupcake.

Thanksgiving brunch at Alto Vino will have a variety of traditional specialities such as Turkey, Minced Meat Pie, Bacon-wrapped Beans, Pumpkin Soup, to name a few. The delicacies at the brunch will have influences from the Italian cuisine making it an even more delectable treat for diners and for bringing people from different cultures and communities together.

Giving out a healthy tip for calorie-conscious diners, Huber says that turkey has two types of meat — light and dark, and calorie conscious diners can opt for the healthier light meat from the breast rather than consuming dark meat sourced from the legs and thighs of the turkey. “Skip the skin of the Turkey. Although very rich, the skin has very high calorie count,” he adds.

Thanksgiving provides an opportunity for families to wine and dine together at leisure and Mandar Madav, executive chef, Hotel Conrad Pune, will be making sure that the guests take home some good memories. He says, “We, at Coriander Kitchen, will be hosting an exclusive Thanksgiving dinner offering the best traditional recipes along with contemporary dishes to tantalise the taste buds.” The chef has curated a special menu which includes Porchetta, Roast Fingerling Potato, Apple Sauce, Green Bean Casserole, to name a few.
The chefs also share some Thanksgiving recipes with us

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