Thanksgiving in Basel

Rena and I have begun discussing Thanksgiving. It's early yet, so we're not too stressed about it, but we're planning: how many can we have over? What sort of dietary restrictions do people have? What kind of stuffing should we make? In or out of the bird (or both)? And, most importantly, where are we going to find a whole turkey in Switzerland (and how much is it going to cost us)?

Last night, Rena was googling Ina Garten as we sat together on the couch watching a Mad Men marathon (it was a very good night). We perused the food network website too, salivating over all kinds of Thanksgiving recipes. Roasted winter vegetables. Rosemary cashews. Pecan pie. Times like these, I wish I had two stomachs.

At one point, she looked at me and said, "Do you have any special requests for the menu? Anything you need for Thanksgiving to be Thanksgiving?" And, I said no.

She seemed a little surprised. Upon further reflection, so am I, actually. No specific Thanksgiving requests? Really? I LOVE Thanksgiving. What is up with that?

I do have specific foods that I associate with Thanksgiving, like everybody else. My Aunt Barbara's sweet potatoes and apples, for example. I love that recipe, but I don't really like to make it myself. I prefer to eat Aunt Barbara's recipe from her very own pyrex dish while sitting across the table from her.

What I like most about my mother's sage stuffing is watching her mix it up in our big yellow mixing bowl, bread crumbs with melted butter, chopped celery and onions...it's been the same as long as I can remember. It's a Thanksgiving I can count on.

Of course, I can't always have Thanksgiving at home. Sometimes, I'm in a hotel room. Sometimes I have an apartment, but I'm subsisting with 2 burners and a microwave. A person in my position can't always count on Thanksgiving being predictable or traditional.

This year is no different. No Mom. No Aunt Barbara. Maybe no turkey! Rena and I are blazing a new trail in Basel, so why not start by christening a new menu? Rena's gluten-free, so...maybe wild rice stuffing? One can't walk two blocks in this town without being tempted by the street vendors offering heisse marroni (roasted chestnuts), 3 Francs per 100 grams. Maybe we can do something with those, too, as a subtle homage to fall in Europe. In addition to the Americans that we have invited, we're also having guests who hail from the Ukraine and Mexico. Maybe we can incorporate something yummy from those cultures? At this point, the options are endless!

Rena and I have 10 days to make a menu, divvy up the responsibility, and whip our little apartment into festive splendor. I may not be sure what this Thankgiving is going to taste like, but I'm already sure that it will be a wonderful holiday with all the necessary Thanksgiving ingredients: a toasty house with a bustling kitchen, a table full of delicious food prepared with love and care (and research!), and some wonderful friends to share it all with.

So far in this life, no matter where I am, what size my kitchen, or how far away I get from my traditional Thanksgiving at home, I've always been able to celebrate in a way that makes me feel like I've had Thanksgiving. I'm very thankful for that.

Happy Holiday, everybody!