So, something you may not know about me is that I nicknamed my husband Fat. It’s not meant to be mean. In fact, I think I started calling him Fatty when we first started dating 100 years ago when he was a svelte hockey player. Anyway, so “Fatty” became “Fat” became incorporating the word “fat” into regular conversation, e.g. “Fat’s getting on my nerves. I want to repaint the kitchen, but he’s being so fat about it.” The best analogy I can think of is the way the Smurfs substitute in the word “smurf” all the time. Hence, “Happy Fatsgiving!”
This year, Thanksgiving (or Fatsgiving) was held at the house JP and I share in Atlanta. So, not only was this our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, it was also our first year as hosts. I guess I should have been more nervous about it (my long-time BF texted me to wish me good luck), but I figured it was just us and our two sets of parents, so even if we wrecked it they’d have to love us anyway. Well, it was a non-issue because everything turned out great. All the food came out really well, there was no family drama, and everyone left the meal full and happy. In the future, I might put a little more effort into the decor (I was only rocking was a burgundy tablecloth I borrowed from my mom), but other than that, I think I’ll stick with what works for the time being.
For the turkey, we used Alton Brown’s Roast Turkey recipe. For this recipe, you take a five-gallon bucket ($2 at Home Depot), fill it with a stove-top brine you make the night before, and submerge your thawed turkey in it (in the fridge) overnight the evening before you plan to roast it. The recipe is accompanied by a few short, explanatory videos that I recommend. They are only about 2-3 min. apiece, and for someone who’s never roasted a turkey before, I found them very helpful. They also made me laugh because they warn you against the bad advice your relatives are bound to offer, and my mom had given me literally all of that same advice the day before. Ha!
Check out this Fat making an INSANE face while holding an electric knife. That's our perfect turkey in the background.
We also made green bean casserole, courtesy of Paula Deen, Carrabba’s-style mashed potatoes, and this amazing side salad with apples, pears, and walnuts that felt very seasonal (it’s even vegan, but I added goat cheese crumbles). So delicious! My mom brought a pan of cornbread-style stuffing, and JP’s mom contributed an apple AND a pumpkin pie. These delicious dishes coupled with our new (surprisingly large) plates meant that there were almost no leftovers despite having a 20 lb. turkey for only six people. It was the fattest Fatsgiving ever!
So if you find yourself in the position of hosting your first Fatsgiving (or any holiday meal), just remember that if a goof like me can pull it off, you can too. As long as you follow a few good recipes, you can’t really go wrong. That’s the magic of cooking.
Do you contribute dishes to your family holidays? If so, do you have any awesome recipes to pass along?