A Memorable Friendsgiving
/by AJ Dronkers
Nothing says the holidays like a proper dry run a few weeks before Thanksgiving with friends. This past weekend I hosted my first Friendsgiving of the season with ten friends in my small DC studio. Instead of stressing how much I could pull off with my small oven and four burners I opted for a delivery, pressure free evening with Occasions Caters Thanksgiving To Go program.
With so many options available, I decided to base my pairings with some seasonal beer from Tröegs Brewing. My fridge fully stocked with Mad Elf, Blizzard Hops, and their Cranberry & Blood Orange Tart Ale, I perused Tröegs online food notes helping me identify the proper contrasting and complimentary flavors.
My notes:
Mad Elf: Mushrooms, Pecans, Butter, Corn
Blizzard Hops: Cauliflower, Roasted Beets, Rosemary, Black Peppercorn
The best part about having everything prepared and delivered by one of DC’s top catering companies was I could focus on getting my apartment ready and an epic tablescape. I spent the evening before working on a DIY magnolia garland runner as I had been collecting dried magnolia leaves with my boyfriend for a few months. You simply bunch roughly five magnolia leaves together and then wrap about five inches of copper wire around the stems to keep them together. I made about twenty sets for an eight feet garland. At this stage, cut your rope to your desired length and start to attach the magnolia leaves to the rope with additional copper wire carefully overlapping each set.
The Occasions team delivered all the food promptly with all the garnishes and re-heating instructions for a successful evening. Our menu included:
Rosemary Roasted Pecans
Warm Mushroom Fondue with Buttered Toast Points
Corn Soufflé
Harvest Greens Salad with Rosemary Poached Pear and Pecans
Roasted Root Vegetables with Squash, Celeriac, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, and Leeks
Buttermilk Whipped Mashed Potatoes with Butter
Herb & Butter Basted Turkey
Turkey Gravy
Cranberry & Blood Orange Relish
Maple Pumpkin Pie
