Friendsgiving in Paris
Hi friends,
It’s that time of year when the days get shorter and the yearning for all things cozy and warm start to seep in. As the honorary “American friend” in many of my social circles, I often get asked questions about Thanksgiving and if it’s truly anything like the movies. Coming from a big Asian American family, Thanksgiving has always been a memorable event. Usually, we eat potluck style with an assortment of traditional Asian and American dishes. It’s pretty informal with multiple rounds of eating, serving yourself dessert, and plastic bags full of leftovers at the end of the meal. The atmosphere is cozy, wholesome, and especially humbling as I reconnect with cousins, aunts, and uncles that I only see a few times per year.
Now that I’m increasingly settled into my life in Paris, this year marks my third time hosting Friendsgiving. A whole turkey is a bit difficult to come by in Paris, so typically I serve pre-made rotisserie chicken as I still don’t have the culinary skills to cook a whole bird on my own. Mind you, I’m still on a budget so I present to you my home-cooked Friendsgiving in Paris:
The menu:
Rotisserie Chicken
Roasted Garlic Potatoes
My own improvised recipe of olive oil, crushed garlic, herbes, salt & pepper.
Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows
I use about half the amount of butter and sugar called for.
Canned Corn
Hot Apple Cider
Simple apple juice heated up on the stove with a dash of cinnamon.
Don’t forget to place a baking sheet underneath your pie pin for easy serving.
To make it a bit more interesting, I asked my friends from all around the world to bring a dish from their home country. Here’s what everyone brought:
Salmon Quiche & Gingerbread Cookies (Finland)
Cucumber Gratin, fresh bread and saucisson (France)
Borscht Soup (Russia)
Mint Tea (Morocco)
Fresh Veggie Salad (Serbia)
Panzanella (Italy)
Marble Cake (United Kingdom)
Hosting is one of my favorite things to do. Since my college years, I started to host my own birthday parties, complete with a theme and catering all done on my own. Now that I’ve become more skilled at cooking these dishes, I finished in record time this year: one hour before guest arrival. I must admit, I was a bit too quick as my food quickly got cold on the table and my oven is too small to keep everything warm. So new rookie mistake learned…
To me hosting is the finest form of showing gratitude, appreciation, and affection for those I hold most dear. I feel so lucky that I’m able to host so many people in my lovely flat in Paris and I’m grateful for the chance to create shared memories with the friends whom I’m proud to call my family.
To close, here are some things I’m thankful for this year:
Good health. Rarely do I ever get sick and I try not to take it for granted.
My new job working for a French fashion brand.
Old friends who have lived with me through different eras. New friends who have welcomed me into their world.
Officially graduating this year with my Masters in Luxury and Design Management.
My ever-so charming and increasingly homey Parisian flat.
My family back home. Especially my parents who never miss a moment to tell me how proud they are of their daughter who lives in Paris.
What are you thankful for? Let me know in the comments section down below.
À bientôt,
Kiana