When I found out that my sister and cousin weren’t going to be able to make it back home for Thanksgiving, I decided I would go to them for the holiday. That’s how, while most everybody was traveling home for Thanksgiving, I found myself getting ready to hop across the pond—to Paris!
I arrived at Charles de Gaulle early Wednesday morning and spent the day with my sister at her school. The next day was spent entirely in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner. We were cooking for thirteen and were determined to help host the best Friendsgiving ever. Our menu was a follows:
Appetizers:
- Crostini platter with cheese and prosciutto
- Prosciutto wrapped grilled asparagus
Main Dinner:
- Roasted cauliflower
- Roasted brussel sprouts
- Mashed potatoes
- Marshmallow candied sweet potatoes
- Mac and cheese
- Stuffing
- Persimon, date, and arugula salad
- Turkey
Dessert:
- Apple Pie
We started by picking up four baguettes and a loaf of bread from one of the hundreds of boulangeries in Paris. Next we went to the Carrefour for the rest of the ingredients. As a result of poor planning, my sister and I ended up lugging all of our groceries onto the subway. It was quite a struggle, but we finally made it to her friend’s family apartment. After ogling at the amazing view of the Eiffel Tower from the apartment for about half an hour and prematurely consuming one of the baguettes, my sister and I set to work on dinner preparations along with the help of several of her friends.
About five hours later after only encountering a few minor hiccups, dinner was ready. We couldn’t find a turkey, so we had three chickens instead, the brussel sprouts were burned beyond the point of edibility, and the mashed potatoes were a little too lumpy, but overall the night was a huge success. One of the most magical moments of the evening was watching the Eiffel Tower light up with my cousin.
With our remaining days in Paris, my sister and I had tea at Ladurée, visted the Louvre, shopped at the Christmas market on the Champs de Élysées, ate amazing falafel in the Jewish quarter, and went clubbing with our cousin. It was by far the most unsual Thanksgiving I’ve ever had, but definitely one that I’ll remember forever.