It is one of my favorite times of the year: Thanksgiving. Remember last month when I said Halloween was my favorite holiday? Well yeah, forget that, Thanksgiving is it. A holiday where the sole activity is eating good food? Um yes please! One Thanksgiving I will never forget is going to my family friend’s house where I ate my first American-style Thanksgiving dinner. It was so amazing. I was eating things I only saw on TV and in movies. It’s not to say that I don’t eat on Thanksgiving. However, coming from a family that is Dominican our dishes get altered to better fit our arsenal of family favorite dishes. So if you want to spice up your Thanksgiving dinner this year, consider swapping your favorites for their Dominican substitute.
Turkey
Pernil is what a typical Dominican feast centers around. It is a slowly cooked pork roast, and it is sold with the skin still on which gives it that distinct chewy note. Pernil is usually the centerpiece like turkey would be. Many may confuse it for pulled pork, however, in my experience pulled pork has more juice whereas pernil is dryer.
Stuffing
Moro de gandules is whole wheat rice typically with gandules, which are pigeon peas. The beans are mixed into the rice which is delicious. This dish to be honest is made at least once a week in my household since it goes well with anything. This recipe includes coconut milk, which makes the rice really soft and gives it that tropical note.
Mac and Cheese
Spaghetti with red sauce is the traditional route. You can’t go anywhere without someone’s tia bringing this along in their bag. Whether you’re going to the beach, the waterpark, or someone’s birthday party, it’s always there as a staple. It’s simple to make and it’s able to feed a lot of people. A lot of purists will state that you have to add Dominican salami, however, I could take it or leave it.
Lasagna is my favorite type of pasta. It may seem random; however, this is what my family makes. Personally, my mom’s lasagna is my favorite. She goes easy with the seasoning, but not too much where it’s bland and lackluster. This is my favorite part of Thanksgiving because nine times out of ten my mom is tasked with making this dish.
Salad
Potato Salad easily has my heart. This dish goes right along with spaghetti with red sauce with it being a staple at every Dominican event. It’s one of those dishes that you think it’s gross when you’re a kid, however, when you grow up you can’t get enough of it. My grandmother added pieces of green apples into it which gives it a fresh fruity crunch in every bite.
Pumpkin Pie
Traditional Thanksgiving feasts have pumpkin pie, and Dominicans have flan. It’s a firm custard that tastes amazing. The sauce on top is just a homemade caramel sauce and it sweetens up the dish amazingly. I personally go for apple pie with vanilla ice cream before I go for flan. Just because flan is a bit too sweet for me. However, you can’t beat homemade flan.
If you want to make a splash at your traditional Thanksgiving feast, try out one of their counterparts to switch things up!