Marit says, "Holiday Cooking is for the Birds."

by Marit Schroeder, intern

Well I did it. My first major holiday without my parents cooking for me, and it worked out just fine! Don’t get me wrong, I had other family in town to celebrate and cook with, but I’m allowed to be a little dramatic about cooking a holiday meal, I think.

When I first found out my parents wouldn’t be in town for Thanksgiving, I was given the major task of cooking the turkey for my 14 other family members. Talk about feeling overwhelmed!

Everyone here at Bite & Booze was super helpful with tips and tricks about how to cook the perfect turkey. Luckily, I have an aunt who took over the last minute stress to cook the turkey.

Rid of the turkey pressure, my next task proved to be even trickier: cook the food for my vegetarian family members. I love myself some meat, and it was hard to focus on a meal plan revolving around vegetables. As much as I enjoy them as a side dish, translating that into a more hearty meal was a challenge.

For an appetizer, we started out with a salmon mousse and cucumbers for dipping. Not so shockingly, my sister and I had never made mousse before so it came out like a cheese dip. It was definitely delicious as a dip even though it should have been more of a gelatin mold. Clearly my college culinary skills need improvement.

Salmon Mousse with cucumbers.

Next, we had to change up the stuffing and made ours with herbed wild rice and quinoa. Quinoa has been rocking the food world for the past few years and it’s a great grain substitute or complement for a plethora of dishes.

Vegetarian dressing featuring wild rice and quinoa.

Lastly, and most easily, I was in charge of a cheese tray. I took care of this by heading down to Calandro’s and picking up some of their pre-made cheese balls and fancy cheeses from the deli. 

Fancy Cheeses and accouterments from Calandro's

All in all, though daunting, I felt accomplished at the end of the day. It was a Happy Thanksgiving to all at my house, even for those non-vegetarians!

Sadly, this is my last post as a Bite & Booze intern. I hope you’ve enjoyed my grandmother’s recipe for red gravy and learning about my first brewery experience during our Hot Chicken on a Tin Roof event. Most importantly, I’m leaving behind the valuable (and expert) knowledge of where to find the best frozen daiquiris around town!