Alexi's Restaurant (Thanksgiving)

   Of course, it wasn't a restaurant, but I did host Thanksgiving dinner, with a little help from my friends. Our friend's sister-in-law is American, but because they keep kosher, it would have been nearly impossible to do it at their house. I volunteered, warning them that I'd never actually cooked a turkey before. That's what Grandmas, Moms, and Mothers-in-law are for, right? And the Thanksgiving before me moved, we took advantage of one of those "Complete Thanksgiving Dinners in a Box" from the grocery store. Nevertheless, I agreed to try, especially when Melanie promised to come over and help me get it into the often. 
   Turkeys aren't as popular here, at least not until Christmas. Some specialty butchers offer them at exorbitant prices. Good ol' Costco saved the day, having stocked the fresh turkeys specifically for "American Thanksgiving." It was actually kind of fun hanging out at the cooler where they were located, as everyone there was an American. And they were only $7/kg. My $50 bird was clean and ready to go, a bargain compared to what some of my expat friends paid. There was some concern it wouldn't fit in the oven (many Aussie ovens are a lot smaller than US ones) but it did. And it came out beautifully, if do say so myself:

   Melanie has asked her husband to purchase lots of decorations on his last trip to the US, so with Andy's help, the dining room looked quite festive.

 We divided up the food duties. Melanie's husband made a fabulous butternut squash soup, and she made pumpkin and pecan pies, as well as the stuffing and corn bread. Our Aussie friends brought a salad and smashed potatoes. I did the turkey, sweet potato casserole (no mini marshmallows on top since I couldn't find them and figured the Aussies would be very scared of that!) green beans, glazed carrots, rolls, cranberry sauce, cherry pie, and fudge. It was a little painful to pay $14 for the frozen cranberries, but I was lucky to even find them (thank goodness for the shared knowledge of other American expats.) You can't have thanksgiving without cranberry sauce, right? 

Lots of food, lots of leftovers

Sparkling shiraz was the wine of choice on a warm evening

   While we greatly miss our friends and family back home, we feel very thankful to have wonderful friends to share this special meal with. Our Aussie friends have introduced us to new traditions and customs, it was nice to be able to do the same for them. Unlike the issues with Halloween, it's hard to find fault with a non-commercial holiday that celebrates friends, family, and everything that you're thankful for.