Growing up with vegetarians, a hearty turkey dinner was never the focus of our Thanksgiving celebrations. There was family, food and loads of laughs but no elaborate spread nor visitors from out of town. I anticipated the holiday more for its day-off perks than the all-day cooking and eating affair it entailed.
But after six years of celebrating amongst nostalgic expats in Paris, I have gradually become more invested in making the holiday a special moment with friends. Beginning in September/October, plans are hatched, edible contributions are assigned to an enthusiastic group and recipe-scouring (mostly for dessert) takes precedence over other tasks. And while there is invariably a substitution to be made – a chicken instead of turkey due to oven capacity, for one – it’s the French custom of l’apéro I enjoy most about each year’s festivities.
Similar to the cocktail hour in the States, this is the moment at the end of the day when savory nibbles are served alongside seemingly free-flowing glasses of wine, beer, pastis or fruit juice for the rare teetotaler. During the work week, this ‘hour’ might spill over into an entire evening of drunken merriment, but usually serves to free us from our worries and ready…
