That was the small number of Canucks that were representing at our triple-hosted get-together yesterday. Despite the small number of Canadians (with Australia and the United States being well represented), we had a typical Canadian Thanksgiving Feast (Mostly) Vegan Style!
The kitchen fun started on Saturday night, when, after a long day of hunting around Brussels looking for canned pumpkin (and then paying a painful 3 euros per 250gram can) I got to work on a couple of the recipes that I knew could handle the overnight wait for visitors. I am so glad I started on Saturday night because the wrestling match I had with Vegan Planet's homemade raw setian recipe was both hilarious and messy - I covered my kitchen in flour - it was everywhere......wow....hats off to clear instructions. Not until I was elbow deep in a sloppy 9lb mess of soaking wet flour did I realize how essential clarity in cook books really is. In the end, I ended up with more of a baked bread roll (stuffed with uber delicious stuffing), but was pretty disappointed with the non-seitan results....even after the third attempt :)
I went with pretty classic fare, honouring my Canadian mom, who was enjoying her Thanksgiving with my brother, his partner, my sister and my dad in Ottawa. I went with my mom's delicious Carrots, Garlic and Rosemary dish, Green Beans and Tomatoes sauteed in garlic, Roasted and Mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. The three dishes I am most proud of though are: Chestnut, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing, Vegan Mushroom Gravy & the Pumpkin Pie.
Kim, K and I went to Flagey Market uber early on Sunday morning and then we all rushed back to attack the rest of the cooking and cleaning. A fellow Canuck came over around three and de-veganized my oven, but he redeemed himself by getting the Gravy started.
It was an amazing night that made me realize how much work it must be for parents (especially single ones) who go all out for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Between the shopping, house cleaning, cooking/baking and hosting it is exhausting. I can not imagine adding three kids to the total! Mom - you are my hero for yet another reason.
