My First Thanksgiving

Not many Americans realize that Thanksgiving is a fairly new holiday and it has not always been celebrated as we do today.

Until 1941, when the US Congress decreed that Thanksgiving would be officially celebrated the fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving had been celebrated only sporadically in a few States and then not even on the same date.

Thanksgiving is a uniquely North American holiday and I did not grow up celebrating it since it was not observed in Cuba, where I was born.   Even though my mother is American, she was already living in Cuba when Thanksgiving became recognized as a National American Holiday.

My first experience at a traditional American Thanksgiving celebration came about in 1959, when my family was living on a small tropical island south of Cuba called the Isle of Pines, (later changed by the Cuban government to the Isle of Youth in 1978).  Even that experience was influenced with the foods of the island and from other cultures.

My Mother was teaching at an American school in Nueva Gerona, the little island's capital and I was working as secretary to the manager of a large resort hotel, located on the west coast of the island.  I don't remember who came up with the idea, but the complete American colony living on the island decided to celebrate the holiday together.

On Thanksgiving Day of 1959, every single American and their families and even people of other nationalities living on the island, about a 150 people, got together for a huge potluck meal.    

Several turkeys were prepared and all the trimmings we have come to associate with the "traditional Thanksgiving meal", plus an assortment of traditional dishes from the other nationalities represented, as well as several Cuban dishes; such as a small roasted pig, both ripe and green fried plantains, rice and black beans, guava shells in syrup  and many others.

I remember that a family friend had prepared a big glass punchbowl full of ambrosia using a large variety of tropical fruits and finished by slicing some starfruit and fresh shredded coconut into the mix. 

Our family's contribution to the feast was an approximately 20 to 25 pound bread pudding made with sliced almonds and rum soaked raisins in a large stockpot following my own Cuban grandmother's recipe.  I remember how precarious a job it was to unmold this gigantic bread pudding onto a large platter lined with banana leaves while everyone watching stood holding their breath.

The following recipe might not seem like something you would serve at Thanksgiving, but it is reproduced from the one I tasted on that day and it was used as the stuffing inside one of the turkeys.  Through the years I have played with it and refined it until I was satisfied.  It eventually became one of the popular recipes in my cooking school's repertoire.

MACADAMIA-PINEAPPLE RICE PILAF

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice

2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 medium white onion, diced

1/4 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced

3 cups strong chicken or turkey stock (*)

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup chopped macadamia or other nuts 

1 fresh sage leaf

Salt to taste

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup diced pineapple

Preheat oven to 375oF.    In a flameproof casserole, melt butter at medium-high and add the rice.   Stir for a few seconds until the rice is coated, but not long enough to let rice change color.   Add the garlic, onions, red and yellow bell peppers and cook a few more seconds.

Add the chicken stock and bring mixture to a gentle boil.   Add the raisins, nuts, sage and salt.   Cover and place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.   Remove dish from oven and let it rest (without uncovering) for another 10 minutes.   Add the cilantro and pineapple bits.  Season if necessary and serve at once.

If using as stuffing for a turkey you need to double the recipe.

(*) I like to mix chicken or turkey stock and the juice from the pineapple to make up the 3 cups of liquid needed.

If using salted nuts in this dish remember to adjust seasonings.