Though my abroad program hosted a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner for students who were soon departing like myself on Thursday, the day after on Black Friday I hosted a late Thanksgiving of my own. I had an American friend, an Italian friend, a German friend, and a Dutch friend join me. It felt fulfilling showing them to this American holiday, especially since it revolves around food and eating together. I figured it was a good representation of the lighter side of American culture.
My idea was to make a menu that consisted of a couple American classics with an Italian spin. I made a slow roasted pumpkin and leek stuffed chicken with gravy and garlic mashed potatoes, and then a tripe stew made the Italian way simmered with tomatoes, herbs, and chilis.
My friend Luca brought fried rabbit with peppers which is in the metal bowl on the far side of the table. The chicken is in the white bowl in the center, and the tripe is closest to the camera. The rabbit was absolutely delicious. Of course, it was a recipe from Luca's Nonna. We enjoyed a wonderful meal with lots of laughs and good conversation. My German and Dutch friends even tried tripe for the first time. They liked everything about it but the texture. Luca was happy, because this meant for tripe for him.