An Asian-American Thanksgiving—Recipe Ideas

Plus, Sangkaya Fak Thong (Thai Pumpkin Custard) courtesy of Linh Song

So here it is, the day before Thanksgiving, and I still have no idea what I am going to cook. I was sorely tempted last week by the "Vegan Holiday Meal" package being sold by Whole Foods Market (dinner for 6 for only $49.99!), but I hesitated too long and missed my chance for an easy way out. Last week, I was looking forward to cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Today I am not so sure. I cannot close my pantry door because of the gigantic box of shitake mushrooms and the enormous bag of pine nuts I bought from Costco. My refrigerator is stuffed full with groceries that have to be cooked. There is no backing down now. I have to cook something. But what?

The newspaper and magazine articles that always come out at this time of year give me some ideas, but mostly ideas about what I do not want to eat. What is it with bread stuffing? It’s always dry and lumpy and bland. I just don’t get it. Of course, I don’t normally eat bread, either.

I usually try to make dishes that are in-season and echo traditional Thanksgiving dishes but with an Asian flair, like a shitake mushroom gravy, a Thai-style butternut squash curry, and a sticky rice stuffing.

This year, I thought I would try to make more western-style food, but so far everything’s been falling flat. I was going to make a cornbread-chestnut-squash stuffing, but the cornbread I made (two days in advance, like the recipe says), smells like fish for some reason. I was also going to make sweet potato medallions—sweet potatoes with maple syrup glaze on top, but at the last minute, I could not bring myself to use maple syrup and glazed them with soy sauce instead.

My husband just laughs at my trauma, "Why are you bothering with western food? Just make whatever you want."

"But it’s Thanksgiving. You’re supposed to have Thanksgiving food—squash and sweet potatoes and stuffing."

"Why? You don’t like any of those things anyways. Why not make something you like, something that’s good?"

My Aunt Lily calls and asks if I know about the Thanksgiving dinner being held at Weber’s Inn, a local hotel. When I say no, she asks me what I am going to cook. Her two sons and their families are coming into town and she was going to take them out somewhere so they could have a turkey dinner, but both her sons said that they would rather have her dumplings and steamed buns.

So now I am back at the beginning. What to make for Thanksgiving? Here are some ideas of Thanksgiving-style dishes with an Asian flair to spark your cooking talents. Write in and let us know what you are making this year! Send us your recipes too! I’ve got to go cook now.

Turkey equivalent:

• Roast Turkey glazed in teriyaki sauce
• Roast duck with sticky rice stuffing
• Steamed chicken with ginger or five spice powder
• Steamed or grilled fish (you can never go wrong with a fish)

Stuffing equivalent:

• Chinese Sticky rice stuffing with shitake mushrooms and pine nuts
• Sushi rice
• Indonesian Nasi Kuning—yellow turmeric rice cooked with coconut milk
• Various kinds of Indian-style pullao with vegetables, mushrooms, raisins, or saffron

Soup:

• Sweet corn soup
• Corn Lemongrass soup
• Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes:
• Sweet potato tempura
• Sweet potato medallions with soy sauce
• Ming Tsai’s gingered sweet potatoes
• Mashed potatoes with oil and garlic
• Shitake mushroom gravy
• Nepali-style potato and cauliflower curry
• Squash and beans and peas:
• Butternut squash nori rolls (how could anyone say no to sushi?)
• Thai-style butternut squash curry with coconut milk
• Indian-style garbanzo bean curry garnished with fresh mint
• Stir fried green beans with slivered almonds or cashews
• Stir fried green beans with pressed tofu or marinated tempeh
• Stir fried pea sprouts (better than the frozen peas out of the box)

Dessert:

• Halupia—Hawaiian coconut custard
• Sangkaya Fak Thong or Thai Pumpkin Custard—coconut custard baked in a sweet pumpkin
• Sweet walnut soup
• Sweet potato mochi rolled in grated coconut
• Sweet potato nian gao (Chinese new year’s cake)
• Anything with persimmons and pomegranates
• Roasted chestnuts

And what to do with the leftover turkey? Instead of the dreaded turkey sandwiches…

• You know that "Oriental Salad" with shredded chicken, cabbage, and raw ramen noodles—try it with turkey!
• Laotian Turkey Lap--shredded turkey salad with lime, cilantro, fish sauce, roasted rice
• Stuff leftover turkey into steamed buns
• Wrap leftover turkey into mu shu skins with some leftover vegetables and hoisin sauce
• Add shredded leftover turkey to fried rice or fried noodles or noodle soup

Sangkaya Fak Thong or Thai Pumpkin Custard
Recipe courtesy of Linh Song’s mom, Mam Non Organization (http://www.mamnon.org/)

• 4 eggs
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. coconut cream
• 1/8 c. coconut milk
• 2 tsp. flour
• 2 small pie pumpkins
• 4 T. sugar
• 1 tsp. pandan extract essence

Scrub the pumpkins, carve the top off into a star-shape, empty seeds and clean out the "threads."  Take a knife or fork and spear the inside with small holes and then spread 2 T. of sugar inside each pumpkin.   Set aside to let it "soak" in.

To prepare custard, mix the eggs and sugar until dissolved.  Add coconut cream, mix.

In separate bowl, mix coconut milk and flour until dissolved.  Add this to the egg mixture.  Pour into the pumpkins, leaving an inch space before the top since the custard expands.  Steam the pumpkins for 40 minutes in a double broiler, add the pandan extract to the water.  Be sure to add the tops to the side of the pumpkins (so you can shut the pot lid).

Let it set in the refrigerator.

To serve slice into wedges so that you can see a half-circle of custard and thin rim of pumpkin. Delicious!

Related Readings by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang

Creating Our Own Thanksgiving, Asian American-style
Thanksgiving dinner doesn't have to be soft, bland and beige, you know...

An Asian-American Thanksgiving—Recipe Ideas
Plus, Sangkaya Fak Thong (Thai Pumpkin Custard) courtesy of Linh Song

Thanksgiving and Other Harvest Season Books for Kids
APA books that share themes of giving thanks, family, and food

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival celebrated on the night of the full moon with moon cakes, lanterns, and the Story of Chang-E, the Moon Lady.