Recreating Thanksgiving in the days of the coronavirus

he Thanksgiving Day this year will be different. Very different.

It’s something we’ve been anticipating all summer, secretly hoping we were wrong. Some of us do not fully understand what the day will be like or avoid thinking about it.

“The whole holiday season feels as upside down as a tart tatin,” says Ellen Gray, head baker at The Able Baker in Maplewood, NJ.

For a luck Rich in the ideal of togetherness, the irony is that many of us will be separated from family and friends.

So how are we going to meet? Safe, for example, with each family weighing their own risk-benefit of the reunion. Our tables will probably look much more comfortable. They can be outside. (Everyone wants a Thanksgiving picnic

with deconstructed upholstery?) and with fewer seats occupied, we might even skip the emotional turmoil that is political discourse and focus on cranberry sauce, and that’s the silver lining.

what is it in the table can also be different. Some of us will cling a little more to what is familiar to us, determined to make our vacations pleasant and welcoming. Others will break with tradition (prime rib? A turkey … salad?). Meals may seem lighter; For some, that translates to anything that doesn’t involve cooking all day.

There is also a concerted effort to want to share bread with others, not just with family and friendsBut with neighbors and members of the community who are alone or who cannot cook.

Then yes, Thanksgiving this year 2020 it will be different. But how the sensation? Nostalgic? Solitary? Grateful? Optimistic? We asked a cross-section of people, from our staff and community to chefs, farmers and business owners, their take on vacations in a year like no other and how they are making the most of it.

“We don’t usually see a family for Thanksgiving, but this year, because we’ve been so family-deprived, we’re planning to have a ‘group’ with my mom so we can see her on vacation, first in more. one year. This will probably involve getting us tested and figuring out the best way to travel with her to Florida. I’ve never had Thanksgiving on a hot day before, so I’m curious how I’m going to feel about all the comfort foods that the holidays bring.

“My family is vegetarian, so Thanksgiving is usually a side dish: we’ll make a big pot of koftas, or a pot of lasagna, or even a tofurkey (this only happened once and it was a failure. epic) for the sake of posterity. but inevitably there are too many leftovers. This year, like many others, I won’t be traveling anywhere, so I plan to invite a few friends over for a full meal in smaller than normal portions.

“This year it will probably be my immediate family of four at our table. Thanksgiving is my husband and my favorite vacation, so we’re planning to have a traditional turkey dinner (even a little bird!) And our favorite toppings (like these mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives). We’ll likely make Zoom calls with family and friends, play lots of board games, and spend the day in the kitchen with the kids. It won’t be the same as our reunion with loved ones in previous years, but we are determined to make the day special. “