Thanksgiving: It's All In The Presentation

About author / Pamela Chester

Mom of two; graduate French Culinary Institute; kids cooking program instructor; Master's degree in food studies. Creates kid friendly foods and loves her slow cooker.

You’ve got your whole Thanksgiving menu all planned to the hilt: the turkey, stuffing and sides. You know who’s going to bring a sweet potato casserole, and which aunt is making your favorite apple pie. But have you stopped to contemplate one other element that is so crucial to the successful Thanksgiving feast? The proper tableware is every bit as important to the meal as the menu itself.

That’s why so many of us have serving dishes and chinaware that are dedicated exclusively to holiday time. Serving an important meal on these dedicated platters, serving bowls and dishes can heighten the drama of a holiday presentation. And it’s part of the ritual to dig them out of their storage location in preparation for the holidays. It makes what otherwise might be considered an ordinary meal something special.

After all, when else can you use salt and pepper shakers shaped like turkeys or candles that look like little pilgrim children? Both of these have graced my Thanksgiving table at different points in my life and hold special memories. Plus there are those carving sets lots of people receive as a wedding or housewarming gift, perfect for carving a giant roast turkey.

The ritual of carving the turkey is symbolic of Thanksgiving and has been etched in our memories as if Norman Rockwell had done it himself. In my house growing up, we had a noisy Thanksgiving carving with my dad at the helm of the table with a vintage 1960s style electric knife. He wielded that thing like an expert as we all sat expectantly waiting to give our thanks and dig in.

My favorite special holiday dish is the relish tray. In its time, this old-fashioned holiday table staple consisted of a small, segmented dish that contained sweet gherkin pickles, sliced carrots and celery, and olives.

It may seem kitschy, but our family like the relish tray so much that over the years we have modernized and increased the number of options – marinated mushrooms, roasted beets, and pickled carrots. It seems like we add a new one each year.

My marinated carrots recipe comes from a restaurant in New York’s Little Italy, where they’re served along with the bread at the start of the meal. Once, many years ago, I called the Wednesday before Thanksgiving for the recipe, and made them every year since.

I like to place the relish items in glass dishes down the middle of the table, where their jewel tones make beautiful table decorations. You can make an easy modern relish tray with all the pickled vegetables offerings found in gourmet stores nowadays. Then you can add interest with all sorts of raw veggies too, various colors of radishes, carrots, green beans, and cherry tomatoes along with olive oil and salt for dipping. It might become the talk of your Thanksgiving!

Throughout the holidays we make good use of all those special soup tureens, gravy bowls, and fine china and crystal. But even if you don’t have it, you can make all of your everyday tableware work to your best advantage. Try lining your breadbasket with a seasonal colored napkin. Or just use ordinary items in new ways. And if you have so many guests you need to go the route of paper plates, there are lots of options these days, even plastic utensils that are designed to look like real silverware.

So when it comes to planning turkey day dinner, don’t overlook the importance of the right tableware. Happy Thanksgiving!

Serves/Makes: 6

• 1 bell pepper
• 2 pounds canned sliced carrots
• 1 medium white onion, cut in strips
• 1 can (10.75 ounce size) condensed cream of tomato soup
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup vinegar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard