Menu and inspirations for a Thanksgiving dinner party

Thanksgiving is next Monday in Canada. We are lucky to have a warm autumn so far. Oranges and reds brighten the trees but there are still many shapes of greens around us. That will be my color palette.

I proposed to you a more refined look on Thanksgiving. We must make an effort to modernize what we serve on the table at any holiday because the old recipes lost their luster. The best of what this season has to offer were invited at my updated Thanksgiving tabletop.

Something to remember

To be thankful, you need to remember what you got. Why not make a mobile with pictures that summarizes the joys that happened in the last year? You can ask your guests to bring each five photos and hang them as they arrive. Those memories could be something to discuss all dinner long.

Take this fabulous fixture as an inspiration for making your own mobile. German designer Ingo Maurer created with Blushing Zettel, a hanging lamp that displayed Japanese drawings suspended from thin metal cables.

Replace the Japanese paper by your own photos. Find a thin metal rod on which to attach spread out tiny metal cables. If you are short on binder clips, simply punch a hole on top of every picture and hang them from hook made by curving the cable ends. You can mix in several note cards with people thoughts.

How I devise my party theme?

No magic trick here, it is really simple. I stayed within the boundary of my color palette for the food and the décor. I selected foods that are in season.

For your décor, you can make reference to hunting. Feathers are hot this autumn. You can tie the napkins with a feather ribbon from the fabric store. Or you can try to reproduce the brown patterns on white place setting as seen on Canadian House and Home. This look complements well my theme. They also gave you their own Thanksgiving menu.

Start the night with a Caipirinha, the drink of Brazilian farmers. I really like the sharp cocktail presentation from Epicurious, where you get a recipe for 8 servings. This will save you time instead of making them one by one. If you cannot find a bottle of cachaça, use vodka instead.

My Thanksgiving menu

I got the recipes from Food Network Canada. Use my menu as a source of inspiration.

• Pumpkin, Arugula and Prosciutto Salad – by Christine Cushing for Christine Cushing Live
• Orange-Glazed Tarragon Carrots – by Laura Calder for French Food at Home
• Venison or duck for the main course
• Platter of cheese, with green and red apples
• Thyme Poached Peaches – by Laura Calder for French Food at Home

These give you a good starting point to plan your Thanksgiving celebrations.

Sourcing:
Fixtures: Web site of Ingo Maurer
Recipe: Caipirinhas on Epicurious
Dinnerware and more recipes: Give Thanks with a holiday weekend menu on Canadian House and Home

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