The Foods I'd Rather Be Having on Thanksgiving

It is no secret that I am not a huge fan of the food that is served in the traditional Thanksgiving meal. In fact, for someone who loves food so much it is kind of ironic that Thanksgiving is my least favorite American holiday.  Why is this the case?  It is hard to say for sure as my tastes have become so varied through travel that I often find myself dreading having this predictable meal at the same time every year.
But what if I had control of the menu for the yearly feast?  Well, you can imagine that the best cuisine in the world would take center stage. While not every food item featured in this post would make it into the final menu, you can be sure that these are the biggest contenders. 
Drinks
Fruit Shakes (South East Asia): As far as drinks go, the mixed fruit shakes of South East Asia are the only thing we would consider for our menu. While we do enjoy a fine Spanish wine or straight fruit juices from the tropical countries, the fruit shakes of South East Asia are some of the most delicious flavor combinations you can have. What fruits would we put into our Thanksgiving day menu? Well, that would be a surprise. The mixed fruit of unknown composition is always the best!
Appetizers
There are a number of appetizers that may be featured in our ideal Thanksgiving feast.  As we mentioned at the beginning of the post, not all of these would be featured on any one menu.  But when choosing from our favorite appetizers from around the world, these would be the top ranking.
Cured Ham (Spain):  The ultimate hors d'oeuvre is none other than Spanish ham.  Between the spicy chorizo or thin sliced jamon or lomo, there are a number of options that can be served at the feast; each with a distinctive flavor.  If you want to shock your guests with a beautiful plate of food to start the night off, the stained glass appearance of a thinly cut piece of ham will do the trick.
Keuh Pie Tee (Singapore): This treat is the most unique take on the spring roll as the fried cup that the ingredients are placed in is something that catches all eaters off guard.  The tiny cups are filled with vegetables, meat, egg, and seasonings while are topped with chili sauce and fried shallots for texture. If making these as your appetizer, be sure to make extra.  The bite sized nature of this menu item will ensure that leftovers will not be present by the end of the meal!
Bun Bo Nam Bo (Vietnam): Going with the theme of unique variations of a traditional dish, Bun Bo is a local specialty of a street vendor in Hanoi, Vietnam that I fell in love with.  This noodle dish, much like a hearty pho, repleaces the rich brothy soup with a more acidic kick loaded up with bean sprouts, cilantro, meat, and fried shallots.  A good appetizer for those looking for something light and refreshing rather than deep and rich.
Moussaka (Egypt):  The dish of moussaka is a specialty of many Mediterranean countries, each with their own take on the recipe.  My favorite comes from Egypt which uses a perfect balance of eggplant and tomatoes in a piping hot and rich entree.  Of course, for a Thanksgiving feast it would be hard to fill your stomach with just moussaka, which is why we call this one a great appetizer for a feast fit for a traveler.
Escargot (France): I know what most of you are thinking: "snails?!"  Yes, snails.  The French know how to do them right, and escargot is a garlicky treat that is consumed more for the garlic butter sauce that accompanies it rather than for the snail itself which, admittedly, does not have much flavor or texture.  If your goal of the meal is to get your guests to try something new, this one will likely make a few new fans!
Fondue (Switzerland): The dish that is all about community, fondue will be sure to get all of your guests around the table talking, enjoying themselves, and having a grand old time for the entire evening.  What makes a simple dish of melted cheese and dippers so intoxicating?  Well, it could be the copious amounts of wine that are put into the cheese mix, or it could be the child like fulfillment of playing with your food.  Or maybe it is just the high quality Swiss cheese that makes everyone love it.  But for all those having a meal with a large amount of friends and family, this one is a must.

Entree
Unlike the appetizers featured on this list, we have a number of entrees that could find their place on our dream international Thanksgiving dinner table.  From Thailand to Italy and everywhere in between, a number of our favorite dishes make the cut.  Is your favorite on our list?
Curry (Thailand): Thai food takes a center stage of our dream entrees for a Thanksgiving meal not only because of their amazing taste but also because they are so easy to put together for a large number of people. The first pick? Thai Curry. With a number of curry pastes to choose from as well as meats or seafood, your pick of curry can take on a number of variations all while maintaining a very simplistic recipe. Our favorites? Well, we'd have a tough time deciding between green curry with chicken or red curry with mounds of seafood. The best for Thanksgiving? Well, that depends, but I have a feeling the red curry would win over the biggest number of fans. 
Pad Thai (Thailand): Continuing the Thai food trend goes the ubiquitous noodle dish of Pad Thai. This dish is featured on our dream Thanksgiving menu list for its all around approval from even the pickiest eater. Whether your friends, family, or young relatives are turned off by your international menu, Pad thai is sure to keep everyone happy and full by the end of the meal. Just be sure to have extra limes to drizzle over top!
Okonomiyaki (Japan): The savory dish of Japan will be the most unique item of any Thanksgiving menu as most Japanese restaurants do not even serve this particular item. What is okonomiyaki exactly? Well, the translation of the word literally means "whatever you want, fried" and is best described as a cabbage pancake loaded up with meats and seafood and topped with bacon, a tangy barbecue sauce, a spicy mayo, and covered with subtle flavors like bonito flakes. In between the conversation of having to explain the dish to the allure of watching it be prepped (~20 minutes per), your guests will be sure to have a new favorite by the end of the night!
Orange Duck (France): As one of the iconic meals of France, orange duck may seem out of place at a Thanksgiving dinner even though it is the closest menu item to the turkey that we are featuring on this list. Orange duck covers all the major points that the traditional bird misses on our yearly menu: a tangy sauce, delicious skin, and incredibly fatty.  When combined together on one plate, orange duck is a tantalizing replacement for the boring old turkey.
Pizza (Italy):  Out of all of the items featured on our dream menu, the Italian pizza is one that may or may not have actually happened in years past.  Admit it, you know you've secretly wanted to skip out on the Thanksgiving feast and get a good pizza delivered with minimal setup and cleanup for the holiday.  But what would be better than a pizza delivery from the place around the corner?  A home made Italian pizza with sauce made from fresh picked tomatoes, cheese made in the shop next door, and toppings picked from a local farm.  If your homemade Italian pizza ends up anything like ours, the prep may actually be a bit more involved than the most elaborate turkey!  But the result sure is worth it.
Desserts
While the entrees take the main focus of our list, we cannot forget dessert.  Even though we pride ourselves on eating the world's best desserts everywhere we go, only two make the short list for our Thanksgiving feast.
Chocolate Banana Roti (Thailand): What do you do when you take an Indian bread dish and kick it up several notches into dessert form?  You get the street cart dessert of chocolate banana roti, our personal favorite.  The dish is made in just a few simple steps that can be easily recreated at home.  Step 1, fry a thin layer of dough into a crepe on some heated ghee.  Step 2, fill the cooking dough with bananas and fold over the excess to cover the bananas.  Flip when crisp.  Step 3, remove from the griddle and cover with chocolate and sweetened condensed milk.  Serve and enjoy!
Gelato (Italy): Where all else fails, Italian gelato is the only way you can end a feast.  Make a few flavors (maybe strawberry, pistachio, and chocolate chip?), load up the cups and cones, and enjoy your feast several pounds heavier and many meals happier!  That'll beat the traditional pumpkin pie any time of year, especially on Thanksgiving.
What About Tradition?
But if you have to do the traditional fare on your Thanksgiving holiday, here is one item I will take: Turducken. What is turducken?  It is a combination dish comprised of a chicken stuffed inside of a duck stuffed inside of a chicken with multiple layers of stuffing in between.  In this one instance, I'll give turkey on Thanksgiving a pass.

Whether you had the traditional fare this past Thanksgiving or went for something a bit more exotic like our list above, we want to wish you a happy holidays and hope you had a great Thanksgiving no matter where you are in the world!
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Today's Post was brought to you in part by our friends at Skedaddle. After enjoying your Thanksgiving feast be sure to get out there and explore the world on a great cycling vacation!  If you follow our menu you'll be sure to need it!
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