A THanksgiving of Firsts

America is   still a   place of acceptance for people coming from around the world. A new wave of  immigrants, from a war torn and restrictive countries  are now here, They are being introduced to all things American, including our Thanksgiving. Like any other group, they are putting their own spin on the cooking aspect of it.

Julia Moskin  wrote about them and one famed home chef, Mayada Anjari, in today's New York Times Food section. Mrs. Anjari , her husband and four children arrived in Jersey City two years ago after a three year journey from a war ravaged Syria... They settled in and her excellent cooking was being known. People from Manhattan were paying for her kabsa, a spice rubbed chicken with scented rice, along with her stuffed vegetables and her fatayer -folds of phyllo pastry stuffed  with ground meat or spiraled around soft cheese. The co author of the Syrian cookbook, The Bread And Salt Between Us (the title taken from an Arab proverb) was flummoxed by this secular holiday of ours with our different uses of spices and basic ingredients Then there is Dima King, fresh from the Soviet Union came to the States because of the anti-gay persecution and legislation.He is cooking his first Thanksgiving this year. He is a graduate of Emma's Torch  - a nonprofit restaurant in Brooklyn's Red Hook section that offers professional culinary training to resettled refugees. Despite this he is still intimidated by roasting a whole turkey.and will likely try something smaller. He is, however, enthusiastic about making a pumpkin pie with meringue topping.


Our holidays meals can be confusing , especially for those who are new to secular celebrating. Celebrations and feast days are usually reserved for religious holy days. The spices and foods used are are also just a bit strange. Cinnamon is usually used for chicken in Syrian cooking. Mrs. Anjari  is skeptical about adding it to a pie.The main meal her three sons love is baked mac and cheese. How can that be a side to an even bigger main dish? Then there are the starches of the holidays - mashed potatoes - yams - stuffing and pie, all served in one sitting along with cranberry sauce, the one sharp and bright flavor of the table. There should be more but a traditional dinner is not built around them. The idea of a gigantic twenty pound turkey is also strange. However familiar cooking ingredients and methods can help with cooking a first time Thanksgiving meal. Mrs. Anjari is planning on making the bird as she would her kabsa. She'll start with whole milk yogurt along with grated  onion, tomato paste and  shards of cinnamon and nutmeg. Instead of a heavy roasting pan, she will use one of her lightweight round tins. The turkey will have the added crunch of almonds toasted in clarified butter called sanna. They'll add another layer of flavor and texture to the bird.

Thanksgiving is a day when all can celebrate. It has a new meaning for immigrants celebrating it for the first time. There are challenges , just like American life, but there is also the joy of sharing traditions  -just like American life.