The Leader • Saturday, November 17, 2018 • Page 1B
ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR ArtCrawl 2018 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 Elder Street Artists Lofts 1101 Elder St. Elder Street Artists open their doors for an art sale and open studios day. Free and open to the public with complimentary beverages from generous sponsors, 8th Wonder Beer and Topo Chico, and a food truck will be available on site. The Elder Street Artist Lofts is the old “haunted” Jefferson Davis Hospital, which itself was built on an old cemetery. It’s not often the public gets to go inside and see this cool repurposed building! Daley at The Heights Theater 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 The Heights Theater 339 W. 19th St. Daley: Spectrum Unplugged with special guest, Us., will be at The Heights Theater on Saturday, Nov. 17. Daley is a British singer and songwriter, known for his unique brand of alternative-soul and standout voice. His career kicked into gear after a collaboration with the Gorillaz on the song ‘Doncamatic’ - the same year he was nominated with the likes of James Blake and Jamie Woon in the UK’s prestigious ‘Sound of’ poll.’ A renewed perspective on love, life and purpose are apparent on Daley’s second album, ‘The Spectrum’. A soul-baring set, embracing R&B while continuing to push sonic boundaries, his songwriting and vocal abilities. Jill Scott co-signs lead single ‘Until the Pain Is Gone’ - a song that sees Daley back Top 5 at R&B radio and beginning his next musical chapter. Writers’ showcase 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 Kaboom Books 3116 Houston Ave. Kaboom Books and Gemini Ink, San Antonio’s Literary Arts Center, are pleased to announce readings of new work presented by two authors from Finishing Line Press. Houston writer Holly Lyn Walrath joins New Mexico State University author Tyler Julian on the second stop of a Texas mini-tour. Also added to this lineup is Leslie Contreras Schwartz, a native Texan and multi-genre writer of Mexican heritage whose roots go back several generations in Houston. Some refreshments provided.
Turkey Day rituals run deep for area residents Zarah Parker Managing Editor
T
hanksgiving meal staples include turkey, stuffing, potatoes and pie, and locals are happy to keep the tradition going year after year. Yet, there’s no way of knowing for certain if the fowl that graced the pilgrims’ table was in fact turkey. However, turkey is a uniquely North American bird, making it the most popular choice after Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1836. Of course, the pilgrims didn’t have potatoes and cranberry sauce either, but Thanksgiving doesn’t feel right without them. “[I’m] super traditional. Exact same meal every year. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, candied yams, mashed potatoes, rolls, green bean casserole, relish tray,” local resident Suzanne Calpito Ragsdale said. “It’s all delicious together.” A big part of the Thanksgiving meal is the preparation that goes into it, which local Karen Demel Looney knows well. “I’m the one who stays up Wednesday night until early Thursday morning to get everything prepped for cooking and serving on Thanksgiving Day,” Looney said. Not everyone sees long hours in the kitchen just for one meal as being worth it as some order their Thanksgiving meals to go or they eat out. But for many, the time in the kitchen isn’t considered work. It’s part of the fun and tradition of Thanksgiving. “I love to cook, and my peeps love to eat,” Looney
Photo supplied A big part of the Thanksgiving meal is the late night and early morning preparation usually shared among family members.
said. “It’s the ultimate opportunity to use every tool and dish in my kitchen.” Then there are locals who only get up early on Thanksgiving Day just for a particular kind of pie. “I get in line at Flying Saucer around 5 a.m.,” Andy Tomczeszyn said. The best way to cook a turkey varies from home to home, and although roasted turkey is a favorite, some smoke or even fry their turkey. “[My husband] gets up early to smoke the turkey. When it’s done, we throw all the meats we can find in the
smoker,” Debbie Vina said. “To our kids, Thanksgiving smells like smoke.” As another local resident pointed out, the Thanksgiving meal is more than just what’s put on the table and how good it tastes. “It’s not about the food exactly. It’s about making the same meal your mom made and her mom before her,” Alycia Harvey said. “And it’s OK to add to or twist to make your own, but you’re passing to your children the memories that were passed to you.” Thanksgiving brings families back together to share
a meal that sometimes isn’t possible the rest of the year. As some members of the family move to another city or state, Thanksgiving is a time for them to come back home. For local Debbie Kotzur, Thanksgiving is hosted at her mother’s house, where attendance numbers vary each year from 30-60. “The best part for my family is the day before,” Kotzur said. “Those that can be together (get) ready with chopping, dicing, prepping, etc. (It’s) laid back with a lot of sharing and tasting and drinking. Always fun. “The Thursday morning is
great as the ladies continue to prep, watch football and parades,” she added. “My brothers and nephews play football at American Legion Park (in the Turkey Bowl). They started some 40 years ago. (We) start eating around 2-3 p.m. (It’s a) great day with whatever family can be there.” Thanksgiving Day is about spending quality time with your family, and it’s made even better by the traditions kept each year, which include the delicious food for which the family gathers around the table.
Host a Thanksgiving potluck By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com While there are more than 50 million people who will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday to be with family, there are millions more who are staying put and eating with friends. “We started our friends Thanksgiving 19 years ago,” Garden Oaks’ Stella Stevens said. “We started it by complaining about how dry our parents’ turkey was, and how our older relatives always got first dibs on the good leftovers. And then, a radical idea was born — have a Thanksgiving with the people you really love, with the food you like that does not taste like cardboard. The first year we burnt a semipermanent hole in our yard frying a turkey. We are much better cooks now and it’s been going strong ever since.” For others who are hosting friends for the first time, the novelty is part of the fun. Lauren Benesh of Ella Lee Forest remembers hosting school friends when she and her husband lived in New England. “Our group consisted of couples from Texas, Oklahoma, the Pacific Northwest, France, Australia and more,” Benesh said. “I think the mark for that group was that it was our first time to do a holiday on our own, so everything felt new and like an experiment — even making Photo supplied the traditional dishes we grew up with. We had homemade cranberry sauce. We had cranberry Part of the fun of a potluck is collecting recipes from friends. Lauren Benesh got the recipe for pumpkin bread from her friend Bonnie. bread. Apple pie or crisp, sometimes with fresh- Food safety is essential. Hot foods should be 1/2 teaspoon brandy extract or vanilla exAna Braun shared a recipe for farofa, which picked apples from our area in New England.” transported and served hot, and cold foods kept tract (optional) in Brazil is eaten with churrasco (BBQ) and othBrazil native Ana Braun hosts an internationcold; Seven - Hosts should make room in their 1 tablespoon butter er dishes. Most farofas have a very smoky and al gathering every Thanksgiving. 1 tablespoon oil slightly salty taste which goes well with meats. “The nationalities change every year,” Braun refrigerators for cold dishes, and keep ovens 2 1/3 cups bread flour said. “We’ve had friends from Germany, Argen- warm for hot dishes. Encourage guests to bring Farofa 2/3 cup whole wheat flour tina and Italy, in addition to the staple Brazil- their warm dishes in crock pots; Eight - Remind Cut one onion in thin slices. Beat two eggs. everyone to take home their dirty dishes; and 1/4 cup sugar ians over for Thanksgiving. The American conFry onions in a generous amount of butter. Fry Nine - Be thankful for the family, friends and 1 1/4 teaspoon salt tingency is in charge of the traditional dishes.” 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or apple 6 ounces slab bacon, cut into rough dice, until Thanksgiving.com lists nine essential steps food at the table. fully rendered and lightly browned. Add bacon Part of the fun of a Thanksgiving potluck is pie spice for a successful Thanksgiving potluck: One to onions. Scramble the eggs with the onions sampling the dishes of others. Benesh shared 2 1/4 teaspoon yeast Turkey remains the anchor of the Thanksgivand bacon. Add salt and pepper. When eggs are 1/3 cup chopped pecans ing table and is the host’s responsibility; Two - a recipe for Bonnie’s Pumpkin Bread (or rolls) starting to cook through, add manioc flour (Yoki from a potluck friend famous for her baked When assigning side dishes, match the recipe to brand available on Amazon) until the mixture is goods. The recipe below is simply for a loaf If using a bread machine, bake on the White/ the cooking ability of the guest; Three - Assign Basic cycle. You can add the pecans at the be- on the dry side. Cook for a few minutes. Check beverages and the bread basket to those who baked in the bread machine. ginning or, if you don’t want them to break up the salt. are unable or unwilling to cook; Four - Don’t The Spruce Eats also has a version with Bonnie’s Pumpkin Bread as much, after the first kneading cycle. shortchange dessert. Assign pies to the seriblack olives and hard boiled eggs: https:// 3/4 cup canned pumpkin Once Upon A Chef also has an oven version: ous bakers on your guest list; Five - Decide in 1/4 cup water https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/ www.thespruceeats.com/farofa-skillet-toastedadvance whether to provide the serving dishes manioc-flour-onions-3029628 1/4 cup milk spiced-pumpkin-bread.html and utensils or ask guests to bring their own; Six