eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.

How To

How to Plan an African-American Thanksgiving

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(10 Ratings)

This is meant to get your imagination working and to get you thinking about how you can put your own personal stamp on your own Thanksgiving; general planning tips are included too. Be creative and have fun!

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • African Cookbooks
  • Southern Cookbooks
  • Holiday Cookbooks
  • Soul Food Cookbooks
  • Vegetarian Cookbook
  1. Step 1

    Figure out how many guests to invite. Consider the size of your home; the number of chairs, tables and dishes you'll need; and your ability to cook for a number of people.

  2. Step 2

    Think about decorations and accents in your home that will reflect an African-American upbringing. Think about music you could play softly in the background that reflects African-American culture.

  3. Step 3

    Decide whether you want to ask people to help you, either by bringing parts of the meal (wine, dessert, appetizers, side dishes), bringing decorations or music, or coming early to help out.

  4. Step 4

    Determine the food preferences or restrictions of your guests. Are there any vegetarians or people with food allergies?

  5. Step 5

    Consider the sequence of the meal and its balance. Try to balance starchy foods with lighter vegetable dishes. Consider how many courses you want to serve and how many appetizers you want to have available for noshing beforehand.

  6. Step 6

    Think about giving the old standards an African-American accent. Consider using spices typical of African foods, such as allspice, cinnamon, cumin, ginger and coriander. Think about alternative dishes that emphasize your family's unique experience - for example, turkey b'stilla, a Moroccan turkey pie.

  7. Step 7

    Also consider soul food staples: sweet potato pie, cornbread stuffing, macaroni and cheese, and so on.

  8. Step 8

    Once you've planned the menu, consider the timing and preparation of each dish. Is it physically possible for you to make all the dishes you've planned? Think about your kitchen and its limitations as well. If you're making a traditional roasted turkey, for example, the bird will be occupying the oven most of the time. Consider, too, that some of your guests may prefer not to stray from a traditional menu; be prepared to have alternate courses available.

  9. Step 9

    Use the traditional grace to acknowledge the struggles of the African-American community in American society.

Tips & Warnings
  • People generally expect turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.
  • Leftovers are expected at Thanksgiving, so be sure to take that into account.

Comments  

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 Have plenty of plastic, disposable containers on hand so that your guests can take some of the holiday food home with them.

Subscribe

Post a Comment

Post a Comment

Related Ads

  • Have you done this? Click here to let us know.
I Did This
Get Free Holidays & Celebrations Newsletters

Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.   en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.

Demand Media
eHow_eHow Holidays and Celebrations