10 Guidelines for Thanksgiving Planning
Holidays will look different this year
I was tasked with recipe-testing a 15-pound turkey a couple of weeks ago. And because there are only two of us in my NYC household, I figured I’d use the excuse to share the meal with my surrounding “Covid circle.”
For most of 2020, like so many, we’ve been living pod-style among a small nook of trusted neighbors. While following pandemic protocol to the best of our abilities, throughout the year we have been gathering, masks in place when necessary, on our rooftop to celebrate birthdays; alleviating anxieties over glasses of wine on semi-adjoined balconies; and sometimes dining outdoors together at restaurants. The city just allowed limited-capacity indoor dining for restaurants; so, I thought, if we’re following protocol, we’re hoping to share a meal indoors safely together. With a tight group of six, “Neighborsgiving” happened on October 1.
I cooked all day and my husband made sure everything was sterile. We threw open windows for maximum ventilation. When the guests arrived, we eagerly tore into a facsimile holiday feast: turkey, pan gravy, mashed potatoes, roasted beets, green salad, and chocolate mousse cake. We drank. We gossiped. We touched on recent struggles. We learned new things about each other. But mostly we laughed. It felt like normal…until the…
