My First Thanksgiving

I am hosting my first Thanksgiving this year and I am surprisingly relaxing about the whole endeavor. Food and cooking is kind of a sanctuary for me, and to be able to share this with friends (my Chicago family) makes me extremely happy. There will be between 6 and 10 people at my house tomorrow, a tight squeeze but cozy.

On the menu for our holiday extravaganza:
Thai Spiced Pumpkin soup (adapted from 101cookbooks.com, vegetarian thanksgiving post)
~roasted winter squash, coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, and sea salt

Hazelnut and Chard Tortellini Salad (adapted from 101cookbooks.com, vegetarian thanksgiving post)
~ Plump tortellinis, tossed with toasted hazelnuts, sauteed ribbons of chard, and caramelized onions, topped with a dusting of cheese, snipped chives, and lemon zest

Standard Stuffing (pepperidge farm)
~it was a staple growing up...

Mashed Potatoes 
~being provided by my friend Scott,they are bound to be delicious

Roasted Turkey Breat 
~since there are only three non-vegetarians attending, I am roasting a small butterball turkey breast. I would have preferred organic, but they flew the coop ages ago.
~garlic and rosemary infused, oven roasted with apples, pear, carrot, onion and some port for liquid

Tofurkey
~Rebecca is providing the vegetarians with the standard Tofurkey...

Brussel Sprouts
~Siobhan will be whipping up some lovely b sprouts

Roasted Asparagus with garlic and oil 
~because we will need a bit more green and let's face it, asparagus is delicious

Gourmet Green Bean Casserole
~Cynthia will bring the all American Green Bean Casserole but will be gussied up with shallots instead of onions and some other fancy things, because, well, we are just so fancy

Dinner Rolls A la Rebecca
~she makes a mean roll 

Sourdough
~Scott makes his own starter; this is some darn good bread

and for dessert...
Chocolate Flourless Torte with a side of espresso gelato
~I need some chocolate on Thanksgiving

Pumpkin Cheesecake
~we will begin and end the meal with pumpkin

This is quite a menu! I am excited about the new food adventure and the balancing act of maintaining such a bustling kitchen.