Home   >   Featured   >   Hosting the Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner

Hosting the Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner

By on November 4, 2008

It’s that time of the year again, where family and friends get together to gorge themselves silly under the guise of giving thanks for their many blessings. While celebrating this annual American holiday is always a delight to the taste buds, making the dinner can be a source of endless stress.  But by preparing in advance and keeping a few tips in mind, this seemingly daunting endeavor can be an enjoyable bonding experience for the entire family. Whether you plan on hosting a large and luxurious soiree or a small family gathering on a budget, let TF guide you in throwing a successful Tokyo Thanksgiving party.

 

Transforming your Home into a Magical Autumn Landscape:

If money is no issue and you want to create a lavish look for your home, opt for opulent silk tablecloths and fine china available at Isetan, Mitsukoshi or local import tableware stores. If you don’t want to break the bank, there are several cost saving ways to decorate the home. For instance, scented candles are a quick and inexpensive way to spruce up any house and can be purchased just about anywhere, even at your local 100yen store. The 100yen store also stocks lots of fake autumn leaves and pumpkins that can be used to create the centerpiece. 

Another way to cut corners is to get the kids involved. Have them trace and cut outlines of pumpkins, turkeys and leaves from different colored construction paper to stick around the house. The children can also make a tree of thanks in which guests write down what they are thankful for on the leaves. This is a great way to have guests bond by reading what each person is grateful for. 

 

It’s All About the Turkey:

The centerpiece of every Thanksgiving meal is of course the mouthwatering turkey.  The supermarkets in the international community make it easy to find the perfect one by offering a wide array at various prices, so refer to the opposite chart to see which store has the type of turkey that fits your budget. Remember to plan ahead as all the stores require advanced notice to thaw out the turkey for you. Typically, a 10kg turkey can comfortably feed 8-10 people.

 

Tips for Cooking a Succulent Turkey: 

As turkey-cooking novices will tell you, roasting a turkey can be tricky. Overcooking will leave you with dry and chewy meat while undercooking will leave you with an inedible bird.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind to help avoid some of these and other common pitfalls.

 

The secret to moist white meat: Separate the skin from the breast without fully removing the skin so that you are able to reach in between the skin and breast meat. Stick your hand in and rub melted butter onto the turkey breast.  This may sound gross but it will help keep the breast meat just as moist as the dark meat. 

Seasoning: 

• Before sprinkling salt and pepper on the outside skin, try placing Rosemary and Thyme between the breast meat and skin for extra flavor.

• Check to ensure that the temperature of your oven is set accurately. Preheat the oven to 325° F (160°C) to 360° F (180°C) and then leave the turkey for however many hours stated on the packaging.

• Your turkey is done when the breast meat is about 170° F (77°C) and the thigh meat is 180° F (82°C).

• After removing the turkey from the oven, let it stand for 20 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat and make it easier to carve.

 

Catering:

If you are just too plain busy to bother with the hassle of cooking the oversized bird, or you  have money to burn, why not leave it up to the professionals to cater the entire evening.  Good Honest Grub in Shibuya-ku offers roasted turkey with homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, organic vegetables, cranberry sauce and gravy for ¥4,500 per person and ¥3,000 per child under age 12. Just call 03-3797-9877 at least 2 or more days in advance to have them deliver the food right to your home. Kyle’s Good Finds in Nakano offers a ¥3500 per person bento-style packed turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, collared greens, corn bread and dessert.  They too need 2 days advanced notice and can be reached at 03-3385-8993. Fujimamas in Harajaku also caters and can be reached at 03-5485-2283.

 

Cost Saving idea for Side Dishes and Catering

No turkey would be complete without the all-important trimmings.  From stuffing to cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes, each of the stores mentioned in this article carries them in droves so just grab what you need when you purchase your turkey. 

 

Cost Saving idea for Side Dishes

One way to save money and help your guests feel more included is to have each person bring their favorite Thanksgiving side dish along with a few copies of the recipe. Not only will you have less work in the kitchen to do but guests will walk away with original recipes to try out the next year!

 

Drinks

A good host offers a steady stream of alcohol throughout the duration of the party.  Typically, a dry white wine such as chardonnay or sauvignon blanc compliments white turkey meat, while a light red wine such as merlot, shiraz or cabernet goes well with dark turkey meat.  For the most extensive range of wine visit Wine Market Party on the ground floor of Ebisu Garden Place. They have over 1,000 different types of wine from around the world, along with fancy imported cheese to serve as hors d’oeuvres. Most wines here are on the high end so expect to spend a pretty penny.  If you are looking for more affordable wines try the third floor wine shop of Nissin in Azabu Juuban. Their Australian and Californian wines sell in the under ¥2,000 price range. 

 

An Easy-to-Make Dessert that is Sure to be a Hit with the Little Tikes: 

Last, but certainly not least, are the desserts.  Why not try an untraditional dessert this year like Pumpkin Parfait?

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin purée

• 1 (ounce) package instant sugar-free vanilla pudding mix

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

• 1 cup powdered skimmed milk

• 2 cup regular skimmed milk

 

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend together until it is completely smooth.  Then place the mixture into parfait glasses and chill until set.

 

It’s like pumpkin pie without the crust and hard work! A perfect ending to a perfect dinner. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

< style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Myriad Pro'; color: #ad0a00; margin: 0px">Store

 

Store Info

 

Type/Size of Turkey

 

When to order

 

Price range

 

National Azabu Supermarket

 

Hrs: 9:30am-8pm 

Tel: 3442-3181

Frozen Turkeys: 2.7-11.8kg

 

At least one week in advance

 

From ¥2,500

 

Nissin World
Delicatessen

 

Hrs: 9:30am-8pm

Tel: 3583-4586

Frozen Turkeys:  2.7-11.7Kg

 

A week in advance if you would like them to thaw it for you.

 

Under 5.6 Kg sell for under ¥4,000

5.6-7.2Kg sell for ¥3,800-4,998

7.2-9.9Kg sell for ¥4,998-6,100

11.7Kg sell for ¥7,898

Kinokuniya

 

Hrs: 9:30am-8pm

Tel: 3409-1231

1. Frozen Turkeys: 5-10kg

2. Baked Turkeys: 4kg

Frozen Turkeys must be ordered
at least one week in advance.

Baked Turkeys are on a first come, first serve basis. They start taking orders on Nov. 15th

1. Frozen Turkeys: ¥6,000-¥12,000

2. Baked Turkey without stuffing:  ¥ 12,600 

3. Baked Turkey with stuffing: ¥ 16,800

Meidiya

 

Hrs: 10am-9pm

Tel: 3444-6221

1. Frozen Turkey from USA: 4.6kg

2. Frozen Turkey from France: 3.6kg

At least one week in advance

 

1. USA Turkey: ¥4,000

2. France Turkey: ¥6,500

Foreign
Buyer’s Club

 

www.fbcusa.com

 

Frozen Butterball, Norbest, Prestage, and Carolina Whole Turkeys: 4.5-10kg (10-22lbs) 

 

Typically 5-7 days to deliver, plus an extra week to thaw at home

 

From ¥5,940-¥9,170, 

plus shipping and delivery charges

About TF Tribe