Thanksgiving All Around

Hoecker Thanksgiving - photo courtesy of David

This Thanksgiving was unlike previous years--in a good way! My family isn't too big with traditions (besides some of the Asian holidays) so we normally never had a huge feast for Thanksgiving. My father dislikes duck and turkey, so in all my 23 years combined (well, only 17 years in America), I probably only have had turkey for Thanksgiving about 5 times. Sad, I know.

That's why when I finally had my own kitchen (junior year of college in Courtyards), I had to be the one to host a Thanksgiving dinner for my roommates and significant others (...and Warren) AND be the one to cook the turkey. That year (2008), the turkey came out REALLY well. I was nicely pleased at my (and Brian of course) cooking skills. Unfortunately the next year, we bought the turkey too late and so it didn't thaw all the way and some parts of it were not entirely eatable. Sad face.


Which brings me to this year! This year, I had the luck to have turkey twice! Once during the ESOL Thanksgiving luncheon and once with the Hoecker family. Brian invited me to have Thanksgiving lunch with mom's side of the family at his grandmother's senior living apartment. It was buffet-style with a waitress serving us soup, salad, and coffee. The coffee was pretty good actually! Also, I loved the butternut squash soup. It was too hot at first, but I soaked some bread in it first. I also finished Brian's, hehe. I didn't take a picture of my food because I didn't want to make a bad impression with his family. They had the standard Thanksgiving food: turkey, pineapple ham, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, string beans, etc. Brian and I shared pumpkin pie. After lunch, we retired to his grandmother's room, where we chatted, looked at the Hoecker family lineage book I conveniently found sitting by the TV. We also drank sparking apple cider (my absolute favorite non-alcoholic drink) and had walnut pie. WOW. I've never had walnut pie before and this one was so good! It was sweet, nutty, and I regret all the past walnut pies I've ignored in the past.


After this Thanksgiving lunch, we had to go to the Ku's Thanksgiving. My long-time friends since 4th grade, Esther and Kathy, and their family invited some of their families and other family friends over for dinner. My mom made salmon with broccoli, and since Brian and I didn't have time to cook or make anything, we brought over some chips. This meal was very Asian with some American influences.

I tend to start eating before I remembe

There was some long flat Asian noodles, spicy cucumber, braised beef in man tou (steamed bread) with pickled veggies and peanut sprinkles (oh goodness I dream about this sometimes), and even chicken feet and liver. As a wise Mrs. Ku said, if you don't know what it is, don't eat it! I tried offering Brian some liver, but he quickly changed his mind and didn't want to try it.

Surprisingly, my stomach still had some room (somehow) to fit in the food. Right as I began Black Friday shopping (I let my sister talk me into going to Montgomery Mall at midnight) I got a little hungry. Strange stomach, I will never understand. It must've been the 15 minutes of exercise Libby, Esther, and I did while watching Brian face off Mr. Ku in ping pong.

This was such a great Thanksgiving, filled with people, food, and games I love (we played Taboo) and I hope next year is just as great!!