Hosting My Third Annual Friendsgiving in Paris
Hi friends,
After three and a half years of living in Paris, I’d say this is the year that I feel the most settled. Despite this year being anything but a smooth ride, I still managed to switch to a salaried visa, discover so many new places in Paris, and make some new friends along the way.
As the honorary American in Paris to many of my international and local friends here, I take hosting Friendsgiving very seriously. For many of my friends, it’s their first time partaking in this wholesome American tradition.
My Menu:
This year, I was pretty ambitious. Rather than buy whole rotisserie chicken like I’ve done in the past, this year I wanted to make my meat dish from scratch. The trickiest part for me isn’t the cooking itself, it’s keeping all the food warm while I’m setting up, cleaning, and doing some last minute decorating.
Since I love bringing people together and exchanging cultural experiences, I asked everyone to bring a dish from their home country to share. I first experienced this tradition during my elementary school days. We called it “International Day” where every student would bring a dish representing their home country or origins. To set a base for our meal, I made some traditional Thanksgiving dishes:
Lemon Herb Chicken Thighs: Whole turkey is hard to come by in France. You can find it or special order it through a butcher but I feel far too inexperienced to prepare a whole turkey from scratch anyways so chicken is a safer way to go.
Brown Sugar and Herb Sweet Potatoes: Simple, sweet and savory.
Baked Paprika Zucchini: Personally, I’m not a big fan of salad so I wanted to do a green that’s simple yet delicious.
Tomato and Cheese Quiche: For my vegetarians/halal guests.
Apple Tart: I accidentally bought tart crust instead of a lighter pie crust, so my pie turned into a tart in the end.
Secret Weapon: Pumpkin Spice Mix from Trader Joe’s
Hot Apple Cider: Simply just warmed up apple juice on the stove with a dash of cinnamon.
With the exception of the quiche crust and tart crust, I tried to make everything from scratch. In total, I spent around five hours in the kitchen plus an additional hour to do the grocery shopping. It’s true there are some things I could have prepared beforehand but I kind of love the feeling of multitasking in the kitchen, being creative, and improvising as I go.
International Dishes My Friends Prepared:
Allie: USA, green beans
Yasmine: Morocco, Baghrir (Moroccan crepe)
Alexiane: France, Chaussons aux pommes
Oumayma: Morocco, Oven Baked Briwat with white cheese and veggies
Sophi: Algeria, Fried Bricks with chicken
Alexia: France, Charcuterie Board
Arina : Belarus, Syrniki (Belarus dessert)
Ivana: Serbia, Fresh salad with cucumbers and feta
Marion: France, crêpe
Charlie: UK, Mini Victorian sponge cakes
Liyana: Malaysia, Puteri Mandi, or “Bathing Princess”
As I was busy in the mix of hosting, serving, and catching up with friends, there is no bigger joy in the world than bringing people together and caring for those around me through food. Since so many of us are expats and away from family during the holidays, it gives me so much comfort to create the feeling of home amongst those who make living in Paris feel like home for me everyday. I am grateful for the community of people who have supported me through my journey’s highs and lows and I feel that it’s important to create these kinds of memories that simply require the willingness to be present and share.
Many thanks to all my friends who participated in my little third annual Friendsgiving. Hosting is my love language and I truly believe life is not worth living unless there are loving people around to share it with.
Until next year!
Bisous,
Kiana