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Photo by Cathy Pinsky
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On Thanksgiving, about 24 people will come to my place, most everyone contributing something to the day’s feast. My mother will bring her famous stuffed cabbage; my nieces their vegetable risotto; my cousin Elisabeth apple and pumpkin pies; my daughter and youngest son, fresh homemade ice cream. I love it. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, in fact. All you have to do is eat.
How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? Here is how some Westchester Magazine staff members do.
Articles Editor Marisa LaScala
“I love seeing family, but I am totally on board with the trend of having a huge reunion of high-school friends the night before the holiday. To me, Thanksgiving Eve is more fun than New Year’s Eve.”
Associate Editor Ben Brody
“Our most conspicuous tradition is ‘Hellish Relish.’ Instead of canned cranberry sauce, we Cuisinart up a batch of fresh cranberries, lots of jalapeños, and some other ingredients that I’m bound by family honor not to reveal. The Hellish Relish is one of my father’s few big food numbers, and I think he enjoys being the star at dinnertime at least one day a year.”
Fact Checker/Reporter Katie O’Donnell
“We usually go to my aunt’s house in Bronxville, and we always make those disgusting pearl onions. We pass them around the table—but no one eats any. Same with my aunt’s real cranberry sauce—we are big fans of the canned.”
Sales Coordinator Angie Bodden
“My family is all down south in New Orleans, so I spend Thanksgiving in bed, sleeping.”
Associate Art Director Jessica Brown
“When my grandmother first learned that I am vegetarian, she said, ‘That’s okay, we have plenty of white meat!’ With thirty people at my aunt’s house, we have so many sides—broccoli and green-bean casseroles, turnips, mashed potatoes, Waldorf salad, homemade rolls, all the pies—who needs meat?”
Marketing Assistant Danicka Taylor
“We always used to celebrate Thanksgiving at my mom’s house in Brewster, but now that our family is so spread out—California, Texas, Florida, New Jersey—we’ve been meeting in North Carolina at my brother’s house. The best part is seeing all my family.”
Advertising Sales Manager Frank Tarascio
“I’ll be spending this Thanksgiving with my new wife, Jackie, and my sons. Jackie created a new tradition for us last Thanksgiving: we each choose a charity to donate to, to be thankful for what we have.”
Photos of Ben, Katie, Angie, Danicka, and Frank by Adam Nunez
