Friendsgiving is your opportunity to experience a delicious holiday meal with your closest friends. Last year we celebrated with a traditional Friendsgiving Feast, but this year we decided to mix it up and create a modern menu inspired by turkey day classics. We made the evening even more special by replacing the traditional family style meal with a 6-course tasting menu with wine pairings.
We love Thanksgiving but last year we experienced too much of a good thing with Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving and all the leftovers! To avoid this, Kanchana created 6-course tasting menu that incorporated all the flavors of Thanksgiving. Each course was executed by a different seasoned chef. Our friend, Andrew, selected wines that would complement each course and our friend, Vadim, generously hosted our 12-person Friendsgiving dinner party.
Kanchana had a lot of fun modernizing the Thanksgiving menu:
- Pumpkin Pie >>> Pumpkin Dinner Roll
- Green Beans / Brussels Sprouts >>> Fall Harvest Salad
- Mashed Potatoes >>> Savory Potato Tart
- Stuffing >>> Stuffing Muffins
- Turkey Whole Bird >>> Turkey Sliders
- Cranberry Sauce >>> Cranberry Relish
- Sweet Potatoes >>> Sweet Potato Fries
- Pumpkin Pie >>> Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
We believe every dinner party should have a signature cocktail. Our Friendsgiving libation was a cinnamon cranberry cocktail – think hot apple cider with a cranberry twist. Our friend, Dominique, spiked the drink with rum from Cuba! We recommend garnishes to add the perfect finishing touch to any cocktail. We added an orange wedge and served the cocktail alongside the first course, a Pumpkin Shaped Dinner Roll featuring the same ingredient.
With any food and wine pairing, it is critical to think about the relative weight and body of each half of the partnership. The Fall Harvest Salad Two Ways is a modern take on roasted green beans and brussels sprouts. Andrew paired this course with a Sauvignon Blanc. The key to a salad and wine pairing is to minimize the acidity of the dressing. The fruity Sauvignon Blanc picked up the Fall flavors of the salad. The Savory Potato Tart elevated traditional mashed potatoes. The buttery Chablis complemented the creamy, rich, flavorful tart. Turkey and Stuffing are major parts of Thanksgiving dinner. The Stuffing was served in muffin form while the Turkey was served in Slider form with Asiago Cheese, Cranberry Relish and a side of Sweet Potato Fries. The Stuffing and Turkey courses were paired with Pinot Noir. This light bodied wine with earthy and red/black fruit flavors compliments turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. The meal concluded with a mini Pumpkin Cheesecake paired with a Riesling. The fruity, light texture of Riesling highlighted the flavors of the Pumpkin Cheesecake.
We selected a color-Fall palette colors on our table- golden yellow, burnt orange and vibrant greens. We used Williams Sonoma’s botanical pumpkin and gourd tablecloths and napkins and Pottery Barn’s wooden napkin rings. Kanchana created custom Fall place cards at each table setting. Olga of International Garden created the beautiful floral arrangement with sunflowers, pumpkins, green flowering kale and white alstroemeria.
After dinner, Vadim performed Wonderwall by Oasis on his guitar, while the guests sang along. Thanks again Vadim for hosting another beautiful dinner! We hope you enjoy Thanksgiving with your family and/or Friendsgiving with your friends.
“The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.” ––Hubert H. Humphrey
How fun to share this meal with your friends. I love the idea of stuffing muffins and will have to try them out.
Aw, I love this idea! Some friends are just like family! What a great way to celebrate friendship.
What a beautiful experience. Love the idea of friends giving and also the tasting menu.
Yes, Im in the point of my life right now where I only want to eat, drink and have friends!
Real friends are hard to find so if you do find them treasure them. Loved reading this post!
Pairing food and wine is about finding the perfect balance between the weight and body of each element. The Fall Harvest Salad Two Ways sound delicious, and I love how Andrew paired it with a Sauvignon Blanc to complement the flavors. The Savory Potato Tart with Chablis? Yum! I’m also intrigued by the Turkey and Stuffing courses paired with Pinot Noir – it sounds like a match made in heaven. And of course, ending the meal with a mini Pumpkin Cheesecake and Riesling is the perfect way to wrap up such a flavorful feast. Thanks for sharing this mouth-watering menu!
Great idea to just throw a party for friends. In life, having good friends is indeed a thing to celebrate.
I am in my late 50s and just want to enjoy life with family and friends. The party ideas you shared are great when throwing parties for friends.
I love the idea of hosting a friendsgiving. The pictures look great and the menu sounded yummy!
Your modern Friendsgiving twist is pure genius! The 6-course tasting menu and creative cocktail idea show your passion for celebrating with friends. Mixing up classic dishes is a brilliant way to keep things fresh. Your Friendsgiving vibes are contagious – cheers to unforgettable gatherings! ????????????
You put together such a lovely menu! So many great touches and details in your Friendsgiving celebration. It would be fun to do that this year!
I love the way you put together your friendsgiving! You’ve given me such great ideas for the one we plan to throw this year. Do keep us posted on the outcome of your 2023 one! I am totally stealing your menu btw!
This looks and sounds lovely. The mini Pumpkin Cheesecake paired with a Riesling, and the whole menu. I like your wine pairings and I’ve taken a note or two from you. Like pairing salad and wine to minimize acidity of dressing.
Aaawwwww….this is so cool! I am so glad to see you all enjoying this meal as one. You all looked so lovely!
Ok, awesome pictures, and the table look so cool. These are great things to do as we grow and just enjoy our lives. Thank you for sharing!
You all looked so great together! What an amazing way of arranging friendsgiving!