Thanksgiving with an American family

Last Thursday was an exceptional Thanksgiving Day for my husband Ed and I, because we celebrated it with an American family — the Kenneys of Washington DC.

The older sibling Kristie is Manila-based — she is US Ambassador to the Philippines. The youngest, John, is an engineer and a pastry chef based in the US capital. He flew to Manila with his fiancée Maria to celebrate Thanksgiving with his only sister, Kristie, and her three pet cats. (Ambassador Kristie’s husband US Ambassador to Colombia Bill Brownfield, said to be a Daniel Craig look-alike, spent Thanksgiving in Colombia with relatives visiting from the US).

Aside from our host, there were seven other Americans in the intimate Thanksgiving dinner, four Filipinos (including Ed and I) and two Filipino-Americans (basketball players Gabe Norwood and Solomon Mercado of Rain or Shine). Ambassador Kenney said it was also a day to celebrate the “connection” between Americans and Filipinos.

Politics was not on the menu — the only thing remotely related to politics was her acknowledgement that Sen. Hillary Clinton was expected to be her next boss as President-elect Obama’s nominee as Secretary of State. Otherwise, it was pure laughter on the menu, spiced up by a natural curiosity when in the company of new friends.

We learned from her brother that our host Kristie once played basketball in school — no wonder she is an avid fan of the PBA and the UAAP.

The ambassador is also a typical Manila-based host — she accompanied John and Maria to the pearl market in Greenhills for some souvenir shopping. Maria wore to dinner an exquisite strand of black pearls John bought for her in Greenhills.

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Although I have spent Thanksgiving with my parents, both American citizens, our celebrations were really what modern chefs would call “fusion” cuisine. We would have turkey but have Pinoy side dishes.

Solomon, who is half Filipino, had the same experience. He recalled that during Thanksgiving in America, his lola would serve pancit with the turkey!

At Ambassador Kenney’s dinner in her beautiful Forbes Park residence, dinner could have been straight out of Martha Stewart’s cookbook: Maryland Crabcakes for appetizers and for the buffet, Herb-Roasted Turkey with Gravy, Cabernet Cranberry Sauce and Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes; Dried Cranberry Apricot and Fig Stuffing; Wild Rice with Butternut Squash; Boston Lettuce Salad with Persimmons and Candied Pecans; Lemony French Beans and Mushrooms and Pine Nuts and Vinaigrette; southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows. For dessert, we had Ambassador Kenney’s grandmother’s Pecan Pie with Crème Brulee Ice Cream, Corn Cakes with Spiced Cranberries and Vanilla Ice Cream.

I was particularly fascinated by the Sweet Potato Casserole with what looked like a Marshmallow Crust because if you were not familiar with American cuisine, you would have thought it was dessert instead of a side dish. I loved it because it complemented the Herb-Roasted Turkey.

John would tell stories of how his mother (who lives in DC but could not take long-haul flight to Manila) would be so creative with leftovers the day after Thanksgiving they would have turkey dishes the whole week. The siblings particularly remember the Turkey Tetrazzini.

I finished my pecan pie to the last crumb (the pie had a delicious cream cheese crust, which was suggested by the Ambassador’s chef) and told the ambassador I checked my diet at the foyer!

After dinner, Ambassador Kenney proudly presented to us the two Filipina chefs who prepared the exquisite dinner — Emy and Anita. (After all, the White House chef is also a Filipina.)

And in my heart, I rejoiced once more at the connection we all celebrated that night. A gracious American host sharing an all-American feast prepared by an all-Filipino team for guests who shared a bond strengthened through the centuries.

The following day, I dusted off my recipe books and with turkey left over from the roast given to me by Johnny Litton, made the best Turkey Tetrazzini ever (according to my husband).

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Did you know that Filipina Monique Lhuillier’s wedding gowns are in the bestseller 101 Things to Buy Before You Die (by Charlotte Williamson and Maggie Davis)?

The book was an early Christmas present to me from Korina Sanchez, who thoughtfully picked out two items from the list and included them in her gift box, saying now I only have 99 things more to buy to complete the list. I don’t think I ever will, because the list includes such dreamboats as a Hermes Birkin ($6,000, with a crocodile Birkin with a clasp and lock featuring 14 carats of pave diamonds fetching $64,800 at a New York auction).

Anyway, the wedding dress category includes only three names: Vera Wang (from $2,900), Stewart Parvi of London (from $3,500) and Monique Lhuillier (about $7,000).

“Since starting her company in 1996, Monique Lhuillier’s range of gowns — romantic, dreamy, with a subtle sexuality — has gone from strength to strength. Many have a long silk sash, adding a welcome splash of colour to the bridal outfit,” the book says of Monique.

Bravo, Monique!

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 (You may e-mail me at [email protected])