IN CHARLES’ WORDS:
I find there is nothing quite so enjoyable to lighten up a holiday lunch or dinner as to invite family and friends to celebrate and each bring a dish of their favorite or new holiday fare to add to the meal whether the traditional Thanksgiving turkey or some delectable surprise. Most often each guest has their specialty side dish, an appetizer, veggies, a salad, or an unexpected dessert. Each dish a unique experience. I often steer away from the traditional menu and instead, perhaps serve an unexpected Italian, French, or Asian menu.
We are doing just that in this Thanksgiving Day 2025 post introducing Nancy’s Italian inspired appetizers to start the meal off to whet the appetite for a not so traditional main course of roasted eggplant served in a fresh tomato sauce with flat fillet of anchovy mixed in and served over homemade lobster ravioli – homemade meatballs please. On the side of course!
Buono Thanksgiving, from our table to yours.
Mangiare!
FROM OUR NANCY:
Although Thanksgiving is an innately American holiday- while in Florence my Italian friends would never forget to greet me with “Buon Giorno del Ringraziamento!” on this special day. The holiday is now embraced more than ever in Italy – turkeys have begun to appear in supermarkets in late November in consideration of the many ex-pats living there, and some restaurants even have a special Thanksgiving dinner menu. We always managed to celebrate the holiday so our children would know it and celebrate it as well.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather with family and friends, and this year I am particularly excited to have been invited to share in an extended large family gathering! Though I will miss the wonderful combination of smells in my kitchen of Thanksgiving dinner – turkey, the stuffing, potatoes, squash and vegetables, that unique, warm and comforting smell – I am excited to be together with family. (And I am sure I will slip a small turkey into the oven at some point in the next month)
If you are lucky enough to be invited as a guest at Thanksgiving lunch or dinner, be mindful of the host/hostess’ plan that is in place. Rather than ask “what can I bring”, I always suggest what exactly I would like to bring – in this case, some light appetizers that will not interfere with the expected ‘less than light ‘meal to be anticipated. The host/hostess may have a very curated meal planned and not want additional food – in that case, bring a bottle of – no, not wine – but a gift of good artisanal Italian olive oil together with a unique salt found and gathered only on the island of Ile de Re’ in France – they can enjoy these long after the meal has ended!
If you are bringing appetizers, ask the host/hostess what time they would like you to arrive with them – they may want you to come a few minutes before the others, so guests are greeted with something to momentarily satiate their hunger after a long drive or a long day without eating. And then arrive ready to go – with your own serving platter so the host does not have to scramble to locate one! You may even want to bring along some small seasonal appetizer plates in the shape of pumpkins as I have, or some other seasonal decoration and leave them behind as a gift.
Simple is best, and these appetizers are easy and no fuss at all, in fact they don’t even involve cooking and therefore do not need to kept warm. Tiny skewers of mozzarella cheese with prosciutto and olives are paired with a different version for non-meat-eating guests, mozzarella cheese with tomato and basil.
One of my favorite appetizers is endive filled with just about anything, but in this case blue cheese with walnuts and pecans. Always mindful of nut allergies, I was searching for a non-nut version and tried a separate platter with endive with blue cheese with sweet and slightly spicy-hot peppadew peppers and found I like it even more! The endive replaces bread or crackers to keep the appetizer light, and the tangy blue cheese whets the appetite without being overwhelming.
Thanksgiving is full of memories, and one of my favorites is the large bowl of unshelled nuts, along with nutcrackers, that my father insisted on having at the table in the center of the pies at the end of the meal. We enjoyed the evening’s challenge of getting those nutshells to crack, Brazil nuts being the most difficult, and digging the last bit of walnut or pecan out of its shell. The bowl would continue to be filled in the weeks to come, celebrating the season long after the pies and leftover turkey in all its variations – turkey sandwiches, shepherd’s pie, turkey soup – had long disappeared. There is something so earthy and old-fashioned about those unshelled nuts, and when I recently came across them at my neighborhood market, of course I had to buy some …and they will be on my table as well in the weeks to come.
To allow for the full flavor of these cheeses, bring them to room temperature at serving time and enjoy!
TINY SKEWERS OF MOZZARELLA, PROSCIUTTO AND OLIVES
- 26 small mozzarella balls
- 13 slices prosciutto, cut in half
- 52 olives, green or brown, pitted
- Torre di Gamberaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Il’ de Re’ tomate echalote salt
- toothpicks
Skewer the ingredients onto the toothpicks in this order:
- Prosciutto
- Mozzarella
- Olives
Sprinkle with olive oil and salt and enjoy!
TINY SKEWERS OF MOZZARELLA, BASIL AND TOMATO
- 26 small mozzarella balls
- 52 cherry tomatoes
- 26 large basil leaves, or 52 smaller leaves
- Torre di Gamberaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Il’ de Re’’ tomate echalote salt
- toothpicks
Skewer the ingredients onto the toothpicks in this order:
- Tomato
- Mozzarella
- Basil
- Tomato
Sprinkle with olive oil and salt
BELGIAN ENDIVE WITH BLUE CHEESE, WALNUTS AND PECANS
- 22 leaves of Belgian endive
- 1/3-pound blue cheese
- 11 pecans, more for the center of the platter
- 11 walnuts, more for the center of the platter
- 2 TBS Torre di Gamberaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Il de Re’ persillade salt
Mix the blue cheese with the olive oil. Spread the blue cheese in equal amounts on the lower half of the endive leaves. Place a pecan or walnut on top of each, alternating as you go.
Drizzle with more olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt
BELGIAN ENDIVE WITH BLUE CHEESE AND PEPPADEW PEPPERS
- 22 leaves of Belgian endive
- 1/3-pound blue cheese
- 11 peppadew peppers, cut in half – more for the center of the platter
- 2 TBS Torre di Gamberaia Extra Virgin Oil
- Il de Re’ persillade salt
Drain the peppers and dry between paper towels or a clean cloth and cut in half.
Mix the blue cheese with the olive oil. Spread the blue cheese in equal amounts on the lower half of the endive leaves.
Top each with a peppadew pepper. Drizzle with more olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt
From our kitchens to your table.
Enjoy and give thanks this Thanksgiving.
