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A Spanish Thanksgiving (el Dia de Acción de Gracias)

The 24^th Annual Lovitz-McCabe Thanksgiving Celebration

1012 Cape May Avenue

Cape May, NJ

Thursday, November 26^th, 2009

Appetizers/Tapas

Assortment of authentic Spanish Tapas

Queso Manchego con Almendras y Aceitunnas Verdes - Manchego with Almonds and Green Olives

Huevos Rellenos de Gambas – Deviled Eggs with Shrimp

Salsa de Berenjena y Pimiento - Eggplant & Bell Pepper Dip

Champinones al Ajillo – Garlic Mushrooms

(Fiesta Sangria - Holiday Cranberry-Raspberry Sangria)

(Sangria Virgen de Granada - Virgin Pomegranate Sangria)

(NV Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad Brut Cava – A wine balanced between freshness that brings a crisp Asian pear to mind and more mature waxiness from well-aged macabeo. The depth of fruit flavor underlines a clean, refreshing feel.)

(Bodegas de la Marquesa Valserrano Reserva Rioja – Smooth, powerful and complex, featuring ripe cherry and dark plum fruit, accented by notes of chocolate, spice and pepper. Black fruits, mocha and cedar highlight the long elegant finish. {Elegant, Cherry, Mocha, Spice, Full-bodied})

Soup/Sopa

Sopa de Tomate Asado de País Vasco - Basque Roasted Tomato Soup

(Pazo de Senorans Albarino Rias Baixas – One of the finest Albarinos made, this offering exhibits a Viognier-like nose of dried apricots and peaches, fine elegance and texture, medium weight, and pure, clean flavors. {Elegant, Peach, Mineral, Medium-bodied})

Salad/Ensalada

Ensalada Mixta - Spanish Mixed Green Salad

Sorbet/Sorbete

Sorbete de Vino Rioja - Rioja Wine Sorbet

Turkey and Gravy and Stuffing/Pavo y Salsa y Relleno

Pavo Asado Relleno de Salsa de Naranja Ágria - Brined, Air Dried, Spanish Spice Rubbed and Slow Roasted Turkey with Sour Orange Sauce Stuffed with Pan De Horno (Real Spanish Bread), Saffron, Chorizo (Homemade Turkey Chorizo Sausage) and Almond Stuffing

(Castello D Clavijo Rioja Gran Riserva – A blend of 80% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo and 10% Graciano aged in 24-36 months in American oak, results in a harmonious blend of mellow fruit and noble wood. Smooth, rounded and well-balanced. Finesse and refinement make it a wine of uncompromising elegance and distinction. {Elegant, Cherry, Tobacco, Oak, Medium-bodied})

Vegetables/Verduras

Judias Verdes con Piñónes - Green Beans with Pine Nuts

Espárragos Blancos en Aceite y Vinagre - White Asparagus in Oil and Vinegar

Potatoes/Patatas

Puré de Patatas - Spanish Mashed Potatoes

Cranberries/el Arándanos Rojos

Compota de Frutas - Cranberry and Winter Fruit Compote

Bread/Pan

Pan De Horno - Real Spanish Bread

Dessert/Postre

Pastel de Calabaza - Pumpkin Cake served with Helado de Salvia (Sage Ice Cream) and Compota de Calabaza y Cereza (Pumpkin Cherry Compote)

Torta de Chocolate - Spanish Chocolate Torte served with Helado de Canela (Cinnamon Ice Cream)

Galletas de Sabor Naranja con Arándano Rojo - Cranberry-Orange Drop Cookies

Cafés - Spanish Coffees (regular and decaf plus Café Espanol)

(Bodegas Osborne Pedro Ximenez – A spectacularly sweet and rich bruiser, and one that delivers the essence of raisins, toffee and chocolate. The finish is impeccably smooth and rich, and while its luscious to say the least, the amazing thing is its length, which runs a couple of minutes." {Sweet, Raisin, Toffee, Chocolate, Full-bodied})

el Dia de Acción de Gracias (Spanish Thanksgiving)

There is no national harvest festival celebrated in Spain. Each region and province seems to have their own. Spain is a huge wine growing country and there are a great number of wine harvest festivals. However based on what I have read if you are in Spain towards the end of November chances are good you will be asked ¿Qué es lo que vosotros celebráis durante las fiestas de Thanksgiving? The Spanish are very curious about the holiday and are often surprise to learn that this traditional North American holiday has its roots in Western Europe. Long before the pilgrims and Native Americans first celebrated Thanksgiving in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Europeans gathered in the autumn to celebrate the harvest.

European farmers filled a curved goat's horn with fruit and grains to signify the abundance of the year's harvest. This horn of plenty or cornucopia has become a symbol shared by North Americans for the Thanksgiving holiday.

For our Spanish Thanksgiving celebration I have taken the traditional foods and using the web and Spanish cookbooks have created a traditional Thanksgiving feast featuring foods from various regions of Spain. Each recipe is authentically Spanish while being traditionally “Thanksgiving”.