An ideal meal

Thanksgiving is soon upon us. Some of us will go home, others will stay here and enjoy extra Columbia FLEX dollars or a free meal at a Barnard alumna’s house. But what about pre-Thanksgiving Friendsgiving? You probably spend more time with your friends than your parents or family. Plus, we’re basically adults, and group cooking is a fun/classy activity. Bwogger Phoebe Newton rolled up her sleeves and donned an apron to lead a group of pals in a happy Thanksgiving feast.

I’ve always dreamed of a Thanksgiving dinner straight out of the sitcom Friends. In this fantasy, my friend, who is conveniently a culinary connoisseur, nimbly stirs things in pots and pans while simultaneously pulling delicious baked goods out of the oven. The rest of us engage in side conversations, watching the person in the kitchen with awe and anticipation. A sports game blares from the TV speakers (football is a fall sport, right?), and the table is set with the finest plastic diningware. Finally, the moment arrives. The table is adorned with a delicious turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls, and various other sides. I fill my plate and prepare to indulge.

In an attempt to make this fantasy a reality, I gathered a group of culinarians (friends) to help me make a Thanksgiving meal in our dorm kitchen.

Kitchen Utensils:
Stirring spoon
Medium-sized pot
Baking sheet and Pam spray
Plastic tupperware
Napkins
Cutlery
Ingredients:
Various forms of vegetables (all stolen from the dining hall, of course)
Approximately 4 medium sized potatoes
Butter
Milk
Craisins from my dorm room fridge
Veggie Burgers (real meat goes very wrong, very quickly)
Pillsbury dough for rolls
Desserts (stolen from the dining hall or purchased from a local market)

To create a smorgasbord of Thanksgiving-themed foods, we started off by attempting to make the Thanksgiving classic: mashed potatoes. We began by melting 3 tablespoons of butter on the stove. After the butter melted, we added (approximately) ⅓ of a cup of milk into the mixture and allowed it to warm. While keeping the butter and milk mixture hot, we wrapped the potatoes in Seran wrap, and microwaved them for 2-3 minutes respectively. When the potatoes were soft and warm, we placed them in a pot and mixed with the butter and milk. Using spoons, we mashed the mixture until we were satisfied with the texture.

After making the mashed potatoes, I pre-set the oven and removed the Pillsbury rolls from their packaging, and put the dough on the baking pan. After sticking the rolls in the oven, I quickly began helping my sous chef defrost the veggie burgers. While a few of us were hard at work in the kitchen, others artfully arranged desserts they had taken from the dining hall on a paper plate. All seemed calm until I discovered I had failed to grease the pan when I put the rolls in the oven. After the small puffs of smoke cleared, the rolls were still salvageable, albeit a bit crispy. Note: Pam is important and definitely necessary.

We then began the task of decorating the table with our completed dishes. We also recommend adding a bowl of Craisins to the table for a fun and fruity flair.

In the end, the meal of room-temperature veggie burgers, lumpy mashed potatoes, Craisins, burnt rolls, and assorted desserts wasn’t exactly the fantasy I had in mind, but it certainly made me feel thankful (especially for our dining services).

Hot Thanksgiving table via Shutterstock