When Foodbuzz announced the launch of “24, 24, 24”, even they did not foresee the huge success it would garner. Twenty four people hosted twenty-four dinners in twenty-four in twenty-four hours.
The dinners were enthusiastic celebrations of the foods people adore and and enjoy in each corner of the world they inhabit.
I imagine many food bloggers submitted proposals and Foodbuzz sadly had to turn away some people. I was still on vacation in Greece when the event was announced but I submitted a proposal soon after Foodbuzz relayed the news that “24, 24, 24” would be a monthly event.
My approach was to feature a Thanksgiving Dinner with some Greek flare. Here in Canada, we celebrated Thanksgiving on October 13th and our US neighbors will be celebrating next month.
In Canada, the emphasis of Thanksgiving lies squarely on giving thanks to the harvest and celebrating the precious bounty at the table.
Canada is a multi-cultural society and I truly believe it’s one of the best countries in the world to live in. As Greeks living in Canada (along with peoples of other ethnicities), many of us have also embraced Thanksgiving. It’s a noble holiday to commemorate and I one I do not take lightly.
Last night I hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner using Greek ingredients and Greek recipes using seasonal products. My goal was to awe my guests with dishes that screamed of being Greek while staying true to a Thanksgiving Dinner.
I also had the pleasure of enjoying an all Greek wine night with my guests. With the assistance of Steve Kriaris of the Kolonaki Group and Alex Pulcini of Pavlou Estates, I was able to pair a 5-star wine selection with this Thanksgiving feast.
I would also like to thank my cousin, Nicholas Hadzis who took the time to write out the ornate menus you see here.
Another thanks goes out to Marianthe Mesbouris who tooks tons of photos while I was prepping and serving up each course…thanks Red!
A thank you to my brother Danny and his girlfriend Natalia, my cousin Effie, my good friend Amy and sisters Evelyn & Roula. You all made the evening memorable and as always…the laughs kept on coming!
Let’s get on with the food, shall we? Today, I’m going give you a quick run down of the food served in the order that they arrived at the table but I will give you the recipe details in the week ahead.
First up, we had the mezedes or Greek appetizers:
Horiatki Dip…inspired by leftover Greek salad….don’t throw that out…make it a dip!
How about crostinis with caramelized onions and (Throumpes) Greek olives with thyme and oregano?
Or here’s a play on Dolmades, made to look like “Greek sushi”.
What would a Greek evening be without the use of phyllo?
These spinach and cheese phyllo cups were snapped up in no time!
Next up in the long line of service was the soup course. Fancy a Beet soup with Greek oregano and Greek yogurt?
An autumn Greek salad with seasonal greens and a vinaigrette of olive oil, mustard, balsamic vinegar and Petimezi.
What’s a Thanksgiving dinner without the turkey? Here, I brined the turkey with Mosxato wine, bay leafs, peppercorns, garlic, thyme, parsley, allspice and orange juice. The turkey was also stuffed with rice, chestnuts, raisins, giblets and pine nuts.
The “fixins” to accompany the turkey were a mashed potatoes and celery root with buttermilk, roasted garlic, thyme and chives.
These roasted root vegetables were aromatized with a blend of sage, cinnamon, nutmeg and fennel seeds.
Can’t have a Thanksgiving without Cranberry sauce. I put my Greek twist on this by adding a hint of clove and orange zest.
The main course was followed by a Greek cheese platter featuring Vlaxotyri, Kasseri from Mytlini and Cypriot Halloumi.
Despite having satiated guests, one always has room for dessert. In Greece, Bougatsa is a much loved breakfast treat filled with custard (crema) and here I’ve turned into an autumn dessert. It’s Bougatsa with poached quince and almonds, finished off with a dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon.
That was My Big Fat Greek Thanksgiving. Watch all this week for me to give you the nitty-gritty on each recipe, notes on the wine pairings and any other afterthoughts on the dinner.
Time for clean-up…
ohmygoodness – thats a true feast indeed. and for me, a feast for the eyes!
What an incredible job you did Peter!!! I love all of the food that you served and will most certainly be using some of these recipes in the future. I also wish that we had been there…I bet it was an incredible night!
Wow – Wow WOW!
You did such a great job there Peter!
Everything and I mean everything, looked amazing. You are such a professional. Just wish I had been there…..I could eat and eat and eat your food all day!!
Well done you!!!! Jan x
wow peter! That is one fine meal indeed. That is a massive amount of food too – good going!
Bravo, Peter! You’ve really outdone yourself! I don’t even know where to begin. Everything looks so marvelous! That turkey belongs on a Norman Rockwell poster! Can’t wait to see some of those recipes.
It looks like you had a house full of happy and satisfied guests. That’s the best thing of all.
looks delicious, Peter. I love.love.love your play on bougatsa – poached quince and almond, mmm… what a flavour pair!
A great job well done Peter! I’m hanging out for that bougatsa recipe! Can’t wait!
What a fantastic meal to share with family and friends Peter. Yammas:D
What a delight! Peter you did such a great job!!! Can’t wait for the recipes :D
Wow Peter, that looks like quite a feast 7 it looks like everyone was having so much fun
It sounds like you had a good evening and laid on quite a spread Peter. There is some lovely dishes there. What did your guests think of you stopping to take photos of the food? Or are they used to it now?
What a lovely evening! Well done. A lot of cooking though, hope you had some good help in the kitchen. And I REALLY HOPE YOU HAVE A DISHWASHER!!! :-)
congrats on being chosen. it looks delicious; you know how I love Greek cheese, and I love the ethnic twists on Thanksgiving, that is always th ebest of the meal.
congrats on being chosen. it looks delicious; you know how I love Greek cheese, and I love the ethnic twists on Thanksgiving, that is always th ebest of the meal.
congrats on being chosen. it looks delicious; you know how I love Greek cheese, and I love the ethnic twists on Thanksgiving, that is always th ebest of the meal.
congrats on being chosen. it looks delicious; you know how I love Greek cheese, and I love the ethnic twists on Thanksgiving, that is always th ebest of the meal.
congrats on being chosen. it looks delicious; you know how I love Greek cheese, and I love the ethnic twists on Thanksgiving, that is always th ebest of the meal.
congrats on being chosen. it looks delicious; you know how I love Greek cheese, and I love the ethnic twists on Thanksgiving, that is always th ebest of the meal.
congrats on being chosen. it looks delicious; you know how I love Greek cheese, and I love the ethnic twists on Thanksgiving, that is always th ebest of the meal.
congrats on being chosen. it looks delicious; you know how I love Greek cheese, and I love the ethnic twists on Thanksgiving, that is always th ebest of the meal.
standing ovation, Peter. It looks amazing!
Looks like a great dinner, with great food and great guests. I’m looking forward to the recipes!
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this one because I knew it would a sight to be seen, and even with high expectations, you definitely didn’t disappoint. That’s quite a spectacular dinner! Lots of creative twists(e.g. the Greek sushi sticks out in my mind!) and every dish is picture perfect.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this one because I knew it would a sight to be seen, and even with high expectations, you definitely didn’t disappoint. That’s quite a spectacular dinner! Lots of creative twists(e.g. the Greek sushi sticks out in my mind!) and every dish is picture perfect.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this one because I knew it would a sight to be seen, and even with high expectations, you definitely didn’t disappoint. That’s quite a spectacular dinner! Lots of creative twists(e.g. the Greek sushi sticks out in my mind!) and every dish is picture perfect.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this one because I knew it would a sight to be seen, and even with high expectations, you definitely didn’t disappoint. That’s quite a spectacular dinner! Lots of creative twists(e.g. the Greek sushi sticks out in my mind!) and every dish is picture perfect.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this one because I knew it would a sight to be seen, and even with high expectations, you definitely didn’t disappoint. That’s quite a spectacular dinner! Lots of creative twists(e.g. the Greek sushi sticks out in my mind!) and every dish is picture perfect.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this one because I knew it would a sight to be seen, and even with high expectations, you definitely didn’t disappoint. That’s quite a spectacular dinner! Lots of creative twists(e.g. the Greek sushi sticks out in my mind!) and every dish is picture perfect.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this one because I knew it would a sight to be seen, and even with high expectations, you definitely didn’t disappoint. That’s quite a spectacular dinner! Lots of creative twists(e.g. the Greek sushi sticks out in my mind!) and every dish is picture perfect.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this one because I knew it would a sight to be seen, and even with high expectations, you definitely didn’t disappoint. That’s quite a spectacular dinner! Lots of creative twists(e.g. the Greek sushi sticks out in my mind!) and every dish is picture perfect.
A true Greek feast blended with Thanksgiving traditions. It all looked delicious. Waiting anxiously for the recipes.
That’s a real Greek symposium! Great choice of dishes.
Mmmm – what a delicious Thanksgiving dinner – lucky guests!
Nice work Peter!
what a feast!
that turkey is really photogenic! lol
I am so friggin hungry now. thanks
This is what a call a real feast. Lucky guests. I love the way you did your Dolmades. Thanks for sharing.
wow – that wiped me out!
Fantastic! Now, that’s what I call a feast!
Cheers,
Rosa
Fantastic! Now, that’s what I call a feast!
Cheers,
Rosa
Fantastic! Now, that’s what I call a feast!
Cheers,
Rosa
Fantastic! Now, that’s what I call a feast!
Cheers,
Rosa
Fantastic! Now, that’s what I call a feast!
Cheers,
Rosa
Fantastic! Now, that’s what I call a feast!
Cheers,
Rosa
Fantastic! Now, that’s what I call a feast!
Cheers,
Rosa
Fantastic! Now, that’s what I call a feast!
Cheers,
Rosa
The Greek “sushi” is very witty!
I always love visiting your blog. Bravo, Peter, for another great blog post!
My friend, this dinner looks just amazing! We worked hard, but the company was worth all the effort, wasn’t it? Just imagine what we would do if we were neighbors :-p
I am blown away Peter! After that I couldnt probaly get out of chair. What an excellent theme for this event.
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE!!! lol! What a thanksgiving treat, Peter! Nice platter of chesses, nice mezedes, and wonderful turkey! I loved the cranberry sauce as well. You seem to have had a great party.All the best for the 24*3! Cheers!Nat
Peter,
I love this post.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday to cook for, and you got me all excited!
I love the dolmas that look like sushi!
Stacey
I’m almost speechless…… BRAVO!!!!
Congrats to you Peter! What a fun night and such great food to pay off on all the hard work. Makes me tired thinking of all the work. We brine our turkeys too, and haven’t had better. The combo of flavors sounds amazing…
This looks like such a fantastic feast! It all looks incredible, Peter, but I am really eyeing that bougatsa. On one of my trips to Greece, we stayed with someone who ran a bakery and he made most of the things on the bottom floor of his home. So every morning I had bougatsa for breakfast. Mmm.
That is some spread! You have lucky, lucky friends.
Wow, you do Thanksgiving right! Your celebration looks like so much fun. And lucky for us Americans your celebration is early enough that we can get some great new recipes to try at our own feasts next month.
What a magnificent feast! Great Thanksgiving meal and I love all the screaming Greek touches.
I swear I commented already! This is a gorgeous Thanksgiving, Peter! I wish I had family like you (then I could actually look forward to holiday meals without having to cook). ;)
Lovely and far more interesting than mine will be next month. The special “herb” for our Thanksgiving will be having my father-in-law join us for the first time in years (my MIL has stage 6 Alzheimers), and he’d like a traditional feast, so that’s what he’ll get!
This was just beautiful, though.
The smiles on the faces of your guests say it all, Peter. How well thought out each course is! I’ll be back for recipes.
Wow! What a feast! And I never knew Canada had a Thanksgiving similar to ours here in the states. That’s a dinner I wish I could have attended.
I would definitely have given thanks for that gorgeous feast!
i would’ve paid an exorbitant amount of money to attend a feast like that. seriously. you would’ve had to roll me out the door by the end of the evening. :)
My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail….
This has to be the best looking Thanksgiving dinner I have ever seen, I especially love the Greek sushi!
OMG – that is one amazing meal!!! You did a wonderful job.. Thanks for sharing it with your peoples!!
Bravo, Peter, you are a TRUE Kalofagas!! Your Greek spread looks amazing. The real question now is when do I get to come over for dinner?!
oh, and btw, your brother looks like a mirror image of you!
Beautiful. Your grape leaf “sushi” are adorable. Your turkey sounds like it’s to die for. I love your take on the mashes taters too.
So how much would you charge to cater my Thanksgiving dinner? ;-)
That’s incredible Peter. What a great job you did. I like the clove, orange zest idea for the cranberry sauce. I think I’ll do that with mine this year.
These spinach and cheese phyllo cups were snapped up in no time!
I bet! I would have been ALL OVER THOSE. :P
Wow! Such a cool idea! I can’t wait for you to post the recipes – I will definitely be copying some for my Thanksgiving feast. :)
Great Thanksgiving! Love your dining room – your chandelier looks very much like mine. I love to make Thanksgiving dinner – so many different foods – and offering many different desserts is one of my favorite things!
CONGRATULATIONS for being one of the 24s!!!! You made a wonderful succulent beautiful Greek spread here!!! I will leave all the cheese for you but will open my jaws to give a good bite to the rest… seeing all that food on a table arises the beast in me! lol
WOW – can I get an invite next time?
-DTW
http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com
Wow, what a great post! Peter, I wish I were at your Big Fat Greek Thanksgiving:) Everything looks so good – what a fabulous feast!
It all looks so wonderful and the sound of that chestnut stuffing with greek herbs… mmm, I’m highlighting that! Congrats on your wonderful Foodbuzz 24 post Peter!
Wow! I want a Greek Thanksgiving feast!
Picture perfect amazing feast! But then I wouldn’t expect anything less than that, from you. One question though…Did you save me any leftovers???
What a fantastic idea, Peter. I love what you’ve done with the place :)
That Bougatsa is completely calling my name!
Now that looks like a damn good party with flippin’ great food! And your clean-up…. Not even a crumb on the table cloth. How is that possible?
This is truly a spectacular feast!
How did I miss the invite to this wonderful thanksgiving dinner? It all looks so delicious, Peter. Well done!
Holy cow! Now that's an amazing spread of food! Peter, did you have to roll your friends out the door afterward? I love your choice of appetizers but then again the dessert was delicious looking as was the turkey……oh too many choices! You certainly know how to spoil your guests! Good work & Happy Greek Thanksgiving to you & yours! Cheers!
Great food… great fun and great friends. What more can you ask for? Quite the feast here! Very impressive!
what a feast, i swear. wow. the bird looks so tasty!
Wow, wow, wow! Oh, it looks like you all had so much fun. Great food, great company, and great conversation. Sounds perfect! Those menu cards are amazing. It all looks so lovely!
oh mon dieu, what a meal ! I took everything.
Congrats Peter . Lovely evening and wonderful feast
Amazing!
It looks like you all had such a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. How lucky you are to be surrounded by wonderful people and such amazing food (looking forward to the recipes).
Now, if you only had help doing all those dishes…
wow great spread peter! can’t believe thanksgiving is already around the corner.
What a feast, Peter! You really outdid yourself. You must have been cooking for a week! Everything sounds so good. Of course, I think the turkey would be my favorite.
This is just fabulous Peter. I love everything about it, you are so creative. I’m lovin’ that big bird!
What a wonderful feast and I love how you gave a Greek spin to many of the dishes we think of as traditional Thanksgiving food! Great job!
OMG, this looks fabulous! YES, I want to come to the Big Fat Greek Thanksgiving!!
OMG! What a wonderful feast! Dolmades are amazing!
congrats on your foodbuzz 24! you did a great job and I am drooling over the nice food. The greek sushi is adorable! =D
Thanks to all for your wonderful thoughts on the dinner. I was, along with my guests, very happy with how the evening went and how delicious the food turned out.
Holler, I had a friend & guest take alot of photos so that wouldn't happen.
Ioanna, yes I do and the dishwasher saw 3 loads!
Ben, if we were neighbors…we'd be really fat!