Disasturkeys, Chihuahua stuffing and other Thanksgiving tales
The reasons Hispanics Latinize the traditional turkey dinner may lie in history
By Anita Mabante Leach
You’ve no doubt heard the saying, “Stick a fork in it, it’s done.”
If you’ve ever attempted to put an ethnic spin on a Thanksgiving dinner, the same may be said about your efforts to Latinize the American tradition. Still, if you are lucky and dinner guests rave, success is possible.
Much like switching from Spanish to English, the translation of holiday foods can be tricky. There may be those who want to substitute calabacitas (cooked zucchini) for steamed corn, or chorizo con papas fritas (fried potatoes and spicy sausage) instead of those buttery mashed potatoes. Or even tortillas instead of rolls or biscuits.
These substitutions, while tasty enough to stand on their own, don’t truly complement the juicy neutrality of a roasted turkey. The meat should be seen as a culinary backdrop that must be served with flavors that will enhance its delicate taste, not overwhelm it. Sweet and savory seem to work best, as traditional menus reflect – and dinner guests demand.
You might need an expert’s help.
As a seven-year veteran of fielding phone calls for Butterball’s Turkey Talk-Line, Astrid Volpert has heard it all. She has answered a gazillion questions from Latino American cooks, many of whom are surprised to learn that a hard-as-a-rock, frozen turkey should be thawed in the fridge a couple of days before roasting. According to Volpert, that is the most common mistake a first-time turkey cook will make, regardless of ethnic background.
“We tell them there’s a quick method by putting the turkey in hot water to thaw. We can accelerate that thawing,” Volpert says, but “it still may delay the meal by a couple of hours.”
Or, they’ll open up the turkey after roasting, and just the outside will be cooked and the inside, where the giblets and neck are, will still be frozen, which means they won’t be able to use the parts to flavor stuffing or gravy.
Volpert, who is part of a trio of bilingual Helpline experts, has talked with all kinds of Spanish-speaking callers:
The abuelitas who have never cooked an American-style turkey dinner before, and are tackling it for their extended family (Volpert says many ask how to make brown gravy).
The young guys who, having grown up in the United States, are trying a turkey for the first time after moving away from home (they miss Mami’s cooking).
Panicky young Latinas who are hosting Thanksgiving Day dinner (and her family’s abuelitas) for the first time and don’t have a clue where to start.
“When we think about cooking, we think the women are all in the kitchen and it’s not that way anymore. It’s everyone,” Volpert says. She also says Latino cooks are becoming more adventurous, pointing to the increasing number of callers who want to know about grilling a whole turkey.
The Talk-Line, which opened in 1981, began fielding calls from Spanish speakers in 1991. Callers can access free recipes in Spanish online, or even receive faxed copies. Volpert says Talk-Line experts also have answered calls from China, Germany, Australia, Spain and Mexico.
In fact, putting an ethnic spin on a holiday bird seems to be quite popular: an online survey by the National Turkey Federation revealed that 49 percent of consumers are looking for new and distinctive turkey dishes. Italian-flavored recipes were the most popular at 55 percent; Southwestern and Southern styles are tied at 49 percent.
