can confirm, Americans do Thanksgiving very well
welcome to my food substack
Hello and welcome to Pantry Diaries!
A bit about me: I was born and raised in Poland, a land of sauerkraut and potatoes. Cooking has always been a huge part of my life, mainly because my parents are both excellent cooks. They expanded my culinary horizons beyond Polish cuisine early on, bringing in plenty of Mediterranean influences that still shape the way I cook today. As a kid, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, cooking with my parents and watching Jamie Oliver's shows. That was our favourite shared activity, and even now, my dad and I still send each other food reels. Our summer holidays, spent in the warmer parts of Europe, revolved around cooking and feasting with family and friends, visiting local restaurants, and—of course—going to at least one vineyard per trip. My uncle, who’s a sommelier, would take us along while he wrapped up business deals. We’d spend that time touring the cellars, tasting wines and learning what on earth is a tannin. I must admit, this experience made me a bit of a teenager wine snob—I knew what I liked, and, more importantly, what I didn’t like (and why). I had to quickly shake that off in university when Casillero del Diablo was the best option at our local off-license.
In 2016, I moved to the UK for studies, and I’ve been living in London ever since. Soon, I’ll hit the awkward 10-year mark of living abroad, which has made me a little bit panicked and keen to explore new things. What better place to do that than Substack? I’ve always had a deep desire to explore my passion for cooking, eating, and writing about food. Recently, I started writing restaurant reviews for an online magazine (you can find me here), which has given me the opportunity to explore new restaurants, eat great food, and develop as a writer. But I thought, why stop there? Having recently deleted Instagram from my phone (in a bid to improve my mental health, of course) I rediscovered Substack. I’ve been subscribed to a few newsletters, but until recently, I never really interacted with the app itself. Now, Substack has replaced Instagram for me, and it’s what ultimately prompted me to start my own newsletter. The name might change, once I have more of an epiphany, but for now I called it Pantry Diaries, because I feel most at ease when my pantry is fully stocked. Nothing soothes me more, than a thought that I can whip up a bowl of pasta after work, with the ingredients I already have at home.
The cook and writer I admire most is Alison Roman. I’ve been watching Home Movies on YouTube since she first launched it, but I have a particularly soft spot for her Thanksgiving specials. As someone commented under one of her latest videos, "This is my Super Bowl." And well, same. Now, I don’t have any business with Thanksgiving, or the Super Bowl for that matter, but growing up watching US tv shows, I absorbed this holiday through osmosis. I feel like I’ve spent multiple Thanksgivings around the Upper East Side and Central Perk kitchens. There was always something so alluring about those holiday special episodes, so it’s no wonder I return to Alison’s Thanksgiving specials every year too.
This year, thanks to a beautiful synchronicity of life events (big fan) of briefly going out with an American and my best pal from US moving to my neighbourhood, I finally got to experience Thanksgiving for myself. My friend and her mates, all living far from their families, threw a Friendsgiving dinner. What started as a simple dinner idea quickly grew into a potluck party, with everyone bringing their favourite dish or something from their cultural background. I was hyped. Finally, I had the perfect outlet to test one of Alison Roman’s Thanksgiving recipes. I figured someone else would be making the turkey (it would be quite the faff to carry a whole bird across town too), so I went with the second best dish—stuffing. I’d never had stuffing before and always thought of it as just something inside the turkey, meant to enhance the flavour of the bird. How wrong I was! After rewatching Alison’s videos, I sourced the essentials—sourdough bread and alliums, and got to work. Making food is always very therapeutic for me, especially when the recipe calls for lots of chopping, stirring, and tasting throughout. Stuffing is perfect for that. I tore the bread and let it dry for a few hours, chopped heaps of leeks, garlic, and celery, then fried them in butter and olive oil until soft and vibrant. Once they were ready, I mixed them with the bread, poured in the egg and stock mixture, seasoned with salt and pepper, and stirred it all together in the largest bowl I could find. I baked it at home first, then popped it in the oven at the party to brown the top. I also made a smaller version to taste, and it was scrumptious.
Alison Roman's stuffing recipe.
By the time we arrived at our host’s house, the aromas of turkey and other foods were already wafting through the door. The house was beautifully set up with autumnal decor—dried flowers and pumpkins everywhere. Everyone was getting ready to reheat their dishes once the turkey came out of the oven (after 3 hours), and I learned that the host was nervous because it was her first time cooking a whole bird. But honestly, she needn’t have worried—the turkey was juicy, tender, and incredibly aromatic. Her not-so-secret secret ingredient? Piri-piri. My friend and I were busy assembling the stuffing and green beans casserole, though we nearly burnt both of them by the time we’d opened another bottle of red wine. One girl made Julia Child’s famous 30-clove garlic mashed potatoes, which were—hands down—the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had.
We didn’t start eating until 9 or 10 pm, and when it was finally time to serve, we all went to the kitchen with our plates, ready to choose from more than 20 dishes. I went traditional—turkey, roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, and mac and cheese. It was delicious and totally worth the wait, though I could only manage half of my plate. Apparently, that’s a very common Thanksgiving struggle. And, as I’m told, there’s nothing like taking breaks to chat with family and friends, then coming back to your plate for seconds—or better yet, eating it cold later or indulging in leftovers the next day. I have to admit, I’m a little envious of Americans for having this extra holiday centred almost entirely around food. In Poland, we only have three major food-centric holidays: Christmas, Easter, and—most importantly to me— Tlusty Czwartek (Fat Thursday), also known as Donut Day. One I will be sure to write about come February when I host my annual donut party.
As I reflect on the Thanksgiving dinner, I realise there's nothing I love more than gathering around the table, sharing a meal, and experiencing life through food. That's what I want to share here on Pantry Diaries. This newsletter isn't just about recipes (though you'll definitely find some tasty ones!). It's about celebrating the joy of food, whether it's a simple weeknight pasta or a feast with friends. It's about the comfort of a stocked pantry and the thrill of experimenting in the kitchen, all while feeding your soul as much as your body. So, if you're someone who loves food as much as I do then Pantry Diaries is for you. I’m excited to have you along for the ride.