Washington Blade - November 18, 2005
Greg Marzullo

We all have our favorites: cornbread stuffing, apple pie, sweet potatoes with marshmallows and, of course, the bird itself. Although traditional foods cover the table, there's always room for new ideas.

"Change Thanksgiving up a little bit," says Greggory Hill, a gay chef and partial namesake for David Greggory, located at the corner of 21st and M streets, NW.

Hill, who has worked as a professional chef for 18 years, says that mixing traditional holiday fare with more spiced-up versions can provide a good variety for diners.

"I like to play with flavors that are bold," he says.

Cornbread stuffing mixed with tasso ham, cilantro and green onions, cranberry sauce mixed with oranges and chipotle pepper, and roasted pumpkin and pear soup are just some of the ideas he experiments with at his restaurant.

Hill also says that in recent years he's seen more people going out to eat for Thanksgiving.

"People are changing," he says. "They don't want to cook and clean up. They can sit back and relax now. You see much more of families in the earlier hours of the day, and then a lot more friends in the evenings and afternoons."

Hill also creates new holiday drinks for the occasion.

"This year I have a 'turkey-tini.' It's bourbon infused with apricots, mix that with hazelnut liqueur and top it off with pumpkin ale," Hill says.

BRINGING HOLIDAY SMILES to the less fortunate is the work of Food and Friends. The organization was founded in 1988, and caters to people with HIV, AIDS, and other life-challenging illnesses by delivering meals to their homes. The staff at Food and Friends cook and package three meals each day for 1,100 clients.

Tim Devine, 49, began working at Food and Friends as a volunteer. Now, he's part of the full-time staff, serving as the pastry chef. Although Devine's dessert duty is fairly light at Thanksgiving, he still spends the day working hard.

"We actually ask people to donate pies," says Devine, who is gay. "I'm still doing my regular meals during the week, but I help out with the rest of the kitchen staff [on Thanksgiving Day]."

One of Devine's culinary compatriots is Hilton Hunter, the head chef at Food and Friends. Hunter, who is straight, has been working in the kitchen for nine years.

For the Thanksgiving holiday, each client is provided with enough food for a full turkey dinner with sides for four people. Each recipient can have guests over to his or her home and host loved ones as many did before becoming ill.

"Thanksgiving has become our main focus. It's a huge production, and it takes a couple weeks to get everything working. We roast 550 turkeys," says Hunter, who sent the Blade his time-tested recipe for roasting the perfect poultry.

Clients receive their food before noon on Thanksgiving day, and Hunter usually checks out of work by 2 p.m. After work, the chef heads out to a local restaurant.

"I usually order a sirloin, chow down on that, and go to bed," he says.

Preparing traditional Thanksgiving feasts can be somewhat of a rarity among professional chefs. Gillian Clark, lead chef at Colorado Kitchen located at 5515 Colorado Ave., NW, says that her personal Thanksgiving feasts vary from year to year.

"We've gone from absolutely nothing to cooking a big dinner," says Clark, who shares her home with her partner of almost seven years. The chef is also a mother of two teenaged girls who want all the traditions at holiday time.

"They go to school and wonder, 'Hey, why aren't we having a turkey?'" Clark says.

Clark's recipes put inventive spins on some well-worn classics. She has recipes for pumpkin souffl , a new take on pumpkin pie, and her cranberry aspic gives a different visual appearance and consistency to homemade cranberry relishes. But she warns home chefs against trying dishes they're not comfortable with.

"Taking an entire turkey on the stove and dropping it into hot oil is really dangerous. People have burned their houses down," she says about those who try to deep-fry their first bird on the big day.

She also says she uses a common sense and time-tested approach to cooking.

"I think stuffing comes out better from inside the turkey," she says. "Betty Crocker always cooked the stuffing inside the bird. I don't use a thermometer. I poke the leg, and if the juices run clear, then salmonella be damned."

Like many holiday feasters, Clark is a big fan of stuffing, and she says she puts a lot of time and energy into it. When she doesn't cook, the family tries to do something fun and impromptu.

"We go to the movies and do something really stupid, like get a burger somewhere," Clark says.

FAMILY IS CENTRAL to many people on Thanksgiving, and whether they're going to movies or cooking together, people travel to connect with each other from all over the country.

Jamie Leeds, the owner of Hank's Oyster Bar, 1624 Q St., NW, which opened six months ago, is putting family first this year.

"[Hank's is] going to be closed for Thanksgiving," she says. "That's what you get to do when you own your own place. I've never had a Thanksgiving off until now."

Even when working the holiday, Leeds, 43, says she always enjoyed cooking because of the abundance of food. This year, though, she and her partner of 10 years and their two-year-old son will be visiting friends.

"It's my one day off, and I'm not cooking," says Leeds.

When talking of her young son and holiday traditions, she says it's important to teach him to cook and have him with the family during preparation time.

"The act of cooking and handing town traditional recipes is very important," she says. "It gives you a sense of belonging, of something special, and connectedness."

051118
WB051114

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .