Holiday Gift Guide 2005	Catering to Convenience by Arthur Page

(photo: Rose Mattrey)

As a child, I knew Thanksgiving was near when my father would visit the farmer’s market and retrieve a Hubbard squash, gray-green, gnarly and large as a beach ball. He’d spend what seemed like hours peeling it, cutting it into matchbook-sized pieces.

The Hubbard Squash Ceremony kicked off several days of prepping and cooking by both of my parents that culminated in our traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It also imprinted on my young, impressionable mind a simple message: If you are going to “do Thanksgiving,” do it BIG.

And so I did—for years. I’ve been known to purchase a fresh 30-pound turkey and invite a dozen guests for dinner. Homemade cranberry sauce? I can do that! Four pies? Give me a couple of hours and I will whip up two pumpkin, one mincemeat and an apple.

But last year I learned there is a better —and easier—way to savor my favorite holiday while still celebrating at home.

I made fresh butternut squash, orange/cranberry sauce and two pumpkin pies, but let Wegmans make the rest of our Thanksgiving meal.

The turkey was precooked and only needed to be reheated and browned. Also tucked into the box I picked up at the deli department on Thanksgiving were oven-ready containers of creamy mashed potatoes, delicious dressing and green peas with mushrooms, as well as savory gravy, cranberry sauce and a dozen dinner rolls.

The guests raved about the meal, and I thoroughly enjoyed the day with only minimal time spent in the kitchen. Better yet, the purchase worked out to less than $10 per guest and there were plentiful leftovers.

Wegmans’ turkey “feast to go,” which serves 10, comes in standard and “deluxe” versions. Call 1-800-914-4438 to order your personal feast or visit www.wegmans.com

Many local and independently-owned restaurants also do Thanksgiving catering. Try McPartlan’s Corner in Williamsville (699 Wherle Drive, 632-9896) or Fat Bob’s Smokehouse (41 Virginia St., 887-2971). Spar’s European Sausage & Meats, (405 Amherst Street, 876-6607) also sells delicious smoked turkeys. Call now to order, because time is running out!

Depending on your budget and scope of your Thanksgiving dinner, there are several other approaches that will let the cook in your household enjoy Thanksgiving:

• Declare your dinner “potluck.” Make the turkey and stuffing and ask each guest to bring a dish or two. Isn’t that how Thanksgiving started?

• Embellish your meal by purchasing prepared items.

More people need to discover The Chef’s Table (5385 Main St., Williamsville, ), where the motto is “New Food Solutions for a Busy Life” and Chef Neal Plazio (pictured) prepares dinners to go six days a week.

This year’s Thanksgiving dinner at our house will feature stuffed boneless turkey breast, serving six, from The Chef’s Table. Plazio, who will be open until noon on Thanksgiving, also is offering appetizers including mini crab cakes and stuffed mushrooms; cranberry mandarin orange salad; smashed potatoes; green beans and carrots, and whipped spiced squash. For a nontraditional Thanksgiving dessert, consider Plazio’s killer key lime pie. For details, go to http://home.earthlink.net/~nplazio/. Place your order at 630-3663 by Nov. 22.

If you live in the city, Globe Market at 762 Elmwood Avenue may offer a more convenient alternative. It will not be open on Thanksgiving Day, so place your order at 886-5242 for pickup on Nov. 23.

Among the offerings from the Globe Market that will perk up your Thanksgiving meal are homemade cranberry chutney, garlic/cheddar mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables, including rutabaga, parsnips, beets, leeks, carrots, potatoes and celery root. Start your meal with Globe Market’s apple squash bisque. Try the bread pudding or pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting for dessert.

• Speaking of desserts, if you aren’t a master of pie crust, look to your local market or caterer for a solution. Delish! (802 Elmwood Ave., 881-2022) pastry shop and cooking school also offers their homemade desserts for easy pick-up, as does Carriage Trade Pasteries (1654 Elmwood Ave, 881-2326) Federal Meats’ (873-4370) frozen “Fruits of the Orchard Pie” with apples, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and rhubarb is outstanding.