Thanksgiving in Milan. Guide to eating out or making a homemade meal.
UPDATED NOVEMBER 22, 2020
I love Thanksgiving!
It’s absolutely my most favorite American holiday (not to be confused with Christmas, because well that’s not ‘American’).
Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks, independent of your religion, creed, color, sexual orientation…
Growing up in an immigrant family, my parents fully embraced Thanksgiving (unlike Halloween that they basically believed to be the devil’s holiday).
There was always a massive amount of people coming and going on Thanksgiving Day, as well as the days leading up to and after the holiday. Relatives would fly up from Trinidad to see us and do their Black Friday shopping. Single friends, people with small families, our neighbors, that random exchange student that didn’t fly home, the former exchange student that would fly in every Thanksgiving after that because the holiday at my house was always that much fun.
You get it - just about everyone was welcome.
In fact, when “Friendsgiving” started popping up in the media like the best thing since sliced bread, I was bewildered. Like you’ve got to be kidding me, people—you haven’t been doing this all along?
This was much worse than the whole avocado toast revolution, which I understood that delay, because, well, not everybody has avocados growing in their backyards as we do in Miami…
Bringing Homemade Thanskgiving to Milan
So anyway, I love Thanksgiving.
You all get how as an American living abroad and a person that loves to cook, I had to celebrate the holiday one way or another?
I’ve cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 10-20 all by myself or with friends. A few years ago I even hosted a Thanksgiving feast for about 50 people with my friend Chef Vanusa directing the kitchen. We hosted it at a biodynamic farm outside of Milan, where a few bloggers and I personally harvested the veggies we used to make our meal.
Coming from an immigrant family with lots of food allergies, and being an avid foodie, I’ve found that most dishes which are perceived as traditional—you know—the green bean casseroles and the sweet potato pies—are merely food fads that come and go.
So my Thanksgiving menu has turkey, and basically, everything else is up for discussion. I always try to use fresh seasonal ingredients, and that’s about it.
Buying a Turkey
But finding a whole turkey in Milan is not exactly an easy feat. From years of experience, I know exactly where to go (and now you do too).
1. Mercato Comunale Wagner (or https://www.facebook.com/mercatowagner/) When I first started going here, I would have to order my turkey a few weeks in advance. Since they now get a steady stream of Americans and Italians looking for whole turkeys around the holidays so this probably your best bet for finding a turkey last minute. There are two stalls that specailize in poultry
La Polleria di Alberto - Tel: 02-48003269 - glosole@libero.it
You can also try Polleria Pavia Katia - tel 02-4814656.
2. Your local Butcher. Ask and you shall receive. chances are if you order a few days in advance (my friend in Parma, order hers a month in advance), they’ll be able to find you one. Maybe even a smaller big if you have a small Italian oven, or not expecting that many guests.
3. Your local Supermarket. I guess more and more Americans/Canadians are ordering turkeys for Thanksgiving. Plus, I’ve been told that some Italians order small turkeys for Christmas… The butcher at my local Esselunga wasn't even remotely phased when I asked to order a whole turkey. The butcher at il Viaggtor Goloso will also order you a turkey you ask. (I kind of made the rounds, comparing prices and the type of turkey they said they would provide.)
4. Cascina Campi. A farm on the outskirts of Milan they pride themselves in raising animals (including turkey) in a way that is kind. They have a spaccio that’s open to the public from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 3:00 to 7:00 pm. I haven’t visited them personally, but acquaintance suggested them. Address: Via Fratelli Rizzardi, 15 Milano – tel: 02/48.20.30.61 - fax: 02/48.20.30.61 - email: info@cascinacampi.it http://www.cascinacampi.it/?page_id=40
5. Pastured Raised Birds in Pavia. A few years ago, I decided I wanted a pastured - aka genuinely free-range - turkey. I scoured the internet and even went to the farm to meet the bird that would become my dinner and the farmer who ensured my turkey had a good life.
A lot of people order their turkey months in advance, and he raises them especially for them. You can also try your luck and see if he has a last-minute turkey available (plus his pasture-raised chickens, ducks, and eggs, are an explosion of flavor - you’ll never want to go back to eating the “industrial stuff” again. And yes, he delivers!
Call him at +39 333 380 2005 (last I heard he has stopped doing this but you can call and try...)
The Trimmings
Like I said, I’m not particularly attached to anything else. But if I feel like searching out something super American, two stores cater to just that in Milan:
American Crunch opened about a year ago. It’s a little storefront in Milan city center, with massive amounts of American junk food and all that ‘traditonal’ American stuff to make your homesick-self cry with joy. You’ll find Crisco and Cambell’s Cream of Mushroom soup and even marshmallows. You can also order online. They deliver throughout Italy.
I am a little emotionally attached to cranberry sauce. It’s almost always on my Thanksgiving table though I really never eat much of it. You can find that at the above-mentioned stores. Plus you’ll also find it at major chain supermarkets like Esselunga. Or you can simply rehydrate dried cranberries to make your sauce.
1. Super Polo
There in person stores seem to have closed, but their online store is still up. Back in the day at you could find Duncan Hines cake mix, Libby’s pumpkin pie filling, and a whole bunch of organic products. (I’m not sure how that mix happened).
Other Trimmings and Substitutions
Pumpkins
I make my pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkins. Experience has taught me, however, that not all pumpkins are created equally. Some have too much fiber, or are too watery, or aren’t sweet enough.
My favorite Italian pumpkin for making pie is “La delica mantovana.” It’s a ‘short’ pumpkin with a deep green crust (sometimes with a few white stripes) and bright orange pulp. If not, butternut squash will do, and that’s getting easier to find at organic supermarkets and things of that nature.
Crisco
I try to stay away from hydrogenated fats, but I am perfectly okay with eating lard, which is what I use in its place. I’m pretty sure that’s what people used before Crisco was invented (I know some people will find that odd, but it makes perfect sense to me in my whole “real” food approach to the kitchen. In Italian lard is called ‘strutto’ and you can find it at most Italian supermarkets near the butter. That’s not to be confused with “lardo” which is a type of salami made from the fat from under the skin of the pig, which is aged with a unique variety of herbs and spices. (Yum).
Don’t Feel like Cooking?
No problem. There are a few Thanksgiving Delivery services around the city.
God Save the Food: Turkey breast, baked pumpkin, mashed sweet potato, green beans, brussel sprouts with bacon and apple crumble for 26€ (wine not included).
The Brisket: A restaurant that specializes in American BBQ located on the Milan Navigli. They had a Thanksgiving day menu (which consisted in stuffed roasted turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce, mashed sweet potato, and pecan pie for 20€). For better or for worse, it’s already sold out. I mention it only as inspiration for next year.
What are you guys doing for Thanksgiving? On this very particular year, what are you grateful for?
Go ahead, write those comments below.
Sending you lots of Thanksgiving love,
Xoxo,
Thea
** Photos are mine, except of the pumpkin pie from Elements5 digital on pixels.com
