Traditions with a So Cal Twist: November 2019 Note from the Editor
Editor Wendy Manwarren Generes on her Thanksgiving traditions and what she loves about the November 2019 issue of San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles!
Photo by Jennie Sullins.
Thanksgiving in my childhood Arizona home played out almost the same way every year. We hosted family from San Diego and neighbors. My mom and grandmother did 95 percent of the cooking. They let friends bring a pie or other dessert, and we polished the good silver, used the real china and sat around our dining room table.
Over the years, I’ve tried to do things a little differently, experimenting each year until I find my family’s new traditions. The first year Scott and I were married, for instance, we hosted a bring-your-own party, asking all of our guests to come with their favorite Thanksgiving dish as a finger food. The results were delicious—loaded mashed potato dip, green bean “fries” and my personal favorite, mini pumpkin cheesecakes.
This year, I’m taking a cue from Dani Blasena, owner of HauteFêtes, and moving our feast outside—weather permitting, of course. The event designer literally moved her dining table outdoors and created a cozy, sophisticated meal with lots of traditional dishes and a few unexpected ways of preparing the cuisine for the late November celebration. (Read “A Feast in the Great Outdoors,” where you’ll find all of Dani’s tips, ideas and also all of hers and husband Kurt’s recipes.)
A very So Cal Thanksgiving, from “A Feast in the Great Outdoors.” Photo by Shauntelle Sposto.
I might also try “Garden In Season” recipe creator Phoebe von Reis’ sweet dessert instead of pumpkin pie. If you want to try it too, you’ll find her yam pie made with her mom’s secret dough.
For those looking to leave the cooking and baking to someone else this year, Trish Watlington, founder of Farm to Fork, an organization that supports local fishermen, farmers, restaurants, breweries, wineries and more, has a few recommendations. Follow her as she eats her way through a 1.2-mile area of downtown San Diego in “Around Town.”
One of the best traditions of our family Thanksgiving has always been giving thanks, and in that vein I want to thank you all for reading this magazine that our small team of dedicated editors, writers and designers put out each month. We are so very grateful for you. And we wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving!
Wendy Manwarren Generes
