By Hunter Haskett, Staff Writer
Forty-six million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving in the United States, but you won’t find any turkey in sophomore Hannah Hughes’ house on Nov. 24.
In the Hughes household, you’ll find chicken parmesan, spaghetti, lasagna, pizzas and cannolis.
“I hate regular Thanksgiving food. It is literally so nasty,” Hughes said. “But Italian is the most bomb food out there.”
All of these foods are part of her family’s Italian Thanksgiving, which they have done the past couple of years.
“My dad makes all of the main foods, but I make the desserts,” Hughes said. “My friend Chloe (Schubert) is joining me this year. She also joined me last year and she’s helping me make a dessert.”
Hughes is making cannolis for the first time this year for dessert, while her friend is making zeppoles, another Italian dessert. Together, they’re putting a twist on the traditional Italian sweet: “Instead of filling (the cannoli) with icing, we’re putting ice cream in it instead,” Hughes explained. “Then we’re putting powdered sugar and all sorts of stuff on them.”
Hughes’ unique take on Thanksgiving makes others wish they were coming to her house for Thanksgiving dinner.
“Everyone is like, ‘I so wish I was doing that because that’s so much better,’ ” Hughes said. “No one likes turkey. It’s nasty. Everyone likes Italian food.”
Despite Hughes’ lack of fondness toward turkey, she will be attending a “pre-Thanksgiving” meal with a friend.
“His mom wants to have Thanksgiving on the same day that her sister, her mom or whoever wants to do it,” Hughes said. “So they’re like, ‘We might as well do it on two different days so we can both host it.’ ”
This plan allows Hughes to have a taste of a “normal” Thanksgiving, then her own family’s unique twist on the American holiday. While she gets to enjoy the best of both worlds, Hughes is looking forward to sharing her family’s Italian Thanksgiving with family friends.
Hughes said her favorite dish to eat is chicken parmesan. Her family’s Italian Thanksgiving is a unique way to still celebrate what Thanksgiving is all about — family and friends — but leaving out all of those casseroles.
Sophomore Hunter Haskett can be reached at [email protected].
