Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving Recipes and History, from Pilgrims to Pumpkin Pie

A Delicious Exploration of the Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving is the quintessential American holiday, with 97 percent of Americans eating turkey on that day. But beyond the bird, the menu is as varied as the cultures of the nation’s melting pot—and every recipe tells a story. Giving Thanks explores the delicious, fascinating history of Thanksgiving, complete with trivia, recipes, and an amazing collection of archival imagery of the holiday’s history.

Perfect for parents, kids, teachers, history buffs, and of course Thanksgiving cooks, Giving Thanks is a true keepsake cookbook, meant to be shared and enjoyed year after year. Thanksgiving specialists Kathleen Curtin and Sandra L. Oliver and the world-famous Plimoth Plantation trace the colorful history of the holiday, from the story of “The First Thanksgiving” to twenty-first-century customs. Then the real fun begins—a delicious assortment of more than eighty recipes, from appetizers to desserts, old-fashioned mincemeat pies to modern pumpkin cheesecake, generously seasoned with plenty of fascinating trivia.

Giving Thanks shows that there’s definitely more to Thanksgiving cookery than sage stuffing and pumpkin pie, highlighting favorites from throughout the holiday’s history and from an incredible variety of cultures. Recipes include five different ways to prepare turkey, from Classic New England to Indian and Cuban; Oyster Stew and Pomegranate and Persimmon Salad; Creamed Onions and Corn Pudding; and pies galore, from Cranberry Pear to Texas Buttermilk.

Filled with a vibrant, fascinating collection of Thanksgiving photographs and illustrations from Plimoth Plantation’s unparalleled archives, Giving Thanks brings the history of Thanksgiving to life in an incredibly delicious way.

Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum, is the leading authority on Thanksgiving. It explores the culture of the native Wampanoag People and English colonists who came together in seventeenth-century Plymoth Colony. Kathleen Curtin is Plimoth Plantation’s food historian, and Sandra L. Oliver is the award-winning author of Saltwater Foodways as well as the publisher of Food History News.