Like that initial ride on a two-wheeler, hosting the first Thanksgiving is both liberating and terrifying. I wish that I'd had Emily Torgrimson's new e-cookbook to steady me as I sped into my inaugural feast 30 years ago.
Torgrimson, of Minneapolis, has released an online-only cookbook, inspired by Eat for Equity's successful communal feasts. Eat for Equity is a nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis that promotes generosity through sustainable community feasts. It invites people to come together to cook, eat, drink and give what they can. Over the past decade, it has raised thousands of dollars for other nonprofit causes. Torgrimson started the program as a student; it has spread to Boston, Portland, Seattle and Madison, among other cities.
But back to the cookbook, "Thanks & Giving/ Community Feasts for a Cause," which is free and available only by downloading it (so you can print yourself a copy from your computer).
This simple, useful compendium with recipes, tips and guidelines is based on Torgrimson's experiences over the past 10 years in which Eat for Equity has hosted more than 146 community feasts, invested nearly $40,000 in local food, and served nearly 15,000 people who have donated more than $120,000 to worthy causes. She knows of what she cooks!
Last month, as an Oxfam America partner, Eat for Equity had a booth at the New York City Food & Wine Festival, to which Torgrimson schlepped 75 pounds of hand-harvested wild rice. She ended up repacking 25 pounds of it into her carry-on because her suitcase was too heavy to check. Through the course of the weekend, Eat for Equity served more than 5,000 diners.
The Eat for Equity online cookbook is especially helpful for anyone wanting to host his or her own charity Thanksgiving, a meal that truly gives back. The recipes are easy and very fresh, each presented in quantities for eight, 20 or 50 guests, taking the guesswork out of feeding a crowd.
As a "do it all myself" kind of cook, I appreciated Torgrimson's suggestions for directing guests who want to help. "Our recipes aren't just about combining the right amounts of apples and flour," Torgrimson said. "They're suggestions for how to involve other people in the cooking process."
Thanksgiving is just one dinner, but this book will live a long time after the plates are cleared and the leftovers put to good use. Whether you turn this holiday dinner into a fundraiser, the book inspires the kinds of connections that happen in the kitchen with generosity and flair.
Beth Dooley is the author of "Minnesota's Bounty" and "The Northern Heartland Kitchen."
