Post #263350 by woofmutt on Sun, Oct 29, 2006 1:30 PM

"Isn't the Thanksgiving Holiday uniquely 'American'?" - GentleHangman -

So is the Polynesian pop Tiki culture...I think we have a perfect match!

Friends and I did a Tiki Thanksgiving a few years back. A lot of the recipes came from various Polynesian cookbooks. I have a pretty good head for figuring out what a recipe will be like when finished but I'd have to say most of our dishes were misses. Mainly the end results were just not that interesting...I can't even remember what was made except for a baked banana dish that I don't want to remember. The pineapple chutney was good. I advise trying any new recipes before the big day.

We grilled tuna for the main course. For a the table, keeping with the abundance theme of Thanksgiving and the tropical element, I had a huge pile (an artful pile) of tropical fruit and seashells on the table. (I mention this because it looks good, is easy, and you can just eat most of the decorations later on.)

Along the lines of Tiki being an American take on Polynesian culture I'd leave yourself open to a lot of "Tikifying" of traditional dishes. (Like JTD said what's-his-name's restaurant did at Universal.) professahhummingflowah Kalua Turkey sounds like an excellent idea. A pineapple chutney is tropical but has a traditional "fall" taste of spices and fruit. Something like Coconut Macadamia Sweet Potatoes or Ginger Carrots (a lot of recipes out there for this dish) would be great. And here's an idea that can challenge your culinary skills and just may make the Pilgrims spin in their graves...Mai Tai Jell-O.

And don't forget the Luau Mayonnaise!