It’s thanksgiving season, and for many that means loosening the belt and stuffing th face with a wide range of delicious foods. For those not in North America, this is no reason not to take this opportunity to have a great feast, in honour of whatever you feel like.

Really, who needs a holiday as an excuse to get friends and family around and pig out? The traditional Thanksgiving centerpiece is usually a giant roast turkey, but recently folks have been mixing this up a little and getting creative, taking a whole new spin on the traditional Thanksgiving feast. Here is what happens.

Thanksgiving Tofurkey for Meat-Haters

When all the family is gathered around, a huge turkey is the usual way to satisfy everyone. However, nowadays more and more people are living with alternative diets, for reasons such as personal taste, fashion or an environmental conscience. For those that eschew the eating of meat, a new centerpiece has become popular: the tofurkey. Essentially a big casserole of tofu or seitan stuffed with grains, this is one option for those expecting many vegetarians at their Thanksgiving party. However, if you are the only vegetarian among meat eaters, err on the side of caution: your guests will not appreciate the taste of tofurkey as a replacement for real turkey, especially on this day. Maybe just stick to a nice salad instead of taking away the turkey.

Turducken: Scary Bird Bonanza

Going in the completely opposite direction, you have a dish which slaughters as many animals as possible: the turducken. This is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, all boned and roasted. This debaucherous meal is becoming more and more popular, partly because of the humorous/ridiculous concept and partly because people love meat. To really wow your guests try to take it further, and stuff as many birds as you can into one another, like a 19th century gastronomist Grimod de La Reynière, whose roti sans pareil combined 17 different birds inside each other.

With that in mind, enjoy your meal!