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THE KINGDOM is all set to celebrate one of America’s most special days with Thanksgiving Dinner being prepared and ready to be dished out in restaurants and homes to mark the occasion.
Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the US, always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It originated as a harvest festival and has been marked nationally on and off since 1789, with a proclamation by George Washington after a request by Congress.
The Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay will be flying the flag once again in style, masterminded by Philadelphia-born Executive Chef Brian Becher of re Asian Cuisine and CUT by Wolfgang Puck, and his team. “Thanksgiving signals the beginning of the festive season to me,” he said.
“It’s the one holiday in the US that is centred on the food, which is significant for a chef. It is not about decorations, or gift-giving, or anything-else. It is a celebration of food and the ability of good food to bring people together, which is the true soul of cooking.”
He is quoted on the hotel website as saying that his career accomplishments would never have existed if not for one thing: grandma’s kitchen. “I used to watch my grandmother prepare meals for the family,” he said. “No matter what each member of the family was doing at the time, they would stop and gather when the food was ready. This was powerful and significant to me.”
And his family members have played a huge role in his Thanksgiving reminisces too and there is one word that stands out … pie!
“My aunt, Joanne, is a phenomenal baker,” he explained. “When we would celebrate Thanksgiving at her home, we all knew dessert would be spectacular.
“I can still taste her Apple Cranberry Cobbler. It was rich, with great texture and flavour. And, I remember vividly how she taught me the importance of allowing air to vent from top-crusted pies to generate the desired result. Neither of us knew that that would benefit me later in life.”
And past family celebrations flashed though his mind at that moment. “We celebrated Thanksgiving in 2008 at my sister Megan’s home in Houston,” he explained, “and I will never forget the corn souffle she put on the table. It was the very last dish to arrive before the start of the meal.
“The smell was so enticing. It constructed a great feeling of anticipation of an enjoyable experience. And the dish delivered on the expectation!”
High praise indeed for sis from an award-winning bro who is pulling out all the stops to offer diners a traditional feast tomorrow evening. Chef Becher worked for Borgata in Atlantic City for six years before leaving the comfort of home in the US to take on the challenge in Bahrain and pick up consecutive ‘chef of the year’ accolades.
He’s not the only American in the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay kitchens, there are also re/ ASIAN Cuisine’s Executive Sous Chef Josh Wetshtein and Executive Sous Chef Luke Omarzu at CUT by Wolfgang Puck.
“As far as I can tell, there are no other American chefs in Bahrain,” Chef Brian said. “We’re the only ones, and this is our holiday! And, we want nothing more than to share it with Bahrain … that, and the extensive selection of pies that our Executive Pastry Chef Pierre Chambon will be baking.”
The hotel is offering a taste of Thanksgiving with Wolfgang Puck at its classy AZURE poolside arena. As day passes gently into evening, guests are invited to enjoy the Thanksgiving favourite of deep-fried turkey with cranberry-apple compote, brioche stuffing and Kabocha pumpkin pie, prepared with panache and hosted with flair alongside live DJ entertainment.
The big bird is an all-important traditional part of the celebration back home in America. “The turkey is my particular favourite element because if it is not cooked properly, dinner is a disaster,” explained Chef Brian. “There is no bigger Thanksgiving Dinner letdown than a dry turkey. This is why we fry ours for our Thanksgiving event at Four Seasons. It is the best way, without a doubt.
“We feel we have the right balance of honouring traditions and showcasing something new. Additionally, the AZURE space is an amazing setting for the dinner, and is certain to stay lively until late into the night.
“As a more modern offering, and a nod to giving our guests what they want, we will grill hand-made smoked turkey sausages at AZURE too. It embodies all the elements we love about the spirit of Thanksgiving … warmth, comfort, flavour and satisfaction … but presented in a new way.”
There will also be a Thanksgiving Brunch on Friday at the hotel’s Bahrain Bay Kitchen with roast turkey and all the trimmings, or sweet potato casserole, topped off with crunchy caramel apple pie.
