Some immigrants make their own version of a Thanksgiving turkey

By Shomial Ahmad

Atlanta, GA – It's not easy being a turkey. At least if you're around Puras Tortas, a Mexican Restaurant in Buford Highway's Plaza Fiesta. Carlos Chavez is the owner.

"I offered to cook a turkey for my employees, because like I said, they don't have families here. And they say, 'No we like to have ham, we don't know what turkey is.'"

But this week his workers will have to accept the bird. Chavez plans to cook a turkey this Thanksgiving, but it'll have a little extra kick with some green tomatillo marinade.

"We boil the tomatillos, we boil the onions, we boil the garlic. We let it soak for overnight, and then wemix it with some salt and pepper, actually. That's a very simple sauce."

Chavez says in Thanksgivings past he's marinated a turkey with a thick brown adobo sauce. That's dried peppers with vinegar and garlic. Archna Becker, one of the owners of the Indian restaurant Bhojanic, has also made her turkey Indian.

"We've actually done a tandoori turkey in the past"

Becker says the turkey's too big for the tandoor clay oven. But before it bakes in a traditional oven, Becker marinates it overnight.

"It's ginger, garlic, onion, and cumin, coriander, cayenne and yogurt."

But at Natalie Keng's home, turkey was never the star attraction. Keng who teaches cooking classes through her company Chinese Southern Belle, says the real stars are the side dishes. And they're a mix between Chinese and traditional southern food.

"It's always a fusion. You know, stir fried collard greens, and sweet potatos, and some five spice rutabaga. So we have a table full of some traditional Chinese things, and some traditional southern things and sometimes other things from potluck contributions."

And for this Thanksgiving, turkey may not even make an appearance. Keng's main dish this year? Probably a barbecue roasted duck, Cantonese style.