So, I have planned my menu, and it is:

• Tarragon chicken
• Chestnut, prune, and pancetta stuffing
• Sticky rice with Chinese sausage
• Mashed celery root potatoes
• Cranberry, shallot and dried-cherry compote
• Squash pull-apart dinner rolls
• Pumpkin pie
• Cranberry pumpkin upside-down cake

And if Peter’s friend comes over again and he brings a veg or two, and some booze, that ought to be enough for three people, right?

That leaves 25 things to get from three grocery stores and one liquor store. Even swapping a chicken for the turkey, Thanksgiving just isn’t something that works well for the exiled city-dweller.