Welcome to the column to go to when you’re a broke, tired college student in a dorm. Today, I wanted to discuss the turkey in the room: Thanksgiving. It’s now that time of year where people are spending time with families and friends, eating food and having a bit of self-reflection. As a cooking columnist, I thought it would be interesting to share some of the more interesting mains my family has had for the holiday over the years. Some are more traditional. Others are… not.

1. Duck 

Turkey is at the forefront of cultural significance with Thanksgiving dinner, followed closely by ham when it comes to main dishes. My family, however, only consisted of three people. One year, though, after years of canned ham, my mother brought home (probably) discount duck. It was game changing for me, and as a result, I’ve come to associate the holiday dinner with this waterfowl rather than our traditional gobbling friend. If you don’t have many people coming over, this is the perfect bird to eat and be able to keep leftovers, while still having amazing flavor and texture.

2. Quail 

Once again, my mother found discount meat and brought home a pack of quail one year for the holidays. These birds are small, a perfect serving size for a single person. They’re tender, with a subtle game flavor, but not so much as to turn some more sensitive people off it, especially when braised in butter. These are perfect if you are a single person and want to make the day feel special.

Photo of a glazed ham. (Contributed/dinneratthezoo.com)

3. Ham 

Finally, normal food, except there’s a 50/50 chance it’s not. If you land on heads, you land on your average spiral glazed ham. If you land on tails, you get what’s called purple ham. Purple ham is not ham. It’s a pork loin injected with a family recipe that includes an injected spiced fruit marinade that turns it a lavender purple on the inside. Have fun with that imagery.