Thanksgiving at Home in the Bay Area

Thanksgiving at home this year, which meant the table got the full treatment: the green damask cloth under a purple runner, the gold-rimmed china, orange and purple napkins rolled into feathered rings that look a little like small turkeys themselves. Persimmons and a bowl of grapes down the middle, eucalyptus and dark mums in glass jars.

The turkey went on the rotisserie out on the grill instead of in the oven, and came off with a peppered crust that made the wait worth it. Two bottles of the Cakebread cab came out for the occasion. The bread was baked in the shape of a turkey and set on a platter with cornbread ears around it, which got a laugh before anyone would cut into it.

There was also a frosted turkey cookie floating around the kitchen, tail feathers piped in four colors. Someone had claimed it in orange icing.