People figure that Thanksgiving is effortless for professional chefs, but they share the same sorts of stresses the rest of us do. That doesn’t mean chef Kyle Patterson of Sinema Nashville doesn’t love the holiday, though! “Thanksgiving is a hugely important holiday to me,” he shares. “The idea of family coming together around a feast is perfect.”
And it’s not just family that he looks forward to seeing. “Since I live away from home, ‘friendsgiving’ is hugely important. Something I try to do every year is get matching PJ pants for everyone that comes over for it. Two years ago we had an amazing turducken, matching Snoopy pants and a marathon of Lord of the Rings movies. It was one of the best I've ever had!”
Patterson offers some tips to deal with cooking for multitudes. “I have learned one huge trick that has helped so much, disposable foil catering trays. Not just for the bird. For everything. It saves so much time on cleanup and makes oven organization and time delegation so much easier when every pan is the same size instead of trying to shuffle a myriad of pots and pans. That and you can stack them in the oven when they have the lids, adding an easy 25% capacity to a normal home oven.”
He continues, “I also typically prep over two days. Making the Mac and Cheese for the kids the day before and putting it in the catering tray so I just need to bake and serve on the day of. I also try to bang out all of the knife work the day before so the kitchen doesn't get cluttered with various cutting boards and vegetable scraps on Thanksgiving Day, I always seem to have an extra half of an onion floating around that I'm saving for the next project.... Always. Staying organized and having an oven schedule is key. That and delegation. Don't be afraid to have Aunt Jen do the stuffing and bring it, or somebody else make the salad. Everyone is always willing to bring something or lend a hand. My first year as a young cook I tried to do it all myself to treat the family... learned that lesson the hard way. “
Chef Patterson is also generous to the people of Nashville, offering a series of dinners this year in advance of Thanksgiving. Coined ‘Feast Week,’ there are a variety of services, including family style, prix fixe and buffet, offered November 18-21.
Reservations are now available for the following:
Sunday Supper
November 18, 5:30-9 p.m.
This family-style service in the dining room will feature Sinema’s take on Thanksgiving favorites.
$45/person
10 & younger eat free
Your New Tradition
November 19 & 20, 5-10 p.m.
Enjoy a four-course meal with selections including both traditional holiday favorites and Sinema’s dramatic American fare.
$49/person
BFF: Bottomless Friendsgiving Feast
November 21, 3-8 p.m.
Sinema’s elevated holiday buffet with all the trimmings. Think waffle bar, carving stations, pastries galore.
$35/person
10 & younger eat free
Pairings and special wine selections will be available for all services.
Complete menus for each service are available online.
