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Setting the table
André Gilomen
Occupation: Retired flight attendant
Family status: Married with two kids and two dogs
How long have you lived in Sedona?
My husband began commuting between Laguna Beach, California, and Sedona in 1987. We built our house in 2004, and I moved here full time in 2012.
What’s on your holiday table?
Hand-painted stoneware from Italy. Collecting it was my obsession for two or three years. It makes me smile. Each piece is unique, and the colors lend themselves to Sedona and our Italian farmhouse-style home. I also like to use place cards. These happen to be Caspari place cards. The linens are from Williams-Sonoma.
What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving because it’s about being thankful. There are no gifts involved, and it’s about being together with family and friends – the more the merrier.
What is the largest Thanksgiving dinner you’ve hosted?
We had 25 or 30 people one year when we lived in California and the kids were growing up.
Thanksgiving football: Wouldn’t be the same without it. No television allowed! There’s a football game on thanksgiving?
Wouldn’t be the same without it!
Have you ever dined out for Thanksgiving?
Well, we own Cowboy Club and Barking Frog Grille. One year, we had dinner in The Silver Saddle room [at the Cowboy Club] when the restaurant was closed. We had our friends and family come over, and I gave the chefs my recipes. It was fun. We’ve eaten out several other times, but it isn’t the same. Something is lost.
Can you share a favorite holiday tradition?
It’s all about the meal. The turkey and the cranberry relish – it’s a recipe I got out of Bon Appetit probably 30 years ago. And I make my mother’s sausage stuffing. When my daughter was young, it was a tradition for us to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. For her, the more crowded the stores, the better.
Finish this sentence: The thoughtful dinner guest…
Doesn’t clear the table before everyone is finished. Even if we’re done eating, but we’re sitting around talking, no one should clear the table. Oftentimes that’s the only time the hostess has a chance to relax!
How do you beat holiday stress?
By being organized…and having a glass of wine before guests arrive.
