American Menu themed dinner.

Thanks everyone - lots of good ideas here. We have lots of barbecues in summer here but the weather is a bit unsettled at the moment so dinner will be inside.
I haven't heard of collard greens so thats on the list!
I like the idea of buffalo cauliflower too and I can do a bean jambalaya
Once again thanks for all the good ideas - it will be fun trying out some new recipes.

Hope you love the collard greens! I always cut them off the stems, braise them in broth (use veggie broth if you don't do chicken or beef), salt and pepper, and a bit of vinegar to cut down the bitterness. If you like a bit of sweet, you can add a touch of sugar. If you like heat, consider Tabasco sauce on the side. It's wonderful with cornbread or Southern biscuits!

Damn, and I was going to suggest a deep fried frozen turkey!
Have fun with your family dinner.
Ben

wouldnt that cause an explosion when you put it into the oil?

Thawing the bird first is much safer.

I'm English but I've been to San Francisco. By Fisherman's Wharf they were selling clam chowder in sourdough bread. That looked really nice, wish I'd tried it now!

I also think some of the food Americans talk about for thanksgiving sounds nice, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and things,

Though if you want something more SF-oriented (I've grown up less than two hours away from there and visit pretty regularly) I would definitely recommend clam chowder. And throwing an avocado on anything apparently makes it a California dish. Oh, you want avocado on that burger -BAM- it's a California burger.

You are so sweet to plan such a welcoming meal for your brother & family

I live an hour south of SanFrancisco, and my family is from San Francisco...
Yes, clam chowder, avocado, french bread, sourdough bread !!

How about a green salad (baby greens or baby spinach) with candied walnuts, mild goat cheese, dried cranberries/cherries. With a balsamic vinegar & olive oil dressing. VERY Californian !!

FRESH ingredients. Big on vegetables that aren't overcooked nor overseasoned. SanFrancisco area loves using garlic, chilis & fresh spices. Let the natural flavors shine!! Heirloom tomatoes, basil, cilantro, fresh soft cheeses, dried fruits. Ethnic influences on spices ... asian, especially thai or vietamese, mexican.

Dessert : Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie. Vanilla Ice Cream with crumbled SALTED toffee sprinkled over the top.
... Combo of salty & sweet is very in. Especially with sea salt ( do not use IONIZED salt ~ which is nasty nasty stuff.)
Another popular item is good quality dark chocolate with bacon !! yum !!

San Francisco is a very very foodie city... Green's Restaurant, Chez Panisse Restaurant, Ferry Building Farmer's Market, Tartine Bakery, Bi-Rite Creamery, It's It Ice Cream to name a few.

For more SF regional foodie stuff, check out :
http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/1

how about a t-giving kind of meal? 99% of the meal is the delicious sides, anyway, that's what most people love - you could do:
pumpkin soup
stuffing (make one with sausage and one without)
mashed potatoes
sweet potatoes
green beans
some kind of bean casserole
corn bread
and a whole bunch of pies for dessert (apple, cheese cake pie, pumpkin etc)

YES ! Thanksgiving menu is always so yummy !! my favorite meal of the whole year

How about black eyed pea soup? Traditional good luck dish for New Year's. We always made it with ham, but you could skip that part I suppose.