It's Wednesday. You told us about your California takes on Thanksgiving. Plus, California awards millions to guaranteed income programs across the state. |
 | | Residents received free Thanksgiving turkeys during the 8th Annual Fiesta Para La Comunidad in Los Angeles last weekend.Frederic J. Brown/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
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It's almost Thanksgiving. Time for turkey with mashed potatoes and cozying up by a fireplace to stave off the November chill. |
Or, maybe not. Many of us celebrate Thanksgiving a little differently in California, the land of year-round fresh produce and sunny skies. In Los Angeles, where I live, it's supposed to reach 77 degrees on Thursday. |
For the past few weeks, you've been giving me your Golden State spin on the holiday, including using sourdough in your stuffing, swapping green beans for brussels sprouts and enjoying your feast by the beach. |
Here's some of what you shared, lightly edited: |
"Several years back, our family started Thanksgiving Saturday, two days after the real thing. This made it possible not only to avoid the traffic snarls that resulted in very grumpy and not-so-thankful late arrivals from the Bay Area, Palm Desert and San Diego, but also to see more cousins who have had their own family celebrations on Thursday. No one complains about having turkey and cranberries twice in one week, and there are lots more leftovers." — Gretchen Pelletier, Escondido |
"I moved from Arizona to the Bay Area in 1982 for college. I did not have the money to go home for Thanksgiving, so I made my first solo Thanksgiving in the dorm kitchen. I called my grandma for guidance and she explained about using stale white bread for stuffing. Well, sourdough bread was a revelation! I brought a loaf home at Christmas, and she never looked back. I carried or mailed a loaf of sourdough home for years afterward. She even changed her recipe card! She's long gone, but the card — and the stuffing — remain." — Elizabeth Dahlhoff, San Francisco |
"I tend to forget from one year to the next how frequently we are blessed by the California weather gods on Thanksgiving with a combination of bright sunshine, clear skies and invitingly warm temperatures. The added glow of fall foliage and just the right touch of briskness in the air have inspired my family time and time again to leave home and hearth for a holiday picnic by the sea. |
My favorite Thanksgiving memories are of food-laden, hand-hewn tables at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, where we have celebrated not just as a family but also in a convivial community of visitors drawn, like us, to the seaside to give thanks. " — Brandi Katz, Aromas |
"Although I am a California native, I've adopted an outward-looking international tradition for Thanksgiving dinners. Each year we choose a different country as a theme, a sort of homage that seems appropriate to this state with such a vibrant culture of immigrants and diversity. This year it's the country of Turkey, with a pomegranate-sumac glaze for the turkey and kabak tatlisi pumpkin with walnuts for dessert. We've done Japan, Greece, Italy, Spain, India and many more. It is great fun, and I can assure everyone that tandoori turkey is amazing!" — Alexandra Devarenne, Petaluma |
"My husband and I relocated from Wisconsin to Palm Springs a few years ago. Once we moved far away, and with our children all grown, we started a new tradition: |
In lieu of preparing/eating a Thanksgiving dinner, we celebrate gratitude in another way. Each year I send letters to about 10 friends and neighbors offering to bake them an apple pie for their Thanksgiving celebration. I make the pies using my grandmother's recipe, with which I once won first prize at the Dane County Farmers' Market in Madison. I bake the pies to show my gratitude for their friendship throughout the year, and ask for two things in return: that they pay the favor forward in some way (to friends, family, or strangers), and that they return my pie plate so I can do it all again the following year." — Robin Worth, Palm Springs |
 | | In what was most likely his last appearance in the White House briefing room before he retires, Dr. Anthony Fauci urged Americans to get an updated booster.Michael A. McCoy for The New York Times |
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 | | Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press |
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- Guaranteed income: The state of California will award $25 million to the first state-funded guaranteed income pilot programs, which could set a standard for the entire nation, KTVU reports.
- Legislature: At least 10 percent of California state lawmakers identify publicly as LGBTQ+, The Associated Press reports.
- Racial bias: A recent report by the education advocacy group College Futures Foundation shows that racial bias plays a role in hiring for executive-level posts at all three of California's higher education systems, The Mercury News reports.
- Resentencing program: In 1981, Anthony Kline helped send a juvenile offender to prison for four decades. This year, as a result of California's recently passed a bill to help reduce the state's prison population through resentencing, and a twist of fate, he had a chance to decide her case again.
- Congressional race: Kevin Kiley, a Republican state legislator whose dogged criticism of Gov. Gavin Newsom earned him former President Donald Trump's endorsement, won a tight race for a House district in northern and eastern California on Tuesday.
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- Oakland mayor: Sheng Thao, a progressive City Council member and the daughter of Laotian refugees, was elected as mayor of Oakland, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
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 | | Open Homes Photography |
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For $4.7 million: A 1929 Spanish Revival retreat in Pebble Beach, a midcentury home in Beverly Hills and a four-bedroom house in a gated community in Laguna Niguel. |
 | | Johnny Miller for The New York Times. |
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 | | Inspiration Point in San Francisco.Jim Wilson/The New York Times |
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Today's tip comes from Mike Rodgers, who recommends a vista in the City by the Bay: |
"Across from the Presidio golf course, Inspiration Point has a spectacular view of the city near the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. You can also hike down to the old military cemetery. It's quiet, and the aroma of cypress and eucalyptus trees fills the air. It's a solemn place." |
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We'll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter. |
Did you recently buy or rent a home in California? We want to hear from you. |
The New York Times's weekly real estate column, The Hunt, features everyday people who just moved and want to share their stories. If that's you, get in touch with us at thehuntca@nytimes.com. |
 | | Colin Clark for The New York Times |
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And before you go, some good news |
This month, The Times asked high school students across the country what foods are closely linked to people they love. The teenagers told us that food is more than just fuel — it's connection, history, heritage and tradition. |
I'll leave you today with a sweet story from Shannon, who attends Sherman E. Burroughs High School in Ridgecrest in Kern County: |
"Commonly, my immediate family and my relatives meet for a Sunday Dinner. Often my grandmother will make brownies for dessert. Her house would smell of sweet chocolate from the moment you would walk in, and if she brought it to another relative's house or my house, it would sometimes be the highlight of the night. Sometimes if she made them right before the family meets, they would melt in your mouth. She uses a box recipe, but she adjusts it by adding chocolate so they are extra gooey. Every time I eat another person's brownie I always think of how good hers are … Perhaps it is because the chocolate reminds me of her sweetness of her, a kind old woman who loves her grandchildren." |
We'll be off the rest of the week, but will be back in your inbox on Monday. Enjoy your weekend. — Soumya |
Briana Scalia and Isabella Grullón Paz contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. |
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