With well over 2,000 students, Richard Montgomery is home to an array of backgrounds and customs. During Thanksgiving, many of these are on display as families gather together for the holiday. Whether it’s a classic turkey, or unique cultural dish, everyone has their own way of celebrating. Here are some of the Thanksgiving food traditions at RM.

Mr. Jelen’s Pumpkin Bread

In IB magnet coordinator Joseph Jelen’s family, pumpkin bread has always been a hit. “The favorite family recipe that’s been passed down is a pumpkin bread recipe, which everybody loves,” Mr. Jelen said.

Below is Mr. Jelen’s recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Ingredients:
3 cups of sugar
1 cup of canola oil
4 beaten eggs
1 can of pumpkin 15 oz.
3 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cups water
Directions:
Mix the sugar, oil, beaten eggs, and pumpkin together.
Combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves.
Add the flour mixture to the liquid ingredients alternating with the water.
I usually add 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by 1/3 cup of the water.
I use 2 – 9×5 loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Insert a toothpick or sharp knife to make sure it comes out clean indicating it is done.

This item is a tasty addition to other Thanksgiving classics enjoyed in Mr. Jelen’s family, such as mashed potatoes and stuffing. “It came from my mom’s mom, so kind of my grandmother has passed it on…now it’s great grandchildren who love the recipe and make it themselves.”

Beyond Mr. Jelen’s household pumpkin bread remains a popular dish across Montgomery County. Residents can purchase this dish at local bakeries such as Great Harvest Bread Co. in Rockville or Sunday Morning Bakehouse in Bethesda.

Ms. Weaver’s Banana Bread

Contrary to a singular constant dish, ceramics teacher Amy Weaver loves to experiment and try new things. “I used to make a pecan-crusted cheesecake… One year, I made a cranberry tart with a hazelnut crust. It was from The New York Times recipe,” Ms. Weaver said.

Ms. Weaver’s go-to recipe is banana bread, which she makes all year. The steps to make the recipe are as follows:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of sugar

• 1 cup of butter

Cream butter and sugar make sure butter is room temperature before mixing.

Ingredients:

•  1 tsp of vanilla
• 3 eggs

Add eggs one at a time and vanilla mix just until blended

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ tsp of baking soda

• 1 ½ tsp of baking powder

• 3 cups of flour

Mix dry ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups of buttermilk

• 4 bananas mashed

Add the dry mixture alternately with the wet ingredients until all are incorporated.

You can also fold in nuts a cup of your nut of choice.

• Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Greased bundt pan is preferred but tube or multiple loaf pans work as well.

After it comes out of the oven, let cool 15 minutes, take out of the pans, and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top and enjoy.

She has also enjoyed recipes made by others during Thanksgiving, and loves to experiment with new baked goods, such making cake from scratch to peanut butter mini cheesecakes. 

“I had a sweet potato soufflé from a student here, which we now keep making in my family, but he brought it for a potluck, and so I asked his mom to share the recipe and she did,” Ms. Weaver said.

Still, Ms. Weaver enjoys the classic Thanksgiving dishes, which she prepares with her family. While she doesn’t make corn, their main dishes consist of turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and more. Her aunt makes a cranberry fluff.

Yet, it wouldn’t be a proper Thanksgiving in her house without a dessert assortment. “My aunt always makes pumpkin pie, and then my other aunt makes some type of apple dessert. My sister makes a pumpkin torte,” Ms. Weaver said.

This year, she made dips for a family game night.

Milena Gjoni’s Pogacha

Although most Bulgarians do not formally celebrate Thanksgiving, freshman Milena Gjoni has her own family traditions for the holiday. “There’s this Bulgarian bread [pogacha],” Gjoni said. “We make it with yeast and we also make it for Christmas [where] we generally hide a coin in it. But for Thanksgiving, it’s just a good side bread, which we cut up and it’s a good tradition.”

(Mariya Hristova)
Gjoni, her mother (far right corner) and other family members gather around the dinner table to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Their meal consists of many different Bulgarian dishes, mixed with common Thanksgiving foods in America.

The dish has been passed on throughout her family, and is enjoyed across many European countries, especially the Balkan region. It is a traditional, celebratory bread that directly translates to “sunny bread.” Common fillings include white cheese, olives, potatoes or the Bulgarian “sharena sol” (colorful salt). In Bulgaria, it is often made to welcome important guests.

Mariya Hristova, Gjoni’s mother, provided The Tide with steps to make this bread.

Ingredients
1 packet fast-rising yeast
1 kg flour
1 cup yogurt
2 eggs (1 whole + 1 white for dough, 1 yolk reserved for topping)
300 ml warm water
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp salt
Butter (for brushing dough)
Optional: feta cheese for filling
Sesame seeds for topping (optional)

Instructions
1. Activate the Yeast
Add 300 ml warm water to a bowl.
Add the packet of fast-rising yeast and 1 tsp of sugar.
Mix well and let it sit for 10 minutes, until foamy.

2. Prepare the Flour
In another large bowl, sift the flour several times. This incorporates air and makes the bread fluffier.

3. Make the Dough
Add the yeast mixture to the flour.
Add 1 whole egg + 1 egg white (reserve the yolk).
Add 1 cup yogurt, 2 tbsp oil, and 1 tbsp salt.
Mix and knead by hand until smooth and elastic.
Divide the dough into two equal pieces.
Let both dough balls rest for 10 minutes (gluten development).

4. Shape and Fill
Roll one dough ball into a flat round disc, like a pizza.
Melt the butter (microwave) until liquid.
Brush melted butter all over the dough.
Sprinkle feta cheese evenly (optional).
Roll out the second dough ball into a disc and place it on top.
Brush melted butter all over the second round disk( pizza pie)

5. Cut and Shape Croissants
Using a pizza cutter, cut the layered dough into 16 triangles.
Roll each triangle into a croissant shape, starting from the wide edge toward the center.

6. Arrange in the Pan
Line a round baking pan with parchment paper.
Place 3 croissants in the center, then arrange the rest around them, filling all spaces.
7. Rise the Dough
Let the croissants rise until doubled, about 1–2 hours.
You can speed this up by placing the pan in the oven at 50°C (120°F).

8. Topping and Baking
Brush the croissants with the reserved egg yolk.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).
Bake for 20–30 minutes, until golden brown.
9. Serve
Cool slightly, pull apart, and enjoy warm!

The ingredients are a mix of traditional Balkan items fused with popular American ones. “We have some yeast. I think there’s sugar, salt, usually how you make bread. There’s a bit of flour. I know we usually roll it up like a little croissant because of the triangles… then we put all those croissants in a pan like a circular bread,” Gjoni said.

“You could dip it, but it’s a slightly sweet bread,” Gjoni said. “So, you generally eat it on its own on the side, while you’re eating other foods, but it’s its own thing.” Many Europeans stuff it with filling: items include raisins or nuts, chocolate, jam and poppyseeds.

Aside from pogacha, also called “slunĉeva pitka,” her family enjoys other Bulgarian foods, such as olives and pickled vegetables.