thanksgiving

I didn't have class last night because of Thanksgiving break.  But as I sit here working on my Thanksgiving menu I got to thinking about food and our emotional connection to it.  I laughed out loud thinking about the Friends episode where Monica cooks Thanksgiving dinner for everyone, but everyone keeps making special requests because they want the dish that they grew up eating.  They ended up with a gazillion different dishes for their small group of friends because Monica wanted everyone to have the comforts of home.  We are very tied to food on special holidays.  We like what we like.

I don't remember eating the exact same menu every Thanksgiving when I was growing up.  Our food traditions where stronger around the Christmas holiday.  We lived away from extended family, so it was usually just the four of us and sometimes we would order a Thanksgiving meal from a restaurant.  Other times my mom would cook, but I remember her trying new recipes from time to time...she didn't always follow a preset menu.  So I've had the emotional space to create my own Thanksgiving meal traditions.  And like my mom, I don't serve the exact same meal every year.  I love cooking the Thanksgiving meal and it is a great opportunity for me to try a new recipe or two.  I do stick with the traditional turkey and most of my sides are a version of traditional Thanksgiving dishes, but every year I sit down and sort through recipes and create a new menu.  However, I do have one tradition that I adhere to every year - nothing on my thanksgiving table comes from a can*.  Everything is fresh.  As I said, I didn't grow up eating the same thing every year, so I never fell in love with canned green bean casserole.  I do remember eating canned cranberry sauce as a child and liking it, but once I discovered fresh cranberries I kicked the can and have never looked back.  Because of my food preferences and beliefs about canned and processed foods, my no-canned food policy at Thanksgiving means as much to me as great-grandma's secret recipe means to others.

After I was married, Thanksgiving was the holiday that we usually spent with my husband's side of the family.  And they are a perfect example of how we are emotionally tied to our food traditions.  His parents divorced when he was in middle school, but both his mom and dad still serve the identical Thanksgiving meal every year...same dressing recipe, same sides, same everything.  I would imagine this is true for many divorced families as an effort to keep traditions alive for their children no matter which parent the kids are spending the holidays with.  I think it's sweet.

Hosting Thanksgiving for extended family or in-laws can be tricky.  As someone who loves to cook, I want to cook everything.  But it's important to channel your inner Monica and make sure there is a comfort of home for everyone.  Last year, we hosted my father-in law and my husband's siblings.  I immediately asked his sister to make the dressing.  As I mentioned, they have a traditional dressing recipe and I can't imagine their Thanksgiving would be complete without it.  His step-mother made the pumpkin pies.  I made everything else (except for the pea salad that made an unexpected, surprise appearance). People like to be included in holiday cooking.  It brings people together.

I love how food evokes emotions of comfort and home, especially around the holidays.  Making great-grandma's pie recipe helps keep the connection between generations alive.  A secret family recipe binds a family together in a special way.  Teaching your child how to make a traditional, family recipe is a rite of passage.  Preparing your families favorite dish keeps you close to them even if you are apart at Thanksgiving.  And except for photographs, I can't think of anything that elicits memories quite like food...the smells, the tastes, the colors...powerful.

If you have strong food traditions, cherish them and share them with your children.  If you don't stick to the same menu every year, well, that's a bit of a tradition too and something to be shared as well - I include my children in the menu planning.  Food is something to be thankful for - yes, for the obvious nourishment part, but also for the emotional part too.

Here is what I'm cooking this year.  I'd love to hear your menu or family traditions...please share them in the comments section.

• Roasted turkey breast - I order a free-range turkey breast on the bone and brine it the day before roasting it.
• Green beans with bacon-balsamic vinaigrette - this one has made an appearance many times.
• Roasted carrots with rosemary and pecans - new this year; taking bits and pieces from a couple of recipes.
• Fresh Cranberry-Orange Sauce - daughter's request; I don't follow a recipe for this one.
• Butternut squash and vanilla risotto - new this year because I love making risotto and my family inhales it.
• Mashed potatoes - daughter's request.  And I'm steaming my potatoes (see previous post from starch class).
• Gravy
• Gluten-free pumpkin muffins - new this year; for my son.
• My mom is making dressing and pumpkin chiffon pie.

I'll have lots of leftover turkey, so mashed sweet potatoes and homemade gluten-free macaroni and cheese will make an appearance during our leftover meals this weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving!

*I occasionally use organic, canned pumpkin when making a pumpkin pie.  But to be honest, I don't love pumpkin pie so I rarely make it.