Today
our Thanksgiving table will be set with our traditional meal. I would
call it a feast. There will be a turkey and it will be stuffed with
cornbread stuffing. I will once again make too much stuffing and so I
will place the extra in a baking dish and bake it along with the turkey
and it will be called dressing. When the turkey is done, Linda will make
gravy to cover the meat, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Some people
might call it sauce, but people from the south call it gravy. I will
prepare fresh green beans with bacon and bacon grease. You should be
aware that in the south bacon grease is a condiment. Most, if not all,
vegetables are cooked in bacon grease. There will also be sweet potatoes
baked with pecans and brown sugar that will more resemble a dessert
than a vegetable. Dinner rolls will accompany the meal for sopping. That
again is a southern term for gathering up any remaining gravy on your
plate. Sopping is a very definitive word. And speaking of dessert, Linda
will have made two pies. First a pecan pie. Southerners might recognize
this as “Karo Nut Pie,” but the common name is pecan pie. Of course the
other pie is pumpkin pie. You know pumpkin is a squash so you could say
this is a vegetable too?
That
is our traditional meal. There will be no tofu or tofurky anywhere near
our home. In other words no soy beans will be harmed in the preparation
of this meal. We will have the same meal whether we have a house full
of people or just the two of us. Why, you ask? The reasons are simple.
First it is our tradition. Secondly, the food and the smells coming from
the kitchen remind us of our lives together, our families, and in some
respects our childhoods. Finally the meal is delicious. What more needs
to be said?
I
know different people have different traditions. I think those mostly
come from their childhoods. I know of some folks from Central America
who prepare and serve tamales for Thanksgiving. There are those from The
Middle East who serve lamb. I think all such choices are great.
Speaking
of tofu, something else came up to discuss at this holiday season. Last
week on the news was a story about PETA trying to sue a city in America
named Turkey to change their name to Tofu. If ever an organization did
more to make themselves irrelevant and foolish looking, I don’t know who
it could be. And speaking of vegans and vegetarians, I once had a vegan
nurse tell me that I shouldn’t eat anything with a face or a mother. I
asked if I could eat oysters and clams. She couldn’t answer the
question. So I guess I can.
Also
I once saw a TV show starring Charlie Chase called Crook and Chase.
Charlie was offered a veggie burger and asked what he thought. He
replied that it was actually pretty good. All it needed was a little
mayonnaise and some meat. That’s pretty much how I would feel. If you
choose only to eat vegetables, be my guest. If you want to go out and
graze in the meadow with the cows, have at it. As soon as those cows are
fattened up, I will be happy to butcher them, eat and enjoy their meat.
To me PETA stands for “People Eating Tasty Animals.” I fear
vegetarianism has become a political statement rather than a food
choice. Have you ever heard of a vegan conservative Republican? Me
either. Whatever.
Today
Linda and I wish you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving with all
the traditions you enjoy. If you have the luxury of a house full of
relatives and friends, good for you. Regardless of how you celebrate
this holiday may your day be blessed beyond your dreams.
Ron Scarbro Thanksgiving 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I so totally agree with you dear brother. Tradition is so strong in our house Angelica made a list of what we served and refers to it each year to be sure I haven't tried to do something different to the menu. Our teeth make us omnivores not vegetarians, although I would be happy being a carnivore. I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving, and I hope you enjoy all those leftover turkey sandwiches.
Love
Deena
Post a Comment