Turkey Hands

We all wallow in the past. This year, 2020 is the consummate year to look backwards. The COVID pandemic has made us long for the past and wary of our unknown future. No where is this more evident than in the anxiety everyone has about Thanksgiving this year. Thanksgiving is a nostalgic laden American tradition as sacred as the Fourth of July. Everyone has their own memories of Thanksgiving feasts, fiascos and fun.

Andrew is from Burma and has no attachment to the Thanksgiving traditions. He is not burdened with the psychological need to recreate a culinary spread that is ubiquitous across the country. It is a learned tradition. As little children at school, we trace around our outstretched hands to draw turkeys and read about the pilgrims. Media bombards us with advertising supporting the American traditions. I cannot impart this nostalgia any more effectively than Andrew can impart the feeling he has for the Burmese New Year’s water festival. We can both wax nostalgic, but the feelings cannot be transferred.

We invited our neighbor, Jeff, from across the road to join us for lunch. I originally thought this might be a simple semi-traditional meal. When I invited Jeff I told him I was contemplating various vegetarian alternatives to the traditional Turkey, he immediately responded, “well in that case, I won’t be coming.” We all have our own peccadillos and forthrightness is one of Jeff’s strongest personality traits – no doubt garnered from his decades of being a judge. He is a dear neighbor, so turkey it would be then. When I told Andrew we would have turkey, but he would need to cook it, his immediate response was, “let’s have chicken, I don’t like turkey.” Oh tradition! The unthinkable, a lowly chicken on the venerated Thanksgiving table. Andrew acquiesced and threw himself into research about how to cook a turkey.

Our thanksgiving meal was traditional:

Roast Turkey – A la Gordon Ramsey (what would we do without YouTube videos to school us on even the simplest tasks). The turkey has been slathered in butter, parsley and stuffed with onions and whole lemons. It is not how I made a turkey in the past, but I defer to Andrew and Gordon.

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Mashed Potatoes and Gravy – The gravy, of course, was made from the drippings of the turkey, as instructed by Gordon.

Mushroom and Wild Rice Dressing – Chunks of bread covered in butter, vegetable stock and sage.

Cranberries with Oranges and Cherries – Sweet and tart!

Green Bean Casserole – Not just any green bean casserole, but the original 1955 Campbell Soup recipe created by Dorcas Reilly. Does anyone still have the name Dorcas? A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.

Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow – When I told Andrew we would have sweet potatoes he declared this a winner. In Burma they make them, but do not put anything on them – they rely on the taste of the potato itself. Try explaining the need to load up the sweet potatoes with not just brown sugar, but also marshmallows. Our cuisine defies adequate description. Ironically, this turned out to be Andrew’s favorite dish.

Pumpkin Cheesecake – This recipe was borrowed from Magnolia Bakery. It is not as dense as a traditional New York Cheesecake. A pecan streusel topping and whipped cream give the uber abundance of flavor necessary to outdo the calorie laden dishes listed above. The whipped cream on the edge is laced with maple syrup – a favorite combination.

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Our table setting is likewise simple. The large sycamore at the front of the house drops fantastic leaves – some are enormous. I chose leaves for the menu and place cards (hardly necessary with only 3 people, but the tradition!).

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The table decoration was hydrangea pruned form the yard and pine cones gathered from Jeff’s yard. Likewise, I used pinecones for the urns at the front entrance and the front door – free and practical.

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All in all it was a good day. The food was delicious. We had fun preparing everything and we enjoyed our neighbor’s company. He left with the remains of the turkey – YES, so no worry about how to get rid of it. The year has been undesirable in so many ways, but still there remains much for which we are thankful. Life doesn’t always move in the direction we want, nevertheless it is up to us to appreciate what we do have. As I write this and you read this, I believe we are fortunate. Happy Thanksgiving!