Thanksgiving Tradition

As much as I have enjoyed having my kitchen invaded and having dinner cooked for me by B two Fridays in a row, it’s good to get back behind the stove and do some cooking myself. With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I’ve got some work to do. But before I start, it’s time to reflect on the most important part of the holiday. Sorry, I’m not going to reflect on what I’m thankful for (don’t you think that can get a little trite?). Instead, I’m going to reflect on Thanksgiving tradition – because to me, Thanksgiving is all about tradition.

So here is a list of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions:

Traditionally, we start the meal with homemade cheese tortellini in chicken broth. My grandmother made these every year while she was alive, and once she passed away my mom and dad took on the task. This is absolutely my most favorite holiday food. It’s the thing I look forward to the most. My mother has a tendency to ration the tortellini, so we won’t fill up on the first course and barely touch the rest of the meal that she and my dad spent days preparing. Traditionally, this tendency is greeted with boos and lots of criticism. It can get pretty ugly. It’s very dangerous to withhold the tortellini from a group of half drunk, half-Irish, half-Italians!

Traditionally, my parents invite me to help make the tortellini. And in an even grander tradition, each year I come up with an excuse for why I cannot help. This year my excuse was that it’s really a two person job and I would just get in the way. I honestly don’t know why they keep asking.

Traditionally, my parents do all the work preparing the meal, and cleaning up. This is my most favorite tradition of all. Yes, I do get some crap for not helping, but they forget about it pretty quickly so it’s worth the little bit of grief I get to not have to get my hands dirty. (In my defense, I never ask them to help when they eat at my home.)

Traditionally, the meal is served 30 minutes after the time my parents tell us we’ll be eating. They always say 2 o’clock, so I get there at 1 o’clock, and we are lucky if we’re eating by 2:30. Each year they swear we will eat on time, but yet it never seems to happen. You know what? If they served the meal on time, the rest of us probably wouldn’t be half drunk by the time we sit down and the rationing of the tortellini might be less ugly. Just a thought…

Traditionally, my mother tries to get me to eat butternut squash and I have to remind her, as I do every year, that I do not like butternut squash. She always seems surprised and asks “since when?” and I always reply “since forever.” Truth be told, a few years ago I tried butternut squash somewhere and loved it. But I am such a fan of tradition that I don’t want to ruin this one by admitting I now like something I insisted for years that I hated. Plus, it’s fun.

Traditionally, I make the chicken soup for the tortellini. I start by roasting the bird, and then cleaning all the meat off of it and boiling the carcass with onion, celery, carrots, parsley, kosher salt and peppercorns. After it reduces, I let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. The next day I skim off the fat and bring it back up to a boil to check and adjust the seasonings. It’s a lot of work – albeit easy work – but it is so worth it. Those tortellini deserve nothing but the best, and canned broth simply will not do.

Traditionally, I argue with my parents over whether or not to serve salad with the meal. I am always (ALWAYS!) pro salad, and they are usually opposed. My sister usually settles the argument by volunteering to bring the salad. Everyone wins – I get my salad, and my parents don’t have to make it. I’m not sure why they are anti-salad with Thanksgiving dinner, because we have always been a salad family. Seriously, pretty much every dinner was accompanied by salad. For some reason it becomes offensive on Thanksgiving.

Traditionally, my mother tries to fancy up some aspect of the meal. One year she decided to serve potatoes au gratin instead of mashed. Another time she added nuts to the green beans. (I will not even discuss the year she added grated carrot to the broth for the tortellini. She’s lucky to be alive.) Each year she gets chastised. Yet, the tradition continues. It’s not that what she makes isn’t good (with the exception of the carrot in the soup), it’s just not part of our traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving is not the time to experiment with new dishes.

Traditionally, the asparagus is way over cooked. They always buy fresh asparagus, but manage to cook it to the color and texture of canned asparagus. Recently, my brother Dave informed us all that he never liked asparagus until he had it in Vegas when we were there for Lindsay and Padraig’s wedding. My parents asked why he all of a sudden liked it, and he answered that he never had it cooked properly before. They thought he was crazy (he is, but for different reasons), but Lindsay and I quickly came to his defense. This year, they claim they are going to cook it properly. We’ll see…

As big a fan as I am of Thanksgiving tradition, I am taking a big step away from it this year. For the first time in my life, I will not be having dinner with my family. Instead I will be having dinner with B (which I am both excited and terrified about). So, I will not be partaking in the traditions of eating later than anticipated, and telling my mother that I don’t like butternut squash (maybe I’ll actually get to eat it this year!). There will be no salad served with dinner (this I learned earlier today – they wasted no time in cutting me out of this meal once I told them I would be with B instead), and I’ll have to check in with Lindsay and Dave to find out whether or not the asparagus was overcooked.

B and I will be arriving later to have dessert with my parents, and I’m sure the grand tradition of finding something wrong with my cheesecake will continue. There truly is no place like home for the holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!