Random Poll o' the Week: Regional/Cultural Thanksgiving Dishes
There are some Thanksgiving dishes that are classic: Turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie. And then there are some that are specific to your culture, region or even family.
These past few years I feel like I've learned a lot about Thanksgiving traditions that are different from mine.
For instance, I don't think I can speak for the entire body of the African-American culture, but I have never been served, nor have I ever prepared a green bean casserole for a family gathering. Conversely a lot of friends of mine who aren't AA or from the south have no clue what a collard green is and frankly my Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without them!
Does your family/region/culture have a dish on Thanksgiving that's outside the norm? I'd love to hear about them!
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
Start weight 282, Surgery weight 265, Current weight 131, Goal weight 140
A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. Eleanor Roosevelt
Yeah. That'd be correct. ;)
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
Start weight 282, Surgery weight 265, Current weight 131, Goal weight 140
A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. Eleanor Roosevelt
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
At my sister's we always have pumpkin crabmeat soup. At my ex's mom's, we always had oyster artichoke soup. Both are heavenly and I miss them! (don't see my ex's mom, and sister lives in LA)
A few years ago I added collards (of course freshly cooked) to our Thanksgiving. My daughter and I love them! (Incidently, a dear AA friend affectionalely known as "sista girl" taught me how to make THE BEST GREENS IN THE WORLD!!)
I added a new tradition of pumpkin cheesecake too!
I love threads like this! It is interesting to see what everyone does for the holiday!
Start weight 282, Surgery weight 265, Current weight 131, Goal weight 140
A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. Eleanor Roosevelt
Seriously...that's been my job. Every Thanksgiving since forever! This is a small Thanksgiving so it's not that bad but when my mom lived in her bigger house she often commissioned about 30 lbs. of greens. So much picking! Oy!
The other thing in the AA tradition (and most younger folks won't cop to eating them) is chitterlings. I'll be brave and say I used to eat them back inna day. I do not cook them. That might kill me.
Chitterlings are the intestines of the pig. My mom fixes them with celery, onions and a vinegary broth and I smothered them in hot sauce, salt and pepper. These days they don't agree with me (the broth is very fatty and me and animal fat don't get down like that) but I do admit to consuming and enjoying them, which will probably put me on the outs with EVERY black person my age. :) I don't care!!! I'm a rebel!!!!
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
I am 42 and I love chitterlings. My dad cooks them the same way as your mom. I had a co-worker from Argentina and they fried theirs. I never had them fried but would have loved to have tried them. I dont have them very often because only my dad and brother in law knows how to cook and clean them and well you know what they say in the AA community "you can't just eat anybodies chitlins".
Let's just say after eating them you can tell who has saggy boobs. ;)
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!