Carol Goodman Kaufman

thanksgiving

A Tried and True Thanksgiving

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Here we are on the eve of Thanksgiving and the house is filled with fabulous aromas from a wide range of dishes. And while I spend most of the year trying new recipes and experimenting with new foods, both for my newspaper column and in researching my book, when the holidays come I rarely deviate from the tried and true.

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that demand the tried and true. Comfort food is what the family wants, and of all the traditions that surround the holiday, turkey is almost universally the centerpiece. Everybody (except the vegetarians) demands turkey. (I did go on strike one year and serve chicken, but was almost disowned for that faux pas.) For me, the only reason the bird exists is as a vehicle for stuffing. I love stuffing. And since tiny changes are sometimes allowed,  a couple of times I’ve tried to stuff kasha into my turkey, but frankly, the tried and true bread stuffing is really my fave.

This year’s tiny change is that I am bumping the green beans for Brussels sprouts. It turns out that hubby never liked green beans (we’ve only been married 38 years and now he tells me). But, the kids demand both pumpkin pie and Grandma Cele’s Jello cranberry cherry mold. (These kids probably think Jello mold was served at Plymouth.)

As for mashed potatoes, this is not a dish anybody in my tribe has ever served on Thanksgiving – on any branch of either hubby’s or my family. But, when my hairdresser Shannon cried, “What?” You can’t have Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes!” I felt this might be the year to try them, perhaps because she was so passionate about the potatoes – or perhaps because she was holding a pair of sharp scissors at the time. I can’t be sure.

However, considering that the preparation of said dish is a major pain in the tuchus, I delegated the task to my first-born child, who accepted the assignment with great aplomb.

Luckily, he is as good a cook as he is a sport.

So this year, mashed potatoes will be on our family Thanksgiving table, squeezed in among the turkey, stuffing, Brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, Jello mold, squash soufflé, apple crisp, and pumpkin pie.

Time to let out the waistband. That’s tradition.

 

Thanksgiving in September

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The late summer evenings have been warm this past week, with only a hint of autumn chilling the morning air. The fragrance of freshly cut corn stalks and pine boughs tickles the nose. Orange pumpkins and multi-colored gourds add a festive brightness. And, the full moon is a shimmering white disk against a deep blue night sky absolutely clear except for a spray of glittering, glinting stars.

This year’s Sukkot has seen the most fabulous weather ever here in New England, so we have really been able to enjoy the week-long festival to the max. We have eaten almost every meal in the little booths — either our own or others’. Nothing can beat relaxing over pot luck lunches and sumptuous dinners with convivial company, or simply sipping afternoon tea while reading a good book. And it’s hard to beat seeing Joel in relaxation mode for a change, reading his newspaper and working the Sudoku at the table in our cozy little shack in the back.

Sukkot is absolutely my favorite Jewish holiday. Aside from the beauty of the harvest fruits decorating booths that pop up all over town, there is something special in taking the time to appreciate all that we have harvested in the past year – both material and spiritual. Sukkot is, after all, the original Thanksgiving holiday. And, true to the harvest theme, our garden has produced scrumptious herbs and vegetables this year (I think I have tried at least a dozen new zucchini and eggplant recipes). Even more important, our family cornucopia is overflowing with happy milestones.  Learning to walk and talk, getting new jobs, finding new loves,  traveling to exciting places. Sure, there have been some bumps along the road, but those only make the good stuff feel even better.

Thanksgiving. What could be better?