11.28.09 – What’s on Your Plate?!
18 lbs? 13lbs? 10 lbs? 75% off? 50% off? 25% off?
In the past few years, I can’t help but feel a bit more stressed out over the Thanksgiving holidays. Thursdays have been occupied with helping prepare the feast, eating the feast, napping, and eating the feast (round two). Fridays, oh glorious Black Fridays, have been filled with the hustle and bustle of digging up the best deals at Bestbuy or Frys for electronics – LCD TVs, GPS, game system, cameras, computers – or busting doors for the best clothes bargains. The number game becomes a strategic race to the finish to become crowned the king of deals.
For me, my Thanksgiving routine has changed so drastically since I had moved to Boston 3 years ago. Having grown up in Orange County, CA with the perception that Thanksgiving is yet another random holiday/excuse to have a congregation of the families, my family and I never fully assimilated into the tradition of dinner with Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. The dinner table would typically be in buffet format, with trays and trays of shrimp fried rice, delectable Vietnamese appetizers like banh beo or banh bot loc, and at best Peking DUCK as a turkey substitute.
Boston changed everything. I have been blessed to have been invited to my cousin’s fiance’s home for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. No buffet format here – the table was beautifully adorned with baskets, cornucopia, candles, wine glasses, plates, silverware, and everything else that I do not know the words for. Dinner begins when the beautifully golden Turkey is brought out and carved. Side dishes (>10) were passed around the table (like in the movies!). And dessert no longer is comprised of only che thai (a coconut milk based dessert topped with fresh fruits) or French cream puffs. Pumpkin pie, homemade whipped cream, and pecan brownies were a few of the freshly prepared desserts.
The stories above demonstrate the beauty of the diversity that exists in our society. Some say, America is the melting pot of many different cultures. Whether it is true or not, my greatest gratitude this year is the deep appreciation for living in a country so abundant in all comforts of life – that we can have the opportunity to immerse in different cultures and foods from all over the world on a very historically American holiday.
Cheers to diversity and … food!
Readers, my question to you is… What was on your plate for Thanksgiving? Please share by commenting below!
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For a look at what other Asian families have done on Thanksgiving, check out this article:
Choice 1:
– Huge roasted golden brown turkey glazed in teriyaki sauce and stuffed with rice
– Mashed potatoes with lots of garlic and butter
– Gravy made from shitake mushrooms
– Stir fried green beans
– Sweet potato tempura
– Platters upon platters of different kinds of sushi and sashimi
– Fish cake soup
– For dessert, there was mochi and pumpkin pie and genmai tea
Choice 2:
– Mongolian hot pot
– Roast Duck stuffed with sticky rice
– Dumplings
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