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Thanks, and the Giving Thereof
Nov. 24th, 2006 11:40 amThanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Appropriate or not, politically correct or not, any holiday that centers around the preparing and consuming of food, and the appreciation of chosen family, is A-OK by me. However, the first time one prepares Thanksgiving dinner for one's mother is bound to be a harrowing experience.
My mom is a fabulous cook. True, her tastes were cemented in the late 1950's and her repertoire is strictly limited to middle-American fare - when I was growing up, Cheddar cheese was considered exotic - but within that genre, her food is amazing. Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, coffee cake, cookies.... she makes the best.
This year, Thanksgiving dinner was just her, me, and my husband, at our house. Prepared by me. All of it. And, to be honest, my tastes have expanded a bit since I lived under my mother's roof. So not only did I have to face the concern that my cooking just wouldn't be as good as hers, I also had to wonder whether her somewhat set-in-its-ways palate would enjoy my slightly eccentric menu. I didn't try anything particularly unusual, but I did brine the turkey instead of basting it, the standard green bean casserole was replaced by green beans and red onions in an orange-mustard glaze, the stuffing was made from scratch with sausage and dried cranberries, and the pumpkin pie was utterly experimental.
I was a bit worried when the turkey took a little longer than anticipated to cook, and I did wind up punting and using store-bought gravy instead of making a pan gravy, due to timing concerns. And by my own rigorous standards, the corn pudding was a bit darker than it should have been. But.... everything came out okay. The turkey was amazing; I'm never basting again. The pie was to die for, and my mom, a devout believer in the idea that fruit and main dishes should never come together, loved both the stuffing and the green beans.
I have succeeded. I am a good enough cook to make my mom happy.
I am thankful.
Now all I have to do is survive second-Thanksgiving at my cousin's house, and hope the Pumpkin-Praline Torte doesn't fall apart before we get there, and this holiday can be declared a victorious one.....
My mom is a fabulous cook. True, her tastes were cemented in the late 1950's and her repertoire is strictly limited to middle-American fare - when I was growing up, Cheddar cheese was considered exotic - but within that genre, her food is amazing. Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, coffee cake, cookies.... she makes the best.
This year, Thanksgiving dinner was just her, me, and my husband, at our house. Prepared by me. All of it. And, to be honest, my tastes have expanded a bit since I lived under my mother's roof. So not only did I have to face the concern that my cooking just wouldn't be as good as hers, I also had to wonder whether her somewhat set-in-its-ways palate would enjoy my slightly eccentric menu. I didn't try anything particularly unusual, but I did brine the turkey instead of basting it, the standard green bean casserole was replaced by green beans and red onions in an orange-mustard glaze, the stuffing was made from scratch with sausage and dried cranberries, and the pumpkin pie was utterly experimental.
I was a bit worried when the turkey took a little longer than anticipated to cook, and I did wind up punting and using store-bought gravy instead of making a pan gravy, due to timing concerns. And by my own rigorous standards, the corn pudding was a bit darker than it should have been. But.... everything came out okay. The turkey was amazing; I'm never basting again. The pie was to die for, and my mom, a devout believer in the idea that fruit and main dishes should never come together, loved both the stuffing and the green beans.
I have succeeded. I am a good enough cook to make my mom happy.
I am thankful.
Now all I have to do is survive second-Thanksgiving at my cousin's house, and hope the Pumpkin-Praline Torte doesn't fall apart before we get there, and this holiday can be declared a victorious one.....
