Thanksgiving Carbs. Lot’s of Them!

By

Gerry Niskern

I have just one word  for you on this Thanksgiving. Carbs. Lots of them.  Forget Atkins, South Beach, the Zone, Paleo and all the rest. Enjoy the day.

You do remember Thanksgiving, don’t you? That’s the day if one brave soul reaches for the last piece of special apple pie, he could lose a limb!

Families and friends here in the valley will bring a blend of delicious dishes for a potluck feast.   Hand me down recipes will rule.  The only disagreement is which is the best stuffing, cornbread, oyster, sausage and apple, chestnut? The list is endless.

Does your family cook serve you steaming, fresh-out-of-the oven yeast rolls, and does she keep a steady flow coming to you all during your meal? It seems to me that cooking that Thanksgiving dinner comes from within. We show our love for those gathered through the kitchen, through our food. Thanksgiving dinner is indeed comfort food. It makes you feel good because it’s flavorful and filling. Kids don’t have to learn to like it, they love it from the start. Baby’s first taste of sweet potatoes topped with a little gravy slides right down, and he won’t turn up his nose at a few tiny bites of pumpkin pie either.

Thanksgiving is not a sophisticated meal. No caviar, crepes or snails are required. Thanksgiving cooking is full of hand me down tricks. Did you know that the water from the potatoes is full of vitamins that should go into the gravy? And did you know that a dash of rosemary, a sprinkle of crushed, crispy bacon and pure cream create mashed potatoes to die for? You can cut roasting time in half by buying two smaller turkeys instead of a large one. One more thing, keep your gravy warm all day in a crockpot and make plenty so that the hearty eaters can return again and again.

Lots of smart families rule out the fine china, linens and the dressed up mode of dining. They opt for a lake or desert picnic.  It is hard to believe now, but our extended family used to pack up their turkey, mashed potatoes, and hot gravy in large thermos jugs and head for the desert. Our favorite spot was right where Moon Valley Country Club now stands. When that area became built up, we branched out to the land north of Scottsdale.  The kids rode go-carts and the dads helped them launch toy rockets and fly kites.

Our Thanksgiving celebration is one version of many held around the world by other  nations and ethnic groups. There have always been harvest festivals to celebrate and give thanks for the years crops. We’ve learned that the first official Thanksgiving in the United States was proclaimed by Abraham Lincoln on October 3, 1863, as Civil War raged in this country. During that time of turmoil the myth of the Pilgrims and Indians sitting together in harmony was comforting to the nation.  This holiday is woven into the fabric of our families, the stability of our communities and the strength of our nation.

When the family cook slips that bird into the oven, the celebration has begun. Before long the aroma of turkey roasting will remind all the family that it is more than just a day spent in the kitchen.  It’s a celebration of life with people more special than life itself.

Let’s lift a glass to all the cooks; and enjoy those carbs!