Aarrgghh! Much as I love the Mercury News on Wednesdays for the Cooking Section, (and I have the huge folder of cut-out recipes to prove it) this time of year makes me flip as I read everything I need to know from cooking that damn turkey vertically to laying the table, to choosing the right wine, to eating out (fine idea to me!)
But please, cookery editors, spare a thought for all those people who have relocated here from another country (and I’m sure there’s just a few of those among your readers?!!) and don’t have the foggiest of what this Thanksgiving thing is all about or what you’re supposed to do for it.
In the meantime, that job falls to me so listen up, all you who are new or fairly new to Silicon Valley and the USA in general!
Thanksgiving happens on the 4th Thursday in November so it’s always aThursday but not always the same date. Americans try and get together with families for this annual celebration. Given that, as we are of course a very transient population in Silicon Valley, many of us have families in another country and many in a different state so we do not all have this cosy picture of 20 people sitting around a dining table with Dad poised with carving knife in hand above the humongous brown bird. And so, if Thanksgiving means nothing to you, YOU DON’T HAVE TO CELEBRATE IT! Take advantage of the fact that you and the family have 4 days off (Friday is always a holiday as well) and get out and enjoy yourself – no guilt allowed for no turkey. I have friends who always used to go to Sausalito on Thanksgiving Day and drink some fine beer, gazing out to the sea. Sounds good to me!
I digress, so back to the traditional Thanksgiving. A few days beforehand, Americans flock to their Safeway or Lucky’s or to the more upmarket Whole Foods, to buy their turkey, so they can spend several days preparing their dinner comprising of – said turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, some hideous pink mixture which my good friend Carol tells me is Cool Whip (sweet manufactured cream…) mixed with fruit (now there’s a nutritious side dish for you) , sweet potatoes (like ordinary potatoes but orange and sweet) and a selection of vegetables. Dessert is usually some form of pumpkin pie.
The reason they have Thanksgiving is something to do with the Pilgrims coming over from England and thanking the resident Indians for their help with growing crops – I may well have this slightly wrong but just ask one of your kids at school about it or maybe you already have when they asked you to help them dress up like a pilgrim…
So we and our families get to spend some time being thankful for what we have which is a very good idea, considering that four weeks later, those same kids are tearing into Christmas presents.
And on the subject of Christmas, for all of you who have come from the UK, isn’t it sad that we end up eating turkey twice a year here, and both times within a month of each other? Turkey is so good it would be nice to space it out a little more. For those not from the UK, a little background – traditionally the Brits have turkey at Christmas and that’s it, the one and only time. So when Christmas comes around here, you could opt for something else, as you may have just recently finished the last of your turkey from Thanksgiving. Can’t remember what the Americans do, maybe have ham or beef, anything but turkey.
Hope this helps to understand this quaint American custom. Let’s just be thankful it’s only once a year!
Is it just me or is this the year of the Christmas inflatable? I know I’ve blogged about the American celebration before – their fondness for over-the-top celebrations and how far ahead of Britain they are in the “look at how many lights and flags and decorations and ornaments we can put up” race – but inflatables?
Stumble It!