Giving thanks...

Thanksgiving weekend is coming to an end and everyone is now focused on gift shopping.  This thanksgiving had me thinking about the various ways I've partaken in this American tradition. As a child, my Chinese family was a little slow in catching on with the whole turkey day festival.  I do remember though going to some family friend's home and eating cranberry sauce.  By the time I was in high school and my brothers were in grade school, my mom began to entertain the thought of turkey day feast.  In reality, my brothers asked my mom why we didn't celebrate thanksgiving at home like all their friends did.

So began the week long food prep that involved ordering our turkey from various places that included Balducci's, the local butcher, farmer's markets, and good ole Pathmark.  We try all sorts of prep for the turkey:  instilling white wine into the meat with a hypodermic needle, brining overnight, dry rubs, etc.  We never baked the turkey with the stuffing.  Instead, we made a pretty yummy but labor intensive chinese influenced stuffing with chinese sausages, chestnuts, sticky rice and chopped veggies.  For a few of these dinners, we also had a fresh frutti di mari.  More labor that my mom utilized with four kids who knew how to chop.  The same process for our various breads and desserts.  Everything from scratch. 

This tradition went on for years until one year my mom put away her apron and decided we would go out for Thanksgiving.  Every year we went somewhere new until we found our favorite meal and setting at Prune.  I have been able to partake in one of those repasts.  My lucky family have had at least four turkey dinners there.  My silly nephew, the meek one at 3 years of age, turned down Gabrielle Hamilton's offer to bring him into the back kitchen to see a thousand eggs piled up. 

Somewhere in between all this, I went to through an amusing period when I usually had three dinners to attend.  First it was a tradition of going to Aunt Carolyn Chow's in Windsor Terrace.  I would show up at noon and help with her cooking.  Then scoot out by 3pm to go to my friend Michelle's for her meal.  Finally end up at my mom's restaurant dinner.  That eventually transitioned to Michelle's, Mom's and ended with Juanita & Alberto's.

Bill & Jody's Deep Fried and Traditional Turkey 2008

Now I get to the point of this post.  I am very thankful for my family (despite all the fights that can happen) and my friends and the time I have had to spend with each and everyone around me.  This year I was scheduled to be oncall which means 28 hrs on Thanksgiving day starting at 5am.  Yet, I managed to experience three different meals and more and this reminded me of my past thanksgivings.  Like recent years, I somehow found myself fed three times.  First with the oncall OR staff, I had my turkey lunch.  Thanks P.P. for bringing the turkey and everyone else for bringing sides.  Fell in love with Wendy's corn pudding.  Later dinner came at the perfect time for my colleague Nathan and me when Linda brought in two plates for us.  I was stuffed beyond belief when another co-worker brought in plates from the party he went to.

That was just the beginning, I had two more invitations on Black Friday and regular? Saturday.  

Post Turkey Day Dinner 2012