Thanksgiving
Family meals in concept and in reality invariably have some significance to everyone. Ideally the notion of family meals evokes all sorts of pleasant feelings. Although I have no doubt that some would argue that, having had unhappy or at least, less agreeable experiences. That wouldn’t be surprising since either subject viewed alone, food or family, has great power.
Food gathers my three sisters and me. We all live close enough to each other to be able to meet semi-regularly. In Orange County these days that means not having to drive for over half an hour, at least that what it means to me. When we get together it’s typically for breakfast. Conversation covers a range of topics, the weighty as well as the meaningless (fashion comes to mind). But it always flows easily in the way of families who have come to accept each other as they are and are comfortable with that knowledge. One recent day at breakfast sister Isabel mentioned that her daughter Erin had once commented, “have you ever noticed how in so many of the pictures we have of the family, there’s food”. All of us laughed, and I quipped, yeah - it’s always about the food, isn’t it?
Even though I dismissed it then, thinking how obvious a comment that was, it did get me thinking. So later on I went into my photo albums to do my own “research”. Sure enough, there I am smiling into the camera with my husband out at anniversary restaurant meals. Or with friends at special occasion dinners, or again with my sisters at breakfast or lunch out. There we all are at Mother’s Day celebrations, centered around a buffet, of course. And that’s not even including major holidays which, if Hallmark hadn’t already marketed them would be sponsored by camera makers or food purveyors. Oh wait, they are, aren’t they?
Major holidays bring out the food and foto connection big time. Not only do we take pictures of each other, we take pictures of the food too. so when I think about major holidays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Fourth of July, sure I think of events and family members, but I also remember the food.
Thanksgiving in particular is the food appreciators’ World Series/Oscar Night/Olympics all folded in to one great feast. Media images depict beautifully set tables, loaded with myriad offerings, centered around the roast turkey, or other showy main course. Money is spent, effort is made because great attention is paid. Many of the contributions are the crème-de-la-crème of that person’s culinary repertoire. And, yes, sometimes there is some of that, too.
In times past, when we were all families with young children, my brothers and sisters, seven in all would all get together for Thanksgiving. With young children we were still in the position of controlling their whereabouts, and we were still able to all fit into one house. The rooms were full, kids playing board games or playing outdoors, thanks to our temperate California weather. Husbands and brothers watched endless sports on television, and we women were in the kitchen, ostensibly preparing food.
Since the food mostly had been prepared prior to going there not much had to actually be done so it was a time to be enjoyed. We mostly clustered around the table, drinking wine or other beverages and catching up on our lives. Our table wasn't quite like the idealized pictures in magazines. There was more of a jumble of dishes, but there’s no denying the beauty and attraction of the food. In those days we all had our own specialty to contribute to the annual coming-together feast. I was a relatively new cook in those days. Between attending college classes and raising two kids, I still had managed to read a few recipes that appealed to my sense that food was more than just sustenance. I learned to make quiches in the days when it was declared “real men don’t eat quiche” which was only true until they learned quiches were basically cheese and eggs in pastry. Although for the most part my contribution to family parties and what I came to be known for was quick bread. Zucchini bread, carrot bread, cranberry bread, pumpkin bread and so on. Others also specialized. One sister-in-law brought fabulous flaky-crusted home made pies, another would bring that ambiguously named buffet dish, ambrosia, with mini marshmallows and canned pineapple and tangerines. There was the ubiquitous turkey and potatoes, sweet and otherwise, and various types of salads and side dishes. Usual for us but not as typical were things like chicken in mole sauce, a somewhat spicy Mexican dish customary for family occasions such as this, and “Spanish” rice or as we knew it, arroz. My oldest sister Isabel’s special contribution was a dressing that was a meal in itself, because of the many ingredients and also because it was so good we probably could have just had that and been satisfied. It was a recipe she learned from her husband’s mother early in her marriage which had become a favorite with our family. Thinking back, I now understand that since her children were part of the occasion she included it as her own nuclear family tradition, one to which they were entitled since it came from grandparents from their other side. No matter. I always thought of the dish as being part of our family celebration. It was the best dressing I had ever tasted. Thankfully, it is second nature to make extra for a large group so that no one leaves the table hungry. It soon became apparent that we all wanted more of that fabulous dressing than we could eat there, so in later years Isabel would thoughtfully make extra so we could all take some away, even stocking up on those disposable aluminum pans in which we could carry away and reheat our bonus.
There are so many things to look back upon fondly about those times; children small and as yet untroubled by time. Parents still present and part of daily life, and the feeling of life yet to be lived. Less poignant but gratifying in a different way, I have to say one of the things I miss are those go-packs of that special dressing that were so enjoyable the day after. Combined with a sliced cold turkey sandwich made with white bread, mayonnaise and sliced tomatoes it truly was, ambrosia.

Isabel's Holiday Dressing
Since this is one of those recipes that was passed down by doing, and typically was made in a large quantity, this is an approximation of the original.

½ cup slivered almonds - toasted
1 cup golden raisins soaked in water to soften then discard water
4 oz yellow chilis from a jar & their juice, dice 1 or two, leave the rest whole
and remove after the baking.
8 oz frozen peas-thawed
4 carrots diced-cooked
4 cups chicken broth- enough to moisten the dressing
2 cooked chicken breasts – shredded
2 pickles diced
4 stalks celery sliced
½ lb brown mushrooms sliced
1 large onion diced
½ cup pitted kalmata olives
1 lb small new potatoes, cooked and diced small
1 box bread stuffing mix

Saute the celery, mushrooms, carrots and onions in small amount of olive oil. Combine
with other ingredients in a 9 x 13 baking pan, dot top with butter. Bake at 350 for approx
1 hour or until browned.

Serves 6 -8, depending on appetites