DIANA REPUBLIC

I want to go on record: Thanksgiving is not all about the turkey people. I don’t know how we got so distracted with all the gobble, gobble, but we’ve clearly lost sight of the meaning of this holiday. The most important part of Thanksgiving is clearly the side dishes. Oh, right, and the thanking and the giving, blah, blah, blah.

Everyone has a turkey or Tofurkey, if you must, at Thanksgiving, but it is the sides that set us apart. I prefer the old standards of mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and sausage and apple dressing (not stuffing mind you because we will all die if we put it in the bird). My husband requires sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce without whole berries shaped like the can and sliced. It is all what you grew up with. I see a lot of east coast recipes for oyster stuffing. I like an oyster on the half shell as much as the next guy, but I can’t see oysters and turkey coexisting in the same meal.In the south they may serve mac and cheese and Italian families have no meal without a pasta dish, but my menu seems just carbie enough without these additions. I am often tempted by a new recipe for Brussels sprouts this time of year, but it seems risky to mess with a tried and true plan. Then there is gravy, unless you are an unfortunate member of the gravy averse. Gravy makes everything better and is as requisite as the turkey. In fact in my mind it is the reason for the turkey. The gravy must be made from turkey drippings and not some MSG/cornstarch imitation. I am betting a Tofurkey doesn’t have drippings with which to make gravy, the only thing that might make tofu shaped like a turkey edible.

Lest we forget, there are also desserts, a side of sorts. Just when you can almost button your pants again out comes the parade of pies. Pumpkin pie is a seasonal standard, but not one of my favorites. I really love pecan pie, but I am alone in this and I can’t be left with my own personal pie. We stick with good old fashioned apple pie in our house. We will also be serving a delightful cranberry upside down walnut cake from our friends (or enemies if we’re talking waist or wallet) at Whole Foods.

So the long and short of it is this: quit with the “Happy Turkey Day” wishes. It Thanksgiving after all and not a celebration of turkey. And I, for one, am thankful for all the side dishes among other things.