Falling Fast

As the last days of summer fly by and fall begins to settle on the city of Seattle, I can not help but be just a tad bit excited. Oh okay, so I’m pretty much ecstatic. I love the fall season and everything that comes with it. The changing colors of the leaves, the crispness in the air, the sweaters and mittens, and of course the seasonal food and holidays. Autumn is a season filled with family and traditions, a season that bring people together. My most favorite day during these brisk few months is Thanksgiving. My family really is not what I would call an extremely traditional family by any means, however Thanksgiving is our one exception. Not only do we cook the traditional feast, but we go above and beyond with our preparations.  

Wednesday night is full of wonderfully-smelling pies baking in our kitchen. We usually make at least four different kinds, and then our friends bring some over as well. Pumpkin, pecan, apple, and angel cheesecake are just the basics. Thursday morning we are all up early, bustling around the kitchen with pots, spoons, and oven mitts in tow. I am always in charge of simmering the cranberry sauce over the stove and for the candied sweet potatoes. My dad is the turkey-master, my mom is the orchestrator of it all, and my little brother is always there ready to mash the potatoes when needed.  

After our dining room is packed full of friends and family and the table and counters are overflowing with food, we know we are ready. And it never disappoints. Fresh rolls, sweet potatoes, steamed green beans, apple, cranberry, and walnut salad, turkey, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. Not to mention the amazing company of fifteen other friends and family members. But before we dig in, we make sure to go around the table and hear what everyone is thankful for. The best part. Whether it's silly or heartfelt, I am always enlightened by everyone’s thankfulness.  

Thanksgiving week is one of the happiest of all the fifty-two in my household. The enjoyment that comes from preparing the food and then eating it is just awesome. For me, this is the celebration that distinguishes the American food culture. Most like to say that American food consists of the hamburger, hotdog, and french fries. This is most definitely true for most families probably, but not for mine. Since my family eats a variety of different ethnic foods, there is not really any one dish that stands out in my mind as being 100% American. 

That is, except for Thanksgiving dinner. Because this meal has a historic American origin, I feel a strong connection to the foods as an American myself. Similar to the Florentines in Carole M. Counihan’s Around the Tuscan Table “who used food to define an identity grounded in their illustrious history,” the food that we consume at Thanksgiving reminds us all of the founding of our country and early history (Counihan 19). So as I start to crave butternut squash soup and turkey-cranberry sandwiches with the coming of fall, it is my American heritage (specifically the Pilgrims and Native Americans) that I have to thank for my vivid identity with historically traditional American food.

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