Memorial Day Food for Thought

Today is Memoriall Day and it's a day when we should remember our service people. For the ones we have with us there are so many gestures we can do to show our gratitude and appreciation,

For our veterans, cook them their favorite. foodsTake  them  food shopping. Share your garden with them. They'll appreciate all that fresh fruit and veggies. Celebrate their achievements with parties and barbecues. Birthdays should be big deals too. Invite them over for an afternoon of talk with the kids so they can  learn history first hand.

For our servicepeople. give them gift certificates for that special. dinner out. Babysit their kids for that much needed romantic meal with their spouses.Celebrate them with block parties or quiet coffee times where they can open up about their experiences over a cup and a slice of cake. 

America was born out of war 250 years ago. We need to celebrate and appreciate service people past and present who preserved our ideals and Constitution. Celebrate the present generation with a plate and glass of something good

Laboring To Feed Us

Today being Labor Day it's time to honor those who labor to feed us and our families. They include

the migrant farmers living in awful conditions with barely a roof over their heads and primitive bath and eating facilities. They work long hours tending and picking crops that eventually go into our meals.Then there are the supermarket clerks who check out our groceries. Some work five or six hours without getting a break, or only receiving a fifteen minute breather. Thank them every time you’re at their check out. Also honor them .Don’t go to the self checkouts . The more shoppers who do this eliminate the need for these workers. That means their jobs will eliminated and they will lose everything from a paycheck to their pensions.

Labor Day may mean a day off to you, but to waitstaff all over the US  it means a day of work. Granted they get time and a half and tips, but they’d rather spend this summer day with friends and family. They’d rather chill at a barbecue or beach instead of taking your order and serving them. Give them a bigger than usual tip. Keep in mind that busboys, chefs, cooks and fast food employees don’t receive tips. Treat them kindly, and tell them how much you appreciate their hours of work.

This day celebrates America’s work force. Honor those who are responsible for feeding and nourishing you.

Turkey And Stuffing , Eh?

Today is Canada's Thanksgiving. Is it the same as ours, with table groaning with family dishes and a big bird?Yes. Although there are some surprises that would shock us Yanks to the south and west of them.

Of course the big difference is the dates. We celebrate on the fourth Thursday of November and it's the stepping stone into  the Christmas season (after all there are some big box stores that open at eight PM that night).The Canadians always celebrate the second Monday of every October.It was started in 1897 with the chosen day only gelling in 1957.Both countries have the English Reformation and the Puritans to thank for the day, since both had harvest festivals and "days of thanksgiving." Surprisingly one day of thanksgiving evolved in Guy Fawkes Day after the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1606. The Puritans , as we know, brought it to America but the Canadians were already celebrating as early as 1578, thanks to Martin Frobisher who navigated his ship through the treacherous Northwest Passage. The French Canadians call it "Action de grace" or an act of grace.Only the Atlantic Provinces such as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Labrador consider it an optional holiday. It sort of falls under the Days of Rest Act where government employees and banks have a designated day off. What is great about the Canadian Thanksgiving is that the indigenous people are also thanked for their generosity of food and land. We need to incorporate that into our blessings.this November.

What do the Canadians eat? Is it the same as what we Americans eat?. Yes and no.Many Loyalists left the Colonies after the Revolution and headed up north. They brought turkey and stuffing recipes with them.and tweaked some of our recipes along the way. Their pumpkin pie is a bit spicier than ours with the addition of such spices as ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. Ours is a bit more custardy and sweeter. We also have apple pies along with that Southern classic pecan. Canadians are also big on breadcrumb or rice stuffing. while we Yanks also like that,We vary it with oysters and sausage. Our neighbors up north also prefer healthier breads, going for whole wheat loaves while we go mad for those yummy King's Hawaiian rolls , or artesenal breads. The French Canadians have a decidedly more Gallic spin on their holiday meal.Some families may make apple tarte tatin, a buttery, fruity pie with a base of puff pastry,Others may end their feasting with a quartre quatre cake, a twist on pound cake.Varied recipes include adding dried cranberries , walnuts or even extra vanilla.Their dindon or turkey is stuffed with a flavorful mix of pork and beef,, spiced with poultry seasoning and cloves. Russet potatoes give it body.

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers. Enjoy the feasting and leftovers along with family and friends. It is a day of celebration but also of thankfulness and thought.

Frog Eye Pudding And Turkey.

The one holiday that unites all Americans is Thanksgiving. No matter what your religion is or your nationality you will sit down tomorrow, like your neighbors coworkers, friends and even enemies and be thankful for all you have and all you have to eat. Surprisingly though the thoughts and main dish are the same. It seems sides and desserts vary from state to state , surprisingly and perhaps not surprisingly so.

Kevin Quealy and David Leonhardt tallied up what America eats in an article in today's Food Section in the New York Times. This is an offshoot of an article written last week that highlighted certain dishes from each of our fifty states and Puerto Rico,It deals with the most searched recipes by state.Of course , the most popular is turkey but the researchers looked at searches for other dishes by state and how often they were researched. It proved an interesting glimpse into America's culinary window. For example Californians tend to look up persimmon bread recipes more times than another group.It's probably made for dessert, resembling apricot or cherry breads.Some dishes beggar belief. There is a Snickers salad , popular in Minnesota and Nebraska.It is what the name suggests, chopped up Snickers bars mixed with chopped apples and whipped cream. Variations include subbing in
 bananas and/or pineapple for the apples and sometimes there's a pudding thrown in.Some other states such as Idaho and Nevada make frog eye pudding, yet another I can't believe this is an actual dessert. It is a wild mix of Acini  de Pepe pasta mixed with pineapple , marshmallow and coconut with a decoration of orange slices.

A few reflect the ethnic make up of the state. New Yorkers and New Jerseyians go mad for stuffed artichokes, a must have in an Italian household.The heavily Hispanic  Florida features coquito, the tasty rum and coconut holiday drink along with their own pumpkin dessert  flan di Calabaza. Connecticut 's favorite dishes reflect their aura of WASPiness and almost a cliché., with popovers creamed onions and butternut squash casserole.You would think Alaska then would have caribou casserole or Eskimo           ice cream, a mix of seal oil, whale blubber and berries but they're actually pretty traditional.Most people there want a Waldorf salad or cranberry relish. Hawaii too has a pretty usual palate save for jook or congee, a soupy rice porridge usually eaten for breakfast. However it is made into a comfort food with the addition of turkey, straying from its' Asian roots.

Some dishes may vary from state to state. It's  still considered Thanksgiving as long as you have turkey or tofurkey, family and gratefulness .In the end that's all that matters.