Today's lunchtime conversation was an interesting mix of humor and serious sociological exposition. With Thanksgiving a mere five days away, a discussion of food and signature dishes turned so fascinating we felt the need to share some of our major thoughts with our dear readers.
The conversation began with Alex explaining the plight of the daughter-in-law making her entrance into a family with set traditions. Thanksgiving, for example, has been going on for years with the same people bringing the same things. Avarice may easily arise during those major life events that change the composition or structure of the festivities.
An unwritten but universally recognized rule is that each family unit must contribute something to the meal. Single men are exempt from said rule do to incompetence (were they competent, they'd be married by now, or so goes the thinking of the women who run the show). Single women are still a part of the household's nuclear structure and therefore are loved no matter what they bring, so long as they bring something. When a woman marries into a family, however, no such familial bonds guarantee her automatic acceptance, and should she commit such a grave error as to bring another person's signature dish, the angst of the error may last for years. This error is exacerbated should she make the dish better than the originator.
The idea of a signature dish warrants some further explanation. It seems that over time a given woman in a family or community unit will earn sole rights to bring a certain dish. Months in advance all members of this family or community can say, "We are going to Thanksgiving at Grandma Jones and Aunt Shirley will bring the apple pie and Cousin Sue will bring the green bean casserole." Most of the time this is a cause of delight though there is almost certainly that certain person who brings something that almost no one will touch but everyone will feign delight. In a particular group of friends the green bean casserole was entrusted to someone (he happened to be a single man-- please note competency as mentioned above) who made a Southern version since he grew up in Georgia. The Southern version varied from the tried and true Midwest variety since there was no cream of soup or French onions on top. We all tried it but the disappointment was palatable. This friend moved back to Georgia shortly there after where he belongs and his green beans are appreciated.
Some signature dishes will rotate. In Arthur's family we know that there will be a certain type of salad-- chopped lettuce with peas, cheese, mayo, and bacon. We have no idea who will bring it but it will be there. A worse case scenario for a woman is if a family member dies who has a beloved signature dish and she makes the mistake of volunteering to keep the tradition alive by bringing this dish. Throughout the meal everyone will eat hers and comment about how it is not quite as good as when the deceased family member made it. This will continue long after anyone objectively remembers what the original signature dish tasted like, it is a way of paying respects to the dead while disrespecting the living.
Finally comes the traditional Thanksgiving dishes that are common to almost all families. Arthur and Alex disagree slightly on the merits of turkey; whether it is eaten just because it is traditional or whether it is a fine meat we just so happen to only choose to eat once a year. Arthur has to admit, he does have an uncle that either brings or expects roast beef to Thanksgiving, and he doesn't touch the turkey. To Arthur, the more inexplicable presence is the cranberry sauce. While cranberries themselves are alright, by the time they are processed and pressed into a mold, they have ceased to hold any appeal. It's just really interesting that many Thanksgiving foods are only eaten once a year.
Anyway, we are looking forward to thanksgiving, even if Alex is nervous about a gaffe. Hopefully, we did not offend any family members, who constitute the majority of our customer demographics. Omnia Vincit Amor.
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