TURKEY ON TG

Turkey

The turkey is an ugly bird. The small wattled head pink and white. The feathers are gray and back and white and quite lovely and must protect the bird from rain, cold and heat. They are reputed to be rather dumb. The few I have seen alive seem slow and laconic. I understand from reading that they can run very fast when they need to.

At Safeway and Costco I saw hundreds of turkeys minus heads wrapped in plastic bags frozen stiff. Some were thawed. The 12-15 pound ones frozen were very heavy for me to lift. I asked the butcher to help me lift one up for perusal. I saw no turkey just a plastic bulk. I take it on faith that there was a turkey wrapped inside.

I have eaten my share of turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. I often wanted the leg until I discovered it was overcooked, full of tendons and difficult to eat and having little good meat.  The white meat is usually cooked dry. I like the dark juicy meat best. Frankly, I think turkey is highly overrated as a good dish. From childhood on I managed to eat far too much food on TG day. The bird, stuffing, vegetables, root vegetable, gravy, corn bread, cranberry sauce piled high was consumed with glee and then some regret.

A family I heard of, immediately after dinner, was sent out to the lawn to rake leaves to work off the stuffed feeling. I suspect the servants did the dishes.

At 86 and ½ and for some years previous, I take small portions of some of the many items to eat. I fill up quickly and sat back rather self righteously watch others stuff themselves. Although I have noticed in the last few years people are a bit more abstemious about the portions they eat.

Turkey left overs for meals; sandwiches and soup are very popular. OK, I’ll go one day but no more. I tire quickly of quaint.

Big family meals are supposed to be wonderful. There is something joyous and heart felt about being together with family. My trouble is that I miss talking with more people. At table we chat with those nearest. I seldom get to chat much with the people at the other end of the table.

I don’t want to end without mentioning pies. I like apple best. Pumpkin and mince are high up on the list. One friend loved to bake pies and produced at least five homemade pies for every Thanksgiving feast he hosted.

PS – From Wkipedia. “ In 1620 the Mayflower brought the Pilgrims to Massachusetts. They made their new home in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, 380 km northeast of what is now New York.

Many of the Pilgrims died during their first winter in North America. They were cold and did not have enough food. The following year, though, the Native Americans, who were from the Wampanoag tribe, helped them grow crops. At harvest time in the winter of 1621, they were very thankful that they had a good crop of food to eat during the coming winter. They thanked God and the Native Americans for teaching them how to grow the local foods.

They invited three of the Wampanoags who had helped them to their feast. They were Squanto, Samoset, and Chief Massasoit. The Wampanoags brought their families. This was over 90 people. There were so many people that the Pilgrims did not have enough food to make the meal, so the Wampanoags brought along their own food for the feast.

The Wampanoags brought turkey, duck, fish, deer, berries, squash, and cornbread. They also brought vegetables that they had farmed and shown the Pilgrims how to care for.”