It’s that time of the year again. With a few days left before Thanksgiving I start dropping hints.
“So how are we preparing the turkey this year?”
My mom pauses and I begin to worry that the picture of a turkey I had my sister draw and hang on the refrigerator was overlooked. Or that the tips I shared about how my friends prepare their turkeys were ignored. My dad is the first one to speak.
“I’ve been thinking…”
Oh no.
So begins the usual debate. I want a turkey for Thanksgiving. My argument?
It’s an American holiday and we can have a Latino menu for Christmas. They don’t buy it. So I try again. I love turkey and although my mom is more confident about her tamales and mole, I think the turkey she prepares is the most delicious I’ve ever had.
I can tell my mom is starting to change her mind, the compliment hit home. My dad on the other hand says he was really looking forward to Guatemalan tamales. His argument?
“Esa comida no sabe igual,” he looks at my mom, reassuring her that it’s not her cooking skills that lack but Latino food is just so much better.
I decide to ask for a compromise.
“Let’s do both.”
Don’t get me wrong. I love Guatemalan tamales. My mother’s mole and my uncle’s barbacoa are my all time favorite dishes. But having come from a Latino household, where the more traditional American dishes are a rarely served, I look forward to turkey and mashed potatoes and most importantly, pumpkin pie.
Every year we fight over the menu. Sadly I’ve won only twice. Once, my parents agreed to chicken instead of turkey. This year the compromise idea worked. I have to admit, I am really looking forward to trying turkey tacos and drinking ponche with my pumpkin pie. Perhaps we are onto something here.
I spotted the small turkey my mom bought a few days ago. She tells me there’s no point in making a big one since there will be plenty of other dishes prepared by my aunt and uncle. I agree.
“Do you need help preparing it?”
I figure I should learn how to cook turkey now. In case next year I lose the battle for my American Thanksgiving.
