Thanksgiving: A Family Comedy

Growing up as the eldest child of Korean immigrant parents, I was usually our family's conduit to the intricacies of American life.

Between school and my friends, I could often be found running home to share my latest discoveries: "Mom, have you ever tried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?" "Do you know about this fat white guy named Santa Claus?" "Ever hear about this weird lady called the Tooth Fairy who pays cash for old teeth?"

As a young child, I distinctly remember learning about Thanksgiving for the first time. School taught me about the Pilgrims, Native Americans, and the first feasts at Plymouth, MA. However, from my friends, I learned about the annual family reunions centered around such exotic foods as turkey, chestnut stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and pumpkin pie.

Koreans, as a general rule, never eat turkey. Either turkeys never made it to Asia or my carnivorous ancestors adopted the belief, "Why eat turkey when you can eat steak (or dog)?"

Anyway, at some point, I remember my brother and I begging my mother for a "traditional" Thanksgiving dinner, replete with turkey, stuffing, gravy, and sweet potatoes. To her credit, my mother was always willing to give anything a try in order to make her two sons happy. In many regards, she found adjusting to life in America as exhilarating as we did.

The only problem was that cooking is not my mother's strength. And really, if you've never cooked anything before, it's probably not a good idea to start with a turkey. Hell, even experienced chefs have been known to struggle with it. How else to explain that awesomely unique American phenomenon known as the Butterball hotline?

The first turkey we had for Thanksgiving tasted like it was boiled in water. I didn't watch my mother cook it so I can't actually verify that it wasn't. All I know is that I've never had anything grosser in my entire life. Thank God for Chinese delivery food.

Our second Thanksgiving dinner was catered by a professional chef. To this day, I've never had a Thanksgiving dinner that tasted as good. Sadly, the idea of the four of us sitting quietly at a table in our own home surrounded by strangers serving us didn't really fit my idea of a traditional Thanksgiving.The deliciousness of the food was matched only by the sadness of the ordeal.

Gradually, our family came up with our own versions of Thanksgiving. Sometimes we ate out a restaurant. Sometimes we had food delivered. Other times we'd have a Thanksgiving buffet at the country club. For the past few years, our Thanksgiving dinners have been centered around giant Peking ducks.

But now that the Peanut is four years old, I'm all about the traditional Thanksgiving. In many ways, Thanksgiving is just another example of how I strive to give my daughter all the things that I didn't have growing up.

So today, we cooked up a turkey with all the fixings. While all the adults were in the kitchen, my daughter ran around yelling "gobble, gobble" and was constantly peeking into the oven to monitor the progress of the turkey. You've never seen a child so excited about eating a turkey.

And although I personally would have preferred a fat steak, seeing the deliriously happy look on my daughter's face was worth the tryptophan-induced coma that ensued.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! May we all realize how lucky we truly are.

Comments

[anneglamore]

Good for y'all! Next year I'll help with the sweet potato recipe if you haven't gotten there yet.

We did fried and smoked turkey this year in Alabama - so no Brine and Blast which is the way to go-- I got the recipe out of the NYT years ago.

Hey- we'll be in NYC 12-28 to 1-4.

Happy T'giving to you, S and P!! Finn was a butt this year (yeah, I blogged it) but overall, we're very thankful.

AG

[Jamie]

OMG, the Peanut is too adorable for words. Happy Thanksgiving, Metrofamily.

[JJ Daddy-O]

Watch out for the Bumpus Hounds!
Anyways, I thought you were off the starchy stuff? How can you have TG without mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, dressing and/or stuffing, rolls, and in some regions, rice, butterbeans and mac and cheese!
See ya! Gotta go get seconds now!
Happy Thanksgiving MetroFam!

[JK]

Our Korean-American Thanksgiving has always been kalbi cooked on the barbecue, mashed potatoes, stuffing, kimchi, and kimbap. Strange, but somehow it works. Happy Thanksgiving, MD!

[Roger]

That's a mighty fine looking turkey, MD! Who cooked that puppy?

[OTRgirl]

My Korean Mother-in-Law makes a great mash-up feast. A great turkey, stuffing and gravy set with a side of kimchi. She usually makes a lasagna and then whatever seafood looks good. One year we had Alaskan King Crab legs.

We always had to go eat with another family. We kids HATED it cause the kids were so good and clean and truly boring. It was one of the longest days of the year. I don't even remember the food much, so that was probably boring, too!

[Allison Chen]

I thought WE were the only family that had Peking duck for Thanksgiving. Growing up, my Chinese mother (who is an awesome cook) learned how to cook the best traditionally American Thanksgiving dinners I've ever had. The only problem? We eventually realized that none of us really like turkey. Now, we cook a turkey for the little kids but all the adults chow down on duck and dumplings. Mmmm!

Happy Thanksgiving, MD!

[Captain Dumbass]

In Canada, we had our Thanksgiving a month ago, but thanks to my wife's appetite I was able to easily convince her we should have a second one in honour of our American friends.

Happy Thanksgiving.

[Gina]

Today I had turkey, mashed potatoes, corn bread from Boston Market, but with galbi jjim, kimchi, and a whole shitload of yummy Korean food on the side. It was great.

[Neil M.]

To this day, my stubbornly Israeli father refuses to eat turkey. He thinks it's the most disgusting food there is. Every year, my poor mother cooks a turkey for the entire family...and a giant ribeye steak for Dad. Happy Thanksgiving, MD.

[father muskrat]

the dog as an entree reference made me laugh out loud.

that turkey looks damned divine! hope it tasted just as fine. we fried ours this year: less time and less heat generated in the house.

[Black Hockey Jesus]

Jenna made kalbi and crab rangoons. Grass is always greener.

Happy Thanksgiving, MetroFam.

[enygma]

Awesome. We do the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but I think we tend to go overboard. Our menu typically consists of turkey, roast beef, ham, mashed potatoes, yams corn, several vegetable dishes, bread products,cookies, brownies, and pies. Oh yeah, I forgot the kimchi.

[JJ Daddy Baby Momma]

So, Peanut got the bird. What did the rest of you get to eat?

This is the First Year Ever I cooked everything (2 meats, 4 sides, various other stuff and the most kick-ass gravy on the face of the planet) and had it all arrive, hot, to the table at the same time to feed 13. I even remembered to take the packet of gizzards out of the turkey. I must be a grownup now.

We all have a great deal to be thankful for - enjoy!

[A Free Man]

Looks like a pretty good effort this year!

[Carol]

Where's the kimchi, MD?

[Jenn R.]

Our family always did the traditional New England Thanksgiving. It was the only time of year that we ever ate turkey. Most of the time, it came out too dry and nobody really liked it.

Then, three years ago, I married a good-old Southern boy and he introduced my entire side of the family to deep-fried turkey. HOLY FREAKING COW! It changed our lives. Now, we can't wait for Thanksgiving turkey. If you've never had it, you've got to give it a try, MD!

[Rattling the Kettle]

I was 10 when we first celebrated Thanksgiving. Although my dad took me to the parade when I was 8. He stood in the back and watched me push my way up front. That probably wasn't the most responsible thing for him to do, seeing as how I didn't speak any English, and would not have been able to find my way home had I gotten lost.

[mommyknows]

Mmmm ... turkey! It looks good. It's been weeks since Canadian Thanksgiving.

Did you ever make up and 'american' traditions to trick your parents?

[Rachel]

My husband broke out the kimchi to eat with the leftovers tonight.

Your stories about your parents always crack me up.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Papa Bradstein]

Happy Thanksgiving to the whole Metro household, and many thanks for all the laughs.

[Kelly]

Greetings from Malaysia, MD. I always enjoy hearing your take on Americana. Happy Thanksgiving.

[Esther]

Too funny, MD. Every Thanksgiving, we have to hear my father complain "Why do we eat this turkey? We never had turkey in Korea! I don't want to have any turkey."

The funny thing is that even though he won't eat turkey on Thanksgiving, he can often be found making turkey and kimchi sandwiches in the days following. That's right. He won't eat it on Thanksgiving but he'll eat it for the three days afterwards. Drives us all crazy!

[margalit]

As a child, my mother made every holiday a Jewish holiday. No matter what it was, from Veterans Day to Pearl Harbor Day, it was celebrated with gefilte fish, matzoh ball soup, and then the traditional meal. So for Thanksgiving we had turkey, but also had tsimmes instead of sweet potatoes.

With my own family I do a traditional Thanksgiving meal of herbed turkey, stuffing, roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, mashed taters with gravy, roasted brussel sprouts and traditional pies for dessert. My mother would be appalled to see the table without gefilte fish and matzoh balls, but we like it.

Your turkey looks fabulous. That shiny brown skin...mmmmmmm. Crispy!

[beloved]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Peanut is precious, and that turkey doesn't look half bad either.

I enjoyed your Thanksgiving food tales. I have been reading all over the Internet that Koreans don't like turkey, so this year I had a serious discussion with my hubby on the topic. He kept insisting that he likes it, and I kept asking if he was sure. I finally gave up. I guess he likes it, but now I'm doubting whether he is a real Korean or not. :)

[NG]

That picture is to die for. She is a beautiful child. And you guys are great parents. Happy thanksgiving.

[Angie in Texas]

look how adorable the peanut looks in her fancy shirt! (too CUTE!)

along with our (brined and then roasted) turkey, we had kimbap, yaki-mandu and kimchee. (the best part? my jewish BF ate korean food while my parents ate turkey. it's a mixed up world we live in . . .)

happy holidays to the metro-household!

[Krystal]

Oh we so totally started our own tradition of ordering Boston Market. My husband refused to eat any turkey that I would make. Let's say that last year I found a very unique recipe that sounded delicious and the picture of the bird looked even more delctable - my execution? Not so good.

[Ann]

Here in the south, we fry everything. So, of course we fried the turkey. Also had cornbread dressing (not stuffing, eewwww), made from scratch mashed potatoes and gravy, pole beans, collard greens, fried squash, corn casserole, made from scratch cranberry sauce, rolls, pecan pie, pound cake, and Sweet Tea.

And Most Thankfully, a houseful of family to share it all with.

[Jo]

Aw, that turkey is bigger than her.

Your stories about your mom are so sweet. She sounds like a wonderful, resourceful lady.

You remind me of a lovely Chinese guy my husband worked with. Some of the staff were asking him what dogmeat tasted like, and he thought about it and said, 'hmm, kind like donkey'!

[karla]

The kid and the turkey are both gorgeous!

[Whit]

Glad you guys had a good holiday. Now if you'll excuse me, I have leftovers to check on.

[Yarn Hungry Hog]

Thanksgiving Day holiday had always been a curse or bad luck to me. I didn't realize how all-the-fuss this holiday is until I met my now husband, born & raised here. Growing up in the Philippines, Christmas is ALL THE FUSS. As a child, my grandma had a pet turkey. We always thought 'we eat chicken, but we don't eat turkey'. So finding out that turkey is the main course, my husband and I always had arguments and fights leading up to Thanksgiving Day. Pumpkin pie making has led to a near divorce.
I told him I will not make a big fuss preparation for Thanksgiving as I'd be too tired to do the all-time best and biggest celebration of all: Christmas.
The solution then was every other year, we would either serve at the community center feeding the needy, then eat out. That is when I'm working that holiday (I work in healtcare). The other year, when I'm not working, I will prepare either ham or cornish hen, never turkey. And pumpkin pie is store-bought. Somehow, my kid NEVER complained whatever is served. The husband can still be heard griping, but I ignore him. hahahahaha! He can have turkey if he cooks it himself. He doesn't cook. There.
Glad you and your family, especially Peanut, had a wonderful Thanksgiving time.
Oh, BTW, today since there's no leftover cornish hen, I made rice slathered with KIMCHI. Delicious!

[sweatpantsmom]

Peanut is ridiculously cute. I know there's a turkey in it, but that shot should totally be your holiday card.

We still struggle with the Asian/American menu conundrum. My mom insists that no meal is complete without a pot of rice on the table, and we had picked vegetables and wontons alongside our turkey yesterday.

[Jessica]

We had the total multi-culti Thanksgiving. Turkey, dumplings, Greek salad, kimchi, Jello salad, Swedish meatballs, and cannolis. Somehow it all worked. We're all still in a food coma!

[Mama Nabi]

Happy Thanksgiving right back at you, MD. Funny how we both ended up with probably the ONLY two Korean mothers with no culinary knack. Aw. Looking at that lovely turkey sitting on a Korean table, larger than your adorable Peanut's head, even I am tempted to start a Thanksgiving turkey tradition with my LN.

[Leslie K.]

A friend of mine recommended your site and I just spent the entire evening reading your archives. I love hearing your stories about raising your daughter. She's absolutely precious. You have a new fan!

[papa2hapa]

I think it's awesome to see her face near that turkey. How much did she actually eat?

[lisa k.]

She is too darn cute, MD. You're a great dad.

[mom101]

Happy Thanksgiving back atcha, Pierre. Butterball is going to be calling with endorsement contracts any second now.

[anita immigrant momma]

I moved here when I was 17 years old and my dearest friend from college was Korean American. I, being from Italy, had never celebrated Thanksgiving but went to her home each Thanksgiving for my four years of college. We didn't have turkey - but to this day her mother's cooking remains one of my fondest memories of Thanksgiving meals. I am thankful for my indoctrination into this tradition form other immigrants like myself.
I try to have a traditional Thanksgiving for my children, but I have to add some pasta dish in there - you know, the Italian in me has the bet of it sometimes :)

[teufelkindsvater]

Peanut is such a cutie in that pic. She looks SOOO excited about dinner.

Mine (Teufelskind) could care less about meat (though he will eat blood sausage???) All he ate for t-day was Asparagus and cranberry bread.

BTW: I could use a GOOD pot of Kim Chee, the stuff around here sucks. Haven't been able to get any decent stuff since I had a connection in college with some international students. Rice porridge, kim chee and tea (along with home-made udon noodles) used to get me through WEEKS at a time.

[Muscles McGee]

Long time reader, first time poster, mainly because I'm expecting my first daughter early next year, and I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts. Especially because (i) I find it semi-educational and (ii) I can relate to your Korean-American experience.

Just wanted to make an observation -- is that a Korean table, fan and a kimchi fridge in the background in that adorable picture of the peanut? If so... niiiiiice.

[sharon]

Wow, Peanut looks like she is having a good time there! I have been fortunate enough in that I have never had to cook turkey myself. If I did, I would not be able to eat it that is for sure. Your turkey looks really appetising and am dribbling, save me a piece please. Happy Thanksgiving!

[snickollet]

Happy belated Thanksgiving.

Hope you had some kimchi with the turkey in grand Korean style.

[apoo]

hehehe... sounds delicious!! :P

[momto3cubs]

The things we do for our kids!

It looks yummy! How did it taste? (My DH often cooks up, on his own, a wild turkey that he got during turkey hunting season.)

[BOSSY]

Nice bird, dude. Wait, that didn't sound right.

[Bridget Jones]

looks yummy!! Like your blogging style, will be back for more!

[For Myself]

Not sure how I'm just discovering you now, but I absolutely love your blog. Love it.