Thanks

I’m back from my trip upstate for Thanksgiving, a day earlier than usual because I’ve got homework to tackle and a busy week ahead.

I’m completely over any alleged or presumed stigma attached with being a 44 year old man who still goes “home” for the holidays. Hell, I have no family here in the city and mom and dad still maintain the house I grew up in. Why shouldn’t I go? Frankly, I think you’d find me riding the subway babbling incoherently to myself if I were stuck in the city, left to eat alone. Holiday dinner in a restaurant is nothing to be thankful for as far as I’m concerned.

Besides, I like my family and enjoy going home, and with my new hecticisms, don’t get to do it nearly enough. And did I mention Mom lays out a great spread?

Mr. Culinary School Student here had some crazy idea he’d “help” the woman who taught him most of what he knows about cooking. Ha! She didn’t need my help, thank you, beyond cutting one onion, one stalk of celery and one carrot, typing up and printing out the dinner menu (yes, at Mom’s restaurant there is a menu for guests to view), and setting the table. This kitchen wasn’t taking on any holiday staff apparently.

Now I come from a large family, and in past years, extended family showed up and there were a lot of people to be fed. But this year, my brothers with families of their own stayed at their homes for dinner. There were only four of us, but Mom has always had difficulty cooking for small groups, so we had lots of leftovers. I did my best to make up for absent siblings.

For the curious, dinner at Chez Tarver began with a chilled fruit cup, followed by the chef’s famous Shrimp Gumbo appetizer. The main entree was Rosemary Roasted Chicken, Honey-baked Ham, Butternut Squash, String bean Casserole, Cornbread Dressing and Gravy, and Cranberry Sauce. For dessert, a choice of Apple, Pecan and Sweet Potato Pie. We had pretty much finished off the last of the leftovers when I departed.