The other day someone asked, of all the traditional thanksgiving foods, which is the one you would not give up. Easy answer. Stuffing When i was growing up, my mother used to make two big batches. One for the actual holiday meal and one for us to have over the rest of that weekend. She knew we might be willing to settle for whatever quantity of leftovers remained of the other dishes but we'd never accept an insufficient amount of stuffing. I am the child of immigrants and that fact shaped our customs and holiday traditions. My mother wanted her "American child" To have an american thanksgiving, but she also tailored many of the foods to the tastes that were more familiar to her. We didn't always have a turkey, but we always had a roast bird of some kind. Ducks, chickens, pheasants, and even individual cornish game hens for a houseful of guests one year. But no matter which bird was on offer, it was always stuffed and there was plenty extra in a casserole dish. Typical middle eastern stuffing is usually rice based, not bread based. But my americanized middle eastern stuffing combines the bread i love with the apples, nuts and spices more common in middle eastern cooking. You can call it fusion. I call it delicious. Enjoy
