CUSTOM CARVINGS

TURKEYS AND PARENTS AND FOOD, OH MY!

By: Nina Borja

    With the holiday season almost in full swing, Thanksgiving this year for everyone might be a little more hectic than usual. From the pandemic to the world events over the course of the last couple of months in 2020, everyone is in dire need of some turkey and stuffing, right? Maybe honey ham is more your type like me? Growing up in a Filipino family, Thanksgiving was never a huge emphasis in my household. I would enjoy the long weekend when I was a kid though. 

    My mom always said, "Thanksgiving should be every day because you should start every day thankful for the things in your life."  Not to mention, with the dark colonial history behind the actual holiday, my family didn't really know if we should be participating in the holiday. However, over the years, we started having bigger meals at the end of November after I was a little bit older. But even now, my parents and I don't prepare the traditional American feasts usually depicted in a lot of the expected table spreads for Thanksgiving. 

    Filipino dishes will always be my favorite. My mom, working as a nurse, gets a free honey ham or turkey every year from the hospital she works at and we always go for the ham. Other than that, and maybe a small bowl of mac and cheese and mashed potatoes for the picky-eating little cousins, our thanksgiving table is always filled with the Filipino dinner party necessities. 

To name a few, Pancit, Shanghai, Sinigang na Baboy, and Sisig are my top favorite meals I look forward to when the end of November rolls in. One year, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins from across the world were able to fly in and join us for the holidays. It was by far my favorite Thanksgiving because we went full traditional mode by preparing a full roasted pig. I remember my dad being so excited about being able to cook with our family. I'm sure it was a combination of nostalgia and good memories back in the motherland that made that roasted pork taste so delicious. We were all among extra good company that year. 

    Now that this year's Thanksgiving is rolling amidst a worldwide pandemic, it makes me feel a little bit sad that our dinner won't be filled with my whole entire family. Regardless, being surrounded by my parents, my siblings, and my partner still fills me up with so much excitement. I love the people in my life so much and I'm happy that we can still spend time together by connecting over a good Thanksgiving dinner (even if we put a little cultural twist to it). Since I was born in the Philippines and moved to America at such a young age, being able to incorporate both cultures during the holiday season is so important to me.

Do you know how you're planning to spend this year's Thanksgiving? Just as I always try to remind myself, even in a time of uncertainty, be certain that you can still have a fun and delicious meal with the people you care about while staying safe.

     Let me know your favorite Thanksgiving dish or if you have any family recipe twists that you always look forward to in the comments below! 

I hope everyone has a beautiful Thanksgiving in preparation. 

Happy eating!