Page 10 DeeDee Davis, Contributing Writer
It’s November and you know what that means? Time to take a break from being all consumed by COVID and by football losses. Additionally, no talk of diets or health food is permitted this month. We exercise and starve all year so that we can fully enjoy why God gave us November: Thanksgiving dinner. Mom used to get up during the wee hours of the morning to put the gobbler in the oven for a slow roast so that by the time us kids woke up, the entire house smelled like a holiday. Good memories. We usually have a mob scene at our house for this occasion and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The more, the merrier. My husband and I both love to cook so this is our day. Well, HE loves to cook and I make an annual appearance in the kitchen. Both sides of our families come together to share the feast and give thanks for another year. However, there is one little detail that has caused some pretty heated debate over the years. And while most family members have learned to at least be civil as the discussion inevitably begins, there will never be agreement. The blending of families means more than just bringing contentious political and football rivalries together. Far more important is…. The dressing.
I think I was out of college before I was even aware that dressing could be made from anything other than cornbread. When I was growing up, we could hardly wait to hear my mother announce dinner. We were glued to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade throughout the morning, but what we really wanted was dressing!! And I don’t remember what was on the table other than turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce. The cranberry sauce was not some original gourmet concoction, as my siblings and I would have acted as if we were being poisoned had such a thing appeared. No, we cherished the glob that plopped out of the can. Delicious! It was only surpassed by the absolutely heavenly dish that my mother created from last night’s cornbread. Heavily seasoned with sage, her dressing makes angels sing. I have tried to recreate it and have come close, but I swear she must guard the precious recipe much like Coca Cola does. Every year we would pronounce it the best she had ever made. We would greedily hover around as she crumbled and stirred, hoping to be the one she chose to sample it before it went into the oven. It was no time for democracy as I unsuccessfully tried to exercise my right as eldest child to get the first taste. You see, cake batter is not the only food meant to be licked from the bowl. It is probably nothing short of miraculous that one of us didn’t keel over from salmonella after the taste test preceding cooking. And oh my, when the freshly baked finished product was set out for us little vultures, it was almost a religious moment. Crispy around the edges, moist with all of that rich turkey broth and a back-up pan
going in because we sneaked so much out of the bowl when we thought she wasn’t looking. Second helpings for all! So imagine my surprise when I first learned that there are people who prefer their dressing with something other than a cornbread base. Blasphemy! I can accept boutique dressings. You know, the fancy types that are often tried but rarely repeated. They are usually on the cover of Southern Living Magazine, where any dish looks tempting. But an annual bread-based variety just isn’t right. Gooey bread was meant for pudding and bourbon sauce. Cornbread is king, and is the only dressing worthy of taking the spot next to the bird, or in the bird. What kind of Southerner sells out to the north-of-the-Mason Dixon line philosophy that dressing could possibly be anything else? My own grown children have pretty adventuresome palates, but their manners were truly tested the year they first took a bite of “it”. A fan of the bread-based variety thoughtfully brought a pan for the holiday buffet. I can still recall the shock on their faces and was impressed by the speed at which the napkins hit their mouths before the gag reflex kicked in. The texture and seasoning are disturbing if you aren’t prepared for it. They are far more cautious now before scooping some of everything available. A cornbread disciple is just not going to change his ways, and why would he? The great recipes in our family have been passed down mother to daughter for generations. Years ago I did some research in order to become a member of
the Daughters of the American Revolution. In reviewing old documents hidden in our family Bibles and books, you can’t believe how many hand scrawled recipes I found. I was searching for identity and I found biscuits. Maybe they are actually one and the same. After last year’s initial struggle with COVID and with a bridge knocked out of commission, everyone will be back and we will have close to 50 joining in the fun. I may have to have psychiatric evaluation after doing this, but it sounded like a good idea when we invited everyone. And, my mother will be there with the blessed dish. Her granddaughters are already whining about not having her recipe. Truth is, I don’t think there is a recipe. We all know the ingredients but only Mom knows how much of everything and how to mix it just right. There may only be a pinch of this and that, but I assure you, there is a whole lot of love in that pan. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends, regardless of your choice in dressing. But we all know which is the best. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS 1
Sandy Ray
12
Frank Patti
14
Buddy Powell
21
Judy Johnson
25
Beej Davis
30
Diane Somer
Opinion piece: the views expressed in this article are solely of the writer and not representative of Pensacola Magazine 10 | NOVEMBER 2021
