It’s Thanksgiving and that means it’s almost time for Game Day. I’m not talking about the Thanksgiving Day football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Chargers.
This competition is much more fierce.
That’s because this competition takes place every Thanksgiving in kitchens all across America. It’s part of the great debate on whether to serve whole cranberry sauce vs. jellied sauce.
Whole Cranberry Sauce vs. Jellied
Cranberry sauce is a staple side dish for Thanksgiving, but what style? My dad likes jellied, right out of the can, and sliced into rounds. It’s fast, easy, and convenient. I however, turn up my nose at the canned stuff because I like to fashion myself as a holiday Martha Stewart wannabe.
I prefer homemade or at least the canned whole berry Ocean Spray cranberry sauce, which has some texture. Today, it’s easy to make your own sauce or relish with all of the fresh and frozen cranberries readily available. But for folks like my dad – there’s nothing better than straight out of the can.
This brings me to another great holiday food debate:
Stuffing vs. Dressing
Some believe that if it’s cooked inside the turkey, it should be dubbed stuffing; if it’s prepared outside the bird, then the proper name for it is dressing.
Growing up in Oklahoma – it was definitely “dressing” at our house. If you travel south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and cooks will call it dressing, no matter how it’s prepared. But when I went away to college, I found that northern states and New Englanders generally refer to the dish as stuffing across the board.
Just like the debate over “pop” vs. “soda,” it all depends on your hometown geography. But I really don’t care if you call it dressing or stuffing – as long as you call it delicious.
What are the great food debates in your family?
