Thanksgiving

Pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls, Cole slaw, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, cranberry sauce, oyster stuffing and what traditional Thanksgiving entrée? Really, venison? Ham? Maybe duck?

It may not be everyone's favorite dish but the nostalgic requisite is Turkey. If the hostess decides that for one reason or other the traditional entrée isn't going on this year's Thanksgiving table she will meet stares of skepticism and protest. Some palates don't take to it and others are bored with it. However, when the turkey isn't set squarely in the middle of a formal Thanksgiving table people feel gypped.

The safe route is obvious. Over do it. Get both a turkey and lobster. Make them have equal room on the banquet table and call it surf and turk. If somebody demands pizza don't hesitate to offer one of those too. No banquet can ever be over the top on this eater's holiday. The only limitation is in the capacity of an individual family's refrigerator. Leftovers of the favorites won't last long. If armed with enough leftover recipes the last of it will be eaten--eventually.

Do draw the line at anything that won't fit in the refrigerator though. If guests can't eat enough of the meal for the rest to be shoved inside the fridge then forget it. Safe food handling is still a must. Up to that point though, no culinary demands are too lavish. Although any menu requests better be easy to prepare. Unthaw frozen foods and warm them wherever possible. Order prepared foods in advance from the deli and bakery. Better yet, if a local grocery delivers, take them up on the offer.

In as many applications as possible, use paper party goods to decorate and serve foods. Quick clean-up saves valuable holiday bonding time with party guests.