By Sophie Tuan
Each year at Thanksgiving dinner my family’s table is filled with a colorful array of foods. Of course, we have the classics: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce. But we also have Mexican corn, bread salad, banana cream pie, and cheese rolls. The variety of dishes showcases every person’s personality and efforts as each member of the family must contribute at least one dish to the Thanksgiving table. Every year since I was 8 years old I have proudly placed my creation among the other Thanksgiving dishes. I’ll admit some of them were not very appetizing, but they’ve gotten better over the years (I hope).
Grilled Vegetables 4/10
This was one of the very first things I learned how to cook. It was easy; simply chop up bell peppers, zucchinis, and eggplant then throw them into a pan with oil. Despite the simplicity of grilled vegetables, my 8 year old self treated this dish with the utmost focus. After carefully cutting each vegetable I would season them with salt and pepper, then meticulously place each piece one by one into the pan. As I stood over the stove that was barely taller than me I watched my precious vegetables cook and brown. In the end, my bowl of colorful vegetables had turned into soft under-seasoned brown chunks, but nonetheless, I was so proud to put my dish on the table.
Cheese Biscuits 7/10
Soon enough I realized that I actually didn’t like to eat vegetables so I switched over to my favorite food group: carbs. Although not fully homemade, I and everyone else loved my cheese biscuits. From ages ten through twelve they were my favorite dish to make. I felt so professional taking out the biscuit mix from the Red Lobster packaging, adding an egg, and an extra cup of cheese that wasn’t in the directions. My family loved my (or rather Red Lobster’s) biscuits. It was always a dish that never had leftovers, unlike my grilled vegetables which were leftover kings. But disaster struck when Red Lobster went out of business leaving me with no more magic boxes of biscuit formula, and so I was forced to move to my next dish.
Cupcakes 10/10!
Thirteen through fourteen was my peak baking era. I loved baking anything and everything, meringues, muffins, cake, and cookies, but my favorite things to make were chocolate cupcakes. I found a recipe that produced the fluffiest and most delicious cupcakes that were not too sweet and not artificial tasting either. Although the recipe was a bit complicated, the sweet treats were worth it. Paired with a whipped cinnamon buttermilk frosting, my cupcakes were a hit! They were quickly devoured, with my grandma going back for seconds, earning me lots of praise.
Bread Salad 12/10!!
My most recent and most delicious dish has been my bread salad. It combines perfectly seasoned roasted vegetables with fluffy chunks of toasted bread (instead of lettuce) all topped off with a maple mustard vinaigrette. It has become a family favorite and has been requested on many occasions. Bread salad is a savory dish that’s definitely worth the 3 hours it takes to make.
As my contributions to the Thanksgiving table have continued to evolve, my cooking and baking skills have also grown, from teaching me how to season foods properly to cooking in a more efficient manner. This year I plan on bringing back my bread salad and making fluffy cheesy mashed potatoes.