What's it like having Thanksgiving dinner at a Fil-Am household like my family's?Tomorrow, Thanksgiving, is traditionally a day of cultural fusion at my parent's dinner table. Growing up, our holiday dinners were usually a mix of American and Filipino dishes. Sitting next to the ham, turkey, and mashed potatoes would also be lumpia and pancit. It's like the mix of food symbolizes our cultural influences.
At first, my parents were worried about my being vegetarian, concerned that I wasn't getting enough protein. It took a long time for them to get used to the idea. For one, meat is a prominent feature in many Filipino dishes. However, over the course of many years, and with the health benefits of vegetarianism being well recognized in mainstream health circles, my mom no longer serves ham and turkey, and substitutes the ground beef in lumpia for veggie protein. It still tastes good. And though our family's pancit no longer has meat, it has a lot more vegetables that add to the texture of the noodle dish. I'm touched at how my mom has finally accepted my way of eating, and has incorporated it into our holiday traditions. To give her a hand, I'll step it up on the sides and make vegan stuffing, yam casserole, and green beans. No one leaves the dinner table hungry or unsatisfied.
Now, if I can just get everyone to not talk politics, religion, or about make fun of my violin playing at the dinner table...
Happy Holidays!
No comments:
Post a Comment