Growing up, we were a large extended family on Thanksgiving, with a couple of turkeys, roasted potatoes, two kinds of stuffing (my sister still makes "nanny stuffing, a la my my grandmother) and sweet potatoes (sliced thin, baked so the edges have just a hint of char; my nanny used to put sugar on them, which I find ridiculous today).
I had never seen "green bean casserole" until I was an adult, and I have still never eaten it. It looks disgusting to me. I am so fascinated by it being a thanksgiving tradition, though.
My sister does all the cooking now, it's mostly about her, because every year I tell her to go light, and every year she makes enough food -- 45 to 345 different dishes -- to feed 125 other families. It will be my two sisters and brothers-in-law, a niece, three nephews and the two of us. One nephew and his wife and baby won't be there.
Our contributions are extremely minimal, but weird and very unthanksgivingy. I have to make hummus later. Apparently I do it well, because it gets requested every year. It's part of the "Here, munch on these things before we eat" foods.
Ms. Ragu makes a couple of. ... quiches. ... which somehow has become a tradition in my family. I can't remember why she brought a quiche one year in the first place, but she does make a mean quiche. She grew up in Lorraine; to them quiche is made with gruyere cheese and bacon, but the one she brings for my family every year has spinach and feta cheese, a combo I introduced to her.
@Michael_ Gee , I had no idea about the heavy cream; I found it the other day no problem.
