Thanksgiving is all about gathering around the table to enjoy delicious food and reunite with family. Usually, the star of the feast is the turkey, or the other popular dishes like ham or mashed potatoes. But what about the other meals that aren’t as noticed as the others?
From “pigs in a blanket” to cranberry sauce, Baruchs’ faculty and students share their favorite not-so-popular meals for thanksgiving that share family traditions.
When asked, members of Baruch’s community share their favorite side dishes made for the feasting holiday.
10th grader, Jessica Navarrete, said, “Canned peaches. Each year, my family opens cans of sweet peaches and puts them on the Thanksgiving table for the family to eat. No one really eats them besides me, but personally I think the sweetness and softness of them taste so much better than turkey or mashed potatoes.”
Ninth and 10th grade algebra I and II teacher, Gloria Cao, shares her opinion on her favored side dish.
“Mac n’ cheese is the best side-dish ever. It’s really cheesy and the macaroni noodles are soft and buttery on your tongue when you’re chewing them. And the top layer of the crispy cheese when it’s slightly burned makes the meal 1000 times better,” she said.
11th grader, Katie Vartumian says her favorite side-dish is a Russian cuisine called Pelmeni, Russian meat dumplings that are often served in broth.
“You can dip Pelmeni in anything and it will still taste good. I’m a picky eater and I think Pelmeni is versatile for everyone,” she said.
10th grader, Alfredo Flores, shares what he likes for a side dish: Pigs in a blanket, a frankfurters served in a wrapper of baked dough.
“I really like pigs in the blanket. It has to be the best side dish to be created. The combination of the juicy sausage wrapped in buttery, salty croissant dough is really such a delicious thing,” he said.
Flores’ friend, 10th grader Katie Caba also adds on, “Pigs in a blanket are really fun to eat. I don’t have to eat them with an eating utensil since it’s finger food. It’s crispy, flaky, and you can dip them into condiments to add more flavor to them. Don’t get me wrong, Turkey is good and all, but my taste buds prefer saltier meals,” said Caba.
11th grader, Veronica Rossi talks about a weird favorite side dish of hers.
“This might sound weird, but cranberry sauce. It technically counts as a side dish, and the texture of it is really smooth and breaks apart in your mouth. Also I love the way it moves when it jiggles,” she said.
11th grade AP U.S. history and 12th grade government and economics teacher, John Jacobs shares his favorite side-dish.
“My favorite side dish is cream corn. It reminds me of my childhood and it’s really nostalgic for me. When you eat it, it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside and it’s a great comfort meal,” he said.
Baruchians have a variety of reasons for enjoying these side dishes—whether it be because of family traditions or just because of the texture of it, these dishes mean just as much to the community as the classic turkey and there’s one thing all of them have in common: they’re all ready to spend this break with their favorite side dishes.
And with that, happy Thanksgiving, Baruch!
