Skip to main content

The Great Debate


 

Yesterday was…something. I’d like to thank the 757 people who read yesterday’s post and now I hope all of you will do something to be a force for good in defending pubic education.

Today I need a break from the intensity, to turn my attention elsewhere for a bit. So I’ve decided to take on a new controversy, one that reaches beyond the boundaries of Howard County. It’s local, it’s regional, it’s national, and probably exists anywhere in the world that Americans get together for Thanksgiving. That’s right, I’m talking about stuffing. Or dressing. 

Today on Village Green/Town²: stuffing vs dressing. 

In looking for a restaurant meal we could bring home for the upcoming holiday, I was startled to see how many of the menus included corn bread dressing. I’ve eaten it, and it’s good enough in its own way, but I grew up on stuffing, that is, bread stuffing with herbs, etc. In most cases, when it comes to holiday meals, we want what have we grown up with.  Not stuffing-related, but with similar intent:



We ended up choosing Atwater’s in Catonsville because of their variety of the accompanying side dishes, one of them being the favored bread stuffing.

How about you? Bread stuffing? Corn bread dressing? Baked in the bird, or in a separate casserole dish? I feel certain that there’s as much or more highly charged opinion on this as I’ve seen on that perennial  Halloween item: candy corn. Or perhaps you’d like to take a stand with a benign but probably unpopular opinion such as wild rice stuffing or (horrors!) no stuffing at all.

In closing I’d like to recommend this piece in the Sun by John-John Williams IV:

The Black Thanksgiving ‘trinity’: These are soul foods Maryland chefs say make the holiday history

Williams interviews Black chefs from around the area about traditional Thanksgiving foods. I found it fascinating. Some years back I wrote about how not everyone’s Thanksgiving table looks the same. This piece by Williams gave me an opportunity to learn more about Thanksgiving foods and traditions that are different than mine.

One thing that’s the same: having enough food for leftovers is key. I like that. 

Please chime in on the great stuffing vs dressing debate! Add your comments here.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...
1 comment
Read more

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more