Holiday Meals blended Old and New

Our family's holiday meals pretty much mirrored the state of my grandparents' assimilation into American culture.

Remembering back, holiday dinners in our large, extended family were very much a "little bit of the old country – a little bit of the new." Appetizers were typically things like chee kufta (a blend of finely ground raw lamb, softened bulgur, onions, parsley and spices) and hot boergs (little pastries stuffed with cheese or spiced meat), mixed in with such American inventions as potato chips and those salami and cream cheese logs.

Diner itself, be it Thanksgiving or Christmas, always had a turkey on the table – it might have been an unfamiliar fowl when my grandparents first emigrated to the states, but they grew to love it. The catch is that Grandma would always serve it with a pilaf dish filled with tiny giblets and, sometimes, pine nuts. Not exactly your "usual" stuffing….

As my grandparents aged and the next generation took over the holiday duties, the menu began more and more assimilated into the American mainstream. While the pilaf dish remained, my very Anglo mother actually made the very best stuffing in the world (still does). But the Old World foods remained, as well, making our holiday feast a wonderful blend of Turkish, Armenian, Greek and other Middle Eastern specialties, residing amicably on the table with such American staples as fruited Jello salad and, of course, pumpkin pie.