Growing up, whenever my extended family got together I loved listening to the gurgle of the percolators on the kitchen counter–one for decaf and one for regular–while the women of the family finished cooking the meal. It was really the only time the percolators came out of the cabinet at my house. I can still smell the coffee the older family members sipped in the living room after the tables were cleared. The kids sat quietly and listened to our grandparents and great grandparents tell stories. I knew my family had been making pots of coffee in those percolators long before I was born. I like thinking about how experiences and rituals with food and drink can tie generations together, and I like to think that those percolators helped shape the career I have today.
Even though many of us are celebrating this holiday differently this year, I hope you can find a measure of happiness by thinking of favorite memories from holidays past and sharing them with the people in your present. Maybe this is the year you start some new traditions that will become cherished memories in your future.
If you are in the United States, I want to wish you a very healthy and Happy Thanksgiving.
Coffee: A Primer
In the United States, coffee was rationed from November 1942 until July 1943. This article from the November 1943 issue of Woman’s Day mentions that coffee was recently made widely available again. Just in case you need a vintage coffee making refresher, here’s how to prepare a pot of coffee for your home front Thanksgiving.
Need some more Thanksgiving? Start here:
First Monday Menu: Thanksgiving Month
Thanksgiving: Honeyed Cranberry Relish and Sweet Potato Balls
History in the Kitchen 