After being pescaterian for a couple decades I never had a shortage of food at holiday meals. There are always so many side dishes with veggies and relishes, etc. The host families were always so concerned about whatever I would eat without eating turkey. Um, sweet potatoes, pie, cranberry relish, a billion other veggies.

There are always so many side dishes with veggies and relishes, etc. The host families were always so concerned about whatever I would eat without eating turkey. Um, sweet potatoes, pie, cranberry relish, a billion other veggies.

Totally. My vegan mom and stepdad never have a problem. Of course, they'll often bring a Tofurkey, which offers many opportunities for the rest of the fam to mock them, but then they also can have their turkey-like vegan substitute while the rest of us chow down on real bird.

Of course, they'll often bring a Tofurkey, which offers many opportunities for the rest of the fam to mock them

a win win for everyone.

Of course, they'll often bring a Tofurkey, which offers many opportunities for the rest of the fam to mock them

a win win for everyone.

What are the holidays about, if not the opportunity to mock your loved ones?

This is not directly related, but yesterday at TJs there was a woman dressed up like a turkey handing out balloons to the kids and wearing a sign that advertised their prices on turkeys. She asked me if I had bought my turkey yet, and when I said no, she told me "You should get a tofurkey... Please".

It made me laugh.

I just got the e-mail that we're doing the "What are you thankful for?" exercise and we're encouraged to tell a story about it.

Why, oh God, why?

I just got the e-mail that we're doing the "What are you thankful for?" exercise and we're encouraged to tell a story about it.

Say you're thankful for gladiator movies.

There are always so many side dishes with veggies and relishes, etc.

As an omnivore, I like to know when I'm cooking for a vegetarian/pescatarian/vegan/kosher/etc person because I do tend to add meat to veggie sides - bacon drippings as the oil in a vinaigrette for the green beans, turkey broth in the mashed potatoes, etc. It's a snap to make things truly vegetarian if I have a heads-up, but it might not occur to me if the vegetarian in question doesn't let me know.

We've done it before and let me tell you, you want to be first. If you're last then all the good ones are already taken; family, friends, health, freedom, being able to gather together, etc. At that point, you're left with being thankful the turkey wasn't too dry.

She asked me if I had bought my turkey yet, and when I said no, she told me "You should get a tofurkey... Please".

Ha! Was this because she was a vegan, or because if enough people bought tofurkey, she wouldn't have to do this again next year.

It's a snap to make things truly vegetarian if I have a heads-up, but it might not occur to me if the vegetarian in question doesn't let me know.

Absolutely. I'm southern, so you should assume that there is bacon grease in everything. Okay, not everything, but a damn good chance. Also, knowing that there is someone who doesn't eat meat might inform my choice of sides, I might choose to make something heavier or more substantial if I know that someone might be making it the main part of the meal. Also, I would make more veggies, since I would be calculating how much to make based on side portions, not main portions.