Miss Carrie's Thanksgiving Feast

Our mother was a self-taught Southern cook who did not use cookbooks but prepared feasts few could equal. Addresed as "Miss Carrie," her culinary skills were truly remarkable. She possessed an innate talent that allowed her to master the art of Southern cooking. The feasts she confidently prepared were exceptional, surpassing the caliber of many renowned restaurants that specialize in Southern food. Her dedication and commitment to the craft were evident in each and every dish she created.

Thanksgiving Dinner Served with LovePhoto byDown South Today

"Thanksgiving was a big event," recalled Gayle Harris, my only sister, who along with our brother, grew up together in Decatur, Georgia, a small city adjacent to Atlanta. "Several days prior to Turkey Day," she continued, "Mother would bake the pumpkin, sweet potato, and pecan pies. With those cooked and carefully watched over, she put her attention to the rest of the dinner. I will never forget how our dining room table - the big table in the formal dining room with that beautiful stained glass on the south wall of the room - would barely accommodate the turkey, dressing, homemade yeast rolls, green bean casserole, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole and glasses of iced tea. I loved it all but Mother's cornbread dressing was unmatched. She never used a recipe for any of her dishes and when I asked her to show me how to make the dressing, she did but I could never make it taste as good as hers."

Gayle is now a retired lawyer living in Brentwood, Tennessee with her husband, the widely admired, now retired Tennessee Circuit Judge, Don Harris. Her memories of Thanksgiving are inspiring. "I loved our big house," she said "where we grew up. I remember Mother bringing the cooked turkey through the walk-through pantry that connected the kitchen and the dining room. It was quite a production to see her place it on the dining room table and Dad begin the carving that would precede the rest of the family taking their seats around that big table. Dad would give the blessing and then we would start passing the food. It was always a lively time."

For the extended Harris family, Thanksgiving this year will be in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains "where all our children and grandchildren and their spouses will join us for a family gathering in a lodge where we can all be together. Don is going to prepare paella, there will be a smoked turkey, and I have a ham."

Sides and desserts will be bountiful, she added.

On this day, health problems and the difficulties of travel will be of no concern. "There will be 27 of us," she revealed, "highlighted by a celebration of an engagement; a gathering long-remembered."

Thanksgiving Down South, like other parts of America, blends great food with nostalgia and lots of love that magically creates good hopes and precious memories.

Miss Carrie would be pleased.