Thanksgiving sans Turkey

Another splendid Thanksgiving repast, with no disasters such as that noted by one CBC Radio host, who complained of too much fennel in his stuffing, if it's possible to have too much fennel in the stuffing.  I was a trifle disappointed that my sea urchin and butterscotch chip muffins were slow to disappear.

But, our gathering was distinguished by many imaginative dishes, including a corn souffle heavy on cream, carrots roasted with walnuts, a chilled squash and onion salad in thyme vinaigrette, possibly an entire farmyard of yams, lobster mushrooms the size of footballs sauteed with butter and garlic, mashed potatoes and stuffing that had to be brought to the table by forklifts, lovely blackened red snapper, tart and crunchy berry-nut squares, and the ne plus ultra of pumpkin pies.  My one regret was my failure to deliver pumpkin ale, my neighborhood Nerve Tonic shop having sold out, but there were some crisp Alsatian whites and a robust Alison Ranch red.  (Alison Ranch--sounds like the heroine in a cowboy  movie.)  

Have I forgotten anything?  Oh, yes--the turkey.  Well, it was a magnificent bird, roasted to a fine golden brown, looking just like the turkeys in Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving covers for the Saturday Evening Post.

But one person suggested that the turkey was really unnecessary--just the reason to bring all these other gustatory creations together.  And other guests chimed in--who needs turkey, they asked.  There were one or two turkey eaters who disagreed, quickly scooping up the last twelve or fourteen pounds of bird, but they were in the minority. 

So, this is where the Turkeyless Thanksgiving Trend may have begun.  You read it here first.  (Pass that drumstick, please.)