Radical Squash Proposal

[Emboldened by my sister's daring suggestion that she cook the Thanksgiving Brussels sprouts this year using a different recipe from "stick in boiling water till gray" by which my mother swears and will not be swayed, I am going even further out and suggesting we dump the sweet potatoes (which I loathe) and have this amazing baked/mashed butternut squash dish that Allen made for dinner last week. (If it weren't for Dolores House these days, my dinners would consist of Thai takeout and Subway even more than they already do.)]

[It features both maple syrup and Sriricha, that fiery red hot sauce from (I just discovered) Los Angeles, not Asia. I used to pour that stuff on everything back in my 20s. Sweet and spicy flavors meet, think about clashing, but then unite excitingly with the roughly mashed (not pureed) texture of the squash, the whole united, of course by plenty of butter.]

[Doesn't that sound better than some dumb old sweet potatoes in a turgid brown sauce, sometimes featuring (prepare yourself) MINI MARSHMALLOWS. Revolting. "We're the Jensens, and we're not going anywhere." * We are sort of the Jensens, but the alcohol intake is done right out in the open instead of in secret, and if you think my sister went anywhere, much less a cotillion, in a Laura Ashley dress, then you haven't met her.]

[I presented the principals involved with my Radical Squash Proposal via email over 24 hours ago, and have had no response as yet. It's good that I left time for them to mull this possibly upsetting shift to another Native-American-esque vegetable choice. We Sharps have two dinners in which the fare never changes, and the only difference between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the meat, the preparation of the potatoes, and addition of stuffing to the November meal. This has been fine (holidays are about tradition, blah blah blah), but I think both my sister and I are starting to feel that it's time we took charge of some of the creative aspects of these meals, having done some of the work for many years. We're feeling our holiday oats, and want to sow a few.]

[Yes, being together is what counts. But so does Baked Butternut Squash Mashed With Maple Syrup And Sriricha. !!!]

[*If that quote leaves you puzzled, please finally go rent La Bernhard's eternal masterpiece, Without You, I'm Nothing, as many have been urging for years. I shouldn't have to explain these basic references anymore.]

Previously Next

[News flash! Just as I posted the above, Dad was emailing agreement to the Squash Proposal. Now I just have to get the exact recipe...]