Just this past week I had a pleasant surprise. A friend from long ago called from Port Alberni just to make contact after 60 years or so.
Hard to remember all the times we had together during our high school years but we could recount more recent events. We both told each other of the passing of our husbands. Heather told the story of her husband as he worked his way along life’s journey. After a family dinner one thing he really wanted was real turkey stuffing. I am sure you all remember the kind he meant.
Let’s discuss the recipe. You will need day old bread in a bowl. You melt butter in your fry pan to cook celery and onions. Cook the onions and celery until they are just how you like it. Add the cooked stuff to the ripped bread. Throw in some sage seasoning and chopped parsley. My mother would boil giblets and use the stock from that to moisten the stuffing. You could add melted butter or warm water for that matter. Gum in up with your hands and you are ready for stuffing it into your turkey if you get my drift. When the turkey is cooked through and through those juices will add flavour to the stuffing.
These days when there is the fear of some kind of contamination, you could cook the same stuff in an oven proof bowl. In the oven of course. This is no longer stuffing but it will now be called dressing.
Like they say, times have changed. Just out of curiosity I checked to see what is now called stuffing or dressing. You could have apple or cornbread. How about mushroom or oyster? Maybe you will try rice stuffing. You could add cooked sausage to any of the above. Some might like walnuts thrown in or a handful of cranberries. How about everyone’s favourite — bacon? If all this is too much for you I suppose you could resort to Stove Top stuffing that comes in a box!
I could of course have shared the recipes for all these stuffings. But if one were to ask me, I would just say do your own thing. Add a little of this or a handful of that. Don’t like sage add another spice.
Still, for my taste it is the old bread stuffing that reminds me of Christmas dinner. I also think of the sandwiches the next day made with thick slices of bread, turkey, a generous amount of stuffing and real cranberry sauce.
Maybe that is the memory my friend’s husband was trying to recall.
You could of course share your special turkey stuffing if you send an email to mallory@bulkley.net or call with your message to 250-846-5095.