You know what I mean — a dish from another era before Americans turned into food snobs and started judging each other for their food choices.
My former neighbor, Tom, and I had this discussion one year as the holiday approached. Tom, a caterer, told me about a client who wanted him to cook a super fancy Thanksgiving dinner for her and her family. As they worked out a menu together, the client grew sheepish.
“Um. There’s this green bean dish my family always has,” she explained, “and it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it.