Having never visited the USA or Canada, I can’t tell you a story about Thanksgiving. I’ve seen Planes, Trains and Automobiles and know how important it was for Steve Martin to get home to his family for this holiday but figured that probably wasn’t enough material to write the Thanksgiving post!
So I did a bit of research and found conflicting stories about how and where the tradition began. Whether you believe in giving thanks to God, the end of the harvest, the formation of your country or the homecoming of an explorer, the modern celebration seems to centre round family, friends and food. While we may not fully understand the history, we can definitely relate to that in the Southern Hemisphere.
In addition to Steve Martin and John Candy (RIP), I also think of pumpkin pie when someone mentions Thanksgiving – although having not had enough experience making or eating this dessert, I thought I had better not mess with a classic. I have however made and eaten a lot of baked cheesecake so I thought I would combine the two. What resulted was a rich and decadent dessert which although we demolished at work would be perfect to share with 12 of your loved ones.