Dear Customers,
THANKSGIVING! After the last 20 months, you may be thinking, “what do I have to be thankful about?” This pandemic has affected the entire world with sickness, death, shortages, and disruptions beyond anything we’ve ever experienced in our lifetimes. I imagine it is similar to what the Pilgrims experienced in 1621 after their first year in the New World.
That first winter was much colder than what they had prepared for or expected. Food and shelter were inadequate and many of the original colonists starved or froze to death that winter. Malnutrition, scurvy, pneumonia and exposure to the harsh New England weather were part of their daily lives and they brought diseases like smallpox and diphtheria with them from Europe.
All these tribulations did not prevent these stalwarts from turning to God in Thanksgiving for a successful harvest. This Thursday when I sit down to dinner with my family, I promise to take a moment to reflect on all the many blessings of this past year. It is important on this day above all others to concentrate on the good and the positive rather than the negative.
For me it’s really easy to keep a thankful attitude on this day. First, it’s spent with family and friends. Then, there are culinary delicacies galore, and four, count ‘em four football games spanning nearly 12 full hours of mind-numbing entertainment. Toss in a nap or two to combat the triptophan and the day can simply not get much better!
Here’s a simple appetizer that’s absolutely delicious and easy to make. The guests will appreciate something to sample before the turkey is finished cooking!
SAUSAGE STUFFED MUSHROOMS
| 1 lb mushrooms (large caps) | 3 tbs grated parmesan or Romano | 1 clove garlic, chopped
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| 1 small onion, diced | ½ cup Italian bread crumbs | 1 tbs fresh chopped parsley |
| 2 tbs melted butter | ½ lb Costa’s Country Style sausage | 2 tbs olive oil |
Remove the caps from the mushrooms and hollow out w/spoon. Reserve the stems and chop up for stuffing. Brown and drain the sausage then combine with the cheese, garlic, onion, breadcrumbs, parsley and butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the combination into the mushroom caps and place open side up on a baking dish greased with the olive oil. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. The hard part is not filling up on the hors’ d’oeuvres before the main course is ready!
JUST A WORD OF WARNING: COSTA’S SUPERMARKET WILL ONLY BE OPEN FROM 7AM-1PM ON THANKSGIVING DAY. ALL OTHER DAYS WILL FEATURE REGULAR HOURS.