Dr. Jai Maharaj posted:
>
>>> The First Vegetarian Thanksgiving
>>>
>>> [ Subject: The First Vegetarian Thanksgiving
>>> [ From:
>>> [ Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004
>>>
>>> The First Vegetarian Thanksgiving
>>>
>>> By Rynn Berry
>>>
>>> http://all-creatures.org/articles/tgveg-rb.html
>>>
>>> [Ed.] "But it's tradition," is the cry when vegetarians
>>> wonder why killing an animal should make Thanksgiving
>>> special. Vegetarian historian Rynn Berry begs to differ.
>>>
>>> The story of the Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving -- and
>>> turkey's place in it -- has been shown to be largely a
>>> myth. It was only in 1863 that Abraham Lincoln declared
>>> Thanksgiving to be a national holiday -- mainly as a
>>> public relations ploy to whip up a sense of patriotism
>>> and national unity during the Civil War. Pilgrims
>>> themselves didn't become a part of the national
>>> celebration until the 1890s.
>>>
>>> The legend that one hundred odd English men and women who
>>> landed at Plymouth Harbor feasted on turkey and all the
>>> trimmings is a myth. When they first arrived, on November
>>> 11 1620, the settlers had so little food that they raised
>>> the houses of the Native American inhabitants and made
>>> off with stores of beans and corn. There was simply no
>>> animal flesh to be had. It is likely that the first
>>> Thanksgiving would have had to have been a vegan one,
>>> consisting of corn and beans served on pottery that the
>>> so-called Pilgrim Fathers stole from the so-called
>>> Indians. If, instead of the Plymouth Pilgrims, we go back
>>> a decade or so and look to the Jamestown colonists to
>>> provide us with role models for Thanksgiving, we will be
>>> even more scandalized. In her book Settling with the
>>> Indians, Karen Kupperman tells us that the Jamestown
>>> colonists were so lacking in farming skills (they spent
>>> most of the time digging random holes in the hope of
>>> finding gold) that they sank so low as to feed on corpses
>>> that they dug up from Native American gravesites. By
>>> rights we should be commemorating Thanksgiving by eating
>>> corpses. On second thoughts, isn't that exactly what
>>> we're doing?
>>>
>>> Equal Exchange?
>>>
>>> To be sure, the Plymouth Pilgrims were given a friendly
>>> reception by the Native Americans: Massassoit, chief of
>>> the Wapanoags, Samoset, chief of the Pemaquids, and the
>>> ever faithful Squanto. Indeed, the peoples of the region
>>> overlooked the Pilgrims' depredations and taught them how
>>> to farm, fish, and eventually how to set up trading
>>> posts. The reason why the Indians were so receptive to
>>> the newcomers is that most of New England had been
>>> depopulated by epidemics from prior contacts with
>>> European traders and settlers. Europeans had introduced
>>> such diseases as diphtheria, TB, streptococcus, scurvy,
>>> cholera, typhus measles and chicken pox and smallpox.
>>> It's estimated that, before the invasion of Europeans and
>>> their diseases, northern America was home to as many as
>>> 20 million inhabitants from coast to coast. The diseases
>>> ravaged the native populations from south to north
>>> America, reducing them by as much as 90 percent.
>>>
>>> Europeans were not very unhygienic. While Squanto tried
>>> to get the settlers to bathe, he met with little success
>>> because the settlers considered it un-Christian to bathe.
>>> In cities such as London and Paris, raw sewage ran in the
>>> streets. By contrast, most Native Americans were highly
>>> skilled agriculturists. When Europeans arrived they found
>>> a country that was already cleared and farmed. The
>>> settlers simply walked into the indigenous communities
>>> that had been depopulated by plague and took over. This
>>> is why so many of the early New England towns have the
>>> name attached to them-Deerfield, Richfield, and so on.
>>> The colonists started their communities in the middle of
>>> fields that had been cleared by the indigenous peoples
>>>
>>> The Real First Thanksgiving?
>>>
>>> The folklore taught in schools has it that the Pilgrims
>>> originated the Thanksgiving festival and that they
>>> provided the Native Americans with a feast they had never
>>> seen. In fact, the opposite is true. In November 1621,
>>> one year after the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, the
>>> Pilgrims celebrated harvest festival jointly with the
>>> Native Americans-a harvest festival that the native
>>> inhabitants had been celebrating for hundreds, perhaps
>>> thousands of years. Most of the food at this festival was
>>> supplied by Native Americans. It was a meal that the
>>> Pilgrims had never witnessed, consisting of native
>>> American foodstuffs. The main meal was a sort of corn
>>> meal mush along with nuts and fruits such as
>>> gooseberries, strawberries, plums, cherries, cranberries
>>> and a groundnut known as the bogg bean. Popcorn and
>>> popcorn balls made by the Indians with maple syrup were
>>> served as a sweet. There was a variety of breadstuffs
>>> such as cornpone, ashcakes, and hoe cakes, made by Native
>>> Americans from their own recipes. It is also possible
>>> that other native foods such as pumpkin and squash were
>>> served. In his Food Encyclopedia, James Trager tells us
>>> that there is a live possibility that turkey wasn't even
>>> served. It's true that the Indians provided some deer
>>> meat, and game birds, but they were side dishes and not
>>> the focus of the meal. So the 1620 Thanksgiving dinner
>>> proper in 1620 was probably a totally vegetarian one,
>>> because the Pilgrims were unable to find animal flesh.
>>> The second Thanksgiving in 1621 was also catered by the
>>> Native Americans. Not only was it probably turkeyless,
>>> but it was mainly vegetarian. Doesn't it make more sense,
>>> therefore, that instead of celebrating Thanksgiving as an
>>> orgy of Turkey slaughter, Americans should celebrate a
>>> vegetarian harvest festival?
>>>
>>> Rynn Berry is the historical advisor to the North
>>> American Vegetarian Society. He is the author of Famous
>>> Vegetarians and Their Favorite Recipes ($15.95) and Food
>>> for the Gods: Vegetarianism and the World's Religions
>>> ($19.95). Copies may be ordered from the author at 159
>>> Eastern Parkway, Suite 2H, Brooklyn, NY 11238.
>>>
http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/tgveg-rb.html
Visit:
http://www.pcrm.org
>>
>> Thanksgiving the Hinduism way
>>
>> By Sohoni Das
>> SF Hindu Examiner
>> November 20, 2009
>>
>> Thanksgiving is a way to express one's gratitude toward
>> our families and friends. Interestingly the Hindu
>> religion also expresses thanks to our families and
>> friends and it has its unique way to do so.
>>
>> The Hindu religion worships many Gods and it also
>> believes in giving respect to the elders. Parents are
>> considered next to God. In Hindu religion the gesture of
>> touching one's feet to seek blessings is a way to show
>> one's respect and gratitude. Youngsters touch elder's
>> feet seeking for blessings and in return the elders bless
>> them for long life and success. Evidently the Hindus also
>> share the equal amount of respect to anyone who is old
>> aged. Every festival in the Hindu religion contains
>> rituals where youngsters express their thanks and
>> gratitude to the God, their parents and to the elders in
>> the family.
>>
>> The Gita also states that in order to do good karma one
>> should always respect elders and be humble and grateful
>> to the Supreme Being. The Gita also goes on to say that
>> even Teachers should be shown respect and thankfulness
>> for their contributions in one's life. Guru, in Hindi
>> means Teacher, is also considered next to God. In India,
>> Teacher's Day is celebrated every year on 5th September
>> and is in the honor of the birthday of India's 2nd
>> President Dr.Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. On Teacher's Day
>> students show their appreciation and thankfulness to the
>> teachers.
>>
>> The Hindus also believe that the various rituals in the
>> Hindu festivals are a way to express thanks to the God
>> Almighty for his blessings. During every festival the
>> custom of exchanging gifts and extending invitations for
>> visit is also a way to show "Thanks". The Hindu festivals
>> are always filled with fun and excitement no matter which
>> God one worships or which state they belong to. Sharing
>> gifts and sweets among the loved ones is a way to express
>> out gratefulness for their friendship, help and support.
>>
>> The Hindu religion has nearly 13 festivals in a year and
>> in each festival the Hindus say "Thanks" with fun and
>> enthusiasm. Dhanyavad in Hindi means "Thank You" and it
>> is the least one can say for all the love and blessings
>> showered by the God Almighty.*
>>
>> More at: http://www.examiner.com/hindu-in-san-
>> francisco/thanksgiving-the-hinduism-way
>>
>> Footnote:
>>
>> * "God" is a Judeo-Christian construct. We Hindus
>> consider Paramatma to be the Divine Supreme Soul. - Jai
>> Maharaj
>>
>> Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
>> Om Shanti
>>
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
>
> A Vegetarian Thanksgiving
>
> Hindu Press International
> Hinduism Today
> http://www.hinduismtoday.com
> November 10, 2010
>
> Source - www.nytimes.com
>
> USA, November 11, 2010: Tempeh with Wild Mushrooms. Zucchini boats.
> Maple-roasted brussel sprouts. Baked katalfi-wrapped goat cheese.
> Pan-Seared Oatmeal with warm fruit compote.
>
> Who needs turkey, anyway?
>
> Deferring to a fast-growing audience of vegetarians, the New York
> Times' healthy lifestyle blog, called Well, is compiling vegetarian
> recipes from master chefs for thanksgiving. More recipes will be
> added daily until the holiday. You can see them he
>
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...ing.html?hp#-1
>
http://64.151.103.91/blogs-news/hind...ing/10625.html
>
> More at:
>
Hinduism Today
http://www.hinduismtoday.com
Recipes for a Gentle Thanksgiving
http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org/recipes.htm
There is no end to the delicious turkey-free alternatives
you can prepare for your vegetarian Thanksgiving feast.
Most of the wonderful foods that people enjoy at
Thanksgiving are cruelty-free!
Think lovely comfort foods like candied yams, seasoned
bread stuffing, squash, vegan mashed potatoes and gravy!
Fresh steamed vegetables and freshly baked breads! And
all those wonderful vegan desserts! Even the carcass of
the wretched bird can be replaced by an 'unturkey' (see
below) or a beautiful baked squash filled with savory
dressing.
Here is a sample menu for you to try:
MAIN COURSE:
Tofurky or Unturkey, available by mail or from your
natural foods store. (see below)
SIDE DISHES:
CANDIED SWEET POTATOES (from the International Vegetarian
Union)
6 medium-size sweet potatoes, cooked and sliced
Pan spray
Salt
1/4 cup margarine
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon orange juice
Arrange cooked sweet potato slices in sprayed baking
dish.
Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Melt margarine in saucepan over low heat.
Add syrup, sugar, cinnamon, and orange juice.
Simmer, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened.
Pour sauce over sweet potatoes.
Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes, basting frequently.
NOTES: Can be served topped with the vegan whipped
topping of your choice.
HARVEST WILD RICE (from the International Vegetarian
Union)
3 cups vegetable or imitation chicken broth
3 cups water
1/2 pound dried flageolets or Great Northern beans --
picked over
3/4 cup wild rice (about 4 ounces)
2 large leeks -- white and pale green parts only
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms -- sliced thin
1/4 cup hazelnuts -- toasted and skinned and chopped
coarse
1/4 cup dried cranberries
In a large saucepan simmer broth, water, and beans,
covered, 45 minutes.
Stir in wild rice and simmer, covered, 45 minutes, or
until beans and rice are tender.
Drain rice mixture and return to pan.
Cut leeks crosswise into 1/2-inch slices and in a bowl
soak in water, agitating occasionally to dislodge any
sand.
Lift leeks out of water and drain in a colander.
In a non-stick skillet sauté leeks in oil over moderately
high heat, stirring occasionally, until almost tender.
Add mushrooms with salt to taste and cook, stirring occasionally,
2 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
Stir leek mixture into rice mixture.
Reheat mixture, adding water to prevent it from sticking
to skillet, before proceeding.
Stir hazelnuts and cranberries into rice mixture and
serve warm.
WINE-GLAZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS (from Nava Atlas)
2 pounds Brussels sprouts
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Trim the stems from the Brussels sprouts and cut an X
into the base, about 1/4 inch deep.
In a small bowl, combine the wine, honey, and soy sauce
and stir together. Transfer to a 3-quart saucepan along
with 1/2 cup water and the Brussels sprouts. Stir
together, then cook, covered, at a gentle simmer for 15
minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.
Dissolve the cornstarch in a small amount of water. Stir
into the saucepan quickly, then cook for another 5
minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a covered
casserole dish to serve.
VEGAN PUMPKIN OR SQUASH PIE (from Nava Atlas)
2 cups well-baked and mashed butternut squash or sugar
pumpkin (see Notes)
3/4 cup silken tofu (about half of a 12.3-ounce aseptic
package)
1/2 cup natural granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 teaspoon each
ground nutmeg and ginger)
9-inch good quality graham cracker or whole grain pie
crust
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the pumpkin or squash pulp in a food processor
with the remaining ingredients (except the crust, of
course). Process until velvety smooth.
Pour the mixture into the crust. Bake for 40 to 45
minutes, or until the mixture is set and the crust is
golden. Let the pie cool to room temperature. cut into 6
or 8 wedges to serve.
NOTES: To bake butternut squash or sugar pumpkin, halve
the squash or pumpkin (you need a really good knife to do
so!) and scoop out the seeds and fibers. Place the the
halves cut side up in a foil-lined, shallow baking dish
and cover tightly with more foil. Bake for 40 to 50
minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife. When cool
enough to handle, scoop out the pulp and discard the
skin. Use any leftover squash or pumpkin pulp for another
purpose. If you want to make this in a hurry, you can use
a 16-ounce can of pureed pumpkin.
MUSHROOM GRAVY (from Sonya at vegweb.com)
1/2 cup dried mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
1 cup strong broth
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbs. flour
1 1/2 Tbs. margarine
Hydrate your chopped mushrooms with about 1/2 cup boiling
water.
Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
Melt margarine in a small-medium saucepan over medium
heat. Sauté the onion lightly. Don't brown too much. Add
the flour, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until
frothy. Do not let it burn! Add the mushrooms and their
liquid and your vegetable broth. Cook over medium heat to
a boil, stirring constantly. After it comes to a boil,
turn the heat down a bit and let thicken.
Serves: 6 - Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
For more recipes, please consult:
http://www.ivu.org/recipes/holiday/
http://www.vegetarian1.net/tgiving.html
http://www.vegweb.com/misc/thanksgiving.shtml
http://www.vegkitchen.com/thanksgiving.html
http://www.peta.org/feat/canada/
http://www.vegsource.com/thanks.htm
http://www.vegetarian.about.com
http://www.dietforthenewage.com/html...ving_menu.html
For delicious turkey-alternatives, please visit:
http://www.tofurky.com
http://www.freshtofu.com/tofu_turkey.html
http://wwwwww.nowandzen.net/products.html
End of forwarded message
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti