American Thanksgiving

In the words of a friend back in the US who will remain nameless, "do you not get the day off from work for Thanksgiving?" In fact we do not, and now that I think about it, that's probably the most pronounced difference I've seen between Boston and Ireland. (After growing up in a state where stores stay open on Thanksgiving and fireworks are illegal, I'm continuously impressed by how hard Boston goes when it comes to patriotic holidays.) That didn't stop American Thanksgiving last week, though. A few pointers:

In a place where squash and potatoes are abundant but there's not much use for pumpkins, don't expect there to be much of a market for canned pumpkin.

Objectively speaking, cranberry sauce is kind of a strange concept--take the least sweet berry you can find, make it as sweet as you can, and then aim for just the right mix of gelatinous and soupy. It is not surprising that other countries haven't jumped on board.

Bread rolls for 15 people: they can fit in your backpack if you're really determined, but they'll show up at the Thanksgiving table a little worse for the wear.