Thanksgiving in Europe

"Boris" wrote in message
om...

The follow up to this question is whether we might be able to find a
traditional Thanksgiving meal in Germany, or is this type of food not
readily available.

What on earth is "this type of food"? What is it about this meal
that you expect not to be able to find. We have shops here,
IME they sell the same sort of fresh ingredients as an American
shop (even if the choice of prepared food is much more limited)

tim

"Boris" wrote in message
om...

The follow up to this question is whether we might be able to find a
traditional Thanksgiving meal in Germany, or is this type of food not
readily available.

What on earth is "this type of food"? What is it about this meal
that you expect not to be able to find. We have shops here,
IME they sell the same sort of fresh ingredients as an American
shop (even if the choice of prepared food is much more limited)

tim

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 9 Oct 2004 12:29:18 +0200, "tim"
wrote:


"Boris" wrote in message
.com...

The follow up to this question is whether we might be able to find a
traditional Thanksgiving meal in Germany, or is this type of food not
readily available.

What on earth is "this type of food"? What is it about this meal
that you expect not to be able to find. We have shops here,
IME they sell the same sort of fresh ingredients as an American
shop (even if the choice of prepared food is much more limited)

For somebody, who knows nothing about Germany or German food it's a
reasonable question.

No it's not. It pre-supposes that the people being asked know
what constitues a thanks-giving dinner. I haven't the faintest
idea.

tim

"Sacha" wrote in message
k...
On 9/10/04 11:29, in article , "tim"
wrote:


"Boris" wrote in message
om...

The follow up to this question is whether we might be able to find a
traditional Thanksgiving meal in Germany, or is this type of food not
readily available.

What on earth is "this type of food"? What is it about this meal
that you expect not to be able to find. We have shops here,
IME they sell the same sort of fresh ingredients as an American
shop (even if the choice of prepared food is much more limited)

tim


Why are some peoples' responses to this innocuous question so peculiar?
'This type of food' is *obviously* the type of food that Americans eat at
one particular festive meal in the USA!
If an American hasn't travelled to Germany before, it is not unreasonable
to
ask if the sort of food he is used to in combination at US Thanksgiving is
*perhaps* available there on what is,

As per my other response, I didn't suggest it was unreasonble to ask.

But it is unreasonable to expect me to guess what type of dish the
person is actually expecting to find. I still have no idea what type
of meal is expected for this occasion?

for Americans, an extremely important
family occasion. For example, would a German restaurant make all the side
dishes that go with roast turkey and potatoes? Would they provide a
spiral-cut ham? Do pecan and pumpkin pies feature on menus in Germany?
How
about cranberry sauce and butternut squash? All of these in combination?
Do
any restaurants where you live offer a Thanksgiving meal for visiting
Americans? That's all that's being asked, so why not answer helpfully?

I did answer helpfully. I commented that he hadn't given me enough
information to answer the question

So
- in your area, are there any restaurants that would give Thanksgiving
dinners for visiting or resident Americans?

As I don't live in an area with abroad range of resturants this
is unlikely.

tim



--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

"Sacha" wrote in message
k...
On 9/10/04 11:29, in article , "tim"
wrote:


"Boris" wrote in message
om...

The follow up to this question is whether we might be able to find a
traditional Thanksgiving meal in Germany, or is this type of food not
readily available.

What on earth is "this type of food"? What is it about this meal
that you expect not to be able to find. We have shops here,
IME they sell the same sort of fresh ingredients as an American
shop (even if the choice of prepared food is much more limited)

tim


Why are some peoples' responses to this innocuous question so peculiar?
'This type of food' is *obviously* the type of food that Americans eat at
one particular festive meal in the USA!
If an American hasn't travelled to Germany before, it is not unreasonable
to
ask if the sort of food he is used to in combination at US Thanksgiving is
*perhaps* available there on what is,

As per my other response, I didn't suggest it was unreasonble to ask.

But it is unreasonable to expect me to guess what type of dish the
person is actually expecting to find. I still have no idea what type
of meal is expected for this occasion?

for Americans, an extremely important
family occasion. For example, would a German restaurant make all the side
dishes that go with roast turkey and potatoes? Would they provide a
spiral-cut ham? Do pecan and pumpkin pies feature on menus in Germany?
How
about cranberry sauce and butternut squash? All of these in combination?
Do
any restaurants where you live offer a Thanksgiving meal for visiting
Americans? That's all that's being asked, so why not answer helpfully?

I did answer helpfully. I commented that he hadn't given me enough
information to answer the question

So
- in your area, are there any restaurants that would give Thanksgiving
dinners for visiting or resident Americans?

As I don't live in an area with abroad range of resturants this
is unlikely.

tim



--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

"Sacha" wrote in message
k...
On 9/10/04 16:18, in article , "tim"
wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Sat, 9 Oct 2004 12:29:18 +0200, "tim"
wrote:


"Boris" wrote in message
om...

The follow up to this question is whether we might be able to find a
traditional Thanksgiving meal in Germany, or is this type of food not
readily available.

What on earth is "this type of food"? What is it about this meal
that you expect not to be able to find. We have shops here,
IME they sell the same sort of fresh ingredients as an American
shop (even if the choice of prepared food is much more limited)

For somebody, who knows nothing about Germany or German food it's a
reasonable question.

No it's not. It pre-supposes that the people being asked know
what constitues a thanks-giving dinner. I haven't the faintest
idea.

tim


No, it doesn't.

I think that it does. We are obviously not going to agree here.

It pre-supposes that the people who take the trouble to
answer *will* know something about it or will have the wit not to
demonstrate their ignorance.

I have no problem with being ignorant about the contents of a
thanks-giving dinner.

But it could be that the resturant down the road serves it
everyday and calls it something else. By not telling me
what is being asked for I cannot make that connection.

If you know nothing about the topic of a thread, it's usually better not
to
open your mouth and demonstrate either your profound ignorance, or that
you
can't be bothered to do the simplest Googling, IMO.

Why should I google to answer someone else question?

tim

"Sacha" wrote in message
k...


Then don't answer a question just to be unpleasant, which is the
impression
you gave.

I asked "What on earth is "this type of food"? "

It was a genuine question.

But it could be that the resturant down the road serves it
everyday and calls it something else. By not telling me
what is being asked for I cannot make that connection.

Oh come! This is disingenuous to say the least! If you want to be
helpful,
look it up

I didn't want to be helpful. I genuinely couldn't understand
what was so 'special' about this meal.

- I do and so do others. If you don't, say nothing.
Thanksgiving in USA is so well known in other countries

I think you will find it is not. Mention thanksgiving to
the average Brit and you will get a very blank look.
They won't have even ths slightest idea what it is.
It is only because I have been to the US a few times that
I am aware of its importance in the calandar. I suspect
98% of brits don't even know this.

Possibly because you've spent quite a long time here simply arguing

I had made two posts. The first of which was 4 lines long.
I think you are confusing me with someone else.

it could have been spent more usefully and to your own benefit unless of
course, as you appear to demonstrate above, you prefer to remain in
ignorance? And that's the end of this discussion for me, Tim. I don't
think that demonstrating one's own ignorance is necessary and nor do I
think
rude answers to innocuous enquiries are, either. You, OTOH, appear to
think
that the job of a poster to this group is to educate you.

what a load of twaddle.

tim

"Sacha" wrote in message
k...


Then don't answer a question just to be unpleasant, which is the
impression
you gave.

I asked "What on earth is "this type of food"? "

It was a genuine question.

But it could be that the resturant down the road serves it
everyday and calls it something else. By not telling me
what is being asked for I cannot make that connection.

Oh come! This is disingenuous to say the least! If you want to be
helpful,
look it up

I didn't want to be helpful. I genuinely couldn't understand
what was so 'special' about this meal.

- I do and so do others. If you don't, say nothing.
Thanksgiving in USA is so well known in other countries

I think you will find it is not. Mention thanksgiving to
the average Brit and you will get a very blank look.
They won't have even ths slightest idea what it is.
It is only because I have been to the US a few times that
I am aware of its importance in the calandar. I suspect
98% of brits don't even know this.

Possibly because you've spent quite a long time here simply arguing

I had made two posts. The first of which was 4 lines long.
I think you are confusing me with someone else.

it could have been spent more usefully and to your own benefit unless of
course, as you appear to demonstrate above, you prefer to remain in
ignorance? And that's the end of this discussion for me, Tim. I don't
think that demonstrating one's own ignorance is necessary and nor do I
think
rude answers to innocuous enquiries are, either. You, OTOH, appear to
think
that the job of a poster to this group is to educate you.

what a load of twaddle.

tim

"B Vaughan" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 9 Oct 2004 12:29:18 +0200, "tim"
wrote:


"Boris" wrote in message
.com...

The follow up to this question is whether we might be able to find a
traditional Thanksgiving meal in Germany, or is this type of food not
readily available.

What on earth is "this type of food"? What is it about this meal
that you expect not to be able to find. We have shops here,
IME they sell the same sort of fresh ingredients as an American
shop (even if the choice of prepared food is much more limited)

I think they're looking for a restaurant meal in the Thanksgiving
style. A tourist wouldn't be able to whip up a Thanksgiving dinner in
a hotel room.

A Thanksgiving dinner features a large roast turkey stuffed with a
filling made of bread, the chopped giblets, heart and liver of the
turkey, onions, sage, and moistened with chicken broth, plus other
ingredients according to personal taste. The other traditional foods
are a sauce made of cranberries, tiny onions in a bechamel sauce,
American sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and various
other regional variations. Dessert has to include an American pumpkin
pie, something I've never seen in Europe.

Thank you Barbara. Very informative.

I don't understand why people can't just skip the Thanksgiving dinner
for one year.

Agreed. I can understand the need to 'celebrate' but the requirement
that it should consist of exactly the right ingredients seems a tad
unnecessary.

tim

Ok, this may be a stupid question, but my family and I will be in
Germany over Thanksgiving (an American holiday), and just want to make
sure that things will be open. I'm assuming they don't celebrate this
holiday over there.

The follow up to this question is whether we might be able to find a
traditional Thanksgiving meal in Germany, or is this type of food not
readily available.

No, I don't want to be an arrogant American, and yes, I do want to
experience Europe as a pseudo european, but it would be nice to have a
traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

One last question, my daughter will have her birthday while we are
there, is it appropriate to mention this at restaurants?

Thanks,

Boris