Livefire Thanksgiving Blitz Day 4

I don’t have a lot of photos for today, but I want to talk about a controversial part of Thanksgiving: green bean casserole.

Alton Brown has a recipe for the best green bean casserole I’ve had. It takes a bit of work, but it’s really worth it. It doesn’t include any canned soup or onions fried and dried in a container. It’s fresh, it’s great, and you should make it sometime.

My wife, however, prefers the old Campbell’s soup, French’s onion, frozen green bean casserole that many of us have known for years. Objectively, it’s not as good as the Alton Brown version in just about any way.

Right there is the controversy… Some people swear by the old standard, not-from-scratch version. Some believe that the fresher version is the best ever. Some don’t like any of it.

So what’s the truth?

That’s easy… All of the above. People like what they like. People don’t like what they don’t like. The fact that many of us grew up with the not-from-scratch version means that casserole is linked to childhood memories, regardless of whether of not the other version has more merit on its own as a casserole. Our memories tied to a food have a lot of power and take us back to simpler times when we were kids.

The fact is that, for those with strong memories associated with taste, all the arguing that another version is better is pointless. The feeling that comes out of those memories far outweighs simple taste buds. Instead of belittling someone who likes something you think they shouldn’t, or not feeling that your version is better, don’t worry about it. Just enjoy whichever version you like.

And, for me, even though I prefer the Alton Brown version, the old stand-by is still ok. Maybe I have enough memories tied up in it that I don’t mind it.

With that said, my chocolate chip cookies ARE better than yours!