An Old Foodway Preserved

From the Colonial Williamsburg foodblog comes this interesting article observing that our Thanksgiving feast comes much closer to the way our 18th century ancestors served and thought of food.  It's a fairly short post, and well worth reading, but the following passage from it sums up the gist rather nicely:

To the modern diner a dish such as an apple pie or a custard tart would be a dessert item.  Modern folks think - first your savory then your sweet. 18th century people see no need for that distinction. They think - heavy first, then light. Thus, that apple pie goes right alongside the roasted beef and potatoes, or THE PUMPKIN PIE next to your TURKEY. That’s right!

Or to put it another way, candied yams and pumpkin pie are both sweetened vegetable dishes, so why not serve them with the main meal?

Happy New Year, since I have not said so on this blog sooner.  Hopefully, I'll be able to fit in, and write about, a food experiment or two in February.