Ever since I was a kid growing up in Southwest Philly, Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I remember how it used to be at our home, with my Sicilian mother preparing the feast for the whole family, immediate and extended. The Thanksgiving meal was kind of unique in an Italian-American household back then, and I’d venture to say it still is in many families.

Of course we were Americans and proud ones, too, but the meal had an Italian touch that tended to be quite different from what the typical non-Italian family would prepare. First of all, upon awakening, I could smell the fabulous aroma of sweet and hot sausage frying in the pan. Next came the frying of the meatballs, with the mixture of beef, pork and veal hugging each other to form what was sure to be a delicious complement to the sausage.