Reader: Thanksgiving was originally a coming-together of culinary cultures

Before she put the turkey in the oven, Gretchen Kurtz made many visits to Makan Malaysian Cafe, the restaurant she reviews this week. At Makan, Karen Beckman and her husband feature real Malaysian dishes, many of which Karen learned how to make at her mother's side. And during her meals at Makan, Kurtz encountered many authentic ingredients that made no appearance on her myriad Thanksgiving shopping lists.

Was that something to be thankful for?

See also: - My Thanksgiving shopping list has no Malaysian ingredients -- should it? - Slide show: Inside Makan Malaysian Cafe - Makan Malaysian Cafe could turn you into a roti rooter

Advises Mantonat:

Just say no to lists! Lists are a symptom of fear, and fear is the little death.

As far as adding Malaysian ingredients to your Thanksgiving celebration, I say go for it. Thanksgiving was originally a coming together of cultures to share food and traditions (maybe one of those cultures should have been a little more leery, but that's a different topic). The English settlers were introduced to many foods and dishes that were strange and exotic to them at the time (at least apocryphally). Since America has welcomed so many different cultures into the fold, it only makes sense to ditch the gloppy green beans and replace it with something a little more adventurous and representative of the diverse food culture of this country.

What foods did you give thanks for yesterday? And what foods did you eat? Post your menus below.

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