The turn of seasons from autumn to winter brings gatherings, travels, time for reflection, and in the United States, the holiday of Thanksgiving. Wherever in the world you may find yourself, it has been and continues to be a challenging time, with upheavals and uncertainties in public life - and no doubt challenges changes in each of our personal lives, as well.

Roasted turkey. Sausage speckled stuffing. Cranberry sauce. Mashed potatoes with gravy. Buttery dinner rolls. Pumpkin pie. Oh, and I forgot the green bean casserole. Unlike other holidays, the food expectations at Thanksgiving read out like a familiar grocery list. A traditional American Thanksgiving meal doesn’t tend to have many surprises—maybe there’s a little orange zest in the cranberry relish, or an extra swig of heavy cream in the mashed potatoes.