Panes con pavo, bread with turkey, is a traditional Latin dish. This delicious sandwich is a staple to Thanksgiving in the McDuffie household.
Jada McDuffie recalls her stepmother prepping for two whole days in order to serve the delightful turkey sandwiches on the year’s greatest feast day. Since the meal was being cooked over the stove, it resulted in a mess of pungent spices and scattered turkey, but it was still appetizing nonetheless. Panes con pavo consists of lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, radish, cucumber, bread, many spices, and shredded turkey. The dish takes several hours to cook and further time to prepare.
While Jada remembers the lingering taint of sesame sauce overpowering her house, the happiness associated with panes con pavo sprouts from a family tradition. Jada can always be sure that a family board game will follow after eating the sandwich as well as late-night coffee. From last year in particular, she remembers playing a game called munchkin cthulhu with her loved ones. The board game allowed her and her family to destress and show each other warmth.
Many coffees were consumed during the touching but competitive duel of munchkin cthulhu and many family members were wide awake for the rest of the night. It was all in good, chaotic fun. These comforting emotions are all recollected whenever Jada takes a bite of panes con pavo. Panes con pavo is not only savory in taste and memories, but in culture too. Reflecting the Salvadoran side of Jada’s stepmother; panes con pavo is a well-known Salvadoran sandwich. Food shared as a family keeps culture alive as well as pride in identity. Creating moments binded by food is a great way to show love to others just as Jada did with her family.
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