Here is an article published on Newyorktimes.com this past Monday, November 23rd. The article talks about after-dinner drinks and a new addition to the traditional Thanksgiving meal. I think the article is a nice attempt to bring in Italy's dining culture with the tradition of Thanksgiving. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/dining/25pour.html?_r=2&hp

Coming home for Thanksgiving this fall, I am interested to see how a vegetarian diet affects my meal and sense of satiation at the end of eating. Everyone associates Thanksgiving with a turkey, and as I no longer eat poultry, I am wondering if I will leave the table feeling I have had a true meal. However, I think that the act of sitting down to eat a Thanksgiving dinner is a wonderful tradition. It shows how food, like in Italy, is more than just a simple way to feed yourself but rather a way for people to come together over a collective enjoyment of eating. We make the food with others  in mind on Thanksgiving and enjoy it together.