Many Americans look forward to the food and traditions of Thanksgiving dinner all year long, and everyone has a favorite dish.

Shannon Powers was shopping with his daughter Macy, who announced that she’s “four and three-fourths-years-old." Powers favors an old family recipe - yams with walnuts, pineapple and marshmallows. “My mom used to make it, now my sister in Novato does.”

Macy likes warm pumpkin pie with whipped cream. “My daddy’s girlfriend Kate made one from the pumpkin patch,” she grinned. "We all picked the pumpkins.” 

Larry Castle, owner of Gestalt Haus in Fairfax, doesn’t like turkey and usually orders a spiral honey ham. His favorite dish is stuffing. “I like the standard run of the mill stuffing, like Pepperidge Farm makes,” he said.

Stuffing seems to be a favorite among Marinites. Fairfax resident, Debbie Taylor, office manager of Orthaheel in San Rafael, had several boxes of Jiffy mix in her cart to make cornbread stuffing. “I tried it for the first time last year and it was great. I might add some turkey crumbles this time.”

Her husband Carlton said, “I eat chicken all year, not even turkey sandwiches, but on Thanksgiving I always look forward to turkey and football. My nephew Marcus cooks it best. It's deep fried.” The turkey that is, not the football.

Another stuffing fan is woodworker Joshua Wafer from San Anselmo. “Cooking on Thanksgiving is a group effort,” he said. “My task is the stuffing. I always use potato bread, sage and real butter. This year I’m trying to incorporate Israeli (pearl) couscous, but I’m not sure it’s going to work. We are celebrating with family in town from New Orleans so it will be very special,” he said.

Stylishly decked out in a leopard raincoat accented by hot pink rain boots, his three-year-old daughter Madeline, who attends Le Petit Jardin in San Anselmo, which offers French immersion classes for toddlers and children, said she enjoys white meat turkey.  

“I just like the whole traditional meal. Everyone in my family loves the brussels sprouts with bacon," said hospice social worker and San Anselmo resident Liz Miller.

Younger daughter, Georgia Hooks, eight, who goes to Wade Thomas votes for her mom’s pumpkin pie served with vanilla ice cream. This year though, mom said she’s probably purchasing one from a specialty bakery she’s heard raves about (but couldn’t remember the name of) in Pt. Reyes.

Thirteen-year-old daughter Zoe Hooks, who attends White Hill School, summed up many Thanksgiving memories the best. “I look forward to cooking in the kitchen with everyone, and just hanging out with the family,” she said. As to cooking, “I always make the mashed potatoes. My tip is don’t peel toward yourself.”

These questions were asked at Red Hill Shopping Center, where you can donate food items to the Marin Food Bank in a collection barrel at the Safeway, which was overflowing. Look for the barrels at stores throughout Marin. 

What’s your favorite dish at Thanksgiving dinner?