Book Presents Thanksgiving History Oddities

(Undated) -- A new book seems to turn a lot of Traditional American ideas about Thanksgiving upside-down. Libby O'Connell, the author of "The American Plate: a Culinary History in 100 Bites," says, for example, there's nothing really American about apple pie. O'Connell says the turkey got its name because British people didn't understand that the then-new bird arrived in their country from the new world. They thought it arrived from Turkey because the merchants who brought it came from the east. She also says Americans feast on Thanksgiving day, even though the original celebration required fasting. Also, no potatoes, sweet or otherwise, were served at the first Thanksgiving in 1621.