Murphy should mandate macaroni on the Thanksgiving table

One thing we know about Gov. Phil Murphy, he loves to mandate. As we go into yet another month of what seems to be the eternal public health emergency, he has issued both indoor and outdoor restrictions. We're also looking at another possible lockdown. What we need is a mandate that will make us feel good. Like, say for instance, macaroni on the Thanksgiving table.

I cannot believe, growing up in a large Italian family, that there are those of us in this world who suffer through a Thanksgiving without macaroni. Seriously, who gives thanks for turkey? And by macaroni, I mean a course of lasagna, or ravioli, or baked ziti covered with red gravy, complete with a tray of homemade meatballs, sausage, braciole, pork butt, ribs, etc. Now that's a mandate I could live with.

I know it wasn't Thanksgiving, but perhaps if the governor had macaroni on the table when he was harassed while having dinner with his family last weekend, he could have smoothed things over simply by offering the woman a meatball. Nothing brings people together better. Some say you can judge a man by his meatballs!

A macaroni mandate could go a long way toward bringing peace and harmony to a state that needs it so badly. It could actually be a presumptive strike. By that I mean, if we are going to be locked in, what leftovers would you rather have in the fridge? Macaroni, and all those delicious meats, or a dried-out bird that even the stuffing can't save. Seriously, how great is leftover lasagna? How bad is turkey stew or casserole? "Yum," he said sarcastically.

I've been saying this for years: Turkey is not a headliner, as comedian Bob Levy once said on my show. It's barely an opening act, and Bob should know since he's had a lot of turkeys open for him, myself included.

Mandate or not, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a nice course of macaroni this Thanksgiving. You'll be glad you did, and we need all we can to be glad about right now.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise. Any opinions expressed are Steve's own. Steve Trevelise is on New Jersey 101.5 Monday-Thursday from 7pm-11pm. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.