Food Chat thread - for general convo by food forum regulars (russian, fennel)

[Mightyqueen801]

This thread jarred a memory--I once saw a reproduction of a 1928 cartoon wherein a person is looking suspiciously at broccoli and saying, "I don't know--it looks like spinach to me." Broccoli was a relatively new import to the USA at that time and non-Italian people weren't familiar with it.

[Cliffie]

My grandparents baked almost everything -- not a lot of seasonings. My grandma and my mom were both staunch can-opener gourmets. Brown the meat, pour over some cream of whatever soup, and bake. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans. My dad's parents I never met but I gather they had a cook, or a staff of cooks, and ate out whenever possible. My dad was a steak-and-ice-cream guy all his life, no vegetables, and potatoes were practically poison in his eyes.

Whenever I fix anything now, the first question is always "What's THAT?"

[laorbust61]

To my parents and grandparents, a properly prepared entree usually had some or all of the following to season it, and nothing else:

Onion
Green Onion
Bell Pepper
Garlic
Cayenne Pepper
Black Pepper
Morton's Salt

If a fried food was being served, it had to be prepared with Crisco or Mrs. Tucker's. shortening. If gravy was being prepared, no mixes! The roux had to be made from scratch with sifted flour, water and pan drippings.

Serving white bread when a fresh cornbread or pan of biscuits could be prepared instead, seemed in my young eyes to be tantamount to high treason for them.

I remembered having beef tacos prepared from one those boxed kits once or twice, and some canned Chinese food, (probably Chun King) and I am certain it was during my tweener to teenage years when I would follow my mother to the grocery store and hound her until she one take one or two of these "exotic" (exotic for the Rural South, anyways!) items home with us. My mother adored me, and I was bit of a brat.

[Ohiogirl81]

You probably wouldn't eat some of the things my Polish grandmother cooked. Too exotic, eh?

[Themanwithnoname]

One grandmother is, at 88.

She's from the Yankee side of the family (Other half is from the deep south)

When I go up north to visit I cook... Last thanksgiving it was gumbo (Brought my own ingrediance) and I cut the spices I normally use in 1/2.

Both my grandmother, and aunts, uncles, cousins etc... were talking about how spicy it was! LOL!

But, while they eat VERY bland food... they cook from scratch (I do a bit, but also take sortcuts.)

They do it because they were frugal. Other side of the family did because they were poor... so Atleast all can cook. My other grandmother... she was this odd blend of someone who cooked good food and loved wallmart (Everything in one store!)

[laorbust61]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

You probably wouldn't eat some of the things my Polish grandmother cooked. Too exotic, eh?

Well our culture had its unusual foods like boudin, frog legs, wild game like squirrel and rabbit.

[GoldyViolet]

My parents are still alive and my mom cooked almost every type of cuisine for us kids growing up and used many spices, sauces etc. I remember her using spinach fettucini and freaking us out. She was pretty much ahead of her time I would say. Her veggies were always perfectly cooked, crisp...I really feel fortunate and she's a huge reason I love to cook today.

My grandparents on the other hand (sadly both sets are gone) - my dad's mom cooked but everything was cooked to death...veggies super mushy. My dad hated veggies until my mom cooked them for him. My dad's mom also was a big user of boxed, processed foods - betty crocker was her friend

My mom's mom was a good cook, everything was cooked from scratch. However she did not favor many different varieties of food AT ALL...so my mom grew up with the same dinner every night - meat of some sort (steak, chicken or poached fish) , a starch and a salad. That was it. My grandmother was never a big food lover and certainly not a foodie...she used to say she'd be happy if they just invented a pill she could take every day and just be done with it.

[rainroosty]

^^^ Goldy, I don't think I ever saw anything like a salad until I was older....my entire family and heritage is 100% English! LOL!

I am 100% English blood, yet born here, in the U.S., not long after my parents arrived. I am a citizen of both the U.S. and England.

[GoldyViolet]

wow roosty! I gotta say, I do love that 100% heritage!! and see, my mom grew up with salad every.single.night....I'm happy she didn't swear off them completely!

I'm actually a creature of routine, I don't mind eating the same sorts of things every day, but some variety is always nice. My mom certainly never asked the question "what's for dinner?"

[70Ford]

Originally Posted by nmnita

If your parents or grandparents were alive today, what would they say about the way we cook and some of the foods we eat, they never heard of in their lives? What would they think about the spices we use and the way we cook?

I know my dad, who was my inspiration for cooking was considered at blue ribbon cook, but he never used cumin or even heard of it, nor did he attempt Greek or Indian food and rarely Chinese except for rice. Grilling a vegetable would never have entered his mind and he used the broiler all the time. We have never used our broiler. I am sure a George Foreman grill would have blown his mind.

My moms mom, who was a wonderful farm cook would roll over in her grave, to think we buy pie shells already made or use something called olive oil.

My mom is 68. Eating at any fast food restaurant is still considered to be "eating out." When I grew up. McDonald's was like a .. every couple of months TREAT.. even .. if that. My mom has changed somewhat.. they still get a pizza "from town" but that is like once every two months or something. Fast food to my mom is a pack of instant grits and some home made fried in the pan sausage patties, from a hog they had killed last year and had it in the freezer 'til last week when we made this new batch of sausage.