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Got some a LOT older from my Mormor (mother's mother) and a few from my Dad's Mother (Nana) - the only one I can think of that's savory is Porcupine Balls of Meat from my Nana. If you want it let me know. It's the same recipe that's all over the web.
If porcupines are the meatballs made with rice (the "quills"), in a tomato sauce, my mom still makes them, has since I was a kid in the 80s, and they are still awesome.
My mom used to make this for dad who was in the Marines and they served it often there. Creamed chipped beef on toast.... Don't know how to make it..
I love it, and it's so easy.
It's just dried beef in a cream gravy...similar to what's made for biscuits and gravy. My mom would make it for my dad (also an Army fave of his), and she'd just whip it up in her trusty electric skillet. I never make it, but it's so good...childhood comfort food.
My mom made a strawberry jello "salad" that was made of strawberry jello, frozen strawberries, and nuts. She jelled half of the liquid jello in a large pyrex pan, and over that layer, she put a layer of sour cream, sealing the edges in the pan. Then she poured the other half of the jello over, placed it in the fridge, and jelled the second layer.
I can't believe we considered this to be salad, but we did. It was actually good. But now I imagine I would find it too, too sweet.
I'm a lifelong Lutheran, and have so many of the vintage "church basement ladies" cookbooks from my childhood. The church women's groups would compile their favorite recipes and get spiral-bound recipe books made and sell them as fundraisers. So many good, kitschy, vintage farm wife things. It makes me think of my late grandma and all the funeral luncheons she and her cronies worked to put together.
No Lutheran church basement luncheon would be complete with out a variety of Jell-O salads.
Got some a LOT older from my Mormor (mother's mother) and a few from my Dad's Mother (Nana) - the only one I can think of that's savory is Porcupine Balls of Meat from my Nana. If you want it let me know. It's the same recipe that's all over the web.
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Originally Posted by steiconi
My mom used to make porcupine balls in the pressure cooker. That was in the '60s, but my folks started the family back in the '40s, so the recipes are older than my memories.
She used to make a stuffed flank steak by folding it in half and sewing the sides with carpet thread. Then she would stuff it with --I forget what, rice?-- and sew the end closed. We called that dish "seal" because we were kids and that's what it looked like when it was being stuffed. After roasting, you slice the whole thing and get a ring of meat filled with stuffing.
other common meals: pigs in blankets (hot dogs wrapped in biscuit dough), deep-fried chicken and those little fish--not sardines, were they called sprats? Made our own doughnuts and pizelles, and pressed cookies.
plus lots of dishes you still see now: liver and onions (hated it), mac and cheese, spaghetti.
You might check thrift stores and used book stores for cookbooks from the era. I have a Joy of Cooking from the '70s that has that mid-century vibe. Of course, I got it new.
I guess I definitely need to add porcupine balls to the list LOL. I have never heard of these.
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Originally Posted by lubby
My mom remembers the porcupine meatballs her mom made, I think it had rice in it. I was born in 1971 so I am not too familiar with 1950's recipes but would love to hear some. My grandmother used to make frigadellan. It's kind of like a hamburger using ground lamb, My grandfather would grind a potato and an onion in the lamb meat, then my grandmother would make patties and fry them in butter and serve with a brown gravy on top.
My grandma made a lot of patties with gravy on top... one of my faves is meat patties and gravy. make hamburger meat into patties, fry them in a pan, take them out then use the grease to make the gravy. add cream of mushroom soup and some milk, put the patties back in. So good!
I don't think I've ever had lamb before? Is it good?
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Originally Posted by Gorges
Wow, I think most of my childhood food memories are from the '60's and not '50's, but something that i know my mom always made was the pound cake where you used a pound of everything, and it was a multi-layer cake with every layer a different color. And it was frosted. Also, I remember having colorful layered jello desserts served in parfait glasses. Most of our meals were meat, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I feel like casseroles came later on.
I want to learn how to make the layered jello desserts! I have see videos on youtube but still need to try it. And yes, I know what glasses you mean! I swear that my great grandma had some of those. you don't see them anymore!
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Originally Posted by Dirt Grinder
I can definitely tell you how to make that. It's just roux, milk, pepper, and dried beef (which contains more than enough salt for the dish).
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Originally Posted by Retire in MB
I don't know if its from the 50's or 60's, but my mom would make tuna casserole with potato chips. 2 cans of tuna, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, crushed potato chips and then she added mushrooms, carrots or peas, depending on what we had left over or in the pantry. I still make it for myself on occasion - note its even better warmed up the next day.
My great grandma did the crushed potato chips too! Or potato sticks lol. She always had some of those
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarciaMarshaMarcia
Like Nita said, there were a lot of Jello salads, which I personally could not stand...hate the texture. Jello poured into molds to make a fancy shape were very popular. Just about everything was put into jello...walnuts, canned fruit, mini-marshmallows, shredded coconut. For awhile I remember that there was jello in vegetable flavors!
I remember a lot of “comfort food” like meatloaf, salmon loaf (made with canned salmon), tuna noodle casserole, chicken a la King. Most vegetables were in a can, due to “convenience” (still have nightmares about canned spinach).
There were also comfort food desserts like rice pudding, bread pudding, tapioca pudding.
I remember some strange salads like Waldorf Salad...chopped-up red delicious apples with chopped celery & mayo...it was supposed to have been created at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC...but, why? I also remember a salad made with grated raw carrots, raisins & mayo. It seemed like iceberg was the only lettuce available.
Fried bologna & fried Spam were popular as the meat course for dinner. Instant mashed potatoes were very popular...to me, they tasted like glue, & I never understood what was so hard about peeling, boiling & mashing real potatoes. When my daughter was growing up, she asked for instant potatoes. I had always made mashed potatoes fresh & from scratch, even though I was a working mother, so I asked her why...she said they had them at her friend’s house, so she wanted to try them “for the experience”
I’m sure I can think of more, but I’m remembering why I was such a skinny kid.
I grew up on instant potatoes lol. I love homemade! And yes, I have seen the fancy jello that you're talking about. I love the way that it looks! I've only ever had regular jello and the kind with fruit in it and really liked it.
I wouldnt know how to make a salmon loaf LOL. I'm guessing its with canned salmon? Like how you make salmon patties?
^^^I’m not sure what salmon patties are, but salmon loaf was basically the same ingredients as meatloaf, except that canned salmon was substituted for ground meat, & no tomato sauce or ketchup.
Oh, & I remember my husband telling me that his mom’s specialty was tuna lasagna, using canned tuna...he said he tried to escape to a friend’s house on tuna lasagna night!
My own fave recipes are ones that I know bc I still have them. My great grandma (rest in peace) had a few written down on cards in a recipe box. some my mom knew how to cook and taught me, others she didn't remember as well. My great grandma passed away when I was really young but I do remember some things. One thing I for sure remember- she was ALWAYS in the kitchen lol.
Her and my great grandpa really liked cornbread and milk. Basically they would take a glass and crumble up cornbread in it. then they would pour milk in the glass. This was their dessert or sometimes they had it as a meal. my great grandpa actually liked his with buttermilk (eww lol). They just thought it was the best thing ever. And it is really good with milk!
My great grandma was from mississipi so I don't know if this recipe is from that state but i can never find people here who have heard of it, but she made the best tomato gravy for breakfast. It went over biscuits. canned tomatoes (or fresh), bacon fat (i think) and then flour. A bit of salt. IT'S THE BEST though I havent had it in forevvvver. My mom tried to make it but it wasn't like my great grandmas lol. It's my favorite kind of gravy.
My great grandma also used to make "poverty donuts" (LOL at the name). You took biscuit doe then rolled it, put it in sugar and milk, then fried it. Tastes just like donut holes
^^^I’m not sure what salmon patties are, but salmon loaf was basically the same ingredients as meatloaf, except that canned salmon was substituted for ground meat, & no tomato sauce or ketchup.
Oh, & I remember my husband telling me that his mom’s specialty was tuna lasagna, using canned tuna...he said he tried to escape to a friend’s house on tuna lasagna night!
I love tuna and any kind of casserole but not tuna casserole LOL. Theres just something about tuna and noodles that I don't like. And a tuna lasagna sounds horrible lol can't blame him there!
growing up my mom made ghoulash and the noodles and sauce were just so bad lol. We also had a lot of spam. And not just spam, but fried spam lol. So salty.
Her and my great grandpa really liked cornbread and milk. Basically they would take a glass and crumble up cornbread in it. then they would pour milk in the glass. This was their dessert or sometimes they had it as a meal. my great grandpa actually liked his with buttermilk (eww lol). They just thought it was the best thing ever. And it is really good with milk!
My mom is southern, and was raised mostly by her grandma in Alabama in the 50s and 60s, and this is something she talks about often. Her grandpa called it "soakey bread," and she still does it with excess cornbread when she's making her cakes of cornbread to be used to make dressing at Thanksgiving.
It's super yummy. Both with regular milk and buttermilk.
I love tuna and any kind of casserole but not tuna casserole LOL. Theres just something about tuna and noodles that I don't like. And a tuna lasagna sounds horrible lol can't blame him there!
growing up my mom made ghoulash and the noodles and sauce were just so bad lol. We also had a lot of spam. And not just spam, but fried spam lol. So salty.
...HEAD CHEESE....... Yuk. It's neither cheese nor made with any part of a head, maybe it used to be...
I LOVE head cheese, and the brand I buy is made from parts of the pig's head suspended in gelatin. It's great sprayed with a mist of vinegar.
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It's just roux, milk, pepper, and dried beef (which contains more than enough salt for the dish).
