Specialties of your house - food oddities

[missred]

Originally Posted by MacLir

My Dad made (rarely, thank God) some stuff he called "Breaded Tomatoes". No relation to fried green tomatoes. This was canned tomatoes stewed with white bread and, I think, some sugar. (Maybe other seasonings, too.)

This may have originated as a Depression-era make-do.

This was one of the few foods that put me in open rebellion; I thought it was disgusting. Looked and tasted like vomit.

My mom used to do something similar. She'd toast about half a loaf of bread, butter it, tear it up in a bowl and pour warmed up, home canned tomatoes over the top for a side dish. IIRC, wasn't bad.

[missred]

[quote=FairyChatMom;15406711]My FIL does something I've never seen anyone else do. If he has a slice of cake, he'll put it in a bowl, pour milk over it, and eat it with a spoon. It sounds similar to those who mentioned cornbread in milk - I wonder if it's a depression-era practice, or we just have weird older relatives.

<snip>QUOTE]

My late Uncle Roy was the master at this. He preferred beginning with a cake that had fallen so there was more icing in the center. Then, a good pour of milk. Like cereal, you could alternately add cake and milk until one or the other was gone. I never thought of this necessarily as a depression era thing, although you could well be right. My father's people didn't have much spending money, but they did live on a farm, so stuff like milk was always available.

[typoink]

This might be too close to a "real" recipe for this thread, but one of my mom's specialties has continued to be a huge hit at any sort of potluck.

Mom's Potato Cassarole:
1 bag of frozen potato cubes ("country style hash browns")
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small tub of sour cream

mix together in a a greased cassarole dish, top with
1 bag of shredded chedder cheese.

Bake until the cheese on top is starts to brown.

It tastes like a hug.

I've had other potato cassaroles, but the balance of flavors in this one is simply perfect. The sour cream seems to be the secret ingredient.

[terentii]

Originally Posted by typoink

I've had other potato cassaroles, but the balance of flavors in this one is simply perfect. The sour cream seems to be the secret ingredient.

This sounds a lot like julienne, a dish native to Russia and other parts of East Europe. Basically chopped mushrooms baked in a sour cream sauce and topped with melted cheese. Heavenly!

I almost broke out laughing once when a bunch of Americans dining in a Latvian restaurant ordered julienne, expecting a finely chopped salad. I kept them from sending it back by explaining they got exactly what they had ordered, and persuaded them to give it a try.

[filling_pages]

The best party food of all time is one big jar of grape jelly + 2 jars of chili sauce + a couple bags of frozen meatballs, in a crockpot. Put out toothpicks and watch people go mad dog crazy to eat all of them.

[prettydorky]

Originally Posted by filling_pages

The best party food of all time is one big jar of grape jelly + 2 jars of chili sauce + a couple bags of frozen meatballs, in a crockpot. Put out toothpicks and watch people go mad dog crazy to eat all of them.

Indeed. I had a coworker who made these at every work potluck and closely guarded the recipe. One day, she revealed her top secret recipe as if she were doing me a special favor. Months later, when I finally went to get the ingredients and make the dish, I pick up a bag of Armor frozen meatballs, and wouldn't you know, the recipe is on the back of the darned bag!!

[Seanette]

Originally Posted by filling_pages

The best party food of all time is one big jar of grape jelly + 2 jars of chili sauce + a couple bags of frozen meatballs, in a crockpot. Put out toothpicks and watch people go mad dog crazy to eat all of them.

Wouldn't those come out a bit sweet? I'm not a huge fan of sweet flavors on meat.

[prettydorky]

Ok, I finally went back and read all of these. This is officially my favorite thread right now. I don't know how odd my oddities are, but here we go:

-My mom did the PB and lettuce thing too, and I loved an iceberg lettuce and honey sandwich as a kid.
-My middle brother ate mayonnaise and butter sandwiches.
-Another brother was a master of all things bread. Among his greatest triumphs were margarine and powdered sugar on hamburger buns, then warmed and crisped(is that a word?) in the toaster oven. Delicious. Like a broke folks beignet. He also makes fried rolls- from our local grocery store bakery, sometimes you can find these teeny little rolls. He pan fries these in butter with garlic salt and occasionally italian seasoning. Parmesan cheese optional.
-I've seen it mentioned already, but we also do leftover rice with milk, cinnamon, and sugar for breakfast.
-My son frequently requests "eggsalty sandwiches" (his term). This is a sliced boiled egg on bread, with a little salt and pepper. Nothing else.
-"Lemony salad", also as coined by my son. This is just about the only type of salad we eat at my house. It's greens only, with S&P, parmesan, and olive oil drizzled on, then a lemon squeezed over the top. We inhale this.

[Battle Pope]

Dice an onion & cook with some beef mince. Add one tin each of: kidney beans, lentils, chick peas, diced tomatos. Mix with a few spoons of whatever Indian curry paste is available (Madras, Vindaloo etc). Optional - frozen corn kernals or sliced green beans.

Dubbed 'slop-pot' by my wife. The kids love it.

Our version of bangers & mash:

Cut onion into rings & fry. Microwave some thin beef or pork sausages until they are about 3/4 cooked, chop into 1/2 inch lenghts and throw in pan with onions. Mix up some instant gravy. Add gravy to pan once sausages are cooked and stir for a little while. Serve over mashed spuds. Awesome. Our family comfort food.

[filling_pages]

Originally Posted by prettydorky

Indeed. I had a coworker who made these at every work potluck and closely guarded the recipe. One day, she revealed her top secret recipe as if she were doing me a special favor. Months later, when I finally went to get the ingredients and make the dish, I pick up a bag of Armor frozen meatballs, and wouldn't you know, the recipe is on the back of the darned bag!!

She was missing out. Half the fun is telling people what's in the sauce and watching them sort of get grossed out while they are, at the same time, trying to stuff more in their mouths.

Also:

Wouldn't those come out a bit sweet? I'm not a huge fan of sweet flavors on meat.

Yes, it's like a sweet bbq sauce. I add red pepper flakes because, well, you've got to have some spice.

[Seanette]

I'll stick with dumping meatballs in the crockpot with canned/jar beef gravy for a few hours.

[Detroit]

Left over mashed potatoes, an egg (if you have one), Bisquick. Fry up in pan = potato pancakes. (My mom used to make them. They were delicious.)

Poor man's soda - Milk and Vernor's ginger ale. (And it works great if you have a stomach ache.)

[Bookkeeper]

Originally Posted by FairyChatMom

When I was a kid, if we had Campbell's chicken noodle soup, I would crush up Keebler Club crackers and mix them into the soup till it was a thick glop, then I'd eat it. Perfect comfort food! But when I tried it a few years ago, between the salt in the soup and the salt on the crackers, it was just about inedible. Alas...

We used to do this whenever Mom served tomato soup.

[foolscap]

My Dad would make
Fried corn meal mush with ketchup.
Years later, I learned that the normal way to eat it is
with honey and cream.
I prefer it with the ketchup.

[Missy2U]

Originally Posted by filling_pages

The best party food of all time is one big jar of grape jelly + 2 jars of chili sauce + a couple bags of frozen meatballs, in a crockpot. Put out toothpicks and watch people go mad dog crazy to eat all of them.

Ditto but try them with HillshireFarms Lit’l Smokies - I fry them up with some chopped onion. then do the sauce.

[Das Glasperlenspiel]

Around our house it's "hamburger slush". Dice an onion and brown in a frying pan, add about a pound of ground beef and fry up until browned and crumbly. Season to taste (salt, pepper, garlic, whatever). Add one or two cans of that old standby cream of mushroom soup and enough water to make a gravy-ish consistency. Stir and heat until bubbly. Now add an equal quantity of Minute Rice (1 can of soup + 1/2 can water = 1 1/2 cans rice). Stir and cover until liquid is absorbed.

Tastes even better the second day (if it gets that far).

[hogarth]

Originally Posted by Das Glasperlenspiel

Around our house it's "hamburger slush". Dice an onion and brown in a frying pan, add about a pound of ground beef and fry up until browned and crumbly. Season to taste (salt, pepper, garlic, whatever). Add one or two cans of that old standby cream of mushroom soup and enough water to make a gravy-ish consistency. Stir and heat until bubbly. Now add an equal quantity of Minute Rice (1 can of soup + 1/2 can water = 1 1/2 cans rice). Stir and cover until liquid is absorbed.

Tastes even better the second day (if it gets that far).

I'd probably just call that "beef stroganoff".

[Tamarin]

My mom made one of her traditions for me just last week when I went to visit.

Shrimp salad
Mix together:
Juice from 1 large lemon
1 large avocado - diced
1 small or medium onion - chopped
1 lb baby shrimp
crushed red pepper flakes - to taste


Another family favorite is peanut butter and bacon sandwiches for breakfast. Especially awesome if the bacon is crispy and still hot enough to make the peanut butter all melty.

[papergirl]

My mom made the usual Sunday roast with beef gravy, but we always had rice instead of mashed potatoes. I was a teenager before I ever saw anyone eat gravy on mashed potatoes, and I still remember how odd it seemed. We had mashed potatoes with butter, but gravy meant rice in our house.
She made what she called deep dish pizza--canned biscuits squashed into a deep pan, layered with onion, fried ground beef, tomato soup, cheese on top. When I came home from a long hospital stay, it was the first thing I requested, and it tasted like heaven.
There was what we called orange chicken--one can each of tomato soup and golden mushroom soup simmered with chicken and served over rice. I'd still like that, although I haven't made it in years.

[Ignatz]

Shrimp Wiggle

4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
4 tablespoons of flour

2 cups milk
2/4 cup cooked peas
1 cup cooked & peeled shrimp

Melt butter over low heat. Blend in the flour, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Mix in the milk and return to the stove. Bring to a boil stirring continuously. Boil for 1 minute, remove from heat and add shrimp and peas. Serve over steamed rice or toast points.

[salinqmind]

Mr. Salinqmind's favorite meal is fried crumbled hamburger, drained, mixed with a can of beef gravy, served on hamburger rolls. I would rather starve than eat that slop, but I make a big batch, parcel it out in containers in the freezer, and save myself a whole lot of cooking. Nuke and serve, side of Doritos, and he is a happy man.

Myself, when I'm beyond weary, but starving, I'll toast three English muffins. One is buttered, one is spread with peanut butter, and the one for dessert is spread with honey. Glass of milk on the side, and I consider myself well fed.

[Dung Beetle]

Originally Posted by papergirl

She made what she called deep dish pizza--canned biscuits squashed into a deep pan, layered with onion, fried ground beef, tomato soup, cheese on top. When I came home from a long hospital stay, it was the first thing I requested, and it tasted like heaven.
There was what we called orange chicken--one can each of tomato soup and golden mushroom soup simmered with chicken and served over rice. I'd still like that, although I haven't made it in years.

These both sound good, but the names would have me expecting a completely different taste, I think…

[Bookkeeper]

Originally Posted by Tamarin

Another family favorite is peanut butter and bacon sandwiches for breakfast. Especially awesome if the bacon is crispy and still hot enough to make the peanut butter all melty.

Scrumptious!

[Indyellen]

I have one I do here at work that freaks out some of my coworkers:

Toast two freezer waffles. Butter as normal when toasted. Add a slice of American cheese (product is OK) to each waffle and nuke for 10-15 seconds. Yum!

And I adore peanut butter and bacon sandwiches. I was allergic to tomatoes when I was little; Mom used to make me a BLPB (bacon, lettuce, and peanut butter) instead.

[ralph124c]

Crab crackers. One can of reasonably good crabmeat, a tsp of butter, and some parmegiano cheese. Mix into a paste, spread on sliced english muffins, and toast. really good.

[carnut]

Originally Posted by ralph124c

Crab crackers. One can of reasonably good crabmeat, a tsp of butter, and some parmegiano cheese. Mix into a paste, spread on sliced english muffins, and toast. really good.

Stuff it into mushrooms and broil is another way to fix it. I'm definitely going to try the english muffin trick. Sounds yum!

[Motorgirl]

Originally Posted by MacLir

My Dad made (rarely, thank God) some stuff he called "Breaded Tomatoes". No relation to fried green tomatoes. This was canned tomatoes stewed with white bread and, I think, some sugar. (Maybe other seasonings, too.)

This may have originated as a Depression-era make-do.

This was one of the few foods that put me in open rebellion; I thought it was disgusting. Looked and tasted like vomit.

My mom did that too. She called it "scalloped tomatoes."

I hated it as a kid - the bread always turned out slimy. Now I'd like to have it again for old times sake but I don't know exactly what she did. I think she buttered the bread, opened a jar of stewed tomatoes, bunch o' black pepper and baked it. Wonder if it's still gross.

[Motorgirl]

Originally Posted by Seanette

Wouldn't those come out a bit sweet? I'm not a huge fan of sweet flavors on meat.

They're horrifying. Horrifyingly delicious, to be precise.

[aruvqan]

Originally Posted by ralph124c

Crab crackers. One can of reasonably good crabmeat, a tsp of butter, and some parmegiano cheese. Mix into a paste, spread on sliced english muffins, and toast. really good.

Not sure you would call it a specialty - thin sliced extra sharp cheddar toasted onto english muffins. Used to get those from my grandmothers cook as a snack.

Hm, what our family has long called apple kuchen - ,ore or less a fairly sweet bread dough spread out into a rectangle in a 9x18 cake pan. Top with thin sliced apples, and top that with a mixture of butter, granulated sugar, flour and chopped walnuts or slivered almonds, whichever were handy and bake. It isn't quite a streusel , just sort of a sweet crunchy topping. It also isn't a classic apfelkuchen either.

And I eat sliced beefsteak tomatoes with a dab of mayonnaise. Well, I also eat them out of hand like an apple too. I just really like tomatoes.

[ThelmaLou]

Originally Posted by Motorgirl

My mom did that too. She called it "scalloped tomatoes."

I hated it as a kid - the bread always turned out slimy. Now I'd like to have it again for old times sake but I don't know exactly what she did. I think she buttered the bread, opened a jar of stewed tomatoes, bunch o' black pepper and baked it. Wonder if it's still gross.

I'll bet it would be good with some sturdy "artisan"-type bread like you can get nowadays. Especially if you let a couple of thick slices sit out and get a bit dry. That bread wouldn't dare get slimy. Unlike Wonder bread or other wimpy supermarket bread.

[aruvqan]

Originally Posted by ThelmaLou

I'll bet it would be good with some sturdy "artisan"-type bread like you can get nowadays. Especially if you let a couple of thick slices sit out and get a bit dry. That bread wouldn't dare get slimy. Unlike Wonder bread or other wimpy supermarket bread.

That sounds like a good idea, maybe a nice stout rye or wholewheat sourdough.

[salinqmind]

A delicatessan made a "Reuben Casserole" which was basically all the ingredients of a reuben sandwich - corned beef, dressing, sauerkraut on rye bread and somehow baked into a cassserole, but even that good rye deli bread was a soaked slimy mess underneath.

[Indyellen]

Originally Posted by salinqmind

A delicatessan made a "Reuben Casserole" which was basically all the ingredients of a reuben sandwich - corned beef, dressing, sauerkraut on rye bread and somehow baked into a cassserole, but even that good rye deli bread was a soaked slimy mess underneath.

However, there is an exceptionally good recipe out there for Reuben Dip; served with the little rye or pumpernickel bread slices...yum!

[dinahmoe]

Originally Posted by salinqmind

A delicatessan made a "Reuben Casserole" which was basically all the ingredients of a reuben sandwich - corned beef, dressing, sauerkraut on rye bread and somehow baked into a cassserole, but even that good rye deli bread was a soaked slimy mess underneath.

My dad makes a Reuben pizza: Caraway rye crust, Thousand Island dressing instead of sauce, shredded Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and shredded corned beef. Serves it with dill pickle spears.

[midnight-dreary]

Bacon and egg pie - Get some puff pastry, line a pie dish with it. Microwave some bacon. Get some eggs, mix them together. Lay the bacon in the pie dish, (maybe add a few slices of tomato) and pour the egg in, put some pastry ontop for the lid, cook.

Savoury mince - Mince, water, wostershire sauce, tomato sauce, bbq sauce, carrot, onion zuchinni, peas, corn, potato, cook. Then thicken with gravy powder (served on bits of toast or over rice)

Spaghetti Jaffles - spaghetti with sauce put into a jaffle.

[Seanette]

Originally Posted by midnight-dreary

Spaghetti Jaffles - spaghetti with sauce put into a jaffle.

What's a jaffle?

[Johanna]

A lot of what people are describing reminds me of a favorite plebian dish of Egypt, kushari. I've made it a couple times at home, and it's— OK, just kind of meh. On the plus side, it's a cheap, filling, nutritious carb-load. But for that genre of dishes, please give me a good delicately fragrantly spiced bāsmatī khicṛī any day. Khicṛī rules.

[adhemar]

Originally Posted by MacLir

My Dad made (rarely, thank God) some stuff he called "Breaded Tomatoes". No relation to fried green tomatoes. This was canned tomatoes stewed with white bread and, I think, some sugar. (Maybe other seasonings, too.)

This may have originated as a Depression-era make-do.

This was one of the few foods that put me in open rebellion; I thought it was disgusting. Looked and tasted like vomit.

my mother and her siblings ALL refuse to eat any cooked tomato foods becasue of eating this when young. they all described it as slimy.

[adhemar]

Originally Posted by Seanette

What's a jaffle?

apparently it is a cast iron dohickey for toasting sandwiches.

http://www.divinecaroline.com/38/311...re-food-jaffle

[Seanette]

Thanks. I'd never heard of those before (not a camping fan at all).

[Cold April]

Mum would sometimes make corned beef fritters, chunky rectangles of corned beef dipped in batter and deep fried. I dread to think how calorific they were. I've never seen these crispy, salty, greasy, juicy delights anywhere except inside my mum's kitchen in the 70s and 80s. Sigh.

[terentii]

Originally Posted by Cold April

Mum would sometimes make corned beef fritters, chunky rectangles of corned beef dipped in batter and deep fried. I dread to think how calorific they were. I've never seen these crispy, salty, greasy, juicy delights anywhere except inside my mum's kitchen in the 70s and 80s. Sigh.

They were apparently popular* among Allied POWs during WWII. Brickhill mentions them more than once in his book The Great Escape.


*Of course, this could have been because there was little else to eat in POW camps.

[eulalia]

Originally Posted by Dolores Reborn

This thread is fascinating - in a train wreck sort of way!

My mom made something called Hamburger Hash - browned hamburger with chopped onions, then added diced potatoes and simmered in beef stock, or water. If she used leftover roast beef, it was "Heavenly" Hash.

I make a dish we call Chicken Noodle Stuff. (It started out as a one skillet copy of tuna casserole.) Cook a package of egg noodles. In a skillet, dump a large can of canned chicken, the ubiquitous can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 a soup can of milk, a can of sliced mushrooms, 1/2 a box of frozen peas and carrots, and a crapload of Velveeta. Mix it up to sauce consistency and stir in the cooked noodles.

My Dad does the cornbread and milk stuff, as did my Mom. Blech! My husband has asked for corn pancakes before, and I've attempted them, but ick. What the heck do you serve them with? They make no sense.

I bet jalapeno jelly would taste good on those.

[eulalia]

I used to mix my Mac and cheese with tuna, chopped onion and chili powder.

Another good one was garlicky couscous topped with tuna or salmon with grated cheddar melted over it.

I sauteed diced red potatoes with mushrooms and green onions then melted cream cheese into it and stirred in fresh spinach.

I haven't made any of these in a while because I had to cut the carbs, but I'm craving the last one now.