Favorite Childhood Dishes

C

CaliforniaCook

Banned
We all have dishes from our childhood that we absolutely loved. If it was Mom, Dad, Grandma or whomever cooked for you as a child, tell us about some of the foods/dishes that were your favorites. If there is a story behind it, maybe you would share that, too - and throw in the recipe. That would be nice as well. Whether it was made from scratch or from a box, it will be fun to discuss.
 
I think this is a great idea for a thread, CC. My mom was a horrible cook so I pretty much lived on peanut butter sandwiches, but we did have navy bean night. OMG - it was the best! A huge pot of navy beans with bacon or salt pork, a skillet full of cornbread served with butter and grape jelly, huge glasses of ice cold milk, and sometimes a big garden salad.
 
There were a few that I really liked...
Breakfast.. SOS... chipped beef in white gravy on toast!
Lunch... (I made my own) bologna and mustard sandwiches.
Dinner...
Dad's famous Ruleadeens! Thin steak rolled around a dill pickle, bacon and onion, simmered in mushroom gravy. Then we got a Poor Man's Steak... the gravy on bread!
Dad's Chicken Adobo.. chicken simmered in soy sauce, vinegar, onion and garlic.. he brought that one back from when he was in the Philippines!
Mom's beans and franks. We only got this when Dad was out of town. Simple and yummy. Also the first thing I ever cooked at the tender age of 9 or so.
Mom's fried gizzards. I didn't get the full recipe for this, so mine are never as good. YUM!
Mom's Fried Chicken. She didn't make it often, but it was really good.
There's probably more, but that's what I remember right now.

(I have better stories about the stuff i DIDN'T like, LOLOL!)
 
i loved all of my mom's cooking, from a really wide array of stuff: chicken parm, pot roast, pepper steak, lob scaus (norwegian corned beef hash), broiled chicken or pork chops (made in our old chambers stove), devilled eggs, norwegian crepes, london broil, danish ham, roast chickens or turkeys, corned beef, spuds, and cabbage, fried flounder, breaded fried shrimp, and so on.

then, she'd make these great sandwiches out of the leftovers the next day for my sisters and i.

faves were cold meatloaf with onions and mustard on rye; cold roast turkey with stuffing, hot gravy, and cranberry sauce on a kaiser roll; danish ham with lettuce, mayo, and doritos on wonder white bread (aka the brooklyn special).

i had to jealously guard two things she always included in my lunch bag, though. i think i was the only kid who regularly got a leaky bag of kosher dill spears with most sandwiches. and there was always a dessert of either 3 cookies, or 1/2 a package of hostess fruit pies. my next oldest sister got the other half, unless i got to the lunch bags first. :whistling:
 
Very cool thread

My mom's meatloaf. She use to either top it with sliced cheese when it was done and put under the broiler until it started to bubble. Sometimes the bubbles in the cheese would burn a little...I loved those parts..

On Saturdays once & awhile mom would make us biscuits with bacon in them. She would always make sure they were done when The Lone Ranger use to come on tv.

Mom would make me a marble cake. Chocolate and vanilla cake.she made this because it was the only cake I liked..

More to come...
 
My mother was a good cook. Her Easter dinner was one of my favorites--baked bone-in/rind-on ham, fresh green beans, mustard potato salad, skillet cream corn, homemade yeast rolls, deviled eggs. The ham wasn't fancy (no cloves, no glaze), just baked in the oven with a little water in the bottom of the pan. The rind crisped up, and I would always sneak a little piece.

When oysters came in season, my dad would bring home 1 gallon containers that were in tin cans (just like paint cans) and Mother would roll the oysters in seasoned corn meal and fry them. That was a real treat.

Other favorites were chicken and dumplings, chicken fried steak, beef stew, vegetable soup. Her banana puddings were always a big hit. I don't like bananas, so she made mine separate without the bananas. She loved me best ;).
 
Well my grandmother (father's mother) was the real cook when I was growing up but my favorite was always her spaghetti and meat balls. Her sauce is one I strive to match and though have gotten petty close it isn't there just yet. Now she also made rice pudding and lemon meringue pie to die for as well as most things.

Now my mother on the other hand couldn't boil an egg with being force to clean it off the ceiling 1 out of every 3 tries. She however did make two dishes I loved her fried chicken and potato salad. Cooksie's mustard potatoes is so close to my mother's that it has become a favorite in my home. Now her fried chicken she did in a cast iron skillet with lard and a regular flour and egg batter. It was the crispiest chicken I've ever eaten to this day. I just stopped eating much chicken over the years.

Now my father could cook anything that came out of water as well as roasts. He was a pretty decent cook also but never got to eat many meals prepared by him as he was out of my from about 4 years old till I was 12. I guess he was on wife number 4 by then and managed to marry 9 before he died. He actually married and divorced #8 3 months before he died. He was a pistol to say the least.
 
My mom's meatloaf. She would add a layer of mashed potatoes in the center, & pour a can of vegetarian vegetable soup over the top. Mostly, I loved my Hungarian grandma's cooking. (She didn't write recipes down, so I don't have hers :( )

Potato pancakes, rugalach, flanken (flank steak(?) w/ carrots, onions & potatoes), stuffed cabbage, knishes, kreplach (similar to perogies), & on & on. Will try to think of more.

Loved egg creams. My Mom bought a gadget (looked a little like a seltzer bottle), so we could make them at home.
 
CaliforniaCook said:
My mom's meatloaf. She would add a layer of mashed potatoes in the center, & pour a can of vegetarian vegetable soup over the top. Mostly, I loved my Hungarian grandma's cooking. (She didn't write recipes down, so I don't have hers :( )

Potato pancakes, rugalach, flanken (flank steak(?) w/ carrots, onions & potatoes), stuffed cabbage, knishes, kreplach (similar to perogies), & on & on. Will try to think of more.

Loved egg creams. My Mom bought a gadget (looked a little like a seltzer bottle), so we could make them at home.
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Yes my grandmother was also Hungarian and learned to cook Italian due to my grandfather. The lived over an Italian Restaurant in Hell Kitchen in the 20's when they got married. Women didn't work in those days so she used to go downstairs to the restaurant and the chef taught her to cook. She also made great Hungarian foods as well as German/Austrian.
 
joec said:
Yes my grandmother was also Hungarian and learned to cook Italian due to my grandfather. The lived over an Italian Restaurant in Hell Kitchen in the 20's when they got married. Women didn't work in those days so she used to go downstairs to the restaurant and the chef taught her to cook. She also made great Hungarian foods as well as German/Austrian.
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My grandparents (from Hungary & Poland) immigrated to the U.S. (don't recall the year), to the Lower East Side - around Delancey Street. If you've ever seen the Movie Once Upon A Time In America, some of the street scenes reminded me of that era/time. I would read recipes to her from the Daily newspaper, & she would commt them to memory. I luved the outtings to the Fulton ST (?) Fishmarket. Our Italian neighbors (Marie & Carmine) taught my Mom some Italian cooking. I remember these yummy Italian swirled cookies w/ frosting & colored sprinkles. I vaguely remember Lindy's, & having a slice of their yummy chocolate layer cake. So many different foods, & so many fond food memories.
 
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One of the things I loved was when mom made was a combo of grilled cheese made with french toast, topped with syrup and butter. Rejenos de papas was an absolute favorite.

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Tostones (plantains twice fried)

fried bananas were so good!!!
 
Lefty said:
One of the things I loved was when mom made was a combo of grilled cheese made with french toast, topped with syrup and butter. Rejenos de papas was an absolute favorite.

IMG_0408.JPG


Tostones (plantains twice fried)

fried bananas were so good!!!
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You need to post those recipes Lefty. I love bananas any why they can be made.
 
CaliforniaCook said:
My grandparents (from Hungary & Poland) immigrated to the U.S. (don't recall the year), to the Lower East Side - around Delancey Street. If you've ever seen the Movie Once Upon A Time In America, some of the street scenes reminded me of that era/time. I would read recipes to her from the Daily newspaper, & she would commt them to memory. I luved the outtings to the Fulton ST (?) Fishmarket. Our Italian neighbors (Marie & Carmine) taught my Mom some Italian cooking. I remember these yummy Italian swirled cookies w/ frosting & colored sprinkles. I vaguely remember Lindy's, & having a slice of their yummy chocolate layer cake. So many different foods, & so many fond food memories.
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Yes she could bake also and always from scratch. I think the first time she actually bought dried pasta I was in my teens. I never saw her use a cake mix or instant anything. Even her jello she made from scratch. She always made it from scratch and her ravioli was 6" square stuffed with meat, cheese and raped in spinach. She had a knack for getting us to eat vegetables. :respect:
 
Oh yes!!!
Until I was about 10 Marianne didn't work outside the house..Jim usually worked two jobs and there was only 1 car. Marianne did the grocery shopping generally after Jim got his paycheck. I remember some Fridays Marianne would drive Jim to work so she could have the car - We'd all pile into the car and go to my Dad's work place to get his paycheck. There was always one of those lunch wagons outside the place (I guess it makes sense since it was lunch time. Jim always always always bought lunch from home) My dad would let us go to the lunch wagon so we could all buy a half pint of chocolate milk:smile::heart:. Then, we'd all go to the supermarket where Marianne would buy all the food for the week.

Before she went food shopping, however....that last dinner was always whatever she had left in the pantry and refrigerator and with a family of 5 it usually wasn't much.

Typical dinner on the nights before food shopping could have been any of the following:

Pasta with peas. Pasta with beans. Potatoes and Eggs. Poached eggs in tomato sauce with sliced green peppers. Minestrone soup. Spaghetti al olio. Lentil soup. Pasta fagioli. Clearly, what we always had left at the end of the week was pasta and eggs, some vegetables, and some beans.

Those meals were magnificent and I make them as often as I can.

Dinners immediately following food shopping were like the bounty - We had sirloin steak on saturdays. Roast of some kind along with pasta and meatballs on sunday. Veal cutlets on Monday. Lamb chops on Tuesday. More pasta with sauce on Wednesday, probably with sausage and peppers, Chicken with the Lemon on Thursday....and that was it...by Friday we were down to nothing again. There were never any leftovers because that was what Jim always took for lunch the next day.

Thanks so much for asking....I loved those dinners.
 
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Both my parents were/are fabulous cooks, but since dad had a LONG commute to & from Manhattan every day, many times we kids had early quick & easy comfort food meals. One of my favorites was/is plain old commercial fish sticks accompanied by plain old commercial mac & cheese & a green salad.

In fact, that's what we're having for dinner tonight, except subbing breaded haddock filets & a more upscale mac & cheese product.
 
1. My grandma's homemade chicken and noodles.

2. My grandma's bacon and fresh chicken eggs.

3. My grandma's plain ole tuna sandwiches. The tuna was mixed as usual, with mayonnaise.

4. My dads deep fried chicken.

5. My dads waffles.

6. My dads homemade fudge.
 
Lifesaver's Dad's waffles...reminds me of Jim making breakfast on Sunday morning. Every sunday morning. He was/is an early riser all week long, so Sunday was more of the same.
He'd make french toast, or eggs (his preference was sunny side up, and to this day I cannot stand them!) He'd make bacon or sausage. But the best, the very best was his pancakes. They were as thin as construction paper and fairly rubbery, too. But he'd make airplane shapes, and hearts, and baseball bats and mickey mouse heads and alphabet letters:wub:
 
i remember thinking that i was going to be a really good cowboy someday because i loved hot dogs cut up into a bowl of beans, and sloppy joes, and beef jerky.








(and yes, i was thinking that just last week)
 
CaliforniaCook said:
My grandparents (from Hungary & Poland) immigrated to the U.S. (don't recall the year), to the Lower East Side - around Delancey Street. If you've ever seen the Movie Once Upon A Time In America, some of the street scenes reminded me of that era/time. I would read recipes to her from the Daily newspaper, & she would commt them to memory. I luved the outtings to the Fulton ST (?) Fishmarket. Our Italian neighbors (Marie & Carmine) taught my Mom some Italian cooking. I remember these yummy Italian swirled cookies w/ frosting & colored sprinkles. I vaguely remember Lindy's, & having a slice of their yummy chocolate layer cake. So many different foods, & so many fond food memories.
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CC, I have a similar background to yours. I am Hungarian on my mom's side and my dad's mother came from the Russian Polish border. There were tons of great cooks, chefs and pastry chefs in my family. I have too many foods to list but I can say that dessert was always spectacular. I have already posted a bunch of my favorites here. The chocolate chantilly torte that my mom made was often made for birthdays. She also made an excellent apple pie--it was her secret to use many types of apples. I would have to add her nut horns and mandel bread and sour cream coffeecake to the list, too. My mom followed the seasons with her cooking and her meals were determined by what looked best at the grocery store.
 
In the day care they were feedng us mashed potato with a side of chopped hearing. It was digusting. As kids we would mix everything together, so we would be able to swalow it. Strangly, I love this now. Every once in a while I'd make chopped hearing, make some mashed potato and enjoy it with a slice of french or italian (hard crust) bread. Yum.
 
I don't remember much of my mom's cooking - she got sick when I was so young. I remember Jello, pot pies, TV dinners, franks & beans, canned vegetables, boxed potatoes, Kraft dinner....... I guess she did what she had to do to feed 5 kids while she was working and going through chemo all at the same time.

I think I learned to cook in spite of how we ate as kids, not because of it. Actually, maybe someday I can tell you that story.
 
a funny thing we loved that my dad always made was speghetti with meat sauce...but the funny part was the sauce was the Lawrys powdered sauce mixture you get in those small envelopes....I still buy it on occasion :D :D

I also loved my aunts corned beef and cabbage, my step moms pork loin roast with my dad's fettuchini alfredo (that was my birthday dinner every year :) )
and definately my Grandmothers and father's prime rib and YORKSHIRE PUDDING!!! YUM!
 
Hefekloesse (Yeast dumplings)

250g flour
15g yeast
1/2 teasp sugar
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1 eggyolk
25g soft butter
1/2 teasp salt

make a yeast dough, let rest
form small dumplings and let rest for another 25min

bring about 3l saltwater to cook
cover the pot with a butter-greased cloth and put the dumplings on that.
Cover with a lid or similar and steam for about 12-14min.

serve with melted butter, blueberries, Vanillesauce or ground poppy seeds

don't ask for calories, but this ist still something my Mom makes when the whole family is around...
 
1. Cheerios for breakfast - with LOTS of sugar

2. "Grampa's spaghetti" - macaroni with Mom's tomato sauce.
 
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