Family Recipes

I wanted to take a break in the primary action and discuss something of great importance: food.  My recent trip home for the holidays reminded me of the great comfort of childhood foods.  There are certain foods that I taste and I am transported back to holidays of past.  One holiday treat my mother makes that makes me the most nostalgic is a fudge. Come with my on a culinary escapade after the break.

That's right, fudge.  I was just sitting here savoring this family favorite my mom made over the holidays.  I drop a small section into my mouth and just let it melt on my tongue.  Does someone in your family have some amazing recipe that you wish you could share with the world because it would bring smiles of delight across the face of anyone that ate it?  Well, this fudge is the exact opposite.

I have never met a person outside of my immediate family that likes it.  If you had a piece of this fudge you would know what I mean.  I, and my siblings, absolutely adore it.  It simply isn't Christmas unless I have this fudge.  When someone wants to try it, I give him or her a very small piece because I know they probably won't like it and I don't want to squander my precious supply on an appreciative palate.

Rum fudge.  That is what we affectionately call in at home.  It is oh so sickeningly sweet.  In addition to way too much sugar, it also contains butterscotch chips, walnuts, white raisins, and imitation rum flavor.  That's right, it doesn't even contain real rum, but that artificial stuff which probably contains just as much alcohol.

Some favorite family dishes are like some "national dishes": almost inedible to those who have not enjoyed it since childhood.  Seriously, who would willingly eat haggis if not a Scot?  I also liken it to America's affection for root beer.  Have you ever met anyone born outside the United States that likes root beer?  Same with this fudge...you have to be born with a piece in your mouth to appreciate it.

Curious now, aren't you?  My treasured supply is way too low to share, but below is the recipe for the adventurous souls among you.

So, in the comments, feel free to share those family recipes that you adore (extra points if only your family loves it!)

RUM FUDGE

3 cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 7-ounce jar of marshmallow cream
¾ stick butter (or margarine)
1 12-ounce bag of butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1 cup seedless white raisins
1 tsp rum flavoring

The day before, soak the raisins in the rum flavoring overnight.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, and butter and bring to a boil.

Cook over medium heat with frequent stirring until it reaches 236 degrees (if using a candy thermometer, that is the "soft ball stage").

Remove from heat and stir in the marshmallow cream, butterscotch chips, nuts, and raisins.  Mix well to distribute evenly.

Pour into a buttered pan so that fudge is about ¾ inch deep.  Let set up in the refrigerator.

•  Recipes?

  I know you have recipes for some of those wonderfully horrible family treats you would love to share!  Let's hear about them.

  by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 05:49:08 PM PDT

•  Favorite ethic food...

  Biscuits and sausage and egg gravy. My goodness, I remember when I could eat that and have the calories burned off before I made it out the door.

  For the critics..I believe White Trash is an ethnic group.

  by Morgan Sandlin on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 05:52:19 PM PDT

  •  Yep

    Oh, I do love me some biscuits, sausage gravy, and fried potatoes.  But since childhood, I put the gravy on the fried potatoes.

    Another favorite with fried potatoes is "chow chow" relish (aka Last of the Garden relish).  My mom used to can some every year in the fall.  It is great.

    by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 05:59:35 PM PDT

    •  My mom never made chow chow...

      though I've had it..and it is good :)

      My mother used to bake bread and she would take some of the leftover dough..fry it..and shake it in a bag with cinnamon and sugar. Heaven.

      by Morgan Sandlin on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:24:57 PM PDT

      •  ohhhhhh....fried bread....mmmmmm n/t

        by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:30:58 PM PDT

        •  my mom did that too.....

          and rolled out pie crust scraps with cinnamon sugar.  Now those are excellent as long as they don't burn.  

          by murrayewv on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:48:06 PM PDT

  •  Tasty for sure

    My mom's family is from the southeast so visiting my gret-grandmother was always a feast of southern delights like that.

    by PBnJ on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:59:43 PM PDT

•  Nachos is my favorite.

  and my very recipes was a diary.

  Eddie C's Fourth of July Outdoor Cooking Recipe

  by Eddie C on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 05:54:51 PM PDT

  •  Camp cooking is great.

    Very nice...and sounds tasty.

    by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 05:57:02 PM PDT

•  Enchiladas. An old Laredo recipe

  too complicated to share here but I teach it to friends once in a while.

  I call them LottaInches as they are made with Longhorn Cheddar and Velveeta.  The Specialty de la Casa; they take all afternoon and a very large kitchen but with practice you can turn out about 80 for serving and freezing if you have enough cookie sheets and frying pans.

  The aroma; oh my.

  by skwimmer on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 05:57:31 PM PDT

  •  Stop teasing and post the recipe already. :)

    I make a quickie enchilada recipe that sucks but it is the only one I know, and everyone else loves it.

    Pretty please............

    by panicbean on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:00:14 PM PDT

  •  Velveeta

    I haven't cooked with velveeta in a long, long time.  It was a staple in the house when growing up (as well as that nasty log of government cheese...blech).

    Did you know you can make a fudge with velveeta too?

    by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:01:59 PM PDT

    •  I like Velveeta.....

      it is "cheese food" and made from scraps of other cheeses and all the grade B milk.  It prevents waste in the food chain process.  I like it melted in Campbell's Tomato Soup made with milk on a cold winter day.  

      by murrayewv on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:49:48 PM PDT

      •  Melted Velveeta and Rotel brand tomatoes.

        Best damn queso on the planet.  Yes, I am a woman of substance always ready for a hard winter.

        by skwimmer on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:20:48 PM PDT

        •  cheese dip

          We would melt velveeta, a little milk, and some canned tomatoes with jalapenos (both from our garden) in a microwave for a quick "nacho" dip.  It was delightful.

          by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:28:40 PM PDT

•  Favorite ethnic foods?

  Pierogis and golabki and Greek baklava.  I don't have recipes for any of them - the golabki I make up as I go, but my mother-in-law's was the best.  I have a friend who makes the best baklava in the world.  Really.

  by myrealname on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:01:15 PM PDT

  •  I love pierogis, especially the ones I had

    while living in Ohio.  I can't find them here in the panhandle, tried the frozen ones, but definitely not for me.

    I chose churros in the poll, I love a good churro, which is something else I can't find here.  

    One of my favorite all time snacks is popcorn with M&M's put in right after popping.  It is an evening staple around here.  Yum!

    by panicbean on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:06:22 PM PDT

    •  Yum

      I've never heard of the popcorn with M&Ms.  

      As for pierogis, I have a friend who used to make them as a Christmas gift, but she's too busy these days.  There's a Polish deli near us that makes some awesome pierogis, so I can get them whenever I want.  

      by myrealname on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:38:59 PM PDT

    •  My grandma's pierogi recipe

      Dough
      5 cups all purpose flour
      1 tsp salt
      2 eggs
      1-1/2 cups cold water

      Mix all dough ingredients, knead till smooth, cut out in circles (Grandma used the top of her coffee pot - about a 3-inch diameter circle)

      Place chosen filling on center, dip your finger in water and run it around the edge of the circle, fold in half and crimp with your thumbs. (It's a rolling thumb over thumb thing).

      Drop into salted boiling water and cook until they float. Gently saute in a large skilled in melted butter till lightly browned. Serve with more melted butter or sour cream.

      Fillings
      Cheese: Mix 1 container dry cottage cheese, 1 egg yolk, 4 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

      Meat: Mix 2 cups seasoned, minced cooked meat and 1 egg yolk.

      Plum: Cut prune plums in 1/2, toss with flour and sugar till coated. Place 1/2 plum on each round of dough.

      Potato: Season 2 cups of mashed potato with garlic

      Mushroom: Saute 4 cups chopped mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper.

      by 1864 House on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:41:35 PM PDT

      •  Cheese

        Thanks for the memories. I rarely have pierogis any more, but all of a sudden it sounds like a great idea. I use farmers cheese in mine. Why? Because my Babci did.  :)

        by Cordelia Lear on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:50:34 PM PDT

        •  I rarely make them

          For two of us now, it just seems like too much work. I stock up on frozen hand-made ones at the EuroFresh Market in Palatine, IL on the way home from visiting my daughters in Chicago.

          by 1864 House on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:53:04 PM PDT

      •  I love the prune-filled ones

        although my grandma used lekvar--prune butter--for the filling. Great with sauteed onions!

        by marina on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:55:33 PM PDT

      •  Thank you so much! Yum!

        Can't wait to give it a try.  There are just the two of us, as well, but I have a 19 yo son close by, and he will love it when I bring those to him.

        Added to recipe file!  :)

        pb

        by panicbean on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:03:00 PM PDT

      •  Thanks for the recipe

        I'd like to try making them.  

        by myrealname on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:08:06 PM PDT

  •  Martha Stewart

    by 1864 House on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:44:35 PM PDT

    •  I hit post too soon!

      Martha Stewart's mother's recipe for golabki is the closest to my grandma's I've ever found. I think it might be online somewhere.

      by 1864 House on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:45:59 PM PDT

  •  Greek food is a favorite

    When I lived in Minneapolis, friends and I would go to this little restaurant run by a Greek immigrant -- absolute best and most authentic stuff ever.

    There's koto stophyllo, greek salads, tomato basil soup, souvlaki... I'm getting homesick jsut thinking about it.

    by PBnJ on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:05:06 PM PDT

    •  Greek food

      I am jealous.  I have had OK Greek food, but haven't had great Greek food yet.  Anyone know of a good place in the Washington DC area?

      by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:16:06 PM PDT

      •  Best I can do

        Checkc out Yelp for DC restaurants.

        I've always found it helpful for Chciago.

        by PBnJ on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:23:40 PM PDT

  •  Stuffed Cabbage/Golabki

    The secret to making great golabki is tightly rolling the cabbage leaf after you stuff it. Tomato juice is traditional, but substituting V-8 will add just a little zip. The salt pork will help keep the rolls from burning.

    Filling

    1 pound ground beef
    3/4 pound ground pork
    1 cup uncooked converted rice
    1 onion, finely chopped
    1½ tablespoons butter
    6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
    1 egg
    2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
    salt and pepper

    Cabbage Leaves

    1 very large (or 2 medium) head(s) winter cabbage

    Sauce

    3 cups tomato or V-8 juice

    salt pork for cooking

    Place the rice in a small pot and cover with 2 cups of water. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Cool and drain off any water which has not absorbed.

    Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is slightly softened and lightly colored. Stir in the parsley and allow to cool.

    Combine the meat, egg, rice and onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

    Remove the cores of the cabbage(s) with a paring knife. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the cabbages, one at a time, for 5 minutes. Gently remove the cabbage and place in a colander. Spread a damp towel nearby. Pull off the cabbage leaves, one at a time.   Shave off the thick parts of the cabbage leaf stem for easier rolling. Place leaves in the damp towel and keep covered. Remove one by one as your are stuffing.

    Using your largest and nicest leaves, place about 1/3 cup of the filling inside on top of the stem. Roll over once and fold the side ends of the cabbage leaf in and finish rolling.

    Place enough thin slices of salt pork on the bottom of a large stove-top covered casserole to line the bottom. Place a layer of your remaining unfilled leaves on top of the salt pork. Place the rolls on top, packing rather tightly together. Pour the tomato juice over the rolls. Cover with any remaining cabbage leaves. Simmer, covered, using a very low heat, for about 2 hours. Check occasionally to make sure that the liquid does not completely evaporate. Add a little water if necessary to keep from burning.

    Be very careful removing the rolls from the pan. They will be very tender.

    Makes 20 - 24 rolls.

    by Cordelia Lear on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:17:55 PM PDT

    •  Oh thanks

      That looks similar to the recipe I use, but I never used salt pork.  I always use V8 and a mixture of pork and ground beef, but I like the mix you use, especially the garlic.  I'll have to bookmark this diary!

      by myrealname on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 08:12:14 PM PDT

    •  Yumm!

      Beef and pork? I have to try this one!

      by 1864 House on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 08:52:38 PM PDT

•  Madras chicken curry

  Fast, cheap, easy, and YUMMEH.

  3 lbs boneless chicken breast
  2 medium or 1 large onion
  1 tomato
  2 cups rice

  curry paste:
  1 can tomato paste
  2-3 heaping tablespoons curry powder
  2 tablespoons hot mustard (Kosckiusko is preferred)
  if more heat desired, a dash of cayenne pepper

  cube the chicken and slice the onion(s) and fry together. Usually the chicken grease is sufficient to oil the pan. When the onions are mostly cooked down, add the sliced tomato and curry paste to taste. The above curry paste recipe will give you about 3x what you need, so store the rest in a jar or tupperware until next time.

  Serve with a few slices of onion nan (heat for 1 minute in microwave) and bowls of your favorite pickle - mine is carrot.

  Drink with a heavily hopped India Pale Ale such as Brooklyn IPA, Heartland's Indiana Pale Ale, Victory's Hop Devil or Blue Point's Hoptical Illusion.

  Or if not in the mood for alcohol, have a mango lahsi:

  In a blender combine 2 parts mango pulp, 3 parts buttermilk and 1 part sugar. Add "lahsi masala" spice to taste, or make your own mix: cardamon, black pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Don't add salt to a mango flavored lahsi, but it goes well with the plain kind.

  by Randgrithr on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:06:28 PM PDT

  •  Your recipe sounds devine.

    Your sig line is spot on.  :)

    by panicbean on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:08:48 PM PDT

    •  Glad you like 'em! :) n/t

      by Randgrithr on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:12:07 PM PDT

  •  Yum!

    Sounds great!  A curry dish is always something different for dinner.  I used to shy away from them because I couldn't get the flavor right.  Turns out I was always using way, way too little curry powder.

    by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:15:49 PM PDT

    •  Ah

      After a while you figure out your personal taste ratios of tomato paste/mustard/powder by what color it looks like when it's all mixed up, and how much to add to the recipe by how deeply it colors the mix as well. At least, that's the way I do it.

      It's very much a matter of personal taste, but making one's own this way is much cheaper than buying pre-made pastes, and gives results that are more easily adjusted to personal taste.

      Sooner or later I have to figure out how to make my own carrot pickle. I love the Laxshmi brand, it's like crack, but they sell it in a store pretty far away from me so it's a pain to get it.

      by Randgrithr on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:25:12 PM PDT

      •  "Pickles"

        I lived in Nepal for a couple months, and we usually had a small scoop of "pickle" on the side.

        I liked to add a little to my dhal bhaat to add some flavor (our "chef" Laxsman definitely needed some cooking lessons).  There were a couple different types available in that area of Nepal, and I liked most of them.  The one exception was one made with a small, local plum.  I never acquired a taste for that one.

        by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:37:28 PM PDT

        •  Great Indian cooking blog

          Called Hooked On Heat - I've found some wonderful recipes.

          by 1864 House on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:48:41 PM PDT

  •  If the above is too difficult, try Shan masalas

    Most South Asian Americans rely on Shan masala and other such masala packages to get the perfect combination of spice flavoring.

    Each packet contains a mixture of spices specific to a single dish. The boxes are almost always less than $1.00 and usually last for a few uses (never add all the masala, even if it tells you). The more you add, the stronger the flavor (and the spicier).

    You can find them in every South Asian grocery store, and even in some big-box grocery retailers.

    by otheruser on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:59:13 PM PDT

    •  Thanks for the tip n/t

      by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:17:48 PM PDT

•  Here's my recipe

  Daddy Joe Beans
  1 lb small pink Calif beans
  1 left over ham with bone
  2 bay leaves
  1 large onion
  1 large clove garlic
  1/2 bottle ketchup (about 7 onces)
  2 tbls wine vinegar
  2 tbls worcestershire sauce
  1 teaspoon chopped parsley

  Cut as much meat off the bone as possible.  Put both beans and meat in a large kettle and cover with water 2-3 inches above beans.  Cook at medium boil& continue to add water while cooking.  Cook until meat falls off bone. (about two hours).  Add the bay leaves, peel and chop onion and garlic.  Saute both in a small amount of oil and add to beans.  Add remaining ingredients.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer about 30 minutes longer.  Note:  Do not soak beans before cooking them.  Recipe from 8/14/73.  Joe Grace

  This was my Step-grandfather, of Porteguese Descent.  If you make these beans and enjoy them as much as my family does, please feel free to e-mail me with your comments.

  by mlittlefeather on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:09:10 PM PDT

  •  You had me at...

    ...ham bone.

    Seriously, how can you go wrong with any dish that starts with a ham bone?

    Thank you for sharing.

    by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:18:01 PM PDT

•  ah childhood

  comfort food...my great uncle made a great cheese sandwich. My mother on the other hand was a horrible cook, really really bad, the only other person I ever met who was worse was her mother, my grandmother.

  An example of a family favorite would be homemade vegetable soup...fry one pound of ground beef, mix with one can of mixed vegetables and one can of water.

  I am the only person I know when the say they taught themselves how to cook, really means self-taught. The first time my husband asked for fried chicken and I told him sorry, no shake n bake and he told me he was pretty sure you used eggs and flour and fried it in grease, I thought he was crazy. That would be just awful!

  by housesella on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:12:12 PM PDT

  •  I laughed out loud at your comment.

    How funny.  Hopefully your husband came prepared to cook!

    pb

    by panicbean on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:19:28 PM PDT

    •  nope neither of us had a clue.

      It's a good thing I married the man with the stomach of steel.  After being given a cookbook by my 92 year old landlady my hubby had to really put up with some truely awful attempts.

      by housesella on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:25:01 PM PDT

      •  I feel for you. I'm useless in the kitchen, too

        on the other hand, I can eat most things.  Beggars can't be choosers!  Coming from a family of below average cooks has given me a stomach of steel.

        by YoyogiBear on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:24:10 PM PDT

  •  Too funny!

    My mom is a great cook, but the family recipes tend to be quite heavy and do not contain subtle flavors.  For health reasons, I had to learn a new way to cook.  I still try to make some of my favorites, but just not as good as mom's...probably because I try to substitute some healthier ingredients when I can.

    by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:20:48 PM PDT

  •  I learned to cook

    in self-defense. My mother was the world's worst cook. I am now, as modestly as I can say, a really good cook. My grandma was a great cook, and even though he died when I was just a baby, rumor has it my dad was also a great cook. So the genes must have kicked in.

    by 1864 House on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:50:49 PM PDT

    •  I love cookng now

      and again I'm lucky that the hubby and kids didn't mind my experiments.  Hubby loves food and appreciates when I try different types of food (took me a month to get Thai food down to good).  He is happy though I am over that whole tofu phase.  

      I also had to learn becase we were so poor.  No money for prepackaged food back when I was learning.

      by housesella on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:59:39 PM PDT

•  Swedish potato sausage - and I have yet to find

  any in AZ.  

  by BluejayRN on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:13:10 PM PDT

  •  Description?

    So what is in it?  Never heard of it before.

    by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:21:44 PM PDT

    •  Don't know - but you can eat some at

      Ann Sather's in Chicago. Really, really yummy.

      by 1864 House on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:54:30 PM PDT

      •  I love Ann Sather

        and I live around the corner.

        But I have to admit -- I'm a huge fan of everything except the potato sausage.

        :-/

        by PBnJ on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:12:48 PM PDT

•  New Orleans comfort food

  Red beans and rice or a muffuletta!  :-)

  by YatPundit on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:14:19 PM PDT

  •  one heck of a sandwich

    I tried one of those at a little shop in New Orleans a few years ago...the line went around the inside of the shop.  I had no clue what it was before then...I was told by a friend to order one when I was there.

    I was a little worried about the olive spread, but the nice woman behind me in line told me, "Oh, honey, it isn't a muffuletta unless you have that."  

    I took her word and it was wonderful.

    by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:24:58 PM PDT

    •  she was right!

      it's

      round Italian bread
      mortadella
      Genoa salami
      Parma ham
      Provolone
      Italian Olive Salad

      slice the round loaf in half length-wise and toast it.  Then layer the meats and cheese onto the bottom, topping them with the olive salad.  Put the top on and slice into quarters.

      If you can get all the other ingredients, you can get great olive salad mail-order from Progress Grocery

      by YatPundit on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:37:07 PM PDT

•  Best pork chops & rice evah

  Not super healthy, but yummy!

  For the pork chops:

  Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.  Pan fry in butter until browned.  Cover with Heinz chili sauce and brown sugar; cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

  We use boneless chops but really any would work.

  ---

  For the rice:

  1 c. Uncle Ben's converted rice
  1 can Campbell's Consumme Beef
  1 can Campbell's French Onion

  Mix these 3 ingredients into a casserole dish.  Cover the top with lots of thinly sliced butter pats, and cover that with sliced almonds.

  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

  I've not tried with brown rice but I'd like to know what I would need to change to make it come out the same!

  ---

  Sorry, no bonus points for me; every time I've made it, everyone has raved about it!

  :-) Mel

  by ClickerMel on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:17:25 PM PDT

  •  That recipe looks really good.

    I have copied it to my recipe file.  I am always looking for new ways to cook pork, the other white meat.  Thanks!

    by panicbean on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:21:09 PM PDT

    •  It's easy and delicious!!

      What with the butter, the condensed soups, the non-brown rice . . . not so healthy.  But so good we don't care!!

      And once you get the pork to the simmer point, you've got 45 minutes of free time until it's done!

      Comfort food it is.  Like the meatballs we had at my mom's over the holidays that we loved - another comfort food recipe.  Don't remember the measurements, but basically it consisted of chili sauce, grape jelly (mix and bring to boil) and meatballs (frozen, just drop in and cook until they are done, don't remember how long).  Freakin' outstanding.  Haven't made them myself yet though.

      :-) Mel

      by ClickerMel on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:03:06 PM PDT

      •  I have made that meatball recipe many a time

        for our Christmas buffet, and they are always a hit.  I also use the mini sausage links in it.  Just cook them first, then add them to the sauce just a few minutes before serving.  Another hit!  Both thighs!  :)

        by panicbean on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:06:51 PM PDT

      •  It wouldn't be Christmas without the meatballs.

        I mix 1 cup of grape jelly with a jar of chili sauce.  

        by myrealname on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 08:15:07 PM PDT

•  60s cooking

  I didn't really learn any old time family recipes.  My Irish grandma made 8 loaves of bread & 2 trays of rolls every Saturday and I have vivid memories of her handing me fat balls of dough to eat while she slapped the loaves into place and into their pans.  But she was stingy with her recipes.  My Mom (her daughter-in-law) claimed that Grandma left out an ingredient in every recipe she gave her.  So no one can duplicate her mustard pickles.

  My parents cooked what was popular.  They read the supermarket magazines -- Family Circle, Better Homes & Gardens, and Good Housekeeping -- and they made the popular dishes.  My grandma made sweet potatoes with mini marshmallows on top and I thought that was grand!

  Our most famous family recipe is Shrimp Dip, which we make in large quantities for holidays and serve with crackers and raw veggies.  It's one of those recipes that got passed around on index cards to lots of people in town.

  Shrimp Dip

  2 lbs. cooked shrimp, chopped
  8 8-oz. packages cream cheese
  1 onion chopped v. fine
  2/3 c. mayonnaise
  1/2 c. ketchup
  1/2 c. chili sauce
  1/2 c. French dressing
  1/2 c. horseradish
  2 T.  worcestershire sauce
  several dashes Tabasco sauce (to taste)
  salt & pepper

  Mix and allow to sit for at least 2 hours before serving.  All quantities can be modified depending on what you like best.  Better the next day!

  by hockeyrules on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:22:48 PM PDT

  •  sweet potatoes

    I can remember my grandmother would make a sweet potato dish with brown sugar glaze and a marshmallow topping.  She also sprinkled those little cinnamon Red Hots candies in the sweet potatoes.  My dad loved it...me, not so much.

    I think a number of family recipes these days are from the 50s and 60s when canned and pre-prepared foods became very popular.  There was an explosion of recipes to take advantage of these new products.

    How many recipes now start with "1 can of cream of mushroom soup"?

    by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:29:38 PM PDT

    •  I have the Campbell's cookbook

      in my collection, I have never really used it, but it is quite funny to read.  And amazing as to the many uses of their soups!  

      by panicbean on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:43:22 PM PDT

      •  I have the Family Circle Encyclopedia.....

        for nostalgia cooking.  My favorite recipe for believe it or not- hot dogs and beans in a Jello casserole.  

        My parents were both excellent cooks and passed it on to all of the kids.  I learned to bone a chicken breast and make a fine pie crust and biscuit at my mom and dad's instruction.

        This recipe is for my daughter who likes it so well.

        Apple Crisp

        Slice up and peel a lot of apples.  Golden Delicious are best but any kind will do.  I usually use about 3-6 pounds.  I use less if I make a shallow casserole with less apples and more if I make a deep casserole.  Add a lot of cinnamon to the apples- 2-4 tsps at least.  Add the juice of a lemon.  I tried an orange the other day and it was spectacular.  Sometimes I add a few tablespoons of real maple syrup or some bourbon as well and sometimes I add vanilla to the cinnamon instead of citrus.  Sometimes I add sugar to the apples, but lately I have been leaving it out for the Golden Delicious.

        Crisp topping.

        1 stick butter.
        1/2 cup flour
        1/2 cup brown sugar.  I tried the Brown sugar Splenda and it was great.
        1 cup oatmeal.
        1 tablespoon cinnamon.
        1/2 cups nuts (I like walnuts best in this).

        I mix the oats, sugar, flour, and butter together in a food processor.  As a kid we made the crumble with our fingers.  Then add nuts and cinnamon.  Spread this over the apples- you may need to make more crisp if you have a big shallow pan- but keep the proportions the same.

        Bake in a 350 degree oven until the apples soften and give up their juice and the crisp is crunchy.  This is a little over an hour with a deep dish and less with a shallow dish.  If the crisp is browning too much, cover it with foil for a while.

        Serve warm with vanilla or butter pecan ice cream.  My mom loved butter pecan so we had it often.  It is good with sugarfree vanilla or butterscotch pudding as a sauce too.

        I worked out the ww points for this and it was 5 points if you used 6 lb of apples and splenda- with 10 generous servings.  Plus all that lovely fruit.

        by murrayewv on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:07:10 PM PDT

        •  Oh.My.God.

          Hot dogs and beans in a Jello casserole.  Wow. Just wow.

          I do remember the green Jello molds with the "salad" in them.  I never understood that.  It looked like cole slaw suspended in green.

          by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:24:44 PM PDT

          •  yeah that is bad.....

            I have had that at potlucks.  Watch out for it.

            by murrayewv on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 11:03:43 PM PDT

    •  You don't need to write down a recipe that

      consists of 8 oz noodles, cooked, two cans tuna and one can cream of mushroom soup, but my kids love it and it is surprisingly comforting on a cold day. We call it "tuna noodle casserole" but it never sees a casserole dish or a broiler.

      by Wee Mama on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:40:18 PM PDT

      •  Yep

        Tuna casserole and Spanish rice got me through college while I was raising a family.  My kids groaned when I fixed that, but now Spanish rice is the ultimate comfort food for them, and my husband can eat the entire bowl of tuna casserole.

        by myrealname on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 08:18:17 PM PDT

        •  We get pretty fancy sometimes

          But when I make tuna-noodle casserole, Mr 1864 is happy. Ditto for hot dogs slit open with a slice of cheese wrapped in crescent rolls - I make those for him about once a year. I think it takes him back to childhood.

          by 1864 House on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 08:55:51 PM PDT

        •  What's your "recipe" for Spanish rice?

          by Wee Mama on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 09:02:55 PM PDT

      •  Fancy version: crumbled potato chips on top

        Mom only made the potato chip version when she had a little extra money!

        by hockeyrules on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 09:08:00 PM PDT

•  (Brown) Rice & (Red) Beans...

  I can eat that three meals a day for two months straight, and never get tired of it...

  Homemade Mac & Cheese and Mashed Potatoes (with massive amounts of garlic...) is another great one...

  Family favorites?  Anything Polish.  As a matter of fact, this diary is making me want to take a flight back to Jersey, just to eat at a real Polish deli in Passaic or Wallington or Linden again...there are so many things that my grandmother used to make (recipes lost forever, I've gotta figure out how to recreate them...) that I can't even remember what half of them were called now.  It's amazing how many things you can do with butter, potatoes and onions...

  :)

  The other half of my family is Irish...I have only one word -

  cal ceannan!

  And Stuffed Cabbage, Coddle...

  ...............

  I'm now a vegetarian living in Portland, Oregon...which is probably the best place in the world to be for that, but ethnic food is sorely lacking out here.

  I would give anything right now for some real Italian food, or a real Polish Deli...

  by Hardhat Democrat on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:45:32 PM PDT

  •  recipe?

    could you describe how you prepare the red beans and rice?  mine are boring...

    by indybend on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:50:44 PM PDT

    •  Actually, I pretty much 'wing it' every time...

      and just throw new stuff in to try it out.

      The basics are dry (long-grain) brown rice cooked in a pot with a tight lid with either vegetable stock or water (when I use water, I pour in a little dark beer (usually a stout) for extra flavor), 1.5 cups of liquid for every cup of dry rice...

      I put the rice in the pot with a tablespoon of olive oil and some pepper and minced garlic on medium heat for about 5 minutes, toss it around a bit to make sure that the oil coats the rice...then add the stock / water and turn the heat to high, as soon as it boils stir once and cover it immediately...reduce the heat to simmer, then let it cook for 25 minutes.  Take it off the heat but leave the lid on and let it sit for another 15 minutes, and then I add the beans (canned Eden Organic pre-cooked beans in the winter, but I try to use fresh shell beans or cooked dry beans the rest of the year when I can get them at the Farmers Market...it came out fantastic with fresh cranberry beans the one time I tried it earlier this year) and whatever else I feel like adding at the time.

      Experiment!  That's the key, in my opinion...

      Sometimes I add fresh sliced mushrooms (chanterelle, cremini, whatever...) with the dry rice before I add the stock / water; sometimes I throw in wilted chard or onions or leeks...or red bell peppers or cucumber during the summer, sometimes I add crumbled feta or another cheese on top after it's done...cumin works well, too...I'd sprinkle that in with the dry rice before I add the stock.  I'm a vegetarian, but bacon / pancetta also goes well with it if you're so inclined.  Parsley and chives are another idea...

      So many things you can do with it!

      by Hardhat Democrat on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:20:22 PM PDT

      •  Thanks!

        That gives me some ideas - I like to experiment but this gives me some directions to go.   Beer - I never would have thought of that!  :-D

        by indybend on Mon Jan 07, 2008 at 04:20:43 AM PDT

  •  garlic mashed potatoes

    I remember the first time I heard of garlic mashed potatoes...I thought "You can put garlic in them?!?"

    I sometimes do that now, but usually keep it like mom's recipe (but without the whole milk)

    You know, when you said cabbage it reminded me that I did not start off the new year with corned beef and fried cabbage to insure good luck.  Darn...too late now.

    by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:55:14 PM PDT

•  Mine is easy.

  It is a fall salad.

  Shave (on a mandolin if possible, otherwise cut) some fennel bulb.  Then shave some red onion.

  Then toss the two with arugula and then add a couple spoonsful of olive oil, and the squirt of a coupla lemons.

  Add shaved pear and/or persimmon for fun.

  by busternjake on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 06:57:23 PM PDT

•  Rum "flavoring"

  Oh, this simply shall not do. Rum "flavoring?" Where's the fun in that?

  by PerfectStormer on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:29:55 PM PDT

  •  I know.

    I think someone in the family tried it with actual rum once...the results were not great.  I think the imitation flavoring is concentrated enough to impart the raisins with enough flavor.

    by Mote Dai on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:39:30 PM PDT

•  Scottish Shortbread

  Scottish shortbread. My Mom used to make up a batch for my brothers and sisters and I every winter in this beat-up, 9x9 aluminum pan. We'd come in from sledding and there would be this warm pan waiting for us on the kitchen counter and we'd eagerly divy up the slices between us. A lot of butter, brown sugar and love went into that battered old pan!

  by Trixie on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:41:27 PM PDT

  •  My mother's side of the family

    is from Scotland, and she made Scotch shortbread often.  Honestly, though, I make it better.  I think her oven wasn't very good, because hers was too dry and a tad tasteless.  Made right, it melts in your mouth.

    by myrealname on Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 08:22:20 PM PDT