Food from your Childhood
 

For me, there is one really simple dish I remember from being a kid, which still makes me happy to this day.

When I was little, my mom used to make me a kid's version of spaghetti carbonara - because she thought the bacon and cream were too heavy for me. It's really easy to make but tastes great.

My mom boils some spaghetti, then when it's cooked she chops it into smaller (2 inch) pieces with a cleaver. She then pops it back into the hot pan and adds a little butter. Aside, she chops up some ham into 1/4 inch pieces (not cubes, slightly thick slices chopped into squares) then adds it to the pan, stirring. She mixes two eggs with some grated parmesan, salt and pepper. Drops them in the pan and stirs constantly until the egg is slightly cooked (some bits appear), but not dry. Add salt an pepper to the pan to taste. That's it!

Sometimes I make it for myself too. Always comes out well. Creamy yummy goodness :)

A pan fried burger with boiled white rice, and creamy carrot soup, also remind me of my gran, who used to make them for me.

What food do you remember from when you were little?

Is there any particular dish you remember your mother, father, grandmother making that brings back memories?

Do they still make it for you? Do you make it for yourself?

ive posted about my fav dish before.

"macaroona b'laban" in lebanese - literally its "spagetti in yogurt"

dad used to make it when we were younger. it was easy to make, and was quick and filling.

when i tell people these days about it, they think its weird, but i havent met anyone who doesnt like it..except maybe ktspktsp!

its spagetti in yogurt with ground garlic mixed trough,fine minced beef and panfried pine nuts, salt and pepper. easy!

ive been making it ever since i left home, and ive mastered the art of it. dad would be proud. i made some last night..usually i make a lot of it so i can have it the next day too...im so hungry again

Oh, man! Don't get me started...

...chicken & sausage gumbo

...crawfish etoufee (the best made by my ex-wife's Cajun aunt; and, yes, my ex-wife was a Cajun, too)

...boiled crawfish

...red beans & rice, New Orleans style (though Popeye's makes an okay substitute)

...seafood jambalaya

Since I moved over a thousand miles away, 15 years ago, from where where I grew up (i.e. south Louisiana), I hardly ever get any Cajun/Creole food; and when I do, it usually isn't done right. (I once ate in a self-proclaimed Cajun restaurant, here up north, that served crawfish etoufee on "dirty" rice. WTF? But even on plain white rice, it wouldn't have been all that great.) My 2nd wife has tried cooking some for me, but she just can't get it right; and furthermore, she finds it more labor intensive than she thinks it's worth. And me, I have no knack for cooking.

It's actually a more authentic version. Carbonara is an egg sauce, not a cream sauce.

I miss my mom's clam chowder and Dad's grilled cheese sandwiches.

Sure, clam chowder is easy to come by--restaurants have it on the soup menu every Friday--but it's not Mom's.

And I could make my own grilled cheese...but it never tastes the same as when Dad makes it.

I also really miss my dad's tacos. We used to have a Taco Night every couple weeks when I was growing up. Dad would serve up all the tacos we could eat, plus all the fixins'.

And meatloaf. My meatloaf, actually. Meatloaf is the first recipe I learned to make on my own. While my first meatloaf was a gray, jiggly failure, subsequent meatloafs have been juicy and delicious. It's one of my dad's favorite foods and was always a popular dish in our house growing up. I probably cooked a meatloaf a month from age 6 to age 18. But obviously, since my guy is a vegetarian, I don't get to make meatloaf anymore.

I could go on and on about the foods I miss from childhood. Both of my parents are good cooks, each with their specialties, and I miss a lot of those specialties--Mom's pork chops, Mom's lasagna, Mom's spaghetti, Dad's pancakes, Dad's breakfasts in general...

One thing from childhood that I'd NEVER eat again is a bologna sandwich on Wonder bread with Miracle Whip, complete with Kraft Single. GROSS. Could we possibly fit more artificial food products onto a sandwich? I think the most natural thing in that combo might be the bologna, which is just sad.

Fried potatoes....no one makes 'em like Mom. I don't eat them now because I'm trying to eat healthier, but I do miss them sometimes.

well, aside from the obvious peanut butter and honey with the crusts cut off...


Great Grandma used to make Puddin' in a cloud. Blop of cool whip. Blop of pudding. Another blop of cool whip. Crap food but the primary ingredient was sugar and therefore I thought it was the greatest thing ever.

My mom would tell you that she's not that good of a cook, and now that she's getting on in years, she hardly does any cooking anymore. Also she barely remembers cooking some of my favorite things. One thing is for sure, she always made things from scratch, never bought any of those sauce mixes or "instant" anything. (with the exception of minute rice and spaghetti sauce).

Some of the ones I remember are...

Beef Stroganoff - she made it with meatballs rather than steak.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Cabbage Rolls - same filling as the stroganoff meatballs I think.

Pot Roast & Veggies - cooked in a dutch oven, the best part of that dish were the potatoes that were cooked right in the drippings from the beef - DROOL!

Her meatloaf was pretty good, but my father-in-law's is better. We just had it last week, yum.

Anything my dad did on the grill.

He also made his own Buffalo wings... The one's I make now are better but I do miss his.



Luckily I still get to eat all the amazing food my grandparents make.

My grams used to make these awesome shredded chicken or beef burritos. The meat and cheddar cheese would go in a tortilla and she would cook them in a skillet with some butter until the tortilla was crispy.