If Your Grandmother could cook you a meal ...

[kadesma]

My mom, liked eating out, cooking it however fell to her til I got big enough to say I'll do it at about 9 years old..Then dad was happy and so was mom..I learned a lot from both grandma's and from one grandpa..My dad's mom, taught me to never cook one of my kids pets, she is the reason I do NOT eat DUCK, although til she cooked my pet I loved her duck in wine..So now for me it's chicken in wine my other gram, let gramps do most of the cooking, he palled around with all the Italian folks on his beer route and they were continually giving him birds to make sauce with,giving him fresh herbs, homemade pasta dough and then taught him how to make it..This I just loved to sit in the kitchen and watch him go..I picked up a lot there..The dunking of a nice piece of Italian bread into the simmering gravy yummm, the smells,tastes of the homemade goodies..My grandmothers both were fantastic with desserts..One was a whiz at pies, apple,berry, apricot,peach all from the garden, the other could set your mouth watering with her cookies and candy..
I miss them both and my grandpa and his gravy and bread..He also made his own sauerkraut,huge dill pickles,had a large garden, with you name and it was there...I can't remember ever bying corn, potatoes,tomatoes,beans from the store..I think all we ever went for was milk and bread, the rest we had at home...

kadesma

 

[Fisher's Mom]

My maternal grandmother made biscuits from scratch for every meal - she never bought bread. They were heavenly. She also always had a garden so she canned for the winter months. She made fig preserves that turned the biscuits into dessert! She also made some excellent fried chicken, rice and gravy. But my favorite food memory from her table is the thick, juicy slices of her just-picked tomatoes. Best thing in the world. My paternal grandmother was born in 1886 (she had my dad at 45). She came to live with us when I was 11 and didn't cook at our house so I have no idea if she was a good cook or not. I suspect she wasn't, but I adored her! She died when I was 19 but I miss her to this day - she was so much fun!

 

[elaine l]

My grandmother (just passed away a year ago at 94) was never known for her great cooking skills. That was left up to my grandfather. However, she did make a great butterscotch pie.

 

[licia]

My maternal grandmother was a great cook and everything she made seemed to be her specialty. She made typically Southern food - Fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, chicken and rice, pot roast, baked ham - the worlds best macaroni and cheese (more cheese than macaroni) biscuits, corn bread that was even good cold - lots of crusts on it. She made a berry dish that I've never seen anyone else make. She cooked blackberries, blueberries, or even peaches til tender. Then she'd put a layer of the fruit, one of the dumpling (long strips of dough, not drop dough)another layer of fruit and another of dumpling until the dish was filled - then sugar sprinkled on the top of the last row of dumplings and baked. She would serve it with cream that she had skimmed off the top of the milk. I never at anything at her house that wasn't the best. One of the best things she did was teach her daughters and sons to cook like she did.

 

[Constance]

That's an easy one...beef pot roast with potatoes, carrots and gravy, green beans, dinner rolls made with potatoes, and apple pie.

 

[KitchenScrapbook]

My paternal Grandma always says, "Come for lunch, I won't go to much bother." Then we go and it's the whole 9 yards! She does NOT know how to make a meal with only 4 different dishes. A wonderful cook, esp pies! She has always said that she'd rather make a pie than eat it. I'd take one of her brown sugar pies right now!!!!

 

[jkath]

What a great thread, Bob!
My maternal Grandma could make anything yummy, but she really loved sugar. I think I inherited that gene

I'd have Grandma's boysenberry cobbler, still hot with vanilla ice cream on top, and of course her infamous Monster cookies (which I make at least 2x each month). Then I'd have some figs from her tree she had, cut up, in a bowl with heavy cream & sugar sprinkled on top.
I sure miss Grandma!
I also had "Busia", my Dad's mom. She was from Poland & apparently I spoke polish with her. Anyway, she taught my mom different cooking ideas than those she'd grown up with in SoCal. So, even though my Busia didn't live long into my childhood, her food lived on.

 

[Constance]

Chicken and home made noodles. With just a sprinkle of nutmeg over each bowl.

****, I want that for dinner tonight.

Come on over. You may have to help me roll'em out, though.

 

[~emz~]

My mom's mom would have to be either her fried chicken or chili with water chesnuts. Yes I know it's odd. The first time she mistook them for button mushrooms, and has never cooked chili without them again.
My dad's mom...oh how will I pick? Definitely cabbage rolls. I'm so glad she taught me how. Except her recipe is "a dash of this and a little bit of that". But I love her roast chicken with mashed potatoes and cucumber salad and homemade pickles and stuffing. But I also love her sauerkraut and sausage and perogies. And I love her roast pork with apple sauce. I can't really pick a winner. Except my favourite meal would have to include cabbage rolls!

 

[CanadianMeg]

My grandmother passed away just before my 12th birthday and to this day I miss her terribly. I would love to be at her kitchen table just once more for roast beef with potatoes and carrots (both cooked in the roaster with the beef; I can't replicate it although I've tried) and lots of tea!

 

[Bilby]

My paternal grandmother lived in England and I only remember her cooking on one occasion when she came out for a visit and then she only made latkes. They were stodgy and we had dozens of them. I was 8 and then there was my 18 year old brother, mum, dad and Nanna. That's why Nanna never cooked when she visited. Mum wouldn't let her near the kitchen ever again.

My maternal grandmother lived in Perth, and while I know I stayed with her for a fortnight once, I have very little memory of eating much beside eggs. I know we had fish and chips from the shop once too. The only other meals Nanny cooked were the Sunday roast. We didn't go every Sunday, and never when it was pork (cos we don't eat pork) and chicken (cos it would have meant Nanny buying more chickens), only when it was beef or lamb. So the meal I most associate with Nanny is roast lamb (not a roast beef fan so I have blocked those meals out!!) with batter pudding, various veges (usually carrots, potatoes, beans and peas - although I am sure some of the coloured veges did vary) and thick gravy. There was often an apple pie, fruit salad and icecream for dessert, oh and cake, but it is that roast lamb dinner that I remember fondly. It was the only time I ever got thick gravy too as mum and dad couldn't stand it so it never appeared in our house except by accident!

This meal was also a big family affair as often all four daughters and their families would put in an appearance, but there would always be a minimum of two of the daughters.

 

[YT2095]

Rabbit Stew, it was Great! and I`v not had any now for over 25 years

 

[licia]

I forgot to mention my paternal grandmother. She was a widow at 29 with 6 children - the oldest 9 years old. She had to go to work to support the family (no help of any kind for widows and orphans) and to keep her family together. She wasn't a great cook and even ate sparingly. We took turns spending the night with her in a house my dad built for her on our property. I remember cornmeal pancakes, fried eggs, thick bacon and lots of black coffee - and she let me drink my coffee like that. She also made one kind of cake - a cake of several thin layers with jelly between the layers and frosting and coconut on top - not one I like. I was her favorite grandchild, but she could not cook a really good meal.

 

[auntdot]

Uncle Bob, I envy you. Never had a grandmum like yours.

My father's mother died years before I was born, was from all reports a good woman but alas, if she could cook, I have no idea.

How my mom was such a wonderful person with the mother she had amazes me. The crone took to her bed and would not budge. My aunt took care of her for years.

She was not ill, although she always said she was. As a kid I remember seeing her up and about when she thought no one was there. Kids sometimes have a window into life we adults lack. But when everyone was at home she was ailing in bed.

Yeesh. She died when I was twelve. I suspect out of sheer orneryness.

Glad you have such wonderful memories of your grandma. But if you want to pass on any recipes from your grandmama would appreciate them.

God bless.

 

[licia]

Aunt Dot, my grandfather was like that. He always said he had a headache or something else that made everyone kowtow to him. Strange thing, when he was really sick, no body believed him until it was too late. Everyone thought he was still crying wolf.

 

[LPBeier]

I don't remember much about my Maternal Irish "Nanny" in the way of cooking for us, but I do remember her spending summers with us and sending me out in the middle of afternoon heat to pick raspberries for her....it took me years to look at another raspberry! But thinking about it BuckyTom, I would rather have raspberries than a hair ball !

But my paternal "GrandMom" - there is so much to choose from, but I would have to say sandwiches made from her homemade ham loaf (ground ham made into something similar to meat loaf, and put between ultra thin slices of white and whole wheat breads (one of each). She would serve it with the best oven fries I can ever remember having and often we would make a "turkish delight" candy together. Sadly there are no recipes for any of her concoctions but I do have the memories.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

My Grandmother wasn't the cook of the house. My grandpa was. He and my dad were my inspiration for creating my pancake recipe. I'd be over at the house, staying overnight and my granparents. I'd wake up and they asked what I wanted for breakfast. That was my favorite meal at Grandpa's because they really spoiled me. I was such a skinny kid and they were always trying to "fatten" me up, which they couldn't do at that time.

First came either a bowl of oatmeal, or some Honey Crisp cereal, or once in a while, a bowl of milk with bread and sugar in it. Then, 2 poached eggs, made of course in the poaching pan, floating in the little cups that had been well buttered, with a soft, runny yolk, on top of toast. This was then followed by either pancakes (usually the case), or sometimes home made waffles (no store-bought stuff back then, thankfully), with real maple syrup and fried sausage patties. Finally, a tall, cold glass of milk, from a real glass. And the milk was delivered by a local dairy, with the cream floating on top.

Wow that was a great meal for a ten year old hyper active boy. It kept me going clear through unitl lunhc time.

Seeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Alix]

My mom's mom would have to be either her fried chicken or chili with water chesnuts. Yes I know it's odd. The first time she mistook them for button mushrooms, and has never cooked chili without them again.
My dad's mom...oh how will I pick? Definitely cabbage rolls. I'm so glad she taught me how. Except her recipe is "a dash of this and a little bit of that". But I love her roast chicken with mashed potatoes and cucumber salad and homemade pickles and stuffing. But I also love her sauerkraut and sausage and perogies. And I love her roast pork with apple sauce. I can't really pick a winner. Except my favourite meal would have to include cabbage rolls!

Um...chili with WATER CHESTNUTS? You've got to be kidding me. That sounds really weird. Is it just regular chili with a can of whole water chestnuts?

 

[Robo410]

Gramma was an off the boat Swede who lived in Vancouver British Columbia. Whole salmon stuffed with curried shrimp dressing roasted !!! Sour cream dill sauce on the side.

 

[abjcooking]

I remember my grandmother getting up around 5 in the morning to cook a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, the works. She was a morning person and would love getting in the kitchen in the morning and she would whistle while cooking. Unfortunately I was a night person, but would make myself get up early to go eat breakfast with her, then go back to sleep She was from Louisisna and loved cooking casseroles and fruit and jellow type salads.