Remembering Grandma's Cooking

[Steve Kroll]

Steve, both my paternal grandmother and grandfather died before I was born, as well as my maternal grandfather. My maternal grandmother was born in 1893 and passed in 1977. She was German and the dish I remember most and asked for quite often was her sauerbraten and potato dumplings (kartoffelkloesse).

Sauerbraten was the meal I always requested for my birthday dinner. I was kind of a strange child, I guess.

My grandmother wasn't real big on potatoes for some reason. Maybe she had too many of them growing up. I don't know. She usually served spätzle with her sauerbraten, although sometimes we just had mashed rutabagas or turnips. Probably not traditional, but tasty with the sauerbraten gravy spooned over the top.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

they sell. hot dogs in a chinese restaurant?

They also made a kick butt American Breakfast. Most people went there for the Chinese food, but they had an "American" menu and kids menu, too. Life in a small town.

 

[Mad Cook]

Paternal grandmother - not badly off financially but not a good general cook. If dinner was required at 1pm everything (and I mean EVERYTHING, including the vegetables) had to be cooking by 11am.However, her pastry was very good and she made a mean chocolate cake

Maternal grandmother - Very little money (sickly husband never worked regularly from the mid 1920s until his early death) 5 children, with 3 still at home when husband died to bring up. She had been a teacher but in the 1920s and 30s in England married women were not allowed to teach but with a sick husband and 3 school-age children she probably wouldn't have been able to anyway. She was a brilliant cook. Could make a banquet out of nothing. She was a farmer's daughter which probably helped. She made a Tourtiere (a Canadian meat pie) to die for (My g/father had gone to Canada before WWI to take some horses over and probably brought the recipe home with him.) Sadly, I never thought to ask for the recipe.

 

[CharlieD]

Interesting story. With my two grandmothers it was the opposite, the one that kept kosher, was an amazing, cook, inventive, creative, she could make things nobody could. Her blintzes were absolutely the best ever. I still remember the taste when I close my eyes. The dough was paper thin and the filling was pretty large. From the same recipe I can only make half as many crepes.
On the other hand, the grandma that did not keep kosher was, how do I say it politely, well she knew how to can really yummy plums, that is about it.

 

[buckytom]

chuck d., do you know of a dessert (that we used to call blueberry glue balls) that might be considered kosher?

my high school gf kept kosher along with her family, who incidentally owned a kosher mests company. it was abeles and heymann kosher meats.

her mom made this amazingly delicious dessert that was a sort of sticky or goey ball of something, probably some kind of dough or pastry, that was then smothered in a blueberry syrup and fresh blueberries?

i know this is like being in a foreign country and some says, " you're from america. do you know a guy named mike?" but i figured i'd take a shot.

thanks either way.

now get back to cooking for the masses.

 

[CharlieD]

were they covered in honey?

 

[buckytom]

no, it was more of blueberry syrup with fresh or macerated blueberries in it.

 

[CharlieD]

the only ball dessert I can think of is this, but it is neither pastry, nor blueberry syrup,

Teiglach - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

 

[buckytom]

hmm, that might have been what was underneath.

thanks.

btw, do you know moishe?

j/k.

 

[CharlieD]

moishe, who?

 

[buckytom]

lol, i'm just goofing around.

because you ard jewish, i was being ignorant as if you knew all jews.

yeah, it's not so funny when explained.

 

[larry_stewart]

My wifes ex-boss, had a Parrot named Moishe, who spoke Hebrew. So, I do know someone named moishe , ( and I know a Mike too lol )

 

[buckytom]

lol.

 

[Shanrock]

My Grandmother Barbara, who I"m lucky to say is still with us but nearing 90, makes the best chili and hamburger stew. As a matter of fact, all of her stew type dishes were to die for. Maybe because her mother came from Ireland and they used lots of large veggies in stews, but they were all amazing. When I walked into her house and took a whiff and then see a big pot on the stove my mouth waters! For that reason, big stews are my "go to" for an easy, throw whatever you got, type meal any time of the week. IT also goes a long with with lots of left overs.

 

[Addie]

My Grandmother Barbara, who I"m lucky to say is still with us but nearing 90, makes the best chili and hamburger stew. As a matter of fact, all of her stew type dishes were to die for. Maybe because her mother came from Ireland and they used lots of large veggies in stews, but they were all amazing. When I walked into her house and took a whiff and then see a big pot on the stove my mouth waters! For that reason, big stews are my "go to" for an easy, throw whatever you got, type meal any time of the week. IT also goes a long with with lots of left overs.

I used to make a hamburger soup for my kids. But I have forgotten the recipe. The kids loved it. And the perfect time of year is coming upon us.

Welcome to DC.

 

[CharlieD]

lol, i'm just goofing around.

because you ard jewish, i was being ignorant as if you knew all jews.

yeah, it's not so funny when explained.

Gotcha. Every Russian person my MIL meats, she asks if they know me, even though we might be from completely different end of the Soviet Union.

 

[Addie]

Gotcha. Every Russian person my MIL meats, she asks if they know me, even though we might be from completely different end of the Soviet Union.

Sounds like she is ready to extoll all of your virtues or is looking for some juicy dirt about you.

 

[RPCookin]

My mom's mother was not a particularly good cook. She was raised in a wealthy family and didn't even learn to boil water until she got married. My grandfather actually taught her how to cook, although I'm not sure why he knew how. It was pretty unusual back then for men to do much in the kitchen.

I didn't know my paternal grandmother well, although I loved spending time at her house, right on the lake in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin. We always ate well there, but I have few memories of what we ate. However, my Aunt Myrle, (paternal Uncle Irwin's wife), was a great cook, did a lot of canning, made jams and jellies, and it was always a treat to visit them. I spent the summer after 5th grade with them in Greybull, Wyoming and that was an adventure for a Minnesota kid in 1956. The one thing I remember best from that time was her BLT sandwiches. I loved BLT's (still do). but she added a flavor step that I've never seen anyone else do, and that was to wilt the lettuce in the bacon fat immediately before putting it on the sandwich. Just a small thing, but that memory has stayed with me for almost 60 years.

 

[bakechef]

My Nana, was of French Canadian descent, her parents immigrated here. She cooked a lot of pork dishes, roast pork, pork pie, cretons (pork pate spread) etc. Her dishes were all economical, she was one of 11 children and her mom died when she was young, so she had to learn to cook cheaply for her big family. She often fell asleep while cooking especially baking something like Lasagna, so it would always have burned edges. She spoiled me with food. She also made raisin cookies, and I remember being fooled thinking that they were chocolate chip more than once!

My other grandmother, Gigi, was a much more exotic cook. She was the type that would try interesting recipes that she found in magazines and newspaper. As kids this didn't always go over very well! Believe it or not, the favorite thing that she made for us was poached eggs on buttered toast. She had this old egg poaching pan with triangle shaped inserts in it. She would butter the toast with such gusto that she'd end up buttering her hand in the process. She'd serve this with Sizzlean, anyone remember this stuff? Gigi is still alive she's in a nursing home, a really good one, but Alzheimers is taking its toll. I still make egg on toast to this day.

 

[Addie]

I think over the years I have been building food memories for my own grandchildren. Every holiday I make something very special for the holiday meal. A chocolate chips cheesecake for my daughter's son. His birthday is in January, and it is his Christmas/Birthday cake. I used to make a 7" one just for him. Now I make the big one so he has to share it with the whole family. For my granddaughter, she gets a pineapple upside down cake. I use the juice from the can of rings in the cake. She absolutely raves about it for months on end. I also taught my grandson when he was about six, how to eat long spaghetti with a fork. He tells everyone about it to this day. "My grandmother taught me the easy and proper way to eat pasta." Peanut butter cookies are another favorite among the g'kids. No matter how many I make, it is never enough. Pumpkin cookies with cranberries is another favorite. This Thanksgiving it will be the pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap cookie crust.

I have always told my kids that their first job with raising kids is to keep them safe, teach them right from wrong and to build happy memories for them. I think I have done that. And from these stories, a lot of other grandparents over the years past have done so also.