What food evokes memories?

[Becky in Wisconsin]

Do you have any foods that evoke memories of childhood? Preferably good memories.

For me, I make a soup at my shop and I call it "Mom's Vegetable", but it is actually more associated with my father. It is my Mom's recipe, but he always was the one to make it. He would start out making a "small" batch of this soup, start in the smallest kettle in the house, and ended up with enough soup to fill the largest kettle, sometimes 2 kettles. LOL Simple soup, he would use short ribs, and a soup bone. Cook that. Then WE would grind all the veggies in an old fashioned hand grinder that you would clamp on to the side of the table - before food processors. He would put in carrots, rutabagas, turnips, parsnips and cabbbage. My most favorite soup I make at my shop. Maybe because of the memory for me attached to it, but it is also good. I guess there are lots of other ones, but feeling a little nostalgic and missing my "dadda", a little right now. He's been gone 25 years, and it feels like yesterday sometimes. Sorry, getting weepy here, now. I'm such a sap............

[K9 Owned]

Aw..hugs Becky!

A few come to mind.
Mum serving me Soft Boiled eggs with toast soldiers followed by ice cream when I was sick. (I had tonsil issues for years until they yanked the suckers)
I was allowed to eat sitting up in bed

The other two were memories of my Dad. He grew up in India and loved to cook. I remember him sitting at the kitchen table slicing and dicing and then at the stove browning, stirring until wonderful aromas filled the house. My two favorite meals then were Indian or Indian/English. One we called Lamb Pilau which my parents ate with raita and curry. We kids had it with raita. The other was Muligatawny - a vastly different dish from any of the Mulligatawny recipes I have seen since - this did NOT have apples and was more of a mild to medium curry served over rice.

I got the recipe from my Mum years ago and should post it so I don't lose it. He has been gone many years now.

[Zeldaz]

Apple pie, the first cooking memory I have. Awed at how my mother turned plain old apples and flour into such a magical thing. Stewed chicken made from tough old hens. An incredible meal of grilled fresh-caught brook trout eaten with white bread, butter, and dill pickles.

[Recipe Reader]

I'm reminded of being at my grandmother's house when I have macaroni cheese with a little black pepper over the top. That's how she served it.
As soon as I smell it, those memories wash over me.

[Stella Mae]

My grandmother's southern chicken and dumplings. She always boiled a whole chicken in marvelous seasonings, celery, carrots and onion. When the chicken was cooked, the chicken was lifted out and the broth was drained to get rid of the vegetables. (Those limp suckers were saved for other dishes.) The chicken was then picked, and the broth put in the fridge so the fat could rise to the top.

Next day, the broth is ready, and chicken pieces were added to the broth when it came to the simmer. Then, my grandmother made strip dumplings -- not blobs of dough -- and she gingerly dropped the dumplings into the boiling stew. Cooked, till done and served with homemade biscuits.

Oh my!

[:(]

When I was real little, the first time my aunt Nora came toi visit she made pancakes for the kids. Thick as a brick and as big as a dinner plate, I couldn't eat it all.
And house policy was that you sat there with your mouth shut, no complaining, and no getting up from the table until you finished.
I was scared I was going to have to stay there from then on out.

[racrgal]

Homemade egg noodles and cornbread dressing remind me of my Gma. Her noodles were THE BEST!

[MaMere]

"Pie Crust Cookies" that my Mom would make with leftover pie crust dough, she would cut out, sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar, bake and then serve warm.
Homemade Bread, because from the youngest I can remember, she would give me a loaf to "knead" and then bake it for me, in the tiniest little loaf pan ever. I would be so proud to serve that to my Dad.
Graham crackers with homemade frosting in the middle!
Those were such happy times, being in the kitchen with Ma Mere, I miss her so much.

[SarasotaCook]

MM, Pie Crust Cookies for me as well. Grandma and me made them all the time.

Kraft Mac and Cheese and Toasted Peanut Butter Sandwiches; had that at Grandmas house for lunch almost every day during school. I walked there for lunch every day

And the jello that separated into 3 pretty layers

[Dib's]

Pie Crust Cookies but with Jam. My GM and Mom would make them for me, I made them for my girls.

I can't make a turkey without thinking of my Grandma Brown.

When I'm served tea in a teacup on a saucer. My Nana would let me sip mine from the saucer.

Meatloaf and Spam.

[Dib's]

SarasotaCook wrote:


And the jello that separated into 3 pretty layers

Jello 1-2-3

Jell-O 1-2-3 Dessert

[Stella Mae]

Speaking of jello -- I'm not sure I can replicate this, but my mother's friend used to make orange jello in a glass loaf pan. She'd let the jello get to the consistency of just beginning to set, and then she'd mix in walnuts and mandarin orange slices. The walnuts and orange slices were dispersed through the jello in this way. Then, she'd dish out servings and put a big glop of dream whip on top! I have always remembered this simple dessert/snack and how good it was.

[Zeldaz]

Stella Mae, you reminded me of my Grammy Evie's special jello salad. She put in shredded carrots and prunes (yup) and put a big dollop of Miracle Whip (yuck) on top! I've never seen that since. We actually ate the stuff.

[HalfBakedCappy]

Grandma #1 - pie crust cookies and she made the best homemade apple butter.

Grandma#2 - Every year for my birthday she made me an angel food cake with the glaze type frosting. She flavored the frosting with orange Kool-Aid. This grandma drank Sanka coffee. If I spent the night with her she would make me Cream of Celery soup. Whenever I smell Sanka or that soup I think of her.

Mom - Fried chicken. I make good fried chicken, but it doesn't taste like hers. In the summer time a big platter of sliced tomatoes to go with the chicken. Her roast beef gravy. Her dinner rolls. When I was sick she would make me soft boiled eggs and toast, along with hot tea in a Kitty tea pot (which I still have).

This is making me miss my mommy.

[Dib's]

HalfBakedCappy wrote:
Grandma #1 - pie crust cookies and she made the best homemade apple butter.

Grandma#2 - Every year for my birthday she made me an angel food cake with the glaze type frosting. She flavored the frosting with orange Kool-Aid. This grandma drank Sanka coffee. If I spent the night with her she would make me Cream of Celery soup. Whenever I smell Sanka or that soup I think of her.

Mom - Fried chicken. I make good fried chicken, but it doesn't taste like hers. In the summer time a big platter of sliced tomatoes to go with the chicken. Her roast beef gravy. Her dinner rolls. When I was sick she would make me soft boiled eggs and toast, along with hot tea in a Kitty tea pot (which I still have).

This is making me miss my mommy.