Food of you Area and/or Childhood!

[RobinStarwing]

I was thinking, what are the foods we associate with our families or the areas we live in?

For me, it's Lefsa (Potato Flatbread), and hotdishes of all varieties. I know a big one for me is goulash (hamburger, tomato soup, elbow mac, celery, onions cooked and mixed together than served with either a piece of buttered bread or a pickle).

So, what do you all remember and associate with your times growing up or area/family?

[Magus]

Unfortunately our family didn't have any ethnic background to call upon for particular foods, we were as likely to eat goulash as tacos. Sounds like your parents had a better idea of what specifically goes into goulash, though, since mine used stewed tomatoes instead of tomato soup, and it was never served with pickles...

My mother always made her own pizza, though. Crust and everything from scratch, homemade sauce. Delicious.

[batgirl]

Roasted chicken.

I know everyone eats it, but every Friday night for Sabbath dinner, my mother would make the most moist and delicious roasted chicken that she learned from her mother. Once I got old enough she passed down the recipe to me (my sisters are awful awful cooks). I will, of course, pass it down to my children once I have them.

Also, chicken soup with matzoh balls, potato knishes, kasha with bow tie pasta. Bubbie (grandma) would bring over home made coleslaw and my aunt was the queen of the chocolate chip cookie.

[Bobbey]

Being from Québec, I don't really have a choice to say Poutine I guess, although I never really started eating it before I was 18.

I also had really weird eating habits growing up that a select few of you know about, so I never really ate what my family ate when I was a kid, but if I had to name something, it would probably have to be pizza, since I remember my dad ordering it a LOT when I was a kid, although I never ate any.

[Julford Hajime]

Coney dogs. My family doesn't have any super-secret recipe dinners (We've got a couple chip dips though, so I guess we have something), but outside of Detroit you will not find a passable coney dog anywhere. Whenever my family visits from out of town, there is a specific coney place that we meet up at, and before they head back home the visiting family members will often buy a frozen block of the chili they use for the coney dogs, so that they can eat coney dogs back home that aren't shit.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

Dang, batgirl's post made me hungry myself.

[Seil]

Living in a house with four young kids and not a lot of money, me mum found something we all agreed on - and liked - that she called "The Good Stuff." (And every time we found out we were having it, we were all like "YEAH!")

It some mixture of pasta and sdeasoned ground beef. Any pasta. It's pretty good.

[Nique]

Spaghetti

ALWAYS SPAGHETTI

[Osterbaum]

I used to love (still do) 'judias blancas' (http://fotos.mundorecetas.net/albums/userpics/10178/JUDIAS_BLANCAS.JPG). Some of my other favourite foods were different kinds of salmon dishes, most traditionally with potatoes. We used to eat all kinds of foods at home, since both of my parents like to cook and especially my dad likes to try out different things.

Some foods that I've always liked associated with my "area" (that being mostly entire Finland) are 'hernekeitto' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_soup), 'karjalanpiirakka' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karjalanpiirakat), 'makaronilaatikko' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makaronilaatikko), and 'limppu' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limppu).

[pochercoaster]

From my mom: Although she cooked a wide variety of things, the most "Quebecois" things I can think of her making off the top of my head are french onion soup and bread pudding. Actually, it's been awhile since I had french onion soup and now I want some, dammit :x

From my dad: My dad's not as much of a cook as my mom but (as a german) he got me into crusty breads with liverwurst. I don't eat it as much as I used to for health reasons but yummm...

[Magus]

Oh, I thought of something moderately unique: I'm not sure if they're popular in other areas of the country, but my mother was from Binghamton and so we often ate "speedies" at barbecues on Labor Day or the 4th of July. Just take boneless chicken breasts, dice them up into chunks, and let the meat sit and marinate in Italian dressing (or dressing of your choice, you could marinate them in something else) for at least three days. Then put the chunks on skewers and grill them. Eat on a bun. Speedies are a delicious sandwich, let me tell you...

EDIT: Alright I figured out why I could never find "speedies" on the internet, they're spelled completely differently than I thought:

Spiedie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiedie)! And apparently they are indeed a local Binghamton specialty. You can use other types of meat, I remember having venison spiedies a few times.

[Ryanderman]

Something I personally can't stand, but all my friends and family love, and is native to our region: A Garbage Plate (http://rocwiki.org/Garbage_Plates)

A Garbage Plate is a true Rochester (http://rocwiki.org/Rochester) delicacy. It is a disorganized combination of either cheeseburger, hamburger, Italian sausages, steak, chicken, white or red hots (http://rocwiki.org/Hots), a grilled cheese sandwich, fried fish, or eggs, served on top of one or two of the following: home fries, fries, beans, and mac salad. A plate is always made to order. Then, the plate is adorned with optional mustard, onions and Rochester's version of hot sauce (http://rocwiki.org/Hot_Sauce). Some restaurants will charge for extra helpings of hot sauce, and the hot sauce varies widely in flavor and spiciness. A plate is usually served with a side of white bread and butter, though some restaurants charge extra for bread. It is said that the purpose of the bread is to soak up the grease left after you've eaten the garbage plate.

[shiney]

Robin aren't you in Minnesota? Goulash?! Mo' like leftover soup. For idiots.

Lefse though, that's pretty accurate. Lotta scandinavians around here. And hotdish, yeah. You describe lutefisk though and I'm gonna have to slap a bitch.

I grew up in the Twin Cities so unfortunately my childhood cuisine was brought to you by Carl's Jr. Or more accurately, McDonald's, since we don't have Carl's Jr. here. We have Hardees I guess? The star is the same.

[mauve]

Corned beef and cabbage. My mom's side of the family is of Irish descent and our family would always have corned beef with potatoes, cabbage and carrots every year for St. Patrick's Day. Mom cooks it the "traditional" way (that's what she calls it, but I'm no chef so I dunno), by tossing everything in the same pot and boiling the hell out of it. All the flavors mix together and it is absolutely delicious. Apparently it's an acquired taste, though, since everyone I know who has tried corned beef either loves it or hates it.

Also, chicken noodle casserole. A can of cream of mushroom soup, leftover roast chicken cut into small pieces, a can of diced mushrooms, and some egg noodles. Cook noodles, heat up the soup, toss the chicken and mushrooms into said soup, pour the mixture on the noodles. Or you can make the noodles, then just toss the rest of the ingredients in with some cheese on top and bake the whole thing. It's reeaaaaally good.

[CABAL49]

The traditional Southern meal is deep-fried everything.

[batgirl]

Oh, I thought of something moderately unique: I'm not sure if they're popular in other areas of the country, but my mother was from Binghamton and so we often ate "speedies" at barbecues on Labor Day or the 4th of July. Just take boneless chicken breasts, dice them up into chunks, and let the meat sit and marinate in Italian dressing (or dressing of your choice, you could marinate them in something else) for at least three days. Then put the chunks on skewers and grill them. Eat on a bun. Speedies are a delicious sandwich, let me tell you...

EDIT: Alright I figured out why I could never find "speedies" on the internet, they're spelled completely differently than I thought:

Spiedie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiedie)! And apparently they are indeed a local Binghamton specialty. You can use other types of meat, I remember having venison spiedies a few times.

Holy shit I went to Binghamton University and I loved spiedies!! We even had spiedie-fest where it was an entire street festival of local grown foods, entertainment and of course, spiedies.

[Jagos]

I loved peaches. Lots and lots of peaches.

I can eat a peach for hours.

[RobinStarwing]

Robin aren't you in Minnesota? Goulash?! Mo' like leftover soup. For idiots.

Lefse though, that's pretty accurate. Lotta scandinavians around here. And hotdish, yeah. You describe lutefisk though and I'm gonna have to slap a bitch.

I grew up in the Twin Cities so unfortunately my childhood cuisine was brought to you by Carl's Jr. Or more accurately, McDonald's, since we don't have Carl's Jr. here. We have Hardees I guess? The star is the same.

Not the way my mom's family did it! They were Swiss/German/Irish in origin. Not leftover soup...sheesh. My Grandma, Grand-Aunt, and Great-Grandma are offended now. >_<

Oh and we have a regional name for something you might all know about...Hot Beef Sandwich. We call it Hot Beef Commercial in South/Southwestern Minnesota. ^_^

[Krylo]

You describe lutefisk though and I'm gonna have to slap a bitch.

But why, though? Is it something you try really hard not to think about every time you ram that lye soaked fish down your massive gullet? Because I don't think it's something you can forget.

Not with the smell.

That horrible smell.

[Magus]

Something I personally can't stand, but all my friends and family love, and is native to our region: A Garbage Plate (http://rocwiki.org/Garbage_Plates)

Sign me up!

Holy shit I went to Binghamton University and I loved spiedies!! We even had spiedie-fest where it was an entire street festival of local grown foods, entertainment and of course, spiedies.


Yeah, apparently the Spiedie Festival started way after my mom left, and I don't think we've ever been up there to visit when it was going on. Plus, it's not hard to make your own.

But why, though? Is it something you try really hard not to think about every time you ram that lye soaked fish down your massive gullet? Because I don't think it's something you can forget.

Not with the smell.

That horrible smell.

I dunno, when I hear "corrosive alkaline substance" the first thing I think of is "how can I use this to make fish last forever so I can eat it a few decades from now?" That's the kind of thinking only a badass viking could come up with.


Lye is valued for its use in food preparation, soap making, biodiesel production, and household uses, such as oven cleaner and drain opener.

~One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong~

[Bard The 5th LW]

A friend of mine apparently had deep fried kool-aid at the fair last week and I cant say Im proud of that.

edit: my grandma used to make this stuffing stuff on thanksgiving and i couldnt have enough of it. she still makes it, just not as often

[Krylo]

~One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong~
Is it the biodiesels?

It's the biodiesels, isn't it?

It is.

[lazy man]

I don't really have much that I can say is family specific, really. I got just about everything, really. Although I can say roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy is one. And pasta with marinara sauce is another since my grandma grows tomatoes and I've been spoiled with homemade sauce. So gooooood.

As for area, I've been around Philadelphia my entire life. And cheesesteaks are pretty awesome around here, I must say.

[RobinStarwing]

I don't really have much that I can say is family specific, really. I got just about everything, really. Although I can say roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy is one. And pasta with marinara sauce is another since my grandma grows tomatoes and I've been spoiled with homemade sauce. So gooooood.

As for area, I've been around Philadelphia my entire life. And cheesesteaks are pretty awesome around here, I must say.

Cheesesteaks...damn that sounds good! Never had an honest Philly Cheesesteak in my life.