Saturday, October 23, 2021

Foods I never had growing up

 Memorable car of the day:

This 1956 Ford was NEW when I left home to join the USMC.








            

For today: (been a busy day, I sat down to post and got distracted before church!)

My mama was a great cook, it was simple and southeast.

Common foods around our house were:

Eggs, tomatoes and onions (Not together)

Cornbread, milk, chicken dumplings, potatoes and some pancakes.

Biscuits

Pork, Bacon, Sausage and ham (Until I was in the 6th grade daddy raised a hog every year)

Stew beef, chopped steak, oyster stew and fish (If we caught them)

Cabbage, turnips (& greens), string beans, pintos and black eyed peas, okra, creamed corn and corn on the cob. Oh yes there was macaroni and cheese (using cheddar).

Desserts were: Molassses/butter, Egg custards, sweet potato cobbler, apple pies and banana pudding. Fried Apple pies were also served at home.

Foods I enjoyed raw: Carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, celery, apples, turnips and potatoes. (anyone else like the cabbage core?)

Foods I never saw or heard of until I left home: Lasagna, Broccoli, cauliflower, cooked carrots, Brussel sprouts, rhubarb, homemade spaghetti and ravioli. I was 16 years old when someone told Sherry there was a ‘Pizza place’ in Charlotte. We went there. That was the first time either of us smelled, saw or tasted a pizza. Oh we never had pumpkin pie either.

I usually try local foods when I can, whether it is a different state, city or country. I could not get used to plantains and YAMS in the islands.

Plantain above and Island Yam below.

 Lemme tell you ‘em island Yams ain’t sweet potatoes. And don't even think a Plantain is a banana. LOL  Also Texas nor Florida have my favorite BBQ; the BEST is in North Carolina. LOL .........  ..(IMHO)... ....

Now that I think of it, if you are in San Antonio and like steak, you must try “The Little Red Barn.”

Sherry and I were long married before we ever had a real Steak (Until then we had HB steak or chopped steak ‘n gravy). T-bones and NY strips were for wealthy folk. LOL

I thought of all this yesterday when I decided to fix Black Beans and rice. I was in my mid 30s before I heard of Black Beans. I learned that I like them. Sherry has fixed them before, this was my first time.

NiteShipslog

PS: What foods did you learn to enjoy late in life?

7 comments:

Gary an Anna Mae said...

I grew up eating Succotash, *(Corn and Red Beans) usually with a Roast and canned veggies, Tomatoe, corn, red, wax an green beans, cucumbers, pickles, a potatoe bin of fresh potatoes, peas, beets, Peppers, onions, Ramps, apple sauce, jams and jellies, we also had canned Venison, pork, beef, smoked hams, I now prefer canned Veggies compared to fresh, never had Pizza till I left home, never had Lasagna, Calzones, either. To this day I can not eat peppers, any color. I can not eat Olives. I do like Okra an Grits, I love Pecan Pie !!! Now I am Hungry, you 2 take care. sending down love from the North! Gary and Anna Mae

Victor S E Moubarak said...

This post made me hungry.

I love peanut butter on toast with currants. Can't decide on crunchy or smooth PB; so I spread half the toast with one then the other half with the other. Sometimes, instead of adding currants I add sliced bananas or tiny bits of pineapples. Can't decide which to use; so often I don't bother.

God bless.

Mevely317 said...

What memories you've awakened! Because daddy normally worked 2nd shift(?) to 11P, mother and I'd eat sandwiches -- grilled cheese for her, burger for me ... until they discovered TV dinners! And pot pies, too! Every now and then she'd prepare a sort of roast (thin strips tied with string) with canned peaches; perhaps a side of corn. I was unfamiliar with most of these veggies you mention; and, in fact, never tasted steak until I was 20-something.

I figure life's too short to consume anything you dislike, but I have learned to enjoy tomato every now and then, usually in a caprese salad plate. (Last night's supper.)

Thanks for another fun post!

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

I grew up with a lot of plain foods too. I never had lasagna until I learned to make it for my own family. There have been lots of new things in my diet since I've been trying to eat healthier. I now love them all.

Eileen in Fla. said...

Never heard of broccoli as a kid - Never ate raw spinach, but from a can with a picture of Pop-eye on the label.

Sheila Y said...

I remember my dad talking about going to the garden as a child, with his pocket knife and a slice of bread, and getting him a turnip root to eat. Rick likes a lot of turnip roots in his greens. Mom’s dad always fried the fish he caught himself. We like a lot of peas in our part of the south, cream/ white peas, zipper peas, purple hull peas, I’m sure there are others.
Take care, Sheila

Lisa said...

Until just a few years ago I never knew there were good healthy foods not made with lard!!

Lisa