Different foods you or your family makes?

[ronandannette]

I live in Europe and work for a UN agency. I brought Nanaimo bars in once and had to explain them (and generally spell Nanaimo) every single time someone took one.

Did you make them yourself? Did they like them? They are a point of national pride, as are the butter tarts but I find them way too chocolaty and sweet.

I was raised in a very white-bread, meat-and-potatoes family with no discernible ethnic heritage. I can't think of a single, unique thing we made or ate, or that I make for my own household now.

 

[ZZBane]

I was raised in a very white-bread, meat-and-potatoes family with no discernible ethnic heritage. I can't think of a single, unique thing we made or ate, or that I make for my own household now.

That’s ok! I mostly was too, but it was heavy on the polish. The supremes and zucchini casserole though, oddly, came from my dads side and we didn’t associate with them much at all. Idk if you can call either one of those ethnic or even regional. I have no idea where those recipes actually came from.

I only started this thread because I like food and enjoy reading about what other families make. All the Turkey Day posts were enjoyable to me and even gave me some ideas. Maybe this thread will give you inspiration?

 

[SirDuff]

Did you make them yourself? Did they like them? They are a point of national pride, as are the butter tarts but I find them way too chocolaty and sweet.

Of course I made them myself Even if I did have to import some of the ingredients (fror example, graham crackers are not a thing here). And, yes, they were very popular. I might have to try butter tarts next.

 

[ronandannette]

Of course I made them myself Even if I did have to import some of the ingredients (fror example, graham crackers are not a thing here). And, yes, they were very popular. I might have to try butter tarts next.

Make them with dried currants instead of raisins like my dear sainted Granny always did - you'll blow their European socks off!

 

[shelemm]

Peposo, it is the easiest and most delicious thing I've ever had in my life, but it takes a long time to cook. Almost zero preparation, four ingredients. Here is the link:

https://memoriediangelina.com/2013/03/03/peposo-peppery-tuscan-beef-stew/

 

[shelemm]

Lokshe, an Eastern European food, basically a mashed potato flat bread that you dip in browned butter. my mother in law taught me and I've been trying to teach my daughters. No recipe just the feel of the dough and knowing how much potatoes to flour to add.

I looked up a recipe for lokshe. They seem more like crepes than tortillas. I definitely want to try these. I bought a package of pre-made crepes form the store, but they are made with sugar, and they don't work well at all if you want to eat them with a savory stuffing. This looks like a good step-by-step recipe:

http://www.slovakcooking.com/2010/recipes/lokshe/

 

[ronandannette]

Peposo, it is the easiest and most delicious thing I've ever had in my life, but it takes a long time to cook. Almost zero preparation, four ingredients. Here is the link:

https://memoriediangelina.com/2013/03/03/peposo-peppery-tuscan-beef-stew/

I've got company coming in for the week at Christmas - I'm definitely trying this for dinner one night. I imagine the house will also smell divine while it's braising.

 

[shelemm]

Make sure

I've got company coming in for the week at Christmas - I'm definitely trying this for dinner one night. I imagine the house will also smell divine while it's braising.

I have used other wines to make this, but chianti is best. Hope you like it.

 

[ronandannette]

Make sure


I have used other wines to make this, but chianti is best. Hope you like it.

Do you know what volume equals 3/4oz. of peppercorns? I don't have a food scale. TIA

 

[NYCgrrl]

Do you know what volume equals 3/4oz. of peppercorns? I don't have a food scale. TIA

1-1/2 TBs = 3/4 oz.
One of the things that drives me crazed about USA recipe measurements at times.

 

[SirDuff]

1-1/2 TBs = 3/4 oz.
One of the things that drives me crazed about USA recipe measurements at times.

That's FLUID ounces. The recipe is using weight (3/4 oz or 20g), so that conversion doesn't help.

The two versions of "ounce" is seriously annoying.

 

[NYCgrrl]

That's FLUID ounces. The recipe is using weight (3/4 oz or 20g), so that conversion doesn't help.

The two versions of "ounce" is seriously annoying.

Thanks for catching that since it makes such a big difference!
The proper amt is 2 TBs, 1-1/2 tsp approximately (which yes is so not metric, LOL). So says my food scale that I took out to measure spices for gingerbread making. To be perfectly accurate (ish) add 3 more peppercorns to the above measurements.

 

[eileenjez]

I looked up a recipe for lokshe. They seem more like crepes than tortillas. I definitely want to try these. I bought a package of pre-made crepes form the store, but they are made with sugar, and they don't work well at all if you want to eat them with a savory stuffing. This looks like a good step-by-step recipe:

http://www.slovakcooking.com/2010/recipes/lokshe/

I saw that recipe but with everything Old Country it changes with who and where they made it. Very close to the one I basically follow but not quite. For me I use left over mashed potatoes, equal amount of flour, maybe a quarter tsp of baking powder, salt and maybe one egg. It all depends on the amount of flour and potatoes I use. Mix together, roll out not as thin as a crepe more like a tortilla, fry on both sides and dip in melted browned butter. My in-laws were Slovak so this came from them. No written recipes just a little this, a little that.

 

[eileenjez]

Well, obviously it depends upon what part of the world or what culture you come from, whether you are familiar with these or not, but being from Canada, we like to make Nanaimo bars and butter tarts around the holidays. We also make lefse, a Norwegian flatbread made with mashed potatoes, (part of our ancestry is Norwegian) to go with our holiday turkey.

We lived in North Dakota for a few years and learned about lefse then. After the potato harvest you would see lefse all over. It would be sold in the stores, my daughter's in-laws would make it and any get together wasn't complete without it. People would buy 50lb bags of potatoes from the farmers just to make lefse for the holidays.

 

[shelemm]

I just weighed 20g of peppercorns. It came out to be 2 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon. I'd say put in more if you want it to be more peppery, depending if the people you are serving like peppery food. If not you could even reduce it to 2 tablespoons.

You can't take the quantities too seriously. I add enough wine to cover the meat, but no more. Usually winds up a lot less than the recipe calls for.

 

[firefly_ris]

It's not a meal but since my grandmother died I took over (or attempted to) making the italian cookies at Christmas. I change it up every year but things like S cookies, lemoncillo cookies, anginetti, anise glazed, etc.

But the main one I make (it's actually more cake-like than cookie though) that no one else in my family currently bothers making are seven layer italian rainbow cookies. They are my fave. And I live away from my family, and my DH's family is polish so they had never heard of them before.