The wonderful foods of the Golden Era

[MisterCairo]

How many people stayed around for the insane comeback and how many left in the 4th quarter when the game looked over?

I'm a mustard-on-hotdogs guy, but have seen others use ketchup. Were there any crowd request for ketchup on Super Bowl Sunday? If so, I assume said "withering look of derision" took care of that.

 

[belfastboy]

Some foods of the golden era were not so golden. My father, a salesman for a large meat packer, passed away many many years ago. My mom passed just recently and cleaning up her house I came across an entire box of promotional material of my father's. There was a bunch of adverts for a "New" product called "Klik" which was Canada Packers rival to the new product named "Spam". The material extolled the wondrous virtues of this amazing new offering. I remember eating it regularly as a kid (I think my Dad received boxes of it as promotional items.) Ate it fried, straight from the can and in Wonder bread sandwhiches. When I see Spam on the shelves today I cringe at the memory.

 

[2jakes]

I love tapioca pudding!

As for organ meats, unless it's served as haggis, I won't touch it....

Tapioca ...

Chocolate ice cream malts...

Yogurt or butter milk...

 

[Zombie_61]

I despised steak as a kid. On the rare occasions that we had it, it was always a flat, dry, thin thing that looked like a half-sole that had fallen off an old boot. You had to chew it until your jaws hurt, and it had no flavor at all...

Growing up, we'd have steak at home once in awhile as a "treat" and, like you, I didn't get it as it was tough, grey and grizzly...It wasn't until I started working in finance and going out on business dinners that I learned what all the hubbub was over steak. A good cut of steak, professionally cooked is a wonderful piece of meat: charred on the outside (love the char), tender, juicy and favorable inside...

My wife had the same experience when she was growing up because her mother, on those rare occasions when she cooked steaks for dinner, would cook them until they were ridiculously "well done" because that was how my father-in-law liked them. She and I went out to dinner once when we were still dating, and I ordered a steak, rare. When the food arrived at the table she looked at my plate and asked, "What is that?" She had never before in her life seen a steak that hadn't had all of the flavor cooked out of it, and had certainly never seen one that was still red in the middle. I offered her a bite, she hesitantly accepted, and was completely surprised by how much she enjoyed it. That was more than 35 years ago, and while steak usually wouldn't be her first choice she has at least become comfortable with the idea of eating one if it's prepared properly.

 

[BlueTrain]

Peel me a grape, French me a fry.

 

[Fading Fast]

My wife had the same experience when she was growing up because her mother, on those rare occasions when she cooked steaks for dinner, would cook them until they were ridiculously "well done" because that was how my father-in-law liked them. She and I went out to dinner once when we were still dating, and I ordered a steak, rare. When the food arrived at the table she looked at my plate and asked, "What is that?" She had never before in her life seen a steak that hadn't had all of the flavor cooked out of it, and had certainly never seen one that was still red in the middle. I offered her a bite, she hesitantly accepted, and was completely surprised by how much she enjoyed it. That was more than 35 years ago, and while steak usually wouldn't be her first choice she has at least become comfortable with the idea of eating one if it's prepared properly.

Fun story - thank you for sharing. In our case, it was not only the poor cooking (my mom hated cooking and admitted she wasn't good at it) - she broiled it in a toaster over - but the poor cut didn't help. I remember going to The Palm steakhouse early in my career and literally - like your future wife - being blown away by what a steak could be. And, as noted, Filet Mignon was another step higher in the red meat journey.

 

[Zombie_61]

Fun story - thank you for sharing. In our case, it was not only the poor cooking (my mom hated cooking and admitted she wasn't good at it) - she broiled it in a toaster over...

You're welcome. It's not that my mother-in-law wasn't a good cook--she was--but that she was cooking for herself, her husband, and four children, and it was simply more practical to prepare everyone's meals the same way. Since father-in-law liked his red meat cooked to death, that's how it was prepared for everyone.

 

[vitanola]

Fun story - thank you for sharing. In our case, it was not only the poor cooking (my mom hated cooking and admitted she wasn't good at it) - she broiled it in a toaster over - but the poor cut didn't help. I remember going to The Palm steakhouse early in my career and literally - like your future wife - being blown away by what a steak could be. And, as noted, Filet Mignon was another step higher in the red meat journey.

Ah! Filet!

Then we have the classic Beef Wellington, a classic way to prepare this delicacy. It is sodden and unpleasant if not carefully prepared, but when done properly (it helps to wrap the filet in a crepe before covering it with the puff paste) and served with a madeira demi-glace it is beyond compare.

Of course, we must remember that the pedestrian Beef Stroganoff originated as a novel way to prepare filet. I like to julienne a pound of filet, which must then be salted and peppered to taste and frozen solid. Peel and slice thin a large Spanish Onion, and slice a pound of button mushrooms. Set them aside. Heat an iron skillet into which you have placed a small lump of sweet lard (the size of an egg yoke) almost to the smoking point. Throw in the meat and just brown it, reserve, and then cook the onions and mushrooms until they give up their liquid. Add a splash (1/2 cup) of good Madiera. Deglaze the pan with the Madiera. Reduce by half, add 1 c sour cream and the meat. Heat through. Serve over buttered and parsiled home-made egg noodles. This may be nicely prepared at table side in a good chafing dish, though the meat will not be quite as nicely browned as it would in an iron skillet. It is perhaps a bot easier to keep the meat rare when using a chafing dish, though.

 

[Fading Fast]

⇧ I liked Beef Wellington as a rare treat when I was a younger man and my digestive system could take on all comers.

I was introduced to the dish at the NYC restaurant "One if by Land, Two if by Sea," when, in the '90s, a very nice girl I was dating took me there for diner. Knowing my love of history, she took me there because the restaurant was in an old carriage house that had been used by Aaron Burr. Also, the place had a wood burning fireplace (another love of mine) and she wanted me to experience its signature dish - Beef Wellington.

Done properly, it is a wonderful dish, but even so, it's not light dining. For me, that dish will always be connected to that girl, that night and that restaurant - all good memories.

 

[ChiTownScion]

I didn't experience it back in "the Era," but the tired décor and tin ceiling of the place certainly was a throwback. It was called "the Busy Bee," and in the 80's and 90's it was the most wonderfully eclectic place in Chicago to grab great Polish food for lunch or dinner. It was next to the L station at Damen & North, the heart of the then- newly rejuvenated Wicker Park neighborhood. The food was reasonably priced and plentiful, and it drew an amazingly diverse crowd. Cops, the young artists dressed in black, yuppies, working class stiffs, Polish ex-pats, lawyers & judges... you name it. My favorite regular was an old one armed guy who'd lost his arm fighting for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War.

We'd bring my son there when he was a baby: he'd make short work by hand of the pierogis on his high chair tray, and was usually doted upon by the owner, Sophie. For us it was a wonderful intro to hearty Polish cuisine.

Alas, Sophie retired, and the place was closed.

 

[PHIL1959]

Blue Train, the way to eat celery if you want it's nutritional value but don't like the taste, is to chop it into tiny pieces and add it to a ragu sauce. Ragu is the sauce that is used in bolognese. Here in the UK, we had rationing, following WW2, up and until the early 1950's, you ate whatever you could get. Chicken back then was so expensive you had it just for Christmas, turkey was unheard of. Like Lizzie, we ate a lot of offal, but the way it was cooked made it so unappetising, I swear you could resole your shoes with a piece of liver, baked in the oven. Nowadays, having discovered an Italian dish called Roman Liver, the meal has become one of our regulars, but remembering the liver back in the 50's, I really never ever thought that I could eat it again.

We also ate a lot of rabbit, chopped small and put into a stew with whatever vegetables Mother could get hold of, add suet dumplings and it was a filling, nutritional meal. But the one overriding dish that I can remember was a dessert, served at school. It looked gross, tasted worse and got the nickname, frogspawn. I give you: "Tapioca Pudding."
View attachment 68411

your post and Photo have brought back such horrid memories of the stuff,i'm starting to Barf!!!

 

[emigran]

Growing up in Newark NJ in the 50's we were served quite a lot of similar fare to you all. One I vividly recalled was a 'kidney chop' . Beef but still containing a slice of the kidney in its center... dare anyone to find one now. We also ate calves' brain... quite tasty (broiled with bread crumbs and garlic) creamy texture . I didn't think anything creepy about it at all. Probablly cannot find that today either. Of course there was tripe ... Italian style with tomato. the taste was unique but I didn't care for that texture. Offal was not infrequently served, but usually broiled not boiled.
we also had 'giambotta'... lots of vegetables with whatever was left over into a stew... very depression era reminiscent.
Nana Angelina always got the lamb's head at Easter...
My Dad always talked about his favorite breakfast: either lots of Graham Crackers or Uneeda Biscuits crushed up with coffee poured over.... also Depression-ish.
And it was a tomato pie night in the summer when Mom would make the dough and for odd-shaped thin crusted delights garnished with fresh basil from the yard.
nana also pickled eggplant which had to dry out first in the sun. She would spread it on top of ancient cotton cloths which were the remains of flour sacks on top of the bushes in the yard. My job was to keep the birds away.

 

[BlueTrain]

One of my aunts made a lot of old-fashioned foods, mostly non-descript, as was most food when i was growing up. All that I mean by non-descript, though, is that no one today would find it either remarkable or strange. She was one a couple of people that I knew who made apple butter the old-fashioned way, in a big kettle on an outdoor fire. It was practically an all-day affair. I though apple butter was good but nothing special. We didn't make it ourselves, so we didn't have it around very much. The same aunt would also make kraut, which I liked, but that was something else we didn't make.

The same aunt also make fried apple pies, also known as apple turnovers. But they were the heaviest, greasiest things I've ever eaten.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I dearly loved Uneeda Biscuits with cheese melted on top, and was furious when Kraft bought out Nabisco and discontinued them. They were the only kind of soda cracker I ever liked.

 

[Trenchfriend]

I dearly loved Uneeda Biscuits with cheese melted on top, and was furious when Kraft bought out Nabisco and discontinued them. They were the only kind of soda cracker I ever liked.

Are basic "Käsebrötchen" http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=käsebrötchen&FORM=HDRSC2 same popular in the US?

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've never had that, but now I want one.

 

[Zombie_61]

...My Dad always talked about his favorite breakfast: either lots of Graham Crackers or Uneeda Biscuits crushed up with coffee poured over.... also Depression-ish...

My wife will occasionally crush saltine crackers in a bowl, then pour coffee and a little milk on top of them and eat that for breakfast. This has been a somewhat favorite breakfast for her since she was a child. I tasted it once, and can't say I cared for it.

 

[BlueTrain]

My father would break up cornbread into a tumbler and pour milk over it for breakfast, but that wasn't all he had. Nearly always eggs with bacon and/or sausage. Sometimes there were scratch biscuits (meaning homemade biscuits) but more often canned biscuits, which I liked rather better. Homemade biscuits can sometimes be rather heavy and not those light flaky things in advertising for shortening. He would also pour syrup over biscuits. I never picked up any of those breakfast habits but I suppose I have some of my own.

It is interesting the little differences and pecularities people have when it comes to eating (and table manners). One neighbor would always have coffee with his evening meal but he would pour it out of the cup into the saucer and drink it from there. Most people were also fairly formal in the sense that nothing was ever served out of the pot but rather, always placed in bowls on the table for dinner. Breakfast was always relatively informal by comparison. No one ate in front of the television.

I've never heard of Käsebrötchen but I'll bet a certain local German speciality store carries them. They have all sorts of German, Swiss and Austrian foods, beer, wine, cosmetics, magazines, meats and fresh breads. The wine is a little pricey, though. My neice works there sometimes.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I don't remember ever having serving bowls except at Thanksgiving, and then only at my grandparents' house. Most of our bowls were repurposed containers that originally held various commercial products -- I usually ate my cereal out of a white plastic tub that once contained Cool Whip.

Usually food was served straight from the utensil in which it was cooked, and usually made a resounding SPLAT as it hit the plate. If you wanted seconds, you got up, walked over to the stove, and helped yourself.

 

[Fading Fast]

I don't remember ever having serving bowls except at Thanksgiving, and then only at my grandparents' house. Most of our bowls were repurposed containers that originally held various commercial products -- I usually ate my cereal out of a white plastic tub that once contained Cool Whip.

Usually food was served straight from the utensil in which it was cooked, and usually made a resounding SPLAT as it hit the plate. If you wanted seconds, you got up, walked over to the stove, and helped yourself.

We did both depending on the food. A lot of times, it was as you described, food from the oven dish or stove-top pan directly onto plate and then the dish or pan went back in the oven or on the stove top "to stay warm." I think, in our house, a "serving dish" was used if the food would dry out if it went back in the oven / on the stove top and the pan it was cooked in was too hot to sit on the table. From memory, the "serving dish" was just a normal dinner plate or large bowl that was enlisted that night for serving dish duty.

While my mom had "good dishes" she got as a wedding gift, they only came out a few times a year and, yes, there were serving dishes (although, I don't remember that term being used back then). The "good dishes" had a bunch of things we never used the rest of the year. We ate butter or (usually) margarine right out of the container (and it sat on the table that way), except when the "good dishes" came out and then butter had a plate all to itself. I vividly remember that particular dish as it was rectangular in shape (pretty much like a butter stick, but bigger) and it had a top so you could "cover" the butter (I guess to keep it cold) while it sat on the table. Fancy Schmancy stuff for my house.