Your mother's worst meals
Jul 23, 2012, 7:51 am
#61
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: on the Llano Estacado
Posts: 2,652
My mom was an old fashioned southern cook, which meant that my brother & sister & I were usually treated very well at the table. Unlike many who've posted here, I grew up loving liver & onions. She also cooked lots of cornbread and greens - kale, collard, turnip greens with ham hocks. She raised us eating things like sweet pickle relish on black-eyed peas and vinegar on spinach, both of which my wife finds weird. She also would save leftovers, no matter how small a portion, and continue to bring them out at every meal until somebody finished them.
However, we lived in Germany for 4 years while I was in elementary school, and during that period she tried to learn to cook the local cuisine - with disastrous results. I remember inedible (shoe leather tough) sourbraten with red cabbage, and some horrendous attempts at making goulash. I recall that when Dad took us to eat in a local restaurant weekly, my sister and I always ordered Italian.
However, we lived in Germany for 4 years while I was in elementary school, and during that period she tried to learn to cook the local cuisine - with disastrous results. I remember inedible (shoe leather tough) sourbraten with red cabbage, and some horrendous attempts at making goulash. I recall that when Dad took us to eat in a local restaurant weekly, my sister and I always ordered Italian.
Jul 23, 2012, 9:01 am
#62
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: KAUS
Programs: SPG, AA, DL, LH
Posts: 41
Hmmm...I do not remember any horrible food growing up (dad did 90% of the cooking) except for onion flavored meat loaf (still hated by me at age 50) but a few disasters that happened (we still laugh about it 30+ years later) were with deserts, loaf pan cakes in particular.
Almost always, we would cut a piece of a loaf pan cake and batter would flow like lava from the still uncooked interior..HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I do not understand the hatred of canned Salmon (and Salmon Croquettes)...I have always (and still do) love them, though these days I remove every bone I can find and use quality bread crumbs and fresh eggs and eat them hot and fresh...oh well, food like wine is pretty subjective...
Cheers,
Almost always, we would cut a piece of a loaf pan cake and batter would flow like lava from the still uncooked interior..HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I do not understand the hatred of canned Salmon (and Salmon Croquettes)...I have always (and still do) love them, though these days I remove every bone I can find and use quality bread crumbs and fresh eggs and eat them hot and fresh...oh well, food like wine is pretty subjective...
Cheers,
Jul 23, 2012, 11:54 am
#63
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Berlin and Buggenhagen, Germany
Posts: 3,509
Mother : Boiled beef liver. Literally boiled in water, with nothing else. Then forced us to drink the water and eat the liver. Claiming it's good for our health.
MIL : Steak. That generation obviously believed that beef must be thoroughly cooked. The steak is pan fried ahead of time, then steamed, then microwave it right before dinner time.
Horror.
MIL : Steak. That generation obviously believed that beef must be thoroughly cooked. The steak is pan fried ahead of time, then steamed, then microwave it right before dinner time.
Horror.
With all the predominantly American stories here, I get the impression that there is or was indeed a serious lack of cooking skills in the US.
I grew up in Germany and my mother, grandmothers and aunts were all excellent cooks. Granted all of them had to take cooking classes before marriage, as is custom in "good" families. But even when I was invited to a friend's house I never had the impression they didn't know what they were doing and more than once enjoyed an excellent meal.
I also had a lot of meals in Italian, Swiss and French households. Nothing negative to report.
OTOH, the mother of an American ex-GF of mine was only a ho-hum cook and her rice really was hated by everyone. I thought about teaching her (as an 18 yo boy) how to cook good rice but refrained because I didn't want to insult her.
Now, I have many American friends who are total foodies and good cooks. So I think the times are achanging.
Till
Jul 23, 2012, 5:47 pm
#64
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Philly burbs
Programs: US,UA,AA,DL,hhonors
Posts: 2,966
My mom was an old fashioned southern cook, which meant that my brother & sister & I were usually treated very well at the table. Unlike many who've posted here, I grew up loving liver & onions. She also cooked lots of cornbread and greens - kale, collard, turnip greens with ham hocks. She raised us eating things like sweet pickle relish on black-eyed peas and vinegar on spinach, both of which my wife finds weird. She also would save leftovers, no matter how small a portion, and continue to bring them out at every meal until somebody finished them.
However, we lived in Germany for 4 years while I was in elementary school, and during that period she tried to learn to cook the local cuisine - with disastrous results. I remember inedible (shoe leather tough) sourbraten with red cabbage, and some horrendous attempts at making goulash. I recall that when Dad took us to eat in a local restaurant weekly, my sister and I always ordered Italian.
However, we lived in Germany for 4 years while I was in elementary school, and during that period she tried to learn to cook the local cuisine - with disastrous results. I remember inedible (shoe leather tough) sourbraten with red cabbage, and some horrendous attempts at making goulash. I recall that when Dad took us to eat in a local restaurant weekly, my sister and I always ordered Italian.
One day I recall smelling something cooking in the kitchen. I go in, take the lid off the kettle, and inside was a hogs head. I dropped the lid on the floor and went running out of there!
Jul 23, 2012, 6:09 pm
#65
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Cypress Hills Research Center
Posts: 5,295
Worse meal was mother's version of Chinese. La Choy brand chop suey with some broiled-to-death chicken. The chop suey came in two cans, one for vegetables (in some sort of glop) and another for the crispy (and extremely oily) noodles. I actually really liked this as a kid but my first taste of "real" Chinese food was eye-opening to say the least. Kinda like the difference between Taco Bell and Mexican food.
Jul 25, 2012, 6:15 am
#67
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: on the Llano Estacado
Posts: 2,652
Worse meal was mother's version of Chinese. La Choy brand chop suey with some broiled-to-death chicken. The chop suey came in two cans, one for vegetables (in some sort of glop) and another for the crispy (and extremely oily) noodles. I actually really liked this as a kid but my first taste of "real" Chinese food was eye-opening to say the least. Kinda like the difference between Taco Bell and Mexican food.
Jul 26, 2012, 11:12 am
#69
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Central Texas
Programs: Many, slipping beneath the horizon
Posts: 9,859
I'll admit that good pizza came late, first as an appetizer at Houston's old Valian's near S. Main & OST in the 50s, and not really frequently encountered before my first visits to italy and the Winter 0f '62-'63 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Jul 27, 2012, 8:58 am
#70
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Wasn't there also spaghetti dinner in a box - pasta, a can of sauce, and a little packet of grated "cheese"??
Jul 27, 2012, 11:13 am
#71
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
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Best regards,
William R. Sanders
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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
Jul 27, 2012, 12:41 pm
#72
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Jul 28, 2012, 5:55 am
#73
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NC
Programs: Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,881
Really, really bad - the fried pork chops ( 1/4" thick and fried for at least a half hour) served with a side of spaghetti - boiled for 25 minutes and then a can of Hunts poured over top. 
. She thought it was an integration of Southern heritage and international cuisine.
My Mother grew up with a housekeeper (think The Help) and then marries at 19- so not only did she not know how to cook, she didn't particularly want to learn.
As my paternal Grandmother was an excellent, "from scratch" cook, Dad definitely had some adjusting to do. I always thought "love definitely IS blind" ...until I realized Mom was rather gorgeous with buckets of southern charm. So unlike most families of the day, we ate out - A LOT...and Dad never seemed to mind.
. She thought it was an integration of Southern heritage and international cuisine.My Mother grew up with a housekeeper (think The Help) and then marries at 19- so not only did she not know how to cook, she didn't particularly want to learn.
As my paternal Grandmother was an excellent, "from scratch" cook, Dad definitely had some adjusting to do. I always thought "love definitely IS blind" ...until I realized Mom was rather gorgeous with buckets of southern charm. So unlike most families of the day, we ate out - A LOT...and Dad never seemed to mind.
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