Obscure Holiday Favorites

[Umbran]

My folks were immigrants, and literally brought some of their culture to the table when the holidays rolled around - recipes for stuff that you just can't find in restaurants and markets. Unfortunately, my mother passed away without writing down her recipes, so many of them were lost to me. For some of them... I'm okay with that, as to my Americanized palate, they're kinda nasty. But some really good bits were lost.

Thankfully, my brother found a recipe that makes a close approximation to what my mother produced. I shall have to try it myself and see...

What family favorites do you have that... aren't common fare?

 

[billd91]

So... what are your family favorites? You gave us an introduction without actually saying what yours are and what recipes are lost.

My mother makes a lot of stuff her mother (born in Scotland) and grandmother (born in Ireland) used to make, none of which are that obscure, just part of the family tradition. They're not all ethnically pure either - I figure they were just kind of popular in late 19th-early 20th century Scotland.

Scottish shortbread
Date cookies
Peppernuts

 

[Umbran]

So... what are your family favorites? You gave us an introduction without actually saying what yours are and what recipes are lost.

Not counting chickens before they hatch - I want to know the recipe does what it should before I speak to it

 

[billd91]

Not counting chickens before they hatch - I want to know the recipe does what it should before I speak to it

So... still no info on family favorites? Must be hiding something. I'm guessing cannibalism.

 

[Kramodlog]

Tartare and oysters.

 

[Umbran]

So... still no info on family favorites? Must be hiding something. I'm guessing cannibalism.

Nope. I just don't want to talk about how I have this great thing I love, only to find the only recipe I have for it is crap. Might as well not exist if I cannot make it, you see.

 

[was]

My paternal grandmother always made a fantastic Christmas meatloaf. From what I have been told, the tradition dates back to the Great Depression when the family had to make do with whatever meat they could get.

 

[Tonguez]

mussels and watercress pickled in sea water

and rotten corn (maize soaked in water for 2 months)

and caramelized sweet-potato (perhaps the most normal dish)

 

[megamania]

My father had a unique Christmas tradition that I did some with my kids. It was called a "Treasure Hunt."

There would be 15-20 small riddles that made us run throughout the house to find a small gift. For a four or five year old some of these were tricky.

Examples would include-

KITCKEN- I have eyes but cannot see. The answer was a potato and there, there would be another riddle-

DINING ROOM- I am Red, White and Blue but I cannot wave The answer was an American Flag lightswitch

KITCKEN- I have ears but cannot hear Corn

and so on.


And his famous wrapping paper.... newspapers. (mine was always the comics section)

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Or family Christmas food traditions - for Christmas morning breakfast scrambled eggs and orange juice; Christmas dinner (and Thanksgiving too for that matter) includes Pineapple bake which is a bread-y side dish. Gotta have a lot of Christmas Tree bread for keeping the corners stuffed all day; basically it's a sweet-roll smothered in frosting and usually butter. My mom wound up being burdened with baking a ton of this stuff not just for our family but for spreading the cholesterol damage to the world as well.); a box of See's chocolates (usually soft-centers).