primitives discuss "non-traditional" Thanksgiving foods

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x50527

Oh my.

Grandma with the diverted intestine:

hippywife  (1000+ posts)      Tue Nov-25-08 07:13 PM
Original message
 
What non-traditional foods does your family have for holidays?

Growing up in a large Italian family, we've always had all the traditional foods but we also have spaghetti and meatballs and Italian Wedding Soup, too.

No one has ever said why we do this but my theory on this is it's because not everyone in our family can or will cook, so this is a way for everyone who can't or won't cook these things for themselves when they want them to have them.

I so miss the big extended family holiday meals we had when my grandparents were living. It was wonderful to gather with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins. What a raucous time! Sigh.

And if I asked this last year and can't remember, I apologize. I claim Old Hippies Disease.

pengillian101  (346 posts)        Tue Nov-25-08 07:42 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. Growin up with a Norwegian heritage, my experience is very different.

Italian upbringing sounds yum to me. No wonder your pizzas look so good, hippywife!

Norwegians in my family cooked bland food. Our only spice was Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup! Oofta!

Thanksgiving to us was not just the traditional turkey, et al. We had LUTEFISK and LEFSE! Now that is something else. You either love it or hate it. Me - I love it.
 
after which a very large photograph of some sort of food

hippywife  (1000+ posts)      Tue Nov-25-08 07:46 PM
Response to Reply #1
 
2. I've heard so much about them but never tried them. I have a feeling that your lutefisk is like the Italian's bakala (dried salt cod.) I've never tried it, either. I think I'm adventurous enough to taste them if offered, tho.

And the pizza took a lot of trial and error, and the wonderful assistance of the fine cooks in this group, especially Stinky. It was a group effort to be sure.

I suspect that's the primitive nickname for the sparkling husband primitive.

It's popped up some recently.

One wonders where they got that idea.

pengillian101  (346 posts)        Tue Nov-25-08 11:31 PM
Response to Reply #2
 
3. I have a feeling that your lutefisk is like the Italian's bakala (dried salt cod.)

I just bet you are right.

My 3rd generation Norwegian Dad had to have his dried salted cod, also. In a wooden box.

Maybe we are more similar than different, eh, lol.

Get used to cream of mushroom from me ---- and share your Italiano, lol!

Mojorabbit  (1000+ posts)      Wed Nov-26-08 02:22 AM
Response to Reply #3
 
6. My mother is Portuguese and we always have a pot of bacalao. Ours is the salt cod, cabbage, potatoes and eggs all in one pot. We also have a pot of octopus stew. I think I learned to clean an octopus when I was 8 years old. My husband of twenty something years has never tasted either. He refuses. LOL. The nephews and nieces though love it. I guess because they grew up having it on the holidays as my siblings and I did.

htuttle  (1000+ posts)      Tue Nov-25-08 11:50 PM
Response to Original message
 
4. I have never made traditional Turkey for Thanksgiving

I've made a full-on Indian Thali with about 10 different dishes. I've made a traditional English roast with Yorkshire pudding, turnips and mash, and cabbage and onions in malt vinegar. I've made homemade ravioli, focaccia and stromboli.

But I have never, ever made a turkey, cranberry sauce and green bean salad for Thanksgiving. The closest I've ever gotten to it was Cornish Game Hens and pumpkin pie (plus other things) one year.

The empressof all   (1000+ posts)        Wed Nov-26-08 12:53 AM
Response to Original message
 
5. Chopped Liver and my husbands version of Spinach Pie

I finished the chopped liver today. Even made the schmaltz. I'm doing the spinach pie tomorrow but won't bake it till after the Turkey comes out to rest. This is my husbands favorite dish and he refuses to consider it Thanksgiving without it. It's basically a creamed spinach layered in Phylo with lots of grated swiss cheese. It's really rich and full of fat but once a year won't kill you.

For me Thanksgiving is all about the Dressing. I do a killer Apple/Sausage/veggie dressing. It's all about the butter...

[jtyangel]

Meh, we have some non-traditional items too..usually German or Polish. Christmas usually has some British goodies intertwined in with all the traditional German ones.

For Thanksgiving it usually was Gurken Und Kartoffelsuppe or Potato and Cucumber soup

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

pengillian101  (346 posts)        Tue Nov-25-08 07:42 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. Growin up with a Norwegian heritage, my experience is very different.

Italian upbringing sounds yum to me. No wonder your pizzas look so good, hippywife!

Norwegians in my family cooked bland food. Our only spice was Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup! Oofta!

Thanksgiving to us was not just the traditional turkey, et al. We had LUTEFISK and LEFSE! Now that is something else. You either love it or hate it. Me - I love it.
 
after which a very large photograph of some sort of food

Ugh! Norwegian food is disgusting!

[franksolich]

The one "non-traditional" food I always wanted at Thanksgiving, when I was a little lad, were my mother's poppyseed rolls.

My mother usually made poppyseed rolls on demand.

But in this instance, she never would; she stuck with the usual standard stuff like the turkey, the stuffing, the cranberry sauce, corn, peas, mashed potatoes, gravy.

Never beans though, which was okay.

[jtyangel]

The one "non-traditional" food I always wanted at Thanksgiving, when I was a little lad, were my mother's poppyseed rolls.

My mother usually made poppyseed rolls on demand.

But in this instance, she never would; she stuck with the usual standard stuff like the turkey, the stuffing, the cranberry sauce, corn, peas, mashed potatoes, gravy.

Never beans though, which was okay.

Ahh, yes, I remember..no beans.

I make homemade yeast rolls for Thanksgiving. I actually think it costs more then the store bought ones, but they are really good and I like the effort that goes into them and my daughter helping me to make them.

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

Ugh! Norwegian food is disgusting!

Scottish food sucks too!

[franksolich]

Scottish food sucks too!

Man, imagine haggis for Thanksgiving.

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

Man, imagine haggis for Thanksgiving.

Ya know Frank,I've noticed that I really don't like any food made by cultures in the extreme Northern hemisphere of our planet. The food all seems designed for  just sustenance and nothing else, very bland and cold seems to me.

[jtyangel]

Scottish food sucks too!

Says someone who has never had scotch eggs..just sayin'

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

Says someone who has never had scotch eggs..just sayin'

Well i'll expect those with my cookies then?

[jtyangel]

Well i'll expect those with my cookies then?

Not unless you want mold to go with them. 

[Chris_]

Ugh! Norwegian food is disgusting!

I tried lutefisk once -- it tastes like bleached dishtowels.

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

Not unless you want mold to go with them. 

Don't be so cheap! Next day air them to me!

[jtyangel]

Don't be so cheap! Next day air them to me!

 

[Wineslob]

I tried lutefisk once -- it tastes like bleached dishtowels.

Pretty much what I would expect from fish cured in lye. Anthony Bourdain coulden't stomach the stuff in one of his "adventures". (No Reservations)

My fav non-traditional would be Rolladen, with pickles in it.

[Flame]

Pretty much what I would expect from fish cured in lye. Anthony Bourdain coulden't stomach the stuff in one of his "adventures". (No Reservations)

My fav non-traditional would be Rolladen, with pickles in it.

I LOVE me some roulladen...yummy!

[Thor]

Pretty much what I would expect from fish cured in lye. Anthony Bourdain coulden't stomach the stuff in one of his "adventures". (No Reservations)

My fav non-traditional would be Rolladen, with pickles in it.

Beef rouladen makes me   Of course, I HATE pickles !!!

[Wineslob]

Beef rouladen makes me   Of course, I HATE pickles !!!

My wife can't stand them either. I LOVE the damn things.