Some forgotten meal dishes prepared by my mother that deserve to be on everyone’s dinner table today

Here’s a nice look at some of the meals that my mother used to make for us kids when we were young. As we grew up and moved away from home, these delicious home cooked meals were replaced by fast food, and restaurant set meals.

Sigh.

What began as an occasional trip once or twice to “Big Boy”, became a weekly event in the late 1970’s, and almost daily after the early 1980’s. That coiencided with the absolutely frenzied rise of McDonald’s and Burger King franchises.

In those days, McDonalds’ used to have the words “Over XXXX customers sold”.

• • • Thousands became Millions.
    • Millions became Billions.
    • Billions became, “Billions and Billions”.

And everyone was living this sort of frenzied, fast-paced lifestle.

In truth, for decades I lived off of a mixture of fast food, easy to prepare cheap foods at home (spaghetti, hamburger, chicken) and restaurant staples.

I argue that many people still live this kind of pitiful life; not getting to live a life filled with delicious and tasty, healthy food.

This article looks at what my family used to cook for me that no longer exists in the diets of most Americans today. It’s not what I used to make to eat, or what my first and second wives made for me to eat. It’s what my parents, and my grandparents made for me to eat.

We start off with something that doesn’t seem to be that popular any more. Perhaps it’s becuase no one knows how to make it right. I am referring to meatloaf.

Meatloaf?

Yeah. Sure. Meatloaf.

You do NOT use the cheapest cuts of meat, and throw everything into it. You do not live in a school cafeteria. No. You should use quality ingredients, and keep things simple.

Classic Meatloaf

Even if you have nightmares of cafeteria meatloaf, giving this classic another shot can make you realize why this staple was such a hit. This throwback recipe brings everything home and reminds you of all the rich flavors of beef, tomatoes, and that iconic meatloaf texture.

Just like it is easy to use the cheapest ground meat, the cheapest left over bread, and the near-expiration-date ingredients, don’t. Take the time and use good, healthy ingredients, and present it in a fine loving way that it deserves. Your family will love you for it.

• Cooked tomatoes, peppers, and onions instead of store bought ketchup.
• Ground beef instead of ground chuck.
• Go easy on the bread crumbs.

I like to eat it with sliced bread and (real salted) butter, mashed potatoes, and corn, peas, or some other well steamed vegitable.

Southern-Style Cornmeal Catfish with Tomato Gravy

Fried fish has always come across tables as a dinner standard, but it gets harder and harder to find fried catfish on the menu at most dinners.

This recipe will make you remember why this economical fish was such a favorite, and it will evoke memories of fish fries and summer days. With a crispy cornmeal crust and an easy frying technique, this recipe is achievable for any home cook.

The best and most important thing to remember is to debone it, and serve deep fried, breaded filets.

It goes really good with pickled tomatoes, Southern “hushpuppies”, french fried potatoes and really icy cold beer. Don’t you know?

Chicken and Dumplings

Whether you grew up in the North or the South, you’ve likely tried some variant of this classic dish that has stretched far and wide across America. The tender, chewy dumplings provide a perfect textural pairing with the moist chicken. It all gets coated in a down-home gravy that whips up nostalgia in an instant. For a trip down memory lane, bring this classic to a table near you.

Everyone remembers their first green bean casserole, likely made with cream of mushroom soup and fried onion straws. Even if you eventually burnt out on this dish as a kid, now is the perfect time to explore the casserole again.

By mixing up the ingredients, you can avoid any traumatic memories of canned green beans and use only the freshest produce to make this dish pop.

Try using green beans, AND asparagus, with some real sauteed mushrooms.

Sometimes, simplicity brings out the best flavors from quality ingredients. This old-fashioned recipe takes that mentality to heart by pairing fresh carrots with a sweet and rich honey butter glaze. You’ll not only evoke generations past, but you’ll also whip up a new family favorite everyone can love that costs little time and money to prepare. To round out your dinner, this should prove an instant favorite.

When you imagine an old-fashioned Sunday meal, each table spread probably includes a baked ham and bread offered up for everyone. This take on a classic refines what everyone loved about a night at home on the weekend by featuring a delectable honey-glazed ham. Paired with the fluffy cheddar muffins, each bite of ham will be a taste of heaven.

You probably haven’t thought about Hamburg steaks in quite some time, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t take a crack at this once-popular staple. They’re easier to make than traditional steaks on the grill. And each portion packs in so much flavor, you’ll wonder why you never tried this recipe sooner.

I find that the secret is to let the steaks cook a nice long time at lower heat in a deep savory broth. You can add garlic, onions, and mushrooms to really kick out that flavor.

Sunday Chili

It’s harder to find Sunday Chili on home menus nowadays. This classic not only provides a cumin kick to liven up any night, and one big pot could last for days. With easy-to-find ingredients and little prep work, this dish deserves a revival.

In the ’50s and ’60s, home cooks paired novel items in ways you might never have expected. While many of these recipes deserve to have died out, some deserve a second chance.

For instance, root beer-glazed ham stood out from the crowd by providing that sugary bite usually drawn from a honey glaze.

And the acidity of the soda helps tenderize the meat, making for one delectable ham. If you’ve only heard rumors of this dish, now is the best time to give this recipe a shot!

I can tell you that this goes great with a table “spread”.

You lay out sliced lettice (all fresh and washed completely), sliced tomatoes (I add salt and olive oil to the slices), some thin sliced onions (the restrurants all trend is to have these super thick onion slices, I like mine paper thin), and fresh hot baked bread. Add some pickles, cheeses (a selection in sandwich slices), and some marinated olives, marinated peppers.

Oh and don’t forget a fine selection of condiments…

• Horseradish
• Wasabi
• Sweet salad dressing.
• Mayonaise.
• Ketchup.
• Sweet butter chips (sliced pickles)
• Dill pickles (spear shape)
• Olive oil.
• Butter.
• vinegar.
• Salt and pepper.
• Hot mix

Keep the bread warm, and the ham hot.

The tomatoes should always sit in warm water for a few minutes to push out the flavor and punch them into a state of mouth watering organism. then slice them and add salt and olive oil, and then place on their own plate.

Then you make yourself a fine sandwich and eat it with wine, and some great conversation.

Some thoughts

If you get on the internet and search for food, you will come up with all kinds of articles on the recipes on how to make the food. You might even come across some diet guru that is trying to get you to invest in “their plan”. (A subject in itself.) But you will hardly ever find articles on the joys of eating the food everyone prepares.

I don’t like that.

Food is a very important part of our lives.

It is more than just nutrition, it is a social venue. One, that is terribly neglected in modern Wester society.

And here, here, I argue that it shouldn’t be that way. I argue that food should be a major part of your life, and well planned healthy meals should be the stable from which everything else is derived.

And that’s where the family comes in.

[1] Savings

You will find and discover that a singular weekly meal might cost just slightly less than a restaurant meal, but the time it took to make it was problematic. Ingredient costs alone might equal that of a mid-range restrurant meal. And yet, it might take you an hour or more to make.

Don’t freak out.

Buy in bulk, and plan the meals a week in advance. Like adults do; like people who are in control of their lives do.

Of course, all families are different, which is why I strongly advocate a very traditional division of labor for the family and disparage the idea of a home with two people working for others. One person stays home and take on all the domestic issues and controls the money. The other earns the money, and handles maintence and repairs.

Now, if you plan on five such meals a week, and budget accordingly, you will discover a substantial savings in money, and an improvement in your family communication. And these particular changes will really positively affect your life.

This will be true EVEN if you subtract the secondary source of income. (And all the other expenses that come with it.)

[2] Social

We are social creatures. Every opportunity for us to share times with others in a neutral to positive way should be embraced and nurtured.

No one ever told you this.

Well, maybe it’s becuase they don’t appreciate things as they used to be.

Eating food historically is a social and cultural construct that helps us connect with each others. In England, this resulted in pubs. In China this resulted in those big private meal rooms.

Unfortunately, one of the very first social reengineering efforts in the United States was to destroy this social activity and replace it with a for-profit, fast and isolated eating format. Two hour lunch hours were reduced to thirty minutes, and in some cases only fifteen minutes (at work). Car drive-throughs in fast food chains popped up everywhere, and even table sizes shrank. All facilitating a most lonely singular existence  of socially disconnected loners.

Eating alone in the car.

Listening to talk radio.

Not to each other. Not savoring the flavors.

Instead, isolated, and shoving cheap, mass-produced animal feed to keep them toiling in companies, and manipulated in every singular manner possible.

So think in terms of fine sit-down ritualized meals.

No, this meal-time is not an event for horse-play and arguments. It’s a time of kindness and shared emotions. Be positive. Be kind. Be uplifting. Say good and nice things. Make the other people want to share more meals with you.

Your life will improve.

[3] Health

Healthy foods prepared with care and affection, and served  in a fine healthy environment will certainly help improve your over all health, general well-being and happiness.

It will.

You will live longer, and have a much better overall quality of life too boot.

How to use this article

It is my hope that you will go through the various food items I have shown herein and pick one. Then search the internet for a recipe for it, and then gather the materials and make it.

But it’s more than that.

Record your costs in a notebook. Record how long it took you to make it, and then have a formal sit down meal with your family or friends and record (in the notebook) how it went.

Then compare that to the “normal” everyday meals that you have been eating over the last month or so.

Conclusions

You will find that the mixture of cooking, delicious food, fellowship over a meal and the cost savings are far superior to what you (most probably) have been living off of for the last few months.

You will.

A social life will emerge.

A closer and better relationship with your family will occur.

You will make new friends, and will be healthier and happier.

And if so, I encourage you to keep it up. Start small and simple. Mix it up some. And have a great time with it. Enjoy life. (If everything goes well…) This one will be your last.

Oh, and don’t forget an after-dinner dessert and coffee (or whatever beverage that appeals to you). It’s stuff that magic memories are made out of.

Do you want more?

I have more posts in my Food Index associated with my Happiness Index here…

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