Culinary regrets...

[The Captain]

So a big shout out to NancysSummerSip for the inspiration for this thread.

DH and I both love to cook.  We were foodies before the term was invented.  We both helped pay our way through college by working in professional kitchens (among other things).

I am mostly of German and Irish heritage, neither of which are known for their culinary prowess.  Neither my mom nor my grandmother liked to cook so there were no family recipes handed down in any event.

I have always regretted that I didn't have:

1.  A Jewish grandma to teach me how to make awesome matzoh ball soup...
2.  A Polish grandma to teach me how to make pierogies
3.  A Mexican grandma to teach me how to make tamales
4.  An Italian grandma to teach me how to make, well almost ANYTHING Italian

And that has me running out of grandmothers.

Now I was lucky enough in college to work with a wonderful lady (Ms. Pearlie) who taught me how to make all kinds of beans and greens as well as the worlds best freaking chocolate chip cookies (with a damn recipe that can't be scaled below 30 dozen  - I've tried)

Any food you wish you had a grandma to teach you how to make?

[cael]

Oh man. My Italian grandmother lives in Phila and we don't see her much, so didn't get anything from her. My (Irish) grandmother who was up here... cooked everything out of a can haha. She was one of those 50s housewives who just made her house, self and kids look pristine but cooked like, Spam and other canned stuff. It was always a canned ham at their house on holidays, lol. She did make a mean grilled cheese though, from Kraft singles!

I desperately wish I had a Polish babci (sp?) to teach pierogi, although my middle aged male Polish coworker will suffice , I wish DH had some Greek relatives in this country who could teach us some good Greek stuff, like stuffed grape leaves and moussaka and baklava. OH - and I wish I had an African grandma/relative to teach me how to make good fufu and groundnut soup, the one cooking class we took in Ghana wasn't nearly enough to really learn it!

[justme]

Moving on from my real answer which is a downer....I second your wishing for an Italian grandma. I'm convinced I have some Italian in me somewhere for my affinity of making it the real way. I really need a grandma to teach me gnocchi because it's one big thing I've yet to master.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I wish my great grandmother had written down her kolache recipe. She never taught my grandmother how to make them and she died when I was a kid.

I've been trying to learn how to make them thru recipes on the internet. I swear I am missing something b/c mine tend to not come out like the ones my parents buy from a Czech bakery in town.

I'm getting closer. It's hard b/c I am relying on the memories of my dad and grandmother who haven't had the original version in decades.

I think I am going to use pastry flour next time and see if that works better.


Once I have it nailed down I am writing it down before it gets lost again.

I wish I'd had my grandma teach me how to make her pumpkin pie. We have her recipe but both my mom and I agree that something's off when we make the filling. My mom has the crust nailed down, but we're not quite there with the filling. There must be something she did that she never wrote down.

Grandma's been dead since 2004. I miss her pie. I refuse to eat store bought pumpkin pie, it's crap compared to hers.

[ArchietheDragon]

My 100% Italian grandma was not a great cook. She had a few things she made, none of them that good and none of them that Italian.

My Welsh grandma was not a good cook either. In fact she didn't cook. My 100% Italian grandpa did all the cooking in their house. He was a pretty good cook, but didn't like anyone in his kitchen.

[The Captain]

ArchietheDragon - thanks for pointing out my sexist presumption - guys can cook as good as gals!

Mea Culpa!

[NancysSummerSip]

Aw, thanks Captain!

Nope, Grandma taught me everything she knew. I am forever grateful to that woman. What a maven she was. And I have a bunch of her recipes in my possession; I was not able to save much from my uncle's destructive bent when he trashed her place, but I did get those, along with photos and jewelry.

As for personal regrets: I've still got a bucket list of things yet to try and eat before I kick the proverbial bucket. I may or may not want to make them, but I do want to try them.

[KaraBoo]

Apparently, I am the only family member that my grandma actually taught her "true" recipe for Ritz Cracker Pie (family favorite).

I love my grandma (now passed), but I HATE that I'm the only daughter/granddaughter she passed the recipe on to.  I HATE the pie, do not eat it and it takes FFFOOORRRREEEEVVVVEEERRRR to make!  AND goes against everything I know about food safety....she insisted it had to be made the way she taught me or it wouldn't turn out properly.

She was right....after she passed, I tried to make it my way - I got a HUGE thumbs down from the family.

I passed the recipe and steps on to my SIL - she was trying to score brownie points with the family, was happy to have something in her favor.  She's made the recipe 3 times now - and agrees....it's a pain to make.  Plus - you have to make sure there is enough people to eat the darn thing because it makes SO MUCH!!

We joke that the "secret" ingredient is "love" - because only someone who loves their family would put themselves through the torture of making this pie!!!  LOL!  

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

My grandmother & mother were both magicians in the kitchen.

My mom gave me a box of her recipe cards, as well as a couple of her old tried & true cookbooks.

Many of the "Family Favorite" recipes from the books also have notes and notations throughout the pages - with adjustments to measurements, since she often found that a bit more of this or a bit less of that made them work better.

She also had some scaled up or down dependent on how large or small a batch of something she was making.

[Deleted]

I wish my Grandma had taught me how to cook. Anything. She enjoyed cooking and baking and would have loved to teach me, but I was only interested in eating, not cooking. She cooked southern, country kind of food. homemade dough for biscuits, dumplings and pies. greens from her garden. homemade custard turned to ice cream with an old ice cream maker that had to be turned by hand. My hand if I was around lol. But she was well known for her cakes. People wanted her cakes like kids want candy. I don't eat much cake.

[Jaguar]

My mom called herself the World's worst cook, she wasn't far off either. BUT my late sister Elaine, oh man could she cook. Elaine travelled all over the world and took note of how they done things.

[Deleted]

I come from a family of good cooks. Not necessarily for big production meals, just everyday meals that taste really good. I didn't appreciate that until I started eating at other people's houses. It is rarely as good as what I get when I eat with my family. Most people are not very good cooks I find. Everyone I work with loves to have pot lucks, they all consider themselves really good cooks. They aren't. I'm not a great cook but I do basic, tasty meals just fine, protein and at least 2 veggies. For the potlucks though I usually bring the buns and butter.

[marvholly]

These days I AM the gandmother myself. Neither of my grandmothers could cook anything worth repeating for generations to come. My mother had a couple decent traditional jewish recipes she mad over holidays. Generally she was a protein, veg and salad or fruit for dinner person. I am much the same BUT collect & try out MANY recipes from many different sources.

Captain

My mom's matzo ball recipe is GREAT if you like floaters. It can be adjusted to make sinkers, concrete crackers or hockey pucks (my MIL).

[The Captain]

Apr 11, 2015 5:18:04 GMT -5 marvholly said:

These days I AM the gandmother myself. Neither of my grandmothers could cook anything worth repeating for generations to come. My mother had a couple decent traditional jewish recipes she mad over holidays. Generally she was a protein, veg and salad or fruit for dinner person. I am much the same BUT collect & try out MANY recipes from many different sources.

Captain

My mom's matzo ball recipe is GREAT if you like floaters. It can be adjusted to make sinkers, concrete crackers or hockey pucks (my MIL).

Marv - If you'd care to share the recipe I'd love to have it.  Floaters, sinkers, - I've yet to meet a matzo ball I don't like.

[simser]

Neither one of my grandmas was a fantastic cook, and my great aunt was such a depression era person no one would eat what she cooked (she would throw cereal in bread, rinds in the pumpkin pie etc.) although she had the best garden ever.

But my friends taught me how to make the most delicious mexican food ever and I will forever be grateful!!!its the one thing I can cook well.

[andi9899]

I want someone to show me how to make tuna casserole. I'm told that it's the easiest thing ever, but I can't make it for the life of me! None of my Mexican family makes it, so naturally I love it. I do make some killer Mexican food however. But sorry, I suck at tamales.

[The Captain]

Apr 13, 2015 9:36:13 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

I want someone to show me how to make tuna casserole. I'm told that it's the easiest thing ever, but I can't make it for the life of me! None of my Mexican family makes it, so naturally I love it. I do make some killer Mexican food however. But sorry, I suck at tamales.

You live anywhere near Chicago?

[andi9899]

Apr 13, 2015 9:53:20 GMT -5 The Captain said:

Apr 13, 2015 9:36:13 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

I want someone to show me how to make tuna casserole. I'm told that it's the easiest thing ever, but I can't make it for the life of me! None of my Mexican family makes it, so naturally I love it. I do make some killer Mexican food however. But sorry, I suck at tamales.

You live anywhere near Chicago?

No. It's about an 8 hour drive. If ever in KC, definitely look me up!

[weltschmerz]

Apr 10, 2015 22:38:55 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

I come from a family of good cooks. Not necessarily for big production meals, just everyday meals that taste really good. I didn't appreciate that until I started eating at other people's houses. It is rarely as good as what I get when I eat with my family. Most people are not very good cooks I find. Everyone I work with loves to have pot lucks, they all consider themselves really good cooks. They aren't. I'm not a great cook but I do basic, tasty meals just fine, protein and at least 2 veggies. For the potlucks though I usually bring the buns and butter.

I love pot lucks; the food is to die for! It's very United Nations...people bring food from all corners of the world; sio pao, pansit, adobo, shish taouk, tabouleh, samosas, curries, souse, Caribbean stew chicken, etc. Delicious!