Michael,
We had many of the same dishes you did, but with a variation on the sweet
potatoes. The kids all hated the potatoes, but when we found this recipe it
became a hit:
Boiled sweet potatoes
Shedd's Old Style Sauce (like mayo with lots of horseradish)
green onions
boiled eggs
Make it like a potato salad, mixing ingredients to your particular tastes.
Mom made bread, which drew neighbors from a block around when she started
baking!
We also had holupche. Damned if I know the right spelling on that, but the
Poles call it "pierogi." I saw someone else listed that as a childhood
favorite, too. My mom would brown butter and onions to serve over the
cheese and potato-filled dumplings. They were a favorite the next day, too,
fried in even more butter.
>From the other side of the family came baked beans and brown bread, as well
as stew fixed like I've had it no other place. My grandmother made the
beans in ancient bean pots and the brown bread is a recipe that supposedly
hails from generations ago, steamed to perfection and moist as all get out.
For a while in the 60's we couldn't make it because one of the ingredients
was used in making LSD and was near impossible to get. I would be happy to
pass the recipe on if anyone is interested. It is unbelieveably yummy!
My grandmother's recipe for stew is also unusual. We now use beef mostly,
but venison is prefered if it's on hand. Bear is even better. Instead of
potatoes, squash (butternut or acorn) is used. The sauce is thickened with
cornstarch until it's more like a gravy and then it's served with corn
bread. This dish is so savory!
Pidahih ("pi" with a short "i", "da" as you might expect, and "hih" with a
short "i"...damn, I wish I had learned Ukranian!) was another favorite.
Americans call this "Pig in a Blanket." It is ground beef, rice, and a few
mellow spices wrapped in cabbage and topped with tomato sauce, and then it's
steamed.
Mom also made chocolate cinnamon rolls (a yeast bread), which I've never
seen anyplace else and are wonderful. They were always made for very
special occasions.
No wonder why my families tend toward the portly side!
Diane
P.S. I'm a big garlic fan. Could I talk you into posting the recipe for
the Brussel Sprout Casserole
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