A dinner you miss from when you were a kid

BigRedBuster said:
My mother is 100% German and I never knew about this dish till a few years ago.  It looked good and I tried making it.  I don't think I did the best job of it.  Now, this is making me want to try it again.
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The trick is to not cook the meat too long, which leads to it drying out, which is challenging because it also needs to be pounded thin so it can be rolled.

 
ColoradoHusk said:
The trick is to not cook the meat too long, which leads to it drying out, which is challenging because it also needs to be pounded thin so it can be rolled.
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That's interesting, because I've looked at several recipes.  All of them call for a slice of bacon on the inside.  So, you have to at least cook it long enough to cook the bacon.  This one says to brown in the skillet then simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  Not sure how it can't be well done by then.

https://www.quick-german-recipes.com/beef-rouladen-recipe.html

 
BigRedBuster said:
That's interesting, because I've looked at several recipes.  All of them call for a slice of bacon on the inside.  So, you have to at least cook it long enough to cook the bacon.  This one says to brown in the skillet then simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  Not sure how it can't be well done by then.

https://www.quick-german-recipes.com/beef-rouladen-recipe.html
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Yes, bacon is included in the center of the roll-up, and that can help keep things moist.  The rouladen can also be served with a beef gravy to help with the dryness.

 
Toe said:
My mom used to make beef enchiladas out of some old Betty Crocker cookbook. Not exactly authentic Mexican cuisine, but damn they were good...
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This post reminds me of how bland the cooking done by older/past generations can be.  Not that I am a great cook, but whenever I eat meals cooked by my in-laws (and even my mom) I can't get over how little seasoning and flavor that the food has.  I know that they learned to cook when there wasn't the abundance of spices, sauces, and flavors which are available now, but it's very hard to eat meals with them sometimes.  They also can't handle foods with any spice at all, so any "Mexican" food is basically includes some type of tortilla and covered with melted cheese and called Mexican.

 
ColoradoHusk said:
This post reminds me of how bland the cooking done by older/past generations can be.  Not that I am a great cook, but whenever I eat meals cooked by my in-laws (and even my mom) I can't get over how little seasoning and flavor that the food has.  I know that they learned to cook when there wasn't the abundance of spices, sauces, and flavors which are available now, but it's very hard to eat meals with them sometimes.  They also can't handle foods with any spice at all, so any "Mexican" food is basically includes some type of tortilla and covered with melted cheese and called Mexican.
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My mom's cooking had a ton of flavor.  But, it wasn't masked by a bunch of random sauces.  She could make fried chicken or a beef roast that would make your mouth water just thinking about it and all she used was salt and pepper.  No need for all that added stuff.

 
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Toe said:
@ColoradoHusk Reminds me of an article I was reading: The Economics Behind Grandma’s Tuna Casseroles - Don’t judge yesteryear’s cooking by today’s standards.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/friday-food-post-the-economics-behind-grandma-s-tuna-casseroles
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That's great!!!  That covers a lot of stuff that I had in mind when I made my post.  I understand that people may think "my mom was a great cook with simple ingredients" or "I loved this restaurant as a kid".  Those memories are mainly because we didn't know any better or weren't exposed to different things in our younger years.  I sure thought that a place like Chi-Chis was "great Mexican food" when it was Americanized, crap knock-off versions of Mexican cuisine.  I used to love going to Big Fred's growing up in West Omaha (at least back then).  My family was in Omaha a couple weeks ago, we went to Big Fred's.  While some of the food was ok, the bulk of the food was just meh.  It was the nostalgia of going to Big Fred's that made me think I was going to like it so much.

 
ColoradoHusk said:
I sure thought that a place like Chi-Chis was "great Mexican food" when it was Americanized, crap knock-off versions of Mexican cuisine.
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Honestly? I don't really even care that much. I do like to know how authentic what I'm eating is, but at the same time, I'm not going to let authenticity get in the way of me enjoying a delicious meal.

 
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ColoradoHusk said:
This post reminds me of how bland the cooking done by older/past generations can be.  Not that I am a great cook, but whenever I eat meals cooked by my in-laws (and even my mom) I can't get over how little seasoning and flavor that the food has.  I know that they learned to cook when there wasn't the abundance of spices, sauces, and flavors which are available now, but it's very hard to eat meals with them sometimes.  They also can't handle foods with any spice at all, so any "Mexican" food is basically includes some type of tortilla and covered with melted cheese and called Mexican.
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Dude, my mom too!

It is amazing how little seasoning her and my dad use and to think of using a sauce???  NEVER

 
teachercd said:
Dude, my mom too!

It is amazing how little seasoning her and my dad use and to think of using a sauce???  NEVER
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I think there is a big difference between families.  For instance, my parents are roughly the same age as my in laws.  Both moms sort of cooked similar.  However, not to brag, but my mom's was amazing and I constantly heard people outside our family rant about her cooking. People would want her fried chicken recipe and when she would tell them, they wouldn't believe it was only seasoned with salt and pepper.  

Meanwhile, my wife grew up on a dairy farm.  Her mom cooked like a normal farm wife with meat and potatoes.  I would never tell my wife this...but....her cooking sucked.  It was so bland and tasteless.  I finally realized I had to add something and would add a lot of pepper to everything on my plate and the whole family would look at me like I was crazy.

Take the sour cream raisin pie I talked about above.  That thing was so rich with flavor that many people LOVED it, but only wanted a small piece.  Me?  Heck no....I'd eat two pieces if my mom would let me.

 
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All those casseroles where it was like no matter what was put in it, it somehow came out tasting exactly like 'casserole'...

 
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When I was a kid, frozen fish sticks were a staple.  With greens and potatoes.

I have to admit, instant potatoes have come a long way. 

 
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