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| Food. Give me food. |
Think back to your youth and remember foods that you loved, that was a peculiar speciality for your home area. What was it? Would you eat it now?
Take your time and peruse the food below. As you say, ewww, try to recall history where cooks always found a way to stretch a dollar/pound and feed a family.
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| Amazon has quite an extensive selection. |
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| Varied menu Granted, this menu is decidedly upscale. Blackberry bread pudding? Oh, yeah. |
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| creamed squirrel over fried grits |
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| Wines for Wild game pairings |
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| Hasenpfeffer rabbit stew |
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| stuffed skunk |
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| Cake for dessert Crazy cakes |
In our rural area, where some farmers still live in "hollers/hollows", wild game is a food source, and is still hunted. Deer and Elk hunting are important in the economy of Pike County, Illinois. Celebrities and sports figures can be seen in the local diner in November.
Southerners also hunt these wild animals, as part of their food base.
Southerners also hunt these wild animals, as part of their food base.
Did our family eat wild game? You betcha, it was part of the culture. Mom prepared rabbit, squirrel, snapping turtle, ducks, geese, venison, elk, and frog legs. She emphatically refused possum and skunk. "Have to draw the line somewhere."
Since this was part of the culture and time, we didn't think anything about our dinner. Mom could cook anything, wild or not.
Since this was part of the culture and time, we didn't think anything about our dinner. Mom could cook anything, wild or not.
Sites for further information: Amazon cookbooks. Broken Arrow Ranch, Amazon Wild Meat assortments
**These days, some cans are gag gifts. Have to read the can label carefully to confirm that. "Here the beavers have been known to get under your covers and snuggle you to sleep."
I can safely say that I would eat not one single thing that is on this post now or in the past. I was raised in the south on grits and collards and all the vegetables that he could grow. He tried to raise chickens I wouldn't eat them he tried to raise pigs I wouldn't eat them. And he brought home birds that he hunted and I cried because they were on the table. I am not much of a meat eater of any kind other than a hamburger. And then it hurts my heart. That said I know the living in Kentucky for a few years in the 50 but that's how people fed their families it just wasn't us.
ReplyDeleteYou made his life a little tough.
DeleteI agree. I've never eaten or even heard of these canned goods. I would never eat any of these things, although I was at a bbq once where squirrel was served. It is nothing but a ball of grease. Now you know why I'm now a vegetarian.
ReplyDeleteSquirrels are skinny eating. they would need the fat.
DeleteThe Cajuns are known for eating just about anythinig. That's why crawfish and alligator are still on menus around here.
ReplyDeleteFood treats that I will probably never eat, but I am curious.
DeleteI don't think we ate anything truly weird. The occasional deer sausages and moose steak were about as wild as we got.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! Moose steak would be an interesting food.
DeleteAll of a sudden, the lutefisk suppers I loathed don't seem so revolting!
ReplyDeleteI guess we can all say "we are what we eat"?
DeleteI have lived in rural and semi - rural areas for much of my life. Eating wild game is not that unusual to me. The fact that some of this was canned does seem strange however.
ReplyDeleteNot at all strange. Glad you had that experience.
DeleteMy grandma canned meats after some stock were processed.
I am really fussy about the kinds of meat I eat. I'll admit I have eaten frog legs and venison one time each. They did taste good but I'll never knowingly eat them again. Once my parents tried to feed us our pet Billy. He was a goat that was raised with the specific purpose of being food. After we all tearfully refused to eat the stew we never were offered goat again. I do eat meat so I am not against it. I am just fussy about which meats I eat.
ReplyDeleteOnce a year our milk cow Blackie was artificially inseminated, and soon there would be a bull calf. It was my young siblings' pet. Once it reached teenage stage, it went on a trip to Ralph Smith's shop. We ate for the rest of the winter.
DeleteNo regional delicacies here.
ReplyDeleteWhen times were particularly tough my father went hunting or fishing. Even then I MUCH preferred trout to rabbit. I am a vegetarian now but when I see rabbit on upscale menus I shudder. It is poverty food to me.
The home grown vegies were not. And tasted then and now much better than the store bought alternatives.
It is true. Hunted meats were definitely needed to supplement the diet.
DeleteI miss home grown vegs.
You kind of grossed me out with this. I've eaten venison and rabbit. Don't recall the latter, but I've liked the venison the few times I ate it. These days I'm not much of a meat eater. Actually don't really enjoy eating like I used to. My philosophy has always been that if someone else is eating something and enjoying it then I'll give it a try.
ReplyDeleteI've thought about some of the prepared foods my mom used to get like some of the Old El Paso brands of Mexican foods. My local Ralph's doesn't carry the brand and looking online I don't see the foods I used to enjoy like their frozen tacos and New Mexico style enchiladas in a can. Every once in a while I'll think of an old favorite food and research it, but usually they can no longer be found.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I know what you mean. All those foods that we bought off the shelf are switching to new brands.
DeleteOne year, my father went whole hog on the gag Christmas gifts. He got my aunt this: https://www.amazon.com/Original-Road-Kill-Cookbook/dp/0898152003
ReplyDeleteThere's been bad blood between my father and his brother ever since. . .
HEh, heh. The whole hog! You nailed it.
DeleteJust went there and saw some great books. Kinda makes me want to buy one, but for some reason, I think I should not.
DeleteWe had quail and rabbit and squirrel, all equally delicious in a fried-chickeny kind of way. Not as juicy, though.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma and grandpa had a hog farm, and would butcher one out under the shade tree, setting the head on the wall of the carport for making head cheese later. I wouldn't try that, nor the store-bought pickled pigs' feet that my other grandpa kept a jar of in his refrigerator.
I think our family must have known each other!
DeleteThe hogshead hanging on the wall of the carport would be repulsive on every level. My folks kept head cheese in the freezer, never tried it. Dad loved pickled pigs' feet, gave me a chunk. I still gag when I think of that moment.
I don't recall any food that was unique to the area I grew up in. Most of Australia back then dined nightly on lamb chops with vegetables, usually mashed potatoes and peas. Sausages were sometimes served instead of the chops. I remember eating rabbit when dad and his mates went out 'rabbiting', but I never liked it much. Dry and stringy no matter how it was cooked. Fish and chips on paydays, men got to eat steak, but it was too expensive to feed it to the kids.
ReplyDeleteAll that changed for the better when Italians opened their pizza parlours and Greeks added burgers to the menus in their fish and chip shops. The along came Chinese take away shops with Chop Suey this and fried rice that. Times were great then.
that is amazing. That makes for a meaty story.
DeleteHi Susan - after the War we had our own chickens, pigs and ducks (they were eaten by the foxes though!) ... I don't remember eating rabbit or squirrel - I've since cooked rabbit and hare - not squirrel though - but they make Cornish squirrel pasties!! We needed to eat and during the War - the diet was awful, but needs must for the rural folk - the armed forces were looked after.
ReplyDeleteA fun read though ... take care - Hilary
Foxes are so sneaky and love to feast of helpless fowl. Cornish squirrel pasties? That would be interesting.
DeleteOh yeah, there were things I've eaten that I wouldn't touch now.
ReplyDeleteSame here. Snapping turtle is tasty.
DeleteThis is a fun post, Susan. That first one? Reminded me of Lizzie. I think the only word she knows or answers to is "Food." She might know her name. But no guarantees on that one.
ReplyDeleteFood is a good word to respond to, enthusiastically.
DeleteI miss having squirrel and rabbit on Sundays. But skunk? especially that 'let's leave the head on' part....
ReplyDeleteThe heads-on is about the worst idea.
DeleteI always thought it was weird that my mom and grandma both liked milk and sugar on a slice of white bread. Now, I'm thinking it probably wasn't so bad after all. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy folks ate that as well. Why, but maybe it was okay?
Delete