Favorite Childhood Food
Selba posted a meme on her blog and I thought I would take up the tag since it is a subject near and dear to me. Food! What food brings back child hood memories? The food I enjoyed back then was much simple fare. Had not developed a taste for Asian food, in fact I hated Chinese food until I was 23 years old.
Pancakes are number one. This takes me back to my grandmother’s kitchen. I called her bubba and this woman is the best cook I have ever known. I could count on eating whatever I wanted for breakfast when I visited her house. I would ask for pancakes, cream of sweet (wheat, I was a cute kid hehe), and bacon. She’d cook all of it for me while I sat at the huge kitchen table talking 90 to nothing about subjects important to a four-year-old. Just don’t try ordering lunch or dinner. That never worked.
We had a cold front hit Texas and last night it got close to freezing. The cold brought back memories of Frito pie or chili pie, whatever you want to call it. This was so good and I should make some tonight. My grandmother’s house did not have air conditioning, so cooking in the summer was limited. No one wanted to make the hot house any hotter than it was already. But when the cold weather arrived, cooking was important for warming up our bellies as well as the kitchen. There was no space heater in the kitchen so the oven was the major source of heat. I use to love watching them make the Frito pie. They would get a big aluminum pan and fill the entire bottom with chili or beef enchiladas or both. On top of that they would pour a bag of Fritos corn chips and sometimes two bags. Then they would put on a layer of cheese. My mouth would water the whole time this cooked. I would stand by the stove sniffing and warming my little hands from the oven’s heat. I think I will make this for supper tonight.
Ice cream has remained a favorite throughout my life. There are few flavors I do not like. Neapolitan and peppermint are the flavors I remember the best from my youth. I loved ice cream with bananas, and chocolate syrup. They used to have this chocolate stuff (forgot the name) that you could melt on the ice cream and it would solidify and that was real good. But my favorite way to eat ice cream back then, especially vanilla flavored, was filling up a bowl and then grabbing a bunch of Fritos corn chips. I would take a corn chip and dip it into my ice cream for a salty sweet treat. Sounds strange but I really liked that.
Another favorite during my child hood was deviled crab, but not just any deviled crab would do. There was a cafeteria near the University of Houston called the Dinner Bell. It may remain, but it is far from my home and work. They made the best deviled crab ever. There was no doubt what I would eat when we went to the Dinner Bell. I would get my crab, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, corn, and a piece of lemon meringue pie. And this is Texas so I would drink ice tea. What was cool to me about the Dinner Bell was the bell on each table. If you needed something else, just ring the bell and you had service. My sister and I would always quarrel over who would ring the bell, sibling rivalry at its finest.
My final favorite meal as a boy is chicken and dumplings. Now to my Asian friends this dumpling is nothing like a won ton, much closer to dinner roll. The best part of the chicken and dumplings is the white chicken laden broth that fills the plate. My grandmother could make this really good. Another staple meal prepared during the cold of winter. In summer we used to go to this restaurant called Western Kitchen and they had excellent chicken and dumplings there. Come to think of it I miss their barbecue too.
Those are my five favorite meals or foods as a child. As stated before I accept tags, but I never tag anyone else. I was simply interested in recalling my youth for this post. If you feel that same urge, take up the tag. I’d like to read what foods inspire fond memories of your childhood.
November 17th, 2005 at 7:04 pm
Wow… really nice to read your childhood memories relate to food
Any picture of you and your grandma?
Have you ever tried vanilla ice cream with french fries? It’s good, hahahaha… I found it out from a little boy living accros my house.
November 17th, 2005 at 8:19 pm
It is unfortunate that I do not have any photos of my and Bubba. All I have is my memories.
I like my french fries the German way. With mayonnaise. Never tried with ice cream.
Glad you enjoyed the read Selba.
November 17th, 2005 at 8:29 pm
i did not know frito’s chips could be laid and baked that way. hmmm..
November 17th, 2005 at 9:26 pm
You put chili on the bottom and a layer or fritos and then a layer of cheese and then another of chili and another layer of fritos and a layer of cheese. Cook it at 375 F for 35 minutes. You can add onions if you want. If you like music the chili can have beans too.
I made this tonight since we got close to freezing last night.
November 17th, 2005 at 9:56 pm
If you like music the chili can have beans too.
Haha what??
Anyway my mouth was watering just reading about that. Think I might just do this meme.
After lunch that is.
November 17th, 2005 at 10:20 pm
You dun get it socialpest?
Enjoy lunch with chili and beans and you will find out. It ought to be real good on those cold Singaporean days. hahaha
November 17th, 2005 at 11:26 pm
sounds like lasagne. yummm..
music? hahahha
November 18th, 2005 at 1:06 am
I will do this meme later!! I love food..
November 18th, 2005 at 1:58 am
make mine a Tom Yam = engine starter for them cold chill to tha bone winter nights…. drink it whole and you be a walking heater! cheers!
November 18th, 2005 at 3:06 am
greetings! JoeC sent me your way. He was right! it was worth the visit! thanks.
November 18th, 2005 at 9:16 am
dumplings, never had those and for some reason the name makes think of bald baby ducks.
November 18th, 2005 at 11:01 am
haha i do get it but i mean who would think of farting while talking about FOOD!
November 18th, 2005 at 12:26 pm
A bowl of red is always good for a cold winter night. Time to make mine …
November 18th, 2005 at 2:33 pm
@misti And candlelights…
@Jane Cannot wait to read it Jane.
@joec So what is in a Tom Yam. Sounds like there is alcohol or chili involved. I’m good for either one.
@Dak-Ind Welcome to my blog. Glad you are enjoying the visit.
@K Man Bald baby ducks are tasty too. I especially like the jellied duck eggs. Good eating. Maybe they have those in Singapore. I recommend if they do.
@socialpest A professional chili eater. haha! But scuse me if I wuz rude.
@lynee If I’m cold down here you must be freeeeeeeeeeeeezing up there, la. You better eat two bowls.
November 18th, 2005 at 2:41 pm
hmmmmm….my favourite food when i was a child…..that i would have to think hard….i was terrible when i was a child for eating, i could stay 3 hours chewing of food…jaja! not like now…that i DO enjoy so much food…
November 18th, 2005 at 2:55 pm
You sound like my son CC.
November 18th, 2005 at 4:33 pm
The chocolate sauce was called Magic Shell and the second it hit the ice cream it would freeze and create a hard shell…mmmmmmm….
What great memories of your sweet Bubba.
We do the frito thing up here(Ohio) but in school we would always be served a bag of fritos with the meat, cheese, tomato and lettuce served right inside the frito bag–I swear catholic school nuns can really stretch the dollar! I am now addicted to it.
This was a great post! (but sadly now I am really hungry and dinner is so very far away!)
November 18th, 2005 at 6:38 pm
That was good stuff etchen. Do they still make it or does it cause terminal disease to anyone eating ice cream with it?
That fritos concoction sounds a bit messy in the bag. I’m sure the dishwasher appreciated it.
Go ahead and have snack. I won’t tell. hehe
November 18th, 2005 at 7:00 pm
CARACOLA!! I was like that too when i was younger. my parents would get so exasperated with me coz i eat so slow. but now i can’t stop eating!! haha i loooooooove food.
oh, and SA, you were not rude la.
-farts-
;)
November 18th, 2005 at 10:30 pm
Whats that odor?
Why are you smiling socialpest? Waitaminute. You are always smiling.
November 19th, 2005 at 12:06 am
ok then….
Tom yum (Thai ต้มยำ, also tom yam) is perhaps the most famous of all Thai dishes, a hot and sour soup flavored with fish sauce, shallots, lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal and chillies. The most common variant is Tom yum gung (ต้มยำกุ้ง), where the main ingredients are shrimp and mushrooms, but many other varieties are also available.
err, have not tried mixing with alcohol… not sure how it will taste…. oh, you can have a go at it… hehehehe
cheers!
November 19th, 2005 at 12:22 am
I’d drink that with some beer. Maybe a Tsingdao. Sounds pretty good.
November 19th, 2005 at 8:14 am
hehe. i am eating dim sum right now. wish i can share with all of you. in the year 3005, maybe we can do that, passing thru the blog.
November 19th, 2005 at 8:15 am
i was too sleepy posting that. in the year 3005, i won’t be eating dim sum. sorry.
November 19th, 2005 at 12:33 pm
I wanne est dim sum too mei mei. I doubt I have any teeth in 3005. Dat would be something to see.
*hugs*
But then again if there is food in heaven, I am certain dim sum will be on the menu.
November 20th, 2005 at 10:06 am
I’d never heard of Frito pie, but YUM! I must try it…assuming I can find any Fritos in Europe. It sounds perfect for the cold weather, just as you said.
November 20th, 2005 at 12:16 pm
You can substitute another corn chip kimananda. I made some the day of writing I was so inspired.
You can actually layer it and then it is really good. Need a cold wind to inspire this again.