Didja learn in Mom's/Grandma's kitchen

As a kid did you learn anything watching or helping in the kitchen ???? Or did your Mom kick you out because you were "only in the way" ??????

My Mom taught her 5 kids by making us do the things we could and watch her doing the rest. All 5 are good cooks. Because it was during the depression we worked or went hungry. As they say now "It was a great learning experience". Back then it was a necessity.

I am a good cook because of mom. She encouraged me and let me help as much as I wanted to. She was very patient and always included me in her kitchen time, if I wanted to.
I thank her for teaching me. Home Economics in 8th grade sure didnt. A little bit, but mostly mom!
Thanks mom!

In Dad's kitchen.

I first learned to cook as a means of self-defense. It was either learn or eat my mother's cooking.

When I was in fourth grade my mother went back to work as a teacher. She worked in a school district about 40 miles away. She would leave me detailed instructions on how to start dinner before she got home. Said instructions almost always started, "Peel potatoes..." and I can't stand plain boiled potatoes to this day!

My grandmother took care of us as kids while mom worked---she was ALWAYS in the kitchen--so--we were too. Later it was the same at my moms---EVEVRYONE in the family cooks--alot of us professionally and because of the fact that we were aVERY ethnic Italians family--we cooked for large groups---US--all the time! I found that when ever i wanted to learn a cuisine--rather then a specicic recipe--the "stand next to the cook in the kitchen method" was essential!! so learned Mexian and CHineses methods from grandmas!

My Mom was a great cook, but I never realized it. She cooked "foreign" things, and I wanted her to cook American. What did I know? Kids!

Now, I cook in pursuit of this art I never really learned. I'm regularly involved in another artistic pursuit, and I think maybe I can transfer that creativity to the culinary arts, sort of as a therapy.

I keep thinking that I have this hidden talent that just needs to be brought out. Sometimes I'm encouraged. Sometimes I wonder.
The Bear

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I first learned to cook as a means of self-defense. It was either learn or eat my mother's cooking.

that bad????

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I first learned to cook as a means of self-defense. It was either learn or eat my mother's cooking.

that bad????

We called her Lucretia Borgia.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I first learned to cook as a means of self-defense. It was either learn or eat my mother's cooking.

that bad????

We called her Lucretia Borgia.

The BLack Widow?....

Michael,

I think we knew your Mom. The lady next door sent over a cake for some unknown reason. We all chewed and chewed and no one could swallow. Finally my brother went over to the sink and spit it out. The Borgia family strikes again !!!!!!

In Mama's Kitchen

http://inmamaskitchen.com/

I think my generation of our family started helping in the kitchen at about age 5. We would snip the tips off green beans with round tipped “school” scissors, or use them to cut up dried beef, fresh parsley or mint, dates, dried apricots, etc. in the days before food processors. We could shell peas, break eggs, mix and measure ingredients, slip the skins off tomatoes and peaches during canning time, roll out dough and lots of other jobs, all the while wearing child-sized aprons my grandmother made for us.

When knives came into play a couple of years later, there were lots of new tasks to do like peeling potatoes, slicing olives, chopping eggs for salad, etc. My mom, aunts, or grandmothers would always tell us what they were making and what ingredients they were using and I used to think it was great fun to cook. I still enjoy it and taught my kids the same way.

I think I started a thread on this subject a LOONG time ago, but I'll still respond. I had an Italian great-grandmother, an Italian grandmother and still have my Italian mother. Did I learn a thing or two? Pasta, ravioli, gnocchi, cakes, pies, fried pies, squash blossoms, lovely soups, canned tomatoes, pickles, eggplant, etc. Great-Nona used to make "Chicken from the Garden". Potato wedges breaded and deep-fried like chicken. Along with veal roasts, roasted chickens, beef roasts. Fabulous food! So, yes, I did learn from their kitchens!
As kids we'd come down to breakfast at Nona's to have a big bowl of coffee, gorgonzola cheese and homemade bread. We were thrilled!

quote:

Originally posted by lleechef

I think I started a thread on this subject a LOONG time ago...

Yes, you did, Beautiful.

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2134

Thanks Bushie! I knew it was there somewhere, but it's hard not to continue to brag about these women (and men) that cooked lovingly for us. About 20 years ago I came across a picture of my gramps making gnocchi in his kitchen, the calendar on the wall read, "February 1972" Had it properly framed and gave one to my mother and to each of her sisters for Christmas. Mom's picture still graces her kitchen!

On my Dad's side my grandmother did most of the cooking (along with other female family members) ... At home my dad did cook for us too but mostly "dad food" ... blueberry pancakes ... ham sandwiches on Italian bread ... breakfast stuff ... chili ... barbque ... and some Italian things like polenta, and soups like pastina.
Many of my Italian recipes come from my grandmother on my father's side.

But learning to really cook came from my mom's side (mother and grandmother) where we go back over 70 years in the restaurant business ... working-in as well as owning/operating. Mostly German, German-American and similar European cuisines.

quote:

Originally posted by lleechef

... About 20 years ago I came across a picture of my gramps making gnocchi in his kitchen, ...

Mmmmm. Gnocchi was big in our house too. At my grandparents house I was given a fork and put on Gnocchi duty many a time ... kept me out of trouble. Also making pignolata pieces for days at a time around the holidays (no question about it ... this was child labor ;-)

Sadly my mother was not very well skilled or inventive in the kitchen, nor were my grandmothers. One was Irish and the other English, neither country was known for their cullinary arts. We didn't go hungry by any means but it was the same old, same old. I basicly knew what was for dinner week after week and day to day. For instance every Sunday either Roast Beef or Roast Pork and once a month Ham. Mondays always leftovers from Sunday, Tuesday was a suprise day always involved ground beef, then we come to Wednesday Prince spaggetti day need I say more. Then Thursday meatloaf or beef stew or chicken. Friday was my farthers steak night or pork chops with mashed potatos untill my mother heard of a new recipe called potatos O'Brien, named after the actor Hugh O'Brien then we ate those for at least a year straight. Then came Saturday you guessed it beans and franks, beans out of the can never home made. Then once a month Beef Liver. I didn't know how good liver was untill I tasted calfs liver. I learned how to cook from a friends mother who was from Italy. She was truly a great cook, her sons didn't care about cooking at the time but she loved that I took an intrest and wanted to learn. This woman taught me that there was a whole world of cullinary treasures beyond a can oppener. I miss you Ma C. Amore Ciao Jim