Nostalgic Cooking and Dining Utensils
Mary Emma Allen
me.allen@juno.com
Mary Emma Allen
http://homepage.fcgnetworks.net/jetent/mea
COUNTRY KITCHEN
By Mary Emma Allen
NOSTALGIC COOKING & DINING UTENSILS
As I told my daughter the story behind the pink Depression glass
cake
plate that had been my parents', she remarked, "Mom, you need
to write these stories down before they're forgotten."
This made me realize that many of our family stories surround our
cooking and dining utensils, as well as pieces of furniture. They
can stimulate our memories and lead to nostalgic stories and bits
of family history to pass along to our children and grandchildren.
Depression Glass Cake Plate
This pink Depression glass cake place, of cherry design, was a
wedding
gift my parents received in 1934. My mother told the story of opening
the box and finding it seemingly full of chocolate covered cherries,
one of my dad's favorites. His boyhood friend, Walter, knew Father's
fondness for these candies, so it didn't seem unusual that he'd
give such a wedding gift.
However, as they ate the layers of candy, a pink cake plate appeared
beneath them. This plate was used for birthdays throughout my childhood.
When not in use, it was kept in the china closet with our "company"
dishes.
Wooden Chopping Bowl
I was delighted to find my mom still had the oval wooden chopping
bowl
when I had to move her from her home as she developed Alzheimer's.
Although it's no longer in usable condition (cracks have appeared),
it's a nice decorative and nostalgic piece.
I recall chopping cabbage and carrots in it so Mother could make
cole
slaw.
She also mixed up potato salad there and other foods when she needed
large amounts for our family of six.
Meat Grinder
This meat grinder, which attached to the kitchen table in our farmhouse,
has more than food memories. When I was a child of about five years
old, I was grinding beef for corned beef hash, when the grinder
came loose from the table and fell on my bare toes.
It cut my big toe so badly that I still have a scar there, many,
many
years later. I had trouble walking for several days, with a large
bandage on it, until the pain was gone.
But we continued to use the grinder, only making sure it was screwed
very securely to the kitchen table.
Canning Jars
When I found some of the old canning jars in the cellar of my mom's
home, it brought to mind those days before freezers. Our refrigerator
had a small interior freezer section which contained ice cube trays,
in which Mother occasionally made ice cream or sherbet. We did take
some meat to the "locker" plant in the city 15 miles away
and rented a freezer unit there.
However, the rest of our food for winter use was canned...fruit,
meat,
vegetables, pickles, jams and jellies. Throughout the summer, Mother
and we girls, sometimes with the help of a neighbor lady, prepared
food for canning.
Although we got tired of this hot work over the kitchen woodstove,
we were all glad to have this preserved food come winter time. You
didn't run to the store for your food as readily as we do these
days.
Look over the cooking and dining utensils of your childhood, or
even the ones you're using now, and write down the stories behind
them. This is a unique way to preserve family history.
FRITTERS was a dish Mother served during my childhood. When she
added apples, they might be somewhat of a dessert. By adding corn,
she made a main meal dish for supper.
Stir together: 2 beaten eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup cream, sifted
dry
ingredients (2 1/2 cup flour, 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2
teaspoon salt). Add chopped apples or drained corn as desired.
(With apple fritters, you may want to roll the apple pieces in cinnamon
or nutmeg and add 1 teaspoon sugar.)
Cook on a griddle as you would pancakes. Serve warm with syrup.
(c)2002 Mary Emma Allen
(Mary Emma Allen has been writing cooking columns for 30 years
and
has compiled a family cookbook. She's now writing a book for her
family of the memories surrounding the cooking and dining utensils
from her childhood. Visit her web site for more cooking articles:
http://homepage.fcgnetworks.net/jetent/mea;
e-mail:
me.allen@juno.com)
###
This article provided by the Family Content Archives at:
http://www.Family-Content.com
|
