Honestly rate your Mom's cooking

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highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,973
6,336
136
well, they were both employed and what not, so she never was into the home-making. which is fair.
Just jealous. We had PB&J. Mom insisted on keeping the pb in the fridge. I HATE mashed bread.

Nor did we have a microwave.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
61,200
16,683
136
It was fine. She could follow a recipe, and that's pretty much how it went.
Lots of easy prep meals too (Hamburger Helper, Shake'n'bake, etc), but she was military, so I understand.
 

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,280
1,787
126
grandma's cooking ... 10/10 for pork roasts with potatoes, meatballs, mashed potatoes, coffee cakes, cookies, cakes, really any deserts.
grandma's cooking ... 0/10 for all vegetables (they become "mush")

mom's cooking ... 10/10 for breakfasts like swedish pancakes, french toast, eggs
mom's cooking ... 0/10 for things like steaks, burgers (they are also useful as hockey pucks)

Mom & Grandma are great, but, there are some things they should not be allowed to cook!
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
I used to think my mom made the best food ever. It's still very pleasing, but after professional training I see all the things she does wrong and my pallet evolved, so now it's like "meh." She still makes the best Polish coffee cake though...and I can't replicate it :D
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
My mom cooked with love. <3 And I dearly wish I had her recipe for dill salad dressing. It was the best, but sadly, it was lost when she passed.

I know of a few recipes for a dill based dressing. Can you describe it? Maybe I can help. What nationality was she?
 
Nov 8, 2012
20,842
4,785
146
10/10. Food was on the table every night, and I didn't do shit to deserve it.

Now if you ask me to rate the taste, that would be a different story :p (okay, overall not bad, 6 or 7 out of 10).
 

Azraele

Elite Member
Nov 5, 2000
16,524
29
91
Fritzo, she was American. I'm pretty sure it had mayo in it, along with the dill, but that's the extent of my memory.
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Fritzo, she was American. I'm pretty sure it had mayo in it, along with the dill, but that's the extent of my memory.

Was it mayo, or could it possibly have had sour cream? Did it have a tart taste or a sweet taste? (I have an idea what it might have been).
 

blankslate

Diamond Member
Jun 16, 2008
8,756
543
126
10/10 if you like Asian Food.

7/10 to 8/10 when talking about what most think of as American cuisine.


______________
 

Azraele

Elite Member
Nov 5, 2000
16,524
29
91
Fritz, I think it was mayo, but this was literally deades ago, and i was young, so my memory is unreliable. It was not sweet, but creamy with a dill flavor.
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Fritz, I think it was mayo, but this was literally deades ago, and i was young, so my memory is unreliable. It was not sweet, but creamy with a dill flavor.

OK, I can't post it now, but I have something for you to try.
 

Mayne

Diamond Member
Apr 13, 2014
8,838
1,373
126
My mom cooked with love. <3 And I dearly wish I had her recipe for dill salad dressing. It was the best, but sadly, it was lost when she passed.

I wish I paid more attention when my Mom made her potato salad...and sadly it's lost in time too. This haunts me to this day.
 

FeuerFrei

Diamond Member
Mar 30, 2005
9,144
929
126
Not sure how to. Maybe 5 for lack of imagination. Usually minimal effort type stuff. And not with the finest ingredients. But she does it everyday, practically, and industriously labors on it.
Sure are some delicious desserts/breads.
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Fritz, I think it was mayo, but this was literally deades ago, and i was young, so my memory is unreliable. It was not sweet, but creamy with a dill flavor.

OK, try starting with this:


1/2 cup mayonnaise (Go with Dukes Mayonnaise if you can find it)
1/3 cup evaporated milk
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt

Mix the ingredients together and let it sit overnight. Maybe add a splash of lemon juice if it needs more acid.

If your mom was of German or Eastern Bloc heritage (Poland, Hungary, etc), she may have used a traditional dressing normally used with cucumbers, onions, and some root vegetables. The Polish call it "mizeria" when mixed with cucumbers. It works as a great creamy salad dressing (no mayo, but it could be added:

1/2 cup sour cream (or 1/4 sour cream and 1/4 mayo)
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tbs green onion (green part)
2 tbs chopped fresh dill
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Try these out and let me know how close they are and we can adjust as needed. I have about 8 other possible bases it could be.
 
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Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
39,967
9,644
136
She didn't like to cook. I learned to cook because I wanted to eat food I liked. She made a few things that were good or really good, but they were few and far in between, often pretty much exclusively for company.
My Ma never cooked for us! It was TV dinners.
I went through a phase where I ate a lot of TV dinners. Generally more exciting than my mom's cooking. Even the cheapest ones out there. I used to love it when we went out to eat. Doesn't matter where. It figured to be better than eating at home... every time.
 
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Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
39,967
9,644
136
10/10 if you like Asian Food.

7/10 to 8/10 when talking about what most think of as American cuisine.


______________
I went through a phase when living alone in apartment when I made Chinese all the time. I had a small Chinese cook book (still have it) and a nearby supermarket that had the requisite ingredients and I'd make each recipe, some several times, exactly according to instructions. I'm not nearly as dedicated to reproducing exact recipes nowadays. Can't be bothered. I made teriyaki beef with broccoli tonight topped with a mixture of 5 kinds of nuts, tossed over quinoa. I liked it. Took me less than 10 minutes. The marinated beef was frozen. Back in the day when I made Chinese each meal likely took me over an hour to prepare, not counting the shopping.
 
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Chaotic42

Lifer
Jun 15, 2001
34,382
1,565
126
I'm told it was excellent. I remember she had a can of bacon grease on the back of the stove, so it had to at least be decent :p
 

Azraele

Elite Member
Nov 5, 2000
16,524
29
91
Fritzo, sorry for the delayed reply, life has sort of hit me hard, but thank you so much for the recipes. i will try them out and let you know. :) She was a southern girl, not German or anything like that. I wish I could go back in time and ask her where she got the recipe, because now I'm curious. :)