What's the childhood food you missed? The ones your granny or mom used to make.
By laydee
@laydee (12798)
Philippines
November 1, 2009 4:41am CST
I'm happy today because I realized my craving to make something that my granny used to make us when we were still young, it's called 'Champorado' in my native tongue, but it's called 'chocolate porridge' in most nationalities.
It's like a porridge but with cocoa tablets called 'tabliya' (boiled cocoa seeds, ground and shaped into tablets - circular 1cm thick-coin like shapes - shown in the photo below).
My grandmother used to make that every Sunday. We pour condensed milk in it and enjoy its chocolaty flavor. Sometimes she boils the tabliya into hot choco which no instand choco drink could ever compete with. Though a note of warning because of its high cholesterol content.
Well, I have been keen to cook one someday and I'm glad we had made it for snacks this afternoon.
So what dishes, sweets, or cooking do you miss as a child? The ones your grandmother, mother or some relative used to make? Do you ever get to cook or it eat again?
3 people like this
18 responses
@aixshaonline (600)
• Philippines
1 Nov 09
Yum! Champorado is the best! And hot choco made from tabliya! Oh gosh, my mouth waters at the very though. Hahahaha 
My mom is a great cook but she doesn't cook that often nowadays. She says its too much work now. But during special occasions, she likes to show her cooking prowess to guests and ourselves as well. I love her cooking!
What I really miss is my GRANDPA's cooking. Yep, he used to be the good cook in the family. My grandmother was lazy, according to my mom. My grandpa, we used to call him "Papang", made the best grilled meat and chicken. Yummy. I've never tasted anything as delicate and delicious as his grilled masterpieces. He passed away when I was still young though. May his soul rest in peace.
My mom is a great cook but she doesn't cook that often nowadays. She says its too much work now. But during special occasions, she likes to show her cooking prowess to guests and ourselves as well. I love her cooking!
What I really miss is my GRANDPA's cooking. Yep, he used to be the good cook in the family. My grandmother was lazy, according to my mom. My grandpa, we used to call him "Papang", made the best grilled meat and chicken. Yummy. I've never tasted anything as delicate and delicious as his grilled masterpieces. He passed away when I was still young though. May his soul rest in peace. 
@CelticSoulSister (1640)
• Southend-On-Sea, England
5 Nov 09
I miss my mum's sausage rolls more than anything. She just had a special way of making them that nobody's since been able to imitate, despite following her recipe. When she was alive, my mum's sausage rolls were in great demand for things like parties, wedding receptions etc.
1 person likes this
@CelticSoulSister (1640)
• Southend-On-Sea, England
7 Nov 09
I'm a Brit and sausage rolls are one of our delicacies. It's sausage meat rolled into a long thin shape, then placed across rolled out pastry. The pastry is then wrapped around the sausage meat into a tube shape and cut into smaller pieces, then baked in the oven. Delicious, if you get a combination of someone being a good pastry maker together with good quality sausage meat.
@jerzgirl (9291)
• United States
2 Nov 09
Your porridge sounds a lot like chocolate malt-o-meal, which is a hot cereal like cream of wheat (a smooth porridge) that has chocolate flavoring. I do like that a lot! But, not because of my mother.
The foods I miss of my mother's are: chicken potpie (more like Southern chicken and dumplings - rolled strips of dough cooked in boiling chicken broth), Poor Man's Cake (a spicy raisin cake developed during the depression that doesn't use the more expensive ingredients that were hard to get then), apple dumplings (whole apples in pie crusts wrapped around each apple and baked with a spicy syrup sauce surrounding them like a sea with 8 islands), and Jewish Apple Cake (a very moist cake with lots of apple slices and cinnamon). I also liked it when she'd make meat pie out of leftover stew and when she'd make chili. I do the last two, but I rarely make any of the other things myself. No one could do them like Mom.
1 person likes this
@jerzgirl (9291)
• United States
2 Nov 09
This recipe is almost just like Mom's. There is no icing on this cake, but Mom would sprinkle colored jimmies/sprinkles/candies on the batter before baking and that would be the topping. It's totally optional.
POOR MAN'S CAKE
2 c. water
1 (15 oz.) box raisins
1/4 lb. butter
2 c. sugar
1 c. cold water
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tbsp. baking soda mixed in 1 c. hot water
4 c. flour (sift 3 times)
Boil water and raisins for 10 minutes; remove. Add butter, sugar, cold water, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and mix. Then add the soda and water mixture and mix. Then the flour and continue mixing. Turn into greased pan. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees in a preheated oven. Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Here's another recipe almost identical to Mom's - but she didn't leave the chicken in the water. It was served separately on the side. But, it's up to you. Some people put potatoes in the water, too, but I prefer it completely free of anything but dough.
GREAT OLD FASHIONED CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
one cut up chicken
salt
black pepper
butter
plain flour
ice water
You will need a rolling pin and a floured surface.
Broth:
Wash and place the cut up chicken in Dutch Oven with pleanty of water to boil. Add salt to boiling chicken (to taste), black pepper and a stick of butter. Make sure there is enough water in pot to create ample broth for dumplings. (I also add finely diced onions and celery along with a little poultry seasoning because I like the broth to be truly broth. You can strain the vegies out or leave them in since they'll be way soft.)
When chicken is tender and well done, remove from bone. Remove bones from broth leaving chicken meat in broth; turn onto simmer while you prepare dumplings.
Dumplings:
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt mixed into flour
Ice water (stir enough into flour mixture to make a stiff dough)
Place on the floured surface and knead, making sure the dough is stiff. Roll out with floured rolling pin until very thin, about 1/8 inch. It make take some elbow grease, but the results are well worth it!
Cut into 1 inch strips and let it dry for a few minutes. It should be partially covered with flour. The flour will help thicken the broth as it cooks.
Meanwhile, turn up the chicken and broth; slowly drop the long dumplings into the boiling broth. As they cook they will become somewhat stiff; that's what you want.
When enough dumplings have been added to broth, (you may not need them all) and don't add too many because they have to boil and cook.
It's ok if some flour drops into pot with dumplings. The temperature should not be any higher than medium and as dumplings cook it will need to be turned down more. Place lid on pot and cook until dumplings began to change and become somewhat translucent. You will know when they are done because they will thicken.
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
2 Nov 09
When I was a little girl my mom would cook some great meals. Some like liver were not. However, the good meals that I loved and miss today were her Stuffed cabbage, spaghetti and meatballs, spanish rice, meatball stew, and her pepper steak. 
1 person likes this
@randylovesdar (4932)
• United States
2 Nov 09
My grandmother used to make chocolate chip cookies and walnut tassies. I miss her Walnut Tassies. Walnut tassies were little mini cupcakes made with a Walnut mixture. She made those every Christmas. I miss those. I also miss my dad's Turkey stuffing. I love his stuffing.
My husband loves his late mom's Sheppard's Pie. She made it differently then any other recipe I have ever found. It took me a lot of trial and error before I figured it out. My husband's mom was a cook by trade and most of the recipes she used were ones she had created. She never wrote down recipes.
I do get to eat my husband's late mother's Sheppard's Pie. I am going to ask my dad for the other two recipes.
@sudiptacallingu (10879)
• India
2 Nov 09
There are many recipes and delicacies that have been lost with time. With women working outside throughout the day and week, they find little time and energy to rustle up those elaborate dishes of yore. One particular dish I really miss is fish balls. We have this typical fish here which is cut to chunky pieces and the meat has to be scrapped raw and the bones separated. Then the lump has to be marinated with onion, ginger and garlic paste, add some salt and make dumplings of it and put in boiling water. After the dumplings are done, they have to be drained, fried and cooked in a delicious curry with potatoes. It’s a wonderful dish but very very time consuming. My mom has now become old so she too cannot make them anymore while I myself don’t have the time or the energy to make it. That dish is lost forever *sigh* and my son will never be able to taste it, if not at a restaurant (but then that makes it very expensive).
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
2 Nov 09
laydee I miss old fashioned corn bread made from scratch.
also beef stew made and simmered til the flavors really
'blend into a yummy stew. Also old fashioned made from
scratch buttermilk biscuits and honey with butter. Yummy
'for sure. They do make corn bread here but it is made
from a mix. Also we do have a really good beef stew here
too at Gold Crest.
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
1 Nov 09
That sounds very good. My grandmother was both an amazing cook and an amazing gardner and was also excellent at canning. My grandmother was very ond of rhubarb. She used to make rhubarb coffee cakes, and rhubarb crumbles, and rhubarb pie and they were all excellent. I have not really had good rubharb since her spirit left this earth. She also used to make these really yummy country style greenbeans, they had bacon, onion, and garlic in them they were so good.
1 person likes this
@doormouse (4599)
•
1 Nov 09
my mum used to make chilli with baked beans in,which i don't cook coz not everyone in the house likes baked beans,and she also used to make mashed potato and cheese on toast,first you toast the bread,then heat the potato,spread potato onto toast then top with cheese and grill it
1 person likes this
@buping (952)
• China
4 Nov 09
hi ladyee, one thing i missed most in my childhood is the dieshes that my grannny made it. my granny was so kind to me, you never think about how good she is. she is good to everyone, especially kids. when i come to her, all the kids around would come to play with me, my granny always made delicious food for us. we all love her. even i have tasted so much food now, some my granny would not see it in her life, but what she made is the best to me.
@paleorainy (630)
• Italy
1 Nov 09
WOW, before to answer your question, let me say Champorado looks really good!
Anyways...for me it's a food my mother used to make, it's made with ground potatoes mixed with two kinds of cheese, salt and pepper, and spread on a baking tin, cooked in the oven till it's crunchy and tasty. I loved that so much...I don't really do it again because my eating habits changed and now I'm not eating potatoes or cheese anymore, but it was good. Who knows, maybe one day...
@BelieveFast (15)
• United States
2 Nov 09
I was adopted by my grandparents. When I was first adopted they always made my favorites and have gotten used to it. My grandmother makes homemade chicken and dumplings and Italian stir fry. My grandfather make home made canolies. Im grateful that my grandparents are still around and I have learned to make the dishes on my own too.
@mssnow (9484)
• United States
1 Nov 09
My mom used to make a dish she called beef strganoff. But i have not found a recipe that used the samne ingredients she used. It was made with sour cream small pieces of stew meat and rice. I really loved and i wish i could find a recipe like it. My mother is no longer living so i can't ask her.
@my_name_is_coco (4333)
• Philippines
8 Nov 09
I miss tiny cookies names Iced Gems.it is a cookie that has candy meringue on top.it comes in small,bite-size pieces.it is so good!when I was younger,I will eat the meringue on top first,then eat the cookie later.I can eat 2-3 packs in one sitting.I have it everyday,as my snack in school.
@epicure35 (2814)
• United States
2 Nov 09
I was blessed to live with my grandparents, parents, siblings and uncle. So, there was always good food, cooking and baking. Homemade chocolate cornstarch pudding was one of the favorites my mom made. Her spaghetti and meatballs and beef stroganoff were memorable. She made a hot dog and baked bean-bacon casserole that everyone loves; I do all these recipes for my kids today as well. My grandmother was the major bread baker and we had fresh challah every Friday; it was incredible and I came home from school in the afternoon to grab a hunk of warm deliciousness right off the loaf. My mom did great cookies, especially chocolate meringues. She also did great chocolate cakes, all from scratch. Her macaroni and cheese was wonderful; I cannot duplicate it, although I have made many gourmet versions of mac and cheese; ditto, her brisket, which was sensational, and we could always grab hunks off the corners to taste. Her prime rib was also first rate. She also did sweet and sour cabbage and meatballs which I can't duplicate. Even with the same recipe, sometimes different cooks have a different "hand" with the ingredients. I do her baked borscht and duplicate her taste and I went on to add to the recipe. Her split pea soup was great, too. There are so many tastes I remember, as do my children, since she cooked for them, too.
But the best thing was that she cooked and baked from scratch and THEN did the cleanup, from scratch, too!
@danitykane (3183)
• Philippines
1 Nov 09
My mom loves to make hot cakes and chicken "sopas" (noodle soup). She also make delicious "chocolate porridge" like your grandmother do. I like putting lots of milk on my porridge. It's so yummy.
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