The influence of immigrants on food

Bonnie said:
Whatever happened to Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips restaurants? ... they were good back in the 70's.
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Really. I have been to Long John Silvers. Not the same. I am including a link to a local pizza chain here. They have actually coupled with Treachers...and have a Separate Treachers menu as well as pizza. Interesting Local Arthur Treachers
 

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@hollydolly can you give me an idea of what Spotted dick actually is? I have seen it in stores here. Also Vegemite and Marmite. Thiugh I am told they are an aquited taste. Sorry..I do not remember. With Vegemite and Marmite, I know one is Aussie, and one is from UK. Do not remember which is which
 
I was brought up mostly with Italian food, so did my husband....On Wednesday Pasta and Sunday Pasta...My Mom made all kinds of Italian food...
Not just spaghetti....At the time when I was young I did eat meat....Brogole….A round kind of meat stuffed with bread....that had many flavors
mixed in….My Mom also made vegetables in soup with potatoes, onions, celery, carrots and many other veggies....That was my favorite dinner....
Mom always had Jello or pudding when I came home from school...That was our snacks....They didn't have a lot of money, but us kids got
fed.....
Now I'm mostly a vegetarian....My husband still likes meat...I do like fish and hubby will eat fish....
When I was a little one, the guy with the vegetables in his truck would come around our street....I wish they did that now....

Anyone remember the Ice Cream man, ringing the bells??? I haven't seen that in a while.....
 
Marie5656 said:
OK, I checked. Livermush is a "thing" in North Carolina. They even have a Livermush Festival. Briefly, from Wikipedia : Livermush is a Southern United States pork food product prepared using pig liver, parts of pig heads, cornmeal and spices. ... Though sometimes considered the same as liver pudding, livermush generally contains more cornmeal and is coarser in texture.

It is made into a loaf, sliced and heated a bit on the stove top. Eaten in a sandwich usually. I thought it looked a bit like SPAM
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Sounds just like what we always called "scrapple.".
 
RadishRose said:
What the English brought back then, became what the English here got used to and it was very limited. There wasn't much food around anyway. It all became usual fare and went west with the early pioneers and kinda stayed that way. And yes, it became bland.

While British food was evolving into the fine cuisine it is and not just for royalty anymore, middle America remained stuck for awhile . Sure the coastlines enjoyed the immigrant spices and cuisines just as you borrowed from your neighbors.

Please don't imagine slights on the UK when none was meant.
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oh goodness me RR...it was a joke, you're the last person I suspected would think it was anything but a joke... ... :oops: :unsure:
 
Oh, livermush is delicious! I wouldn't want it on a daily basis, but it's a real breakfast treat with eggs. Definitely a North Narrowlina thang.

Growing up in the Midwest, we didn't do "ethnic".

The rare foray into Chinese food consisted in getting one of those stacked-up Chung King or Lachoy "canned dinners". Remember those? Can of limp vegetables with chunks of what might have been chicken, can of gluey sauce and a can of tasteless chow mein noodles.

The nearest thing we got to Italian or Mexican food was if my mother shook a can of oregano or chili powder over what she was making. I didn't even taste pizza until I was in my teens.

But then I started traveling and learned what was out there. And I love it all.
 
Marie5656 said:
@hollydolly can you give me an idea of what Spotted dick actually is? I have seen it in stores here. Also Vegemite and Marmite. Thiugh I am told they are an aquited taste. Sorry..I do not remember. With Vegemite and Marmite, I know one is Aussie, and one is from UK. Do not remember which is which
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Marie, spotted dick is simply a suet based steamed sponge pudding with dried fruit....

...and both Marmite and Vegemite are spreadable very salty yeast pastes... served spread thinly, usually on toast.. ( I don't like them ).. my husband does like Marmite but not Vegemite...


Vegemite and Marmite are both based on an extract of the yeast left over after the production of beer. But they're made by different companies, so aside from the one common ingredient, they're separate products.
Marmite is made in the uk and vegemite is australian. That's mainly it. Marmite is gunkier whilst vegemite has a similar consistency to peanut butter.. ( a thicker and very salty taste)
 
My apologies. I was way off subject in my posts which is (I just noticed) "the influence of immigrants on food." I can say I influenced my family by introducing them to Swabian (German) food. South German Potato Salad, Spaetzle, Maultaschen, Schupfnudeln, Potato- and Bread Dumplings, Schnitzel.

I used to watch my mother over her shoulder as she cooked those delicious dishes and passed it on to my daughters. Sadly, both are busy outside the house and no longer bother with most recipes, except for Spaetzle (ready made) and Schnitzel! :-( I know that's not what you want to see either, so I would say in my area the Chinese, Italians and Thai have had the greatest influence.
 
Old Salt said:
My apologies. I was way off subject in my posts which is (I just noticed) "the influence of immigrants on food." I can say I influenced my family by introducing them to Swabian (German) food. South German Potato Salad, Spaetzle, Maultaschen, Schupfnudeln, Potato- and Bread Dumplings, Schnitzel.

I used to watch my mother over her shoulder as she cooked those delicious dishes and passed it on to my daughters. Sadly, both are busy outside the house and no longer bother with most recipes, except for Spaetzle (ready made) and Schnitzel! :-( I know that's not what you want to see either, so I would say in my area the Chinese, Italians and Thai have had the greatest influence.
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Yes I want to read about this. At some time not long ago, there were more German Americans here than any other nationality! You are exactly on topic.

I learned a few things from you.... I never heard of Swabia before.

There was a German restaraunt in our town... looked like it came straight from old Germany. They made very nice Schnitzel.
 
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Hi RadishRose, I emphasized Swabia because I am used to/ and referring to regional cooking. For instance my potato salad is made with a basis of oil, vinegar, onions and mustard, while in Middle to Northern Germany the basis is mayonnaise. It would be quite similar to the potato salad you make. Most of the dishes mentioned in my post are South German (Baden-Wuerttemberg and Bavaria, Swabia being the eastern part of Baden-Wuerttemberg),.

A North German would probably never make any of my recipes. Their taste goes to rouladen etc. When people find out that I was born and brought up German they say: "Oh, I love Rouladen!" I have never had a roulade in my life. :) Qualifier: all this was 63 years ago. Things have changed dramatically in the meantime.
 
I know Canadians have a dish called Poutine. French Fries, gravy and cheese curds. I have had fries with gravy before, but may want to try adding the cheese curds. I do like them, but am unsure if I would like the combination with the fries. But I do want to try once
 
IrisSenior said:
My mom was born in Brighton, England and she made roast beef and yorkshire pudding. We enjoyed meat and potatoes suppers. I hated liver and onions. I now eat more spicy food now but my family doesn't like it as much.
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I love Yorkshire pudding. You can keep the meat and all the trimmings and just hand me a plate of Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy! LOL I think all of us hated liver at one time. I like it now, with sauteed onions, but haven't had it in ages! Has anyone ever noticed how many items disappeared off our grocery's shelves over the years to be replaced by something else? I still miss my German cake and dumpling mixes. We even had Yorkshire Pudding in our freezer section. Marks & Spencer had my favorite: Bangers and Mash. All gone, M&M included! Sob!!! Or is it only Atlantic Canada?
 
Marie5656 said:
I know Canadians have a dish called Poutine. French Fries, gravy and cheese curds. I have had fries with gravy before, but may want to try adding the cheese curds. I do like them, but am unsure if I would like the combination with the fries. But I do want to try once
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Hi Marie, it is supposed to be Canada's Dish, my grandson loves it but I have not yet been able to overcome my horror at the thought of cheese curds on fries! LOL
 
Gardenlover said:
How about some wild game - Venison, wild turkey, etc. ?
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Both are not readily available in Canada ( unless you are a hunter) but I remember going to the local restaurant in Germany every Sunday where we had a venison roast and spaetzle, with a nice green salad on the side. Venison was available year round because hunting was forbidden to the average person, only approved *Jaeger* (hunters) could make a kill (cull) year round and they usually owned the Gasthaus where we ate.
 
Old Salt said:
Hi RadishRose, I emphasized Swabia because I am used to/ and referring to regional cooking. For instance my potato salad is made with a basis of oil, vinegar, onions and mustard, while in Middle to Northern Germany the basis is mayonnaise. It would be quite similar to the potato salad you make. Most of the dishes mentioned in my post are South German (Baden-Wuerttemberg and Bavaria, Swabia being the eastern part of Baden-Wuerttemberg),.

A North German would probably never make any of my recipes. Their taste goes to rouladen etc. When people find out that I was born and brought up German they say: "Oh, I love Rouladen!" I have never had a roulade in my life. :) Qualifier: all this was 63 years ago. Things have changed dramatically in the meantime.
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I just read that you love Rouliaden… That takes me back many many years when my neighbor across the street was German....
She taught me to make Rouliaden….
Being I am Italian I gave her some Italian dishes to make....I miss my friend!! We moved away when the kids were young and
never went back....
 
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