Let's see your Grandma's (or Grandpa's or mom or dad's) ethnic recipes.

[mterril]

My grandmother is full Hungarian, thick guttural accent and the whole bit. Growing up, I ate quite a bit of Hungarian food interspersed with normal American fare. I didn't really realize these culinary delights were ethnic until I moved out and realized that only a few people knew what Chicken Paprikash was, nobody knew what the milky, floury, salty green bean soup that I loved so much was called or had even heard of it, and I got really weird looks when I described potato dumplings with plum centers, rolled in bread crumbs.

And there are NO Hungarian restaurants that I have EVER seen in my life, so I must resort to perstering my dad or grandmother for the recipes. They never know the ingredient ratio though, so it's always some of this and a little of that and I usually just try and find recipes on the web that look right.

So what are the delicious dishes that your family prepare? Here's Paprikas Csirke...

2-3 Tbs Paprika (use a good, authentic sweet Hungarian paprika)
2 Tbs butter
1 red pepper, chopped
1 or 2 cloves of garlic minced
2 chopped onions
Salt and pepper
1 12 oz can whole tomatoes
2 - 3 Lb Chicken or parts
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbs flour

In large skillet butter lard over medium heat
and add paprika and sauté for 1 minute. Add
onions, peppers and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes more. Add
the remaining ingredients except the sour cream
and flour and simmer covered for an hour. Put sour
cream in bowl and mix with flour. Take a few Tbs
of liquid from pot and mix with sour cream mixture
while stirring constantly to prevent curdling.
Repeat a few times then add sour cream mixture to
pot heat and serve over dumplings.

Modified by mgratzer at 3:23 PM 2-16-2004

[bigquin]

well Im black, fried chicken lots of lots of hotsauce and collard greens with lots of ham hocks in it and potato salad and cornbread,sweet potatoes and sweet potatoe pie hmmm i love my mommy, but since i cant drink in her house when we visit i sneak out and have a 40 dawg of blue bull and a black and mild

[GMoney]

Michelle...first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title
was Gramma's Chicken Paprikash. That "recipe" was passed
to my Mom who makes it to this day along with a few of the
other Old World delicaces. Problem is (as you mentioned),
the procedure is stored in her head. I've tried to get her to
actually write down ingredients, amounts, cooking times, etc.
and I'm always met with "you'll just have to watch me make
it and write it down yourself." Sound familiar?

[VdubGoddess]

Indian Fry Bread.....My Mother is full blooded Apache Indian.

I have been married for almost 3 years now and my mom said it still isnt time to give me the recipe. It is made every Thanksgiving and my mom only makes it when she is alone so my older sister and I cant see what she is using to make it.

[mterril]

quote:

---

I've tried to get her to
actually write down ingredients, amounts, cooking times, etc.
and I'm always met with "you'll just have to watch me make
it and write it down yourself." Sound familiar?

---

Hah! Yes! Did you get thin pancakes for breakfast, Palascinta? What about cocoa cake with apricot? Do you know the green bean soup which I mentioned, that is finished with a sprinkling of vinegar?

Nobody ever knows what the hell I'm talking about I have a quicky weeknight 30 minute chicken paprikash recipe that tastes pretty close to what my grandma made. Not exactly.. but close. I can give it to you if you want. Although my grandmother always used tomatoes, and one website said the addition of tomatoes was not traditional...

[SpeedRicer]

quote:

---

Problem is (as you mentioned),
the procedure is stored in her head. I've tried to get her to
actually write down ingredients, amounts, cooking times, etc.
and I'm always met with "you'll just have to watch me make
it and write it down yourself." Sound familiar?

---

Definitely the same for me. My mom makes quite a few less-common South Indian dishes, and she rarely writes down the recipe.

However, that's probably because the last time she wrote a recipe for me, I messed up the spice quantities.

[GMoney]

Did you get thin pancakes for breakfast, Palascinta?

Nope.

What about cocoa cake with apricot?

Ditto.

Do you know the green bean soup which I mentioned...

Now that sounds kind of familiar.

I have a chicken paprikash recipe that I can give it to you if you want.

I appreciate it, but I think I'm actually going to try and monitor
Mom cooking it one day and try to write it down. It's gotta be
exactly what you grew up with...know what I mean?

There are a lot more ethnic dishes from my youth, but they all
had Hungarian/Slovak names...and they aren't made that much
anymore. Both Grammas are gone