Family Food Fare and Favourites
Join me as I dig through my memories, and recipes, to rediscover my family’s food “back in the day” and how those food habits have changed over the decades to today’s diverse and multi-cultural cuisines. This is my theme for the 2021 A to Z challenge.
THEN
Staples for generations past: Onions and Oranges – but not together! Nor do I imagine that our parents thought of some of our current food combinations with oranges eg tomato and orange soup.
So today I’m just sharing with you mum’s recipe for Orange Steamed Pudding.
NOW
Leaping to mind immediately was the Osso Bucco we served up for one daughter’s farewell dinner as she headed off to Italy for a year to study Gastronomic Science. We had to get with the theme, after all. Do you remember when we wondered why we needed cameras in phones? Yep, how did we survive without taking food pictures!
Funnily enough, even when we holidayed at the beach we didn’t eat oysters either bought or sought. I’m let down these days because oysters are one of the few things Mr Cassmob doesn’t eat, not even when we dine at Hanuman restaurant in Darwin. Still, those trumpet mushrooms are pretty good too. I can hardly wait until next time <smile>
Eggs may have been often on the menu but I don’t recall omelettes having any profile then, let alone a recipe named “oeufs xxxx”… ooh la la!
Perhaps I’ve mentioned that I worked part-time in a Greek fruit and veg shop on the High Street at Toowong during my uni years. It was during this time that I was introduced to octopus sandwiches from the Greek fisho down the street. While I’m quite happy eating octopus, provided it’s not too tough, it’s not a priority in my food list. Living in Darwin with a large Greek community it’s hard to avoid it, especially when the Glenti festival is on. Only problem is avoiding the rosemary that accompanies so many dishes. Apparently, it’s traditional for the Darwin Greek families to gather at the picnic areas in Fannie Bay and East Point to celebrate Orthodox Easter with spit roast lamb and meals of octopus beaten on the rocks to soften them up.
NEW FOOD FARE
Leading the change to new food fare would have to include olives in all sorts of manifestations. Wasn’t olive oil something that was given to people as a form of medication? Now we have it cold pressed, flavoured, light, heavy and so on.
Were you a big user of oven bags when they were introduced? I know they were in my pantry, and helped avoid oven splatter, but haven’t used them in decades.
When you’re having friends over for drinks or pre-dinner nibbles you just have to include some olives. Again, all types of olives as well as marinades. They’re just a delicious food treat, and you can lay claim to being on a Mediterranean diet. They’re also excellent in a tagine….yum! I live in optimistic hope that one day my St Helena Olive Tree will burst forth with olives.
Do you eat Olives regularly or have a stash in your fridge?
Do you make desserts and cakes using oranges?
Are you a love-em or loathe-em person for Oysters? How about Octopus?
Do you serve up eggs or oeufs?
Family history across the seas 
I love oysters and used to get them off the rocks when a child, now I prefer to pay the premium for opened oysters. I am also a fan of olives and will eat octopus but I have never had an octopus sandwich. I am a great fan of duck a l’orange and crepes suzettes.
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Seems like we all like citrus and oysters are popular. Don’t know if my parents didn’t like oysters as we didn’t even gather when at the beach.
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No oysters or Oeufs at our house Pauleen but three was Osso Bucco. Mum used to send us to the butcher at the corner to buy it for the cat. I grew up thinking it was pet food. I definitely don’t eat oysters or octopus! I remember the fuss over oven bags but like you haven’t used them in decades. These days I cook the roast in the barbie so I don’t have to clean the oven.
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Love the Mediterranean orange cake, though it is hard to beat the tang of an orange freshly peeled. Oysters yes, we do treat ourselves with an excellent seafood providore close by. Olives I leave for my husband and guests, the texture just does not appeal.
Ouefs oui, ouefs à la neige et omelette fine herbes.
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Tres Bon!
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I will eat oysters if they are put down in front of me but I can’t understand the fuss. Have fond memories of going oystering on the rocks near the beach during family holidays.
As I read your posts I am coming to the realisation that my palate is mostly “then” but I’m happy with that. I find it frustrating when visiting some restaurants that try to be clever by mixing too many flavours in their innovative dishes, I prefer good food and ingredients unadulterated and simply presented so that I can enjoy their quality.
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Yes, some restaurants do like to be too clever indeed. The ingredients should shine.
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Yes to oranges and omelettes; not fussed about olives, never tasted oysters ( though I have not seen in on menus round here) and just the look of octopus puts me off trying it. As you can guess, I am not very adventurous when it comes to,food!
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I think Aussies have grown so accustomed to multi-cultural food, at least in cities, that we don’t realise how adventurous our food choices are. I can see why the look of octopus puts you off though I’m surprised Scotland doesn’t do oysters more.
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Great post! Oranges bring to mind Christmas morning, because my mom always put one in our stockings — where alas they were often gathering mold a week later since my sibs and I preferred the candy treats in there with them. I celebrate Greek Easter with one of my Greek-American friends. We usually have lamb — wait until I tell her about the octopus! https://mollyscanopy.com/2021/04/orange-juice-can-curlers-and-on-the-roof-suntans-atozchallenge/#comments
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I missed responding to this comment Molly, sorry. I wonder what your friend thought about the octopus for Easter.
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I have in my middle age come to appreciate olives as an ingredient (and use quite a bit of olive oil), but I can’t eat them plain. Every-so-often I’ll give them a try, but, nope, still don’t like them. I’ve had oysters once. They were…fine?
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Olives are an acquired taste and since you’ve tried them often, they just mustn’t appeal to your palate.
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I’m not a fan of olives but maybe I’ve never eaten the good ones. Hubby loves oysters but I can’t bring myself to even try.
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It’s surprising the Italian family haven’t turned you into an olive fan.
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Ha… no they never pressed the olive issue
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I can think of stir-fry recipes that have oranges and (spring) onions. 😉 I love your post.
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Yes, that would make for a tasty stir fry.
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