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
A key feature of my parent’s yard was the large Queensland Nut tree growing tall. I became very proficient at finding just the right crack in the concrete and tapping it with just the right pressure to get the nut out of its shell in perfect condition. The tree bore lots of nuts which we took for granted, so much so that my Sydney second cousins and I would make mud pies with Queensland nuts in them! What a waste!! Even they have memories of this adventure. I compared this delicious but challenging nuts to family history in a long-ago blog post.
I really don’t know why the tree was eventually removed (while we were in PNG?) but perhaps it just grew too big. Don’t know what Queensland nuts are? They are now expensively available in supermarkets as Macadamias from their botanical name, Macadamia integrifolia, and they are a native plant of Australia.
Mum’s recipe book includes a recipe for Queensland Banana Cake and also Queen Cakes.
NOW
In our days in Papua New Guinea, quinine was part of our weekly diet as we took our anti-malarials. Nowadays we take our quinine in Tonic Water.
Quiche Lorraine is a meal we have from time to time. In my youth, the version would have been bacon and egg pie with a deeper layer of filling. Mum also has a variation for salmon quiche which we should try.
NEW FOOD FARE
Quinoa is probably the obvious newbie ingredient today. I have eaten it in salads elsewhere but we haven’t really adopted it in our family food repertoire.
Quandong also hasn’t made it onto our menu but Aussie native foods are gaining in popularity and can be bought online. Like lots of bush tucker it has both health and medicinal benefits. I’m thinking we need to buy and try.
Quince, however, is a regular accompaniment to cheese and drinks when entertaining.
Do you enjoy a tasty quiche?
Have you adopted Aussie native tucker into your diet?
Are you a fan of quinoa or quince?
Family history across the seas 
I like macadamias and quinces very much. I often make quiche.
Continuing to enjoy all the memories you evoke.
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Thanks Anne. Always good to get Q out of the way too 😉
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You had me puzzled about the Queensland Nut Tree – I hadn’t heard of it until now but I love Macadamias.
Quiches, are from THEN but I still love them NOW while Quinces are something from Nanna’s era. I am happy to pass on Quinoa but as a polite guest will stomach it if it is served.
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I’m with you on the quinoa Jill…not so much dislike it but don’t trust gut implications. I don’t remember making what we know as quiche. More bacon and egg pie.
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Quandong always makes me smile. My mother used to tease my father about how he always bought blue cars (not that we had had many – everything he bought was probably blue) so in 1964 ( or thereabout) he traded in the blue zephyr for a Holden station wagon. The colour was something to behold – a pinky orange colour called Quandong. We had never heard that word before but I have never forgotten it. After we all carried on about the yukky colour Dad went back to blue and never strayed. I am yet to see one.
Lyn
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That made me laugh Lyn! I’d never heard of a quandong coloured car. Not surprised he went back to blue 😉
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When we couldn’t get together for Thanksgiving, my family lamented the lack of recipes. So I started a family cookbook. Still in progress but it’s almost 300 pages, mostly desserts!
Beth
https://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/
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What a great idea! That’s my kind of cookbook…lots of desserts 🙂
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You don’t often hear about quince these days, so I was delighted you included it here. My grandfather used to have a quince tree in his yard — all the free quince we could eat. Brings back fond memories. https://mollyscanopy.com/2021/04/questioning-everything-atozchallenge/
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Nothing like a backyard fruit tree. I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten fresh quince.
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One of my husband’s ancestors is credited with developing one of the Queensland Nut tree varieties. You can read all about it here. http://www.goldcoaststories.com.au/the-h2-hinde-tree/ Well done with your post on the letter Q. Lots of good things listed here. I really like quinoa. It is much heartier than say rice and quite nutty in flavour, to my mind. Have never tried a quandong.
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That story is fascinating Alex…and on the Heritage Register as well…very impressive.
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I do love quiche. Reminds me of the Easter pie we make in the Italian families. Although I first turned my nose up at it when it was first offered to me… now a favorite
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Multi-cultural influences 🙂
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