New member

[GAJMac]

OK folks, new member here. I didn't even know that there was a cooking forum until I joined about a week ago. I'm heavily into what I call "Poor Food". Poor people are what made us what we are today. They took the cheap ingredients and made tasty, fulfilling dishes to keep everyone's body and soul together so we can work another day.

I'm referring to Cajun food, early New England food, Southern (soul) food... you get the picture.

I'll be happy to share any recipes I have, and look forward to learning from others in this forum.

[Deuxcents]

1. Welcome to the DU 👋

I’ll be looking forward to what you got cooking

[Polly Hennessey]

2. Welcome and can't wait to see what you bring to the "table".

[Tess49]

3. I grew up on southern food. Ham and beans with crackling cornbread. Delicious! Green tomato relish made from the last

of the garden plants. Haven't tasted that in years.

[MLAA]

4. Omg, I haven't thought of crackling cornbread in at least 40 years!

Thanks for the memory of grandma’s kitchen. Papa’s specialty was ambrosia, made for every family dinner for about 30 people.

What about corn fritters? Big Papa’s (my great granddad) wife made them for the huge annual family dinner every summer. About 100 family members attended that. Big tables set up outside on their farm.

[Tess49]

8. My Aunt brought the ambrosia to every family event where food was served. I think I still have her recipe.

[Dear_Prudence]

5. Welcome!

As a college student in the mid 70s, I had a university library job shelving government documents. One booklet on frugal cooking caught my eye so I flipped through it. There I found a recipe for bologne soup; I remember my shock to this day. Yes, canned corned beef, spam, fresh caught bass, and cow tongue made it to our table when I was growing up, but not bologne soup. So, I hope I am not too hoity-toity to join in the discussion here. 😅 Welcome to DU, GAJMac!

[AKwannabe]

6. Grits are some of my favorite food

They go with anything.
From the Midwest myself but plenty of home cooks there.

Black eye peas
Collard greens with ham or bacon
Sunday fried chicken
Biscuits and white gravy
Blueberry pie or huckleberry if you’re lucky!

[fierywoman]

7. Italian cuisine has a huge category called "cucina povera" (poverty cuisine) or

"cucina casalinga" (housewife cuisine.) Exmple: you make the most simple pasta-fagioli (pasta and beans) -- just when you've done the last step (cooked the pasta) you mix a salad (oil and vinegar dressing)of very bitter greens (arugula, radicchio, etc) that's VERY heavy on the vinegar -- serve the pasta-fagioli in the bowls and had a good bit of salad on top -- the heat of the soup cooks the salad, the vinegar helps you digest the beans -- oh.my. !!!

[GAJMac]

9. Wow!

That sounds really good. When I was a young man, I didn't like most vegetables because they were "bitter". As my tastes have changed with age, I now appreciate the "bitter", and accept it for what it is - another flavor that can be molded to make a great experience.

[fierywoman]

10. Try it! It's unbelievably delicious -- don't be shy with the vinegar!