Are old fashioned dinners a thing of the past?

whisky_galore · 27-11-2020 07:01PM

What is it with the way older folk boil the shít out of veg? Is it making sure it's cooked "properly" or lack of teeth?

El_Duderino 09 · 27-11-2020 07:50PM

whisky_galore wrote: »

What is it with the way older folk boil the shít out of veg? Is it making sure it's cooked "properly" or lack of teeth?

It comes from lack of cooking skills. You can’t go wrong with boiling. Zero skill needed and all you have to do is not undercook it. So people boil the shyte out of it.

Same with overcooking Turkey on Christmas. So many people can’t tell when it’s cooked by temperature or the actual skills of cooking, so they just leave it in the oven for an extra hour tobesuretobesure and make a balls of it.

awec · 27-11-2020 09:12PM

whisky_galore wrote: »

What is it with the way older folk boil the shít out of veg? Is it making sure it's cooked "properly" or lack of teeth?

It's not like there was a ton of cook books or chefs on the telly back in the day telling them how to do it properly. People learnt to cook from their folks, including boiling stuff until it was devoid of all texture and taste.

sdanseo · 27-11-2020 09:14PM

A coddle is a rare, rare treat here. There's only one member of the (very) extended family who can make a good one. Might get a plate of it every two years.

It's only good if it has the barley in it too.

I tried once and ruined a saucepan, so that option does not exist.

screamer · 27-11-2020 09:33PM

Talking about boiling the shyte out of veggies, actually cant stand food out of a slow cooker, mush and yuck. i have one in the press, i'll leave it till i am a gummy warrior, it'll make proper ould wans food. yuck.

atilladehun · 27-11-2020 09:40PM

I love all these old foods. Haven't had a coddle in ages. Would love one. Salty goodness.

My dad makes a mean tripe. Nice and sweet. Delish.

buried · 27-11-2020 09:54PM

I did a chicken stew there earlier on. You could also call the thing a 'chiken chassuer' but you add a bit of french language to it, it don't sound so 'old fashioned' but that's all the thing is, a old fashioned stew.

El_Duderino 09 · 27-11-2020 09:57PM

sdanseo wrote: »

A coddle is a rare, rare treat here. There's only one member of the (very) extended family who can make a good one. Might get a plate of it every two years.

It's only good if it has the barley in it too.

I tried once and ruined a saucepan, so that option does not exist.

How, in the name of the sweet, suffering, baby Jesus, did you ruin a saucepan making coddle?

CelticRambler · 27-11-2020 10:05PM

awec wrote: »

It's not like there was a ton of cook books or chefs on the telly back in the day telling them how to do it properly.

All In The Cooking - the only book you'll ever need. :cool:

Not too bad an introduction to the basics, in fact and as it happens, one of only two cookery books on my shelf. 1975 Edition, "inherited" from a girlfriend back in the day. (The other is the Petit Larousse de la Cuisine)

El_Duderino 09 · 27-11-2020 10:07PM

buried wrote: »

I did a chicken stew there earlier on. You could also call the thing a 'chiken chassuer' but you add a bit of french language to it, it don't sound so 'old fashioned' but that's all the thing is, a old fashioned stew.

Foreign food can be old too. Nothing wrong with old food as long as the cooking method is good. Coddle could be a thousand years old or could be invented yesterday, the ingredients need to be browned to give additional flavour.

Boiling the shyte out of things might be a traditional Irish style, but it’s not a good way to cook.

I think a lot of people just like things the way they had it as a child regardless of how well it was actually cooked at the time.

Esel · 27-11-2020 10:08PM

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

How, in the name of the sweet, suffering, baby Jesus, did you ruin a saucepan making coddle?

Frying the rashers and sausages...

CelticRambler · 27-11-2020 10:13PM

Esel wrote: »

Frying the rashers and sausages...

Karma! :pac:

buried · 27-11-2020 10:17PM

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Foreign food can be old too. Nothing wrong with old food as long as the cooking method is good. Coddle could be a thousand years old or could be invented yesterday, the ingredients need to be browned to give additional flavour.

Boiling the shyte out of things might be a traditional Irish style, but it’s not a good way to cook.

I think a lot of people just like things the way they had it as a child regardless of how well it was actually cooked at the time.

Yeah, see I think both these two things are valid but from different contexts. I was raised as an infant by my grandmother, she cooked everything slow, all day every day, stews, bacon and cabbage, all that but it was done all slow all stewed and flavoursome. Delicious tack. But then I went to my parents house after they had spent a day at work they boiled everything to $hit just to get it done as quick as possible in the early 80's. It was desperate, but I don't think that was the 'traditional Irish' way of cooking everyone is on about. They had to cook that way because that was the only way they could. My grandmother had a far more way of 'traditional' way of cooking and it was far far better, but she had way way more time. That was the 'traditional' way of cooking, not what our usury dependent parents had to contend with in order to feed their families.

3d4life · 27-11-2020 10:18PM

CelticRambler wrote: »

All In The Cooking - the only book you'll ever need. :cool:

Not too bad an introduction to the basics, in fact and as it happens, one of only two cookery books on my shelf. 1975 Edition, "inherited" from a girlfriend back in the day. (The other is the Petit Larousse de la Cuisine)

Also, No Cook Books ?

FWIW

Elizabeth David was a prolific writer of cookery books in the 50s and 60s.

Katherine Whitethorn produced a long running best seller in the 60s

Delia Smith wrote a number of best seller cook books in the 70s

In addition there were many others such as Robert Carrier & Keith Floyd

El_Duderino 09 · 27-11-2020 10:21PM

buried wrote: »

Yeah, see I think both these two things are valid but from different contexts. I was raised as an infant by my grandmother, she cooked everything slow, all day every day, stews, bacon and cabbage, all that but it was done all slow all stewed and flavoursome. Delicious tack. But then I went to my parents house after they had spent a day at work they boiled everything to $hit just to get it done as quick as possible in the early 80's. It was desperate, but I don't think that was the 'traditional Irish' way of cooking everyone is on about. They had to cook that way because that was the only way they could. My grandmother had a far more way of 'traditional' way of cooking and it was far far better, but she had way way more time. That was the 'traditional' way of cooking, not what our usury dependent parents had to contend with in order to feed their families.

Yeah that’s an interesting perspective. The housewife could cook slowly but the working couple used similar methods but had to do it quickly and just boiled the shyte out of things. Could be true.

Slow cooked lamb shanks are some of the best food around.

We always talk about lamb and never mention mutton. Mutton can be delicious but it is tougher and needs to be cooked slowly. So much flavour and if you like lamb then you’ll probably love slow cooked mutton. Goes great in curry too.

El_Duderino 09 · 27-11-2020 10:33PM

3d4life wrote: »

Also, No Cook Books ?

FWIW

Elizabeth David was a prolific writer of cookery books in the 50s and 60s.

Katherine Whitethorn produced a long running best seller in the 60s

Delia Smith wrote a number of best seller cook books in the 70s

In addition there were many others such as Robert Carrier & Keith Floyd

The names I recognise in that list are all middle class characters. Cook books weren’t for the masses until pretty recently. They were a lot to do with dinner parties and fancy cooking. I think it’s pretty recently that people like Jamie started doing 15min meals that you can cook for the family after work of a Tuesday.

3d4life · 27-11-2020 10:39PM

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

The names I recognise in that list are all middle class characters......

El_Duderino 09 · 27-11-2020 11:07PM

3d4life wrote: »

What’s confused you?

JasonStatham · 27-11-2020 11:16PM

Kylta wrote: »

Do people still do a sunday dinner, consisting of ham, roast, potatoes, cabbage?
Do people still do stews?
Do people still do coddles?

These days with most children, especially teenagers, not wanting this and only eating that, and people becoming vegans and vegetarians, people cutting down of different foods due to medical conditions etc.

So what's your opinion, if you refuse to answer, you'll get yesterdays leftover cabbage and potatoes for your dinner.

My mum cooks traditional dinners every day. Some of the things she cooks Rooster/queens potatoes, a full chicken, basic veg like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower. She cooks a lot of fish like salmon, smoked haddock and hake amongst others. Sometimes fillet steak, but a lot of sirloin steak.

I rarely cook traditional dinners. Usually I cook spaghetti bolognese, thai green curries, sweet and sour chicken and the likes. Sometimes I will cook spuds, but i find it takes ages to finish. When you're starving after a hard day's work, the last thing you need is to be spending ages cooking.

John_Rambo · 27-11-2020 11:31PM

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

What’s confused you?

Good everyday cookbooks have been around for years. The Good housekeeping series was ubiquitous in houses for decades. Kieth Floyd books were incredibly popular, my parents book shelves are heaving with cookbooks from the seventies from which recipes are still being used throughout the family.

Cooking for dinner parties & entertaining has been a very popular culture in suburbia and urban areas for a long time. Pre-covid it would be rare for a good cooking get together in our house, a friends, family or neighbours house at the weekend. Same with my elderly parents, their siblings and my cousins. When the kids were too young we turned to large multi family breakfasts after beach walks.

It's one of the things we really miss during the present pandemic. A crowded table with good food and good company.

46 Long · 28-11-2020 12:09AM

JasonStatham wrote: »

My mum cooks traditional dinners every day. Some of the things she cooks Rooster/queens potatoes, a full chicken, basic veg like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower. She cooks a lot of fish like salmon, smoked haddock and hake amongst others. Sometimes fillet steak, but a lot of sirloin steak.

I rarely cook traditional dinners. Usually I cook spaghetti bolognese, thai green curries, sweet and sour chicken and the likes. Sometimes I will cook spuds, but i find it takes ages to finish. When you're starving after a hard day's work, the last thing you need is to be spending ages cooking.

I haven't cooked a potato in years. I get the microwaveable pouches of baby potatoes in the supermarkets and frozen mash if I need it for something like a shepherds pie.

sdanseo · 28-11-2020 12:11AM

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

How, in the name of the sweet, suffering, baby Jesus, did you ruin a saucepan making coddle?

This was many years ago.

There was a high inquisition (it was the mother's favourite saucepan apparently).. but we still don't know.

Officially, the cause was attributed to cook error.

dubstarr · 28-11-2020 01:19AM

screamer wrote: »

Talking about boiling the shyte out of veggies, actually cant stand food out of a slow cooker, mush and yuck. i have one in the press, i'll leave it till i am a gummy warrior, it'll make proper ould wans food. yuck.

I have one and i use it now and again.But the stuff sometimes comes out weird.Like it smells amazing cooking but it comes out blugh.

Saying that i did do a shredded chicken and it was gorgeous.Must have been a lucky day.

SineadSpears · 28-11-2020 01:36AM

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

It comes from lack of cooking skills. You can’t go wrong with boiling. Zero skill needed and all you have to do is not undercook it. So people boil the shyte out of it.

Same with overcooking Turkey on Christmas. So many people can’t tell when it’s cooked by temperature or the actual skills of cooking, so they just leave it in the oven for an extra hour tobesuretobesure and make a balls of it.

Thats my mams exact method of cooking.
Although I do love going to hers for Christmas, there is something comforting about over boiled salty veg & roast beef that can be used as a weapon.

I myself make lovely roast dinners, all self thought

I'll be staying home this year & having the usual al dente veg, so Christmas won't exactly be the same.

Strumms · 28-11-2020 02:05AM

whisky_galore wrote: »

What is it with the way older folk boil the shít out of veg? Is it making sure it's cooked "properly" or lack of teeth?

Probably just prefer the texture... I’m young but I’m the same, I find the more flavor and nicer texture is achieved ... I don’t enjoy hard veg, never did. More cooking = more flavor and better texture.

IAMAMORON · 28-11-2020 02:08AM

Spent time in Bradford as a teenager over summers with family.

Yorkshire Puddings.. divine.

Roast beef with ooooodles of gravy and pees and colli with cheese sauce and fresh horseradish, fooooking lovely. ( and spuds obvs , roasted to a crisp )

whisky_galore · 28-11-2020 02:18AM

Strumms wrote: »

Probably just prefer the texture... I’m young but I’m the same, I find the more flavor and nicer texture is achieved ... I don’t enjoy hard veg, never did. More cooking = more flavor and better texture.

Don't like soft splodgy veg, baby food consistency.
You throw away all the vitamins and minerals with the water when overboiled.
Makes things like sprouts and cabbage stink a bit too.

28-11-2020 02:44AM

I get hankerings for a big stew every few weeks. Love them.

El_Duderino 09 · 28-11-2020 10:30AM

John_Rambo wrote: »

Good everyday cookbooks have been around for years. The Good housekeeping series was ubiquitous in houses for decades. Kieth Floyd books were incredibly popular, my parents book shelves are heaving with cookbooks from the seventies from which recipes are still being used throughout the family.

Cooking for dinner parties & entertaining has been a very popular culture in suburbia and urban areas for a long time. Pre-covid it would be rare for a good cooking get together in our house, a friends, family or neighbours house at the weekend. Same with my elderly parents, their siblings and my cousins. When the kids were too young we turned to large multi family breakfasts after beach walks.

It's one of the things we really miss during the present pandemic. A crowded table with good food and good company.

Ok. That’s all fine. I’m still not sure what confused you or the other poster about what I posted.

Pasteur. · 28-11-2020 10:33AM

The move to convenience food and away from slower cooking methods started over 50 years ago

Advertizing.Fast economy , Fast food , Motorways ,All the drive to speed up life

Are old fashioned dinners a thing of the past?

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