Lohimuhennos is a hearty salmon and potato stew from Finland. The name lohimuhennos is a simple compound word in Finnish. Lohi=salmon. Muhennos=stew. For a language that is largely impenetrable to non-native speakers, this is about as easy as it comes. The recipe comes to me by way of a 1939 cookbook: Recipes from “Round” the……
Ingredient: apple cider vinegar
White Gazpacho (adapted from Buen Provecho, New Jersey, 1995)
White Gazpacho is a make-ahead chilled soup perfect for a sweaty summer evening. This particular recipe is one of two White Gazpacho recipes in Buen Provecho: 500 Years of Hispanic Cuisine (1995), a community cookbook compiled by a group of Hispanic AT&T employees. Both versions were submitted by the same employee and are, fundamentally,……
Creamed Beans with Dill Seed (Oregon, 2006, adapted)
Creamed Beans with Dill Seed is a simple yet elegant side dish with a unique and alluring flavor profile. The recipe comes to me by way of Recipes of the Heart, a 2006 cookbook from my home congregation. The author is a dear woman who still lives nearby and who I still see regularly. She’s only……
Chinese Pork Balls and Cabbage (1968, adapted from Myra Waldo’s Chinese Cookbook)
Chinese Pork Balls and Cabbage is a hearty dish suitable for a cool autumn weeknight. If you’re after an authentic Chinese main dish keep looking. This recipe is adapted from Myra Waldo’s Chinese Cookbook, first published in 1968, and reflects Americanized Chinese sensibilities adapted to the tastes and ingredient availability of the 1960s. Like most……
Ramen Salad (Indiana, 2009, adapted)
Instant noodles fuel America. In 2019, Americans consumed around four and a half billion servings of instant noodles, which works out to about one serving per person per month. This number is probably appreciably higher among college students and parents of small children. But ramen is more than just a cheap meal. Nissin’s Top Ramen……
Becky’s Asparagus (Tennessee, 1996, adapted)
Becky’s Asparagus is a simple marinated asparagus salad. The titular Becky was a realtor with Tennessee-based real estate company Crye-Leike in the mid-1990s. This recipe was included in a community cookbook compiled Crye-Leike employees and associates and widely distributed to clients and friends. This is not a particularly complicated recipe. It’s a clever blend of……
Frijoles Negros con Sofrito (Cuba, adapted from Buen Provecho, New Jersey, 1995)
Years and years ago my local congregation held a Mexican-themed potluck. I’m not talking about one of those discomfiting frat parties where everyone comes dressed like Speedy Gonzalez; this was more like large scale taco night. Potluck dishes were supposed to be Mexican or at least Mexican-adjacent, and we had a members of the congregation……
Betty’s Pickled Pears (Georgia, 1960s, adapted)
In thumbing through my old cookbooks I sometimes feel like I’m reading someone else’s mail. These cookbooks were meant to be shared among community members, not with the internet at large. I’m comfortable sharing general details of a church or the surrounding community, but as a general rule I will avoid identifying individual church members……
Tomato Barbecue Jell-O Salad (Georgia, 1960s, adapted)
This is one of those recipes that belongs to another time and place, and probably should have stayed there. Savory Jell-O salads have always fascinated me, but I don’t get around to making them all that often. There’s usually a weird crunchy ingredient like celery or chopped nuts that prompts the gag reflex just reading……