Food Friday: Adventures in Wisconsin Food

I like a good food adventure. Yesterday I had a pizza I loved though my companions weren't as thrilled by my food choice.

My pizza half with eggs and artichokes. LOVE eggs on pizza. (c) 2016 Gena Philibert-Ortega


So a cookbook named Adventures in Food is right up my alley. I'm all for the adventure. Today's cookbook adventure  is compiled by the Trinity Lutheran Ladies' Aid from Trinity Lutheran Church of Coleman, Wisconsin (circa 1980s). Now these adventures are from the 1980s so they may not be everyone's cup of tea.

From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega
From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega


A Recipe Called Goo

Recipe names can be intriguing. Names that include the word Surprise, for example, seem to be more of a warning than something to look forward to.  In my family we have a recipe we call Pink Stuff which is a jello salad that is indeed pink and has "stuff" in it.

From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega


So I was intrigued by this recipe for Shrimp Goo. My guess is not too many people are rushing to eat something referred to as Shrimp Goo (the only Goo I like is the Goo Goo Dolls). But like Pink Stuff it probably is a title provided by a family member or a related child. It appears to be some sort of dip which might be quite delightful and deserving of a different name.

Ripe  Olive Ham Loaf

Now once you have had the Shrimp Goo appetizer you might be interested in some Ripe Olive Ham Loaf. Now just for the record, I think you could just call it Olive Ham Loaf since we would assume that the olives would be ripe (they are pretty nasty straight off the tree). This is one of the more creative loaf recipes I've come across.

From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega

My family can vouch that I'm a big olive fan. No one else in the family seems to enjoy them so whenever I open a can or bottle I end up eating all of the olives (Anyone ever place them on your finger tips when you were a kid ?). This loaf appears to be one of those foods that is dated and wouldn't appeal to modern families though I would probably like it.

The Importance of Wacky Food Adventures

Although I've had a bit of fun with these two recipes, I will say that as a historian I'm grateful for them. Why? Because they document food in a particular place and time, leaving us with a record of what types of foods people ate. That's an important part of our history that deserves preserving.

Any interesting loaf recipes in your family? What about goo recipes?

Comments

  1. I remember seeing an explanation once for "ripe olives" being black and all others, green. Black are just brined and green are pickle brined so swapping would have a big effect on the resulting dish.

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