Generational Flashbacks-Food

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I kinda use to like it. Today, keep liver away. Never made it for me or the kids.

Starting something new. It’s called Generational Flashbacks. We all have them. Generational Flashbacks may not be the best name, but that’s the title that exploded in my head at 2:30 am.

In this post we explore foods. More to the point, foods that a parent made for you that you never ever plan to eat again. Conversely, there are foods often rejected as a kid but thoroughly enjoyed now.

It seems my mom used to fry liver in our kitchen every other week. “Liver is good for you!” How many times did I gag on that line? Too many. I can still hear my teeth grinding on gritty liver. What a terrible taste. To the best of my knowledge I haven’t had liver since leaving high school.

My eyes roll when I read liver on a restaurant menu. There are people who actually order liver. Honey, let’s go out for dinner. I want some liver. Really! Liver and onions. Liver and bacon. Liver, bacon and onions. YUCK! Don’t cook tonight. Let’s pay $7.99 for some liver. Order chicken!

I can only imagine how my kids would respond if I quipped, we’re having liver for dinner. They’re out the door faster than a speeding bullet.

When my mom and I moved to Massachusetts, my uncle Ken was already here. Being a man from the coal country of Kentucky, he loved to fish. And, he was damn excellent at it. Uncle Ken would dawn his green fishing outfit early Saturday morning, and fish all day. Call it stress relief. Then, he’d bring back a long string filled of mackerel, perch and pickerel.. My mom gladly skinned and scraped the scales off the catch of the day. Next, a glob of fat in the frying pan–and it’s Saturday night fish fry. They’d chomp down on the fish like it was going out of style.

My uncle would catch a half dozen fish, bring them to my mom for

Open the front door and you could smell our house up and down the street through Monday.  I can’t explain it. Maybe it was the sad looking one eyeball that led me to say no thank you. Or, the thought of choking on a bone. I passed on fish for years because these small, flapping fish had a lot of choking little bones.. I had no problem eating shrimp, lobstah or sandy clams, but fish no frickin’ way.

BTW>> I had no problem freshwater or deep sea fishing, but eating my catch–no no Nanette.

Now, I love fish. I got to thank my former neighbor Panama Steve for doing something my mom and uncle Ken didn’t do. Steve challenged me to try some fish, prepared his way. You see, Panama was a professional guitarist. At one time in his life, he cut fish at a NYC market. Panama promised no bones if he sliced and diced. I bit on the challenge. He was correct. No bones, and the bbq bluefish was surprisingly splendid. Now, I eat fish all the time.

So, I am just curious. What food or foods did your folks make that you no longer have to stomach? Conversely, what food(s) do you eat now, that you would not as a child?

 

 

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Brian
Brian
Brian is a five decade real radio veteran and the founder of Brian’s Beat, the media company that produces the Brian’s Beat Talk Show, commentaries, several podcast stories, along with Brian’s Beat On The Street.
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