Food for the Holidays?

In December, I am reminded of family tradition, that time-honored ritual or belief passed down from generation to generation and from society to society. During the Christmas season, our family has many traditions. These traditions involve turkey, oyster dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, and my wife's famous chocolate roll. There are, however, some food traditions that I chose not to pass on to my children in hopes they will forever stay on the list of the grossest foods in the world.

My grandmother was frugal and used to say that the only thing you could not eat after slaughtering a pig was the squeal. To accomplish this, she would draw upon the culinary skills of her forbearers and serve up some of the most disgusting dishes in the world, including but not limited to deep-fat fried pig's ears. One of her favorites was blood pudding. Not only could you not look at this meal, you couldn't eat it. Hearing the name makes me want to gag to this day. Here it is in all its glory.

                                                                Blood Pudding - This dish mainly comprises pigs, cattle, or sheep blood. However, it doesn't become blood pudding until the blood is allowed to coagulate, a filler of oatmeal, barley, or sweet potato is added, and the entire mass is brought to a boil. During the cooking process, a skin is produced atop the goo. My grandmother enjoyed its chewy texture and preferred to eat it last.

There are many other dishes that I "confronted" growing up, but I was curious about what gross dishes my neighbors, Farmer Al and Digger Dan the Goat Man, ate growing up during the Holidays. I am genuinely sorry I asked.

Farmer Al's mother favored Jellied Moose Nose during the Holidays. Farmer Al liked it. 

Jellied Moosese - Preparation is relatively simple: first, the moose's nose is removed, preferably just after it is "harvested during hunting season" to preserve its freshness. Then, it's boiled until the hairs become loose and can easily be plucked free. The meat is cooked longer after adding a few spices until it disintegrates into a gelatinous mass. Finally, it's sliced and served chilled. Got a Kleenex?

According to him, Digger Dan still makes this excellent holiday cheese. It is called Casu Marzu, and he thinks it is Italian in origin. I think otherwise.

                                                                    

Casu Marzu – This is how it is prepared, according to Digger Dan. Early in the fermenting process, the larvae of cheese flies are introduced. Over a period of weeks, the larvae hatch and begin feeding. As the cheese's fats are broken down, a unique flavor is produced, which is supposed to be delicious. Digger Dan likes to remove the maggots, but his mother used to leave them in. Have you got a fly swatter?

And here is my favorite that my mother used to make all the time. I chose not to pass this down to my children, and my wife, who was familiar with the dish, promised never to serve it or mention it. Of course, this is my opinion as some of you may like the dish. It is my Mom's Famous Tuna Fish Casserole, and I find it difficult to even write about it. I found a picture of it in what appears to be the same casserole bowl she cooked it in – maybe it is hers. Here it is:

                                                         

Mom's Famous Tuna Casserole – As I remember, she would start by opening a can of tuna with oil and emptying the whole thing into a casserole dish. She would then add heavy cream and, I think, some flour. She cooked noodles and peas and added them to the mix – sometimes with grated orange cheese. Pop it in the oven and serve it hot. As a variation, she would sometimes sprinkle those disgusting, greasy canned fried onion rings on the top– the same ones she used to top off my next least favorite meal – Green Bean casserole with Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup. I would generally run out of the house and hide in my neighbor's shed when she cooked these meals.

So, do you have a "family" meal you despised growing up?