{"id":61307,"date":"2020-09-04T13:22:31","date_gmt":"2020-09-04T17:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=61307"},"modified":"2025-09-04T13:22:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T17:22:28","slug":"i-hate-that-your-worst-family-meal-growing-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/i-hate-that-your-worst-family-meal-growing-up.html","title":{"rendered":"I HATE That! Your Worst Family Meal Growing Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega searches old newspapers to find recipes for meals she and her friends remember from childhood \u2013 but didn\u2019t like very much. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Not all family history memories are good ones. Take for instance that one food or meal you absolutely hated growing up. My most hated dinners were tuna casserole, liver and onions, and anything with peas in it. Even my kids have meals (that I cook) that they hate, though lucky for me it\u2019s a short list. My oldest hates pot roast and my youngest can\u2019t stand anything with celery.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: tuna casserole is a casserole mainly composed of egg noodles and canned tuna fish, with canned peas and corn sometimes added. The casserole is often topped with potato chips, corn flakes or canned fried onions. Credit: B.D.\u2019s world; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our least favorite foods become the foods we avoid because of their smell, texture, perceived \u201cgrossness,\u201d or even due to the frequency it appeared on our dining room table. I asked my Facebook friends about their most hated dish growing up \u2013 and there was a lot of agreement about certain foods. (1)<\/p>\n

The most hated food was liver, as well as cow\u2019s head, cow\u2019s tongue, and tripe (cow\u2019s stomach). Probably not surprisingly, many people mentioned a vegetable they hated (think peas, lima beans, okra), or how it was prepared \u2013 such as turnip soup, creamed corn, stuffed bell peppers, and stewed eggplant. Seafood was another least-liked food, and friends mentioned despising fresh fish, fish casseroles, and fish sticks.<\/p>\n

Tuna Casserole<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some of my friends agreed with me that tuna casserole (in my family it was tuna noodle casserole) is the worst. Now, don\u2019t get me wrong, I like tuna. But it\u2019s the combination of hot canned tuna, noodles, cream of mushroom soup, and vegetables (canned mixed vegetables to be precise) that equals my worst food nightmare. My mom would add bread crumbs and a layer of cheese on the top in an effort to make me like it, but no amount of melted cheese is going to help that dish (sorry mom). I recently found a cookbook that my mom may have owned with the offending dish. (2)<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: tuna casserole recipe. Credit: Gena Philibert-Ortega, from a cookbook in her collection.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As you can imagine, variations on the tuna casserole theme can also be found in newspaper food columns. Quite frankly, some of these versions seem worse than plain old tuna casserole, such as the recipe below for deviled tuna casserole. I love a \u201cdeviled\u201d dish but I\u2019ll pass on this combination of tuna, onion, garlic, milk, lemon juice, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, bread cubes and potato chips.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 4 April 1968, page 12<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A whole article about the most horrible tuna casserole recipes found in newspapers could be written, but I\u2019ll leave you with one last recipe that brags it can be served hot or cold. The article states:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis New Tuna Casserole uncovers different flavor combinations and textures than we\u2019ve seen before. Rice provides the bulk and canned tomato sauce the liquid and flavor along with ripe olives and two kinds of cheese and silvered almonds.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I think they should keep those flavor combinations to themselves.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 21 May 1964, page 6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Liver<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sure, there are people who like liver and onions \u2013 but the majority of my Facebook friends admitted they absolutely hate it. The smell was cited as just one reason. I\u2019m in total agreement. I\u2019ve never understood why anyone would want to eat a liver.<\/p>\n

This 1922 newspaper cooking column, \u201cSister Mary\u2019s Kitchen,\u201d adds everyone\u2019s favorite protein, bacon, to a liver recipe \u2013 but quite frankly it would take a lot of bacon before you could convince me to eat it. \u201cSister Mary\u201d even explains the differences in various livers:<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026calves\u2019 liver is always highest in price and most desirable. Beef liver comes next in price, is not so tender and delicately flavored. Pig\u2019s liver is the cheapest and least desirable, but if carefully cooked makes a perfectly acceptable dish.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Nope, still not perfectly acceptable in my eyes.<\/p>\n

I understand why people have historically eaten liver. First, it\u2019s inexpensive. And people were encouraged to eat it for the iron, but I still say a big \u201cno, thank you\u201d to it. But if you love it, here are four recipes to consider.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Patriot (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 24 January 1922, page 7<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Liver<\/a>
Patriot (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 24 January 1922, page 7<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that some of our least favorite meals or food combination may have a historical background. During World War II there was an emphasis on eating organ meat to save more popular meats for our soldiers. It was important to convince the folks on the home front that they should eat things like liver, and recipes were published to give home cooks ideas for their preparation, such as this \u201cPrudence Penny Wartime Marketing\u201d column that extolls the virtues of pork liver.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Detroit Times (Detroit, Michigan), 22 January 1943, page 18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
Detroit Times (Detroit, Michigan), 22 January 1943, page 18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One last thing. One of my friends pointed out to me that you don\u2019t see liver as much in the grocery store. I realized she was right; at least in my grocery store it\u2019s not displayed prominently. Food choices and tastes change over time and foods that are not as popular become harder to find.<\/p>\n

Lima Beans<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some of my friends mentioned how much they detest lima beans. I totally understand why. There\u2019s something about that \u201cmeaty texture\u201d that is not my favorite. I remember as a young girl finding out my paternal grandfather liked them, and I was totally perplexed how he could like something that awful.<\/p>\n

This 1907 newspaper column of \u201cSome Good Recipes\u201d features lima beans in a dish with a perplexing name, Cleopatra Salad. It includes left-over cooked vegetables, but especially lima beans, corn, peas, and bits of beet. This salad requires you to cut the vegetables in neat shapes so they don\u2019t look \u201cmessy,\u201d and then present them on lettuce leaves topped with ribbons of red or green peppers and French dressing.<\/p>\n

\"Lima<\/a>
Kalamazoo Gazette (Kalamazoo, Michigan), 19 June 1907, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What Foods Do You HATE?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s OK if you love liver or your favorite casserole is tuna casserole. I\u2019m sure you have something you can\u2019t stand to eat and haven\u2019t had since you became an adult. Or maybe there\u2019s something you at least don\u2019t prefer. What is it? Tell us about it in the comments below.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/em><\/strong> An online collection of newspapers, such as GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, is not only a great way to learn about the lives of your ancestors \u2013 the old newspaper articles also help you understand American history and the times your ancestors lived in, and the news they talked about and read in their local papers \u2013 as well as recipes for the foods they ate.<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

_________________<\/p>\n

(1) Thanks to all my Facebook friends who answered my question about the foods they hated in childhood.
\n(2) \u201cTuna and Noodle Casserole.\u201d Deseret Recipes. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1981.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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