Bon Appétit's Sweet (and Savory, and Bitter, and Umami) Childhood Food Memories
Going home for Thanksgiving is a nostalgia trip. You can scarcely cross the threshold without dredging up some cherished memory or pratfall. And though it's hard to look back on one's childhood, uh, "diet" without a wince or shudder—kids aren't exactly known for their discerning palettes—it turns out the Bon Appétit staff was more than willing to remember the smorgasbord of treats from our past. This Thanksgiving, we're happy to share the foods we loved when we were wee. Some of us were innocent. Some of us were inventive. All of us were hungry.
1/9Toasty (and Toasted) at the Parade
"Growing up , my parents would take me to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade every year, which meant balloons, marching bands, and my dad's 'famous' hot chocolate, where famous is code for 'boozy.' We've started going to the parades again, mostly because of my niece, but also because it gives us an excuse to drink his rum-spiked cocoa. (We pack a non-alcoholic thermos for the three year-old.)" —Meryl Rothstein, Senior Associate Editor
2/9Bloody Marys and Sausage Fit for the Kids' Table
"I used to eat Slim Jims and V8. Or more specifically, Slim Jims dipped in V8. That was my absolute favorite combo as a kid—until I read the ingredients label on a Slim Jim." —Ashlea Halpern, Special Projects Editor
(c) 2009 Ben Garney3/9The Unrepentent Guzzler
"When I was a younger lad, my mother would buy apple cider by the half gallon around the fall and Thanksgiving season. I would seriously drink the entire half-gallon in one day and get yelled at. This ritual hasn't stopped. I still do it when I return for visits these days." —Brad Leone, Test Kitchen Assistant (Photo: Flickr/Ben Garney)
4/9The (Much-Ballyhooed) Hamburger Boat
"When my parents would go out for the night, my mom would take a box of Pepperidge Farm 'French Bread' baguettes from the freezer—they were about 12 inches long, meant to be baked in a oven. She would scoop out the top of one, fill it with a mixture of ground beef and onions, and top it with slices of American cheese. She baked them for about 30 minutes, till the bread was nicely browned and crusty, the meat a juicy medium/medium rare, and the American cheese a bubbly, gooey mess. Slice into inch-wide strips, serve with Heinz Ketchup. Best dinner ever."—Adam Rapoport, Editor in Chief (Photo: Amy Grannemann/ ____
5/9D.I.Y. Junk Food
"My mother never had 'junk' food in the house, because we were all always on a diet. But I ate a lot of condiments to make up for it—Hershey's syrup and white bread sandwiches! Or a scoop of Smucker's hot fudge from the jar…" —Allie Lewis Clapp, Food Editor (Photo: Flickr/Daniel Oines)
6/9Addicted to Rarebit
"When I was little, I was obsessed with making Welsh Rarebit. It's literally cheese mixed with yellow mustard (dijon was good), some milk, salt, pepper, and paprika. It's then topped on a slice of buttered bread and toasted until nice and melted." —Mimi Takano, Intern (Photo: Flickr/Jeremy Keith)
7/9A Sunday Treat: Chicken and Duck Feet
"When I was a child, I savored eating chicken and duck feet, one by one, straight from a takeout container for a Sunday afternoon snack. Every couple of weeks, our family's weekend ritual went like this: On Saturday night, we'd drive from north Jersey to Manhattan's Chinatown and meet up with my aunt, uncle, and cousins for dinner. After a huge meal that would invariably include a sizzling whole fish, a platterful of shell-on snails in black bean sauce (my fave!), and burbling duck blood (pass, thanks), we'd all split up. My dad would go to the Chinese bookstore, the kids would get on line at the Hong Kong Egg Cake Factory for more treats, and my mom and aunt would head to Kam Kuo on Mott Street for groceries. We'd all meet up again at Kam Kuo and say our good-byes. Then my family would keep shopping for the next day's supplies, stopping at the bakery for pineapple buns, the noodle shop for freshly made soup noodles, and a dim sum/diner spot, where we'd we get those tasty chicken and duck feet, among other assorted goodies, to go. Although we'd always celebrate Thanksgiving with a traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, etc., these weekend adventures in Chinatown are what come to mind when I think of my childhood and how we'd celebrate family and tradition." —Faye Chiu Mosley, Assistant Managing Editor (Photo: Flickr/avixyz)
Flickr, wsilver8/9Aged Small-Batch Cereal
"I used to make myself a bowl of cereal (specifically, Crispix or Life), let it sit while I went to ballet practice to achieve maximum sogginess, then come home and eat it. I basically made oatmeal out of regular cereal, so, kind of genius, right?" —Alison Roman, Senior Associate Food Editor (Photo: Flickr/wsilver)
9/9Fancy Feast
"This is what I'm made of: Fancy Baked Chicken. I think the recipe was from Southern Living way back when, but it's been modified over the years and I still ask for it for my birthday. Boneless-skinless chicken breasts are dipped in a mixture of margarine—I've tried to modify with real butter or olive oil and it just doesn't work; we prefer Earth Balance—grated Parm (I'm talking shakeable from Kraft), garlic powder (occasionally upgraded with a bit of dried thyme), salt, and pepper. Dip the chicken in there and put it in a backing dish. Top it with breadcrumbs (prepared generic brand) and then pour whatever's left of the cheesy margarine mixture over the top. Bake until golden brown and cooked through (but on the dryer side). Serve over white rice. Ideally, you cut everything up and mix it up so every bite gets chicken, rice and some sauciness from the dish. You might want extra cheese too (if you're my dad)." —Dawn Perry, Senior Food Editor ** (Photo: Flickr/David K)
