Its sort of a long story, but a good one.

I come from a rather odd family..  part of which is our Ukrainian/Polish heritage and my great-grandmother and grandfather, who spoke very little English and came to the US July 5, 1900.

Great-grandma taught my mom how to make a lot of old world foods not by measure, but by feel, look, smell, and the same tradition was handed down to me, and then to my kids, neices and nephews. None of these old recipes were written down, add to that all the newer recipes we called each other for constantly and you have the makings of one helluva family cookbook.

So.... I wrote 'em down, collected them, and typed em all out on a TYPEWRITER and made this as a Christmas gift for my family in 1994.... problem: what to call it.....

Every day we'd come home from school or play as typical kids do, yelling, "whats for dinner?" and Dad would always growl his reply the same:  Gomenko, you'll eat it and you'll love it"  which usually involved unidentifiable leftovers all dumped in one pot and served over toast!

What else could I possibly name this labor of love but GOMENKO??!  I was so proud to make copies for each family member, including both Grandma on Dad's side, and Irish Granny on Mom's, as their recipes were also an integral part of our very colourful albeit empoverished heritage. Potato  and cabbage recipes are standard fare  LOL.

So Mom and Dad took the cookbook to Grandma and Grandad, who took one look at it and LAUGHED AND LAUGHED AND LAUGHED. Remember: Greatgrandma and greatgrandpa spoke little Englsh and apparently G-grandpa was given to using some rather colourful terms- in Ukrainian- around his impressionable grandson.

It was THEN that our entire family learned that when my Dad was saying, "GOMENKO, you'll eat it and you'll love it", it actually meant, in Ukrainian slang (or so I am told) that GOMENKO was a slang word for SHIT.

Thus, our family cookbook is now a treasured keepsake and in very hot demand by the next generation.  Which brings me to my request:

The kids are grown now, moved out, and as teens find out, eating is expensive!  I would love to add a new chapter to our colourful family cookbook for the next generation, each having expressed LOUDLY that they MUST have a copy.  It is a prize to them they eager await its presentation at Christmas. Hannah has hers already; Sean, Harry, Lee, and Sandra do not hide behind hints.

I'd like to add a section on REALLY cheap eats for young adults, but I need more recipes.  If you have somehting that is almost embarrassing in cheapness but ooooh soooooo good, I would really love to have the recipe to add to GOMENKO, Volume II, The Next Generation.

Laugh, harumph, roll your eyes, or whatever, its a damn good story, and I'd love to add yours to ours.

Thanks
Jen

PS. If the recipe HAS a story, please add that too. And when the next print is done, I'll gladly send you a copy.

PPS... told ya Ray..  ya can't make this shit up!   ROFL

A super simple, and VERY easy to make recipe, that I got from my Mother, is beans and beef.

Just brown a pound or so of ground beef, and then add a can of baked beans.  Heat until beans are warm.

My wife and I tried for YEARS to enhance this meal, by adding spices and whatever.  It never tasted as good as the simple way.

And NO, it doesn't taste like gomenko!  It really is VERY tasty!



Modified to add:   OOOOPPPPPSSSSS!!!  Logged in under the wrong personality!  Me BAD!!!  Oh well, I will leave it this way ... and let ya wonder!  LOL!

NurseRatched wrote on Sep 16^th, 2008 at 7:11pm:

Oh well, I will leave it this way ... and let ya wonder!  LOL!

Hi Chuck!  :-*

Boy Scout Beans.

Not exactly cook book material.

wrote on Sep 17^th, 2008 at 5:16pm:

Hi Chuck!  :-*

You BITCH!!!


LOL

wrote on Sep 17^th, 2008 at 5:39pm:

Boy Scout Beans. Not exactly cook book material.

Hey, back off!!!   ;) ;D

What do you expect of an old queen?

She wanted simple ... I am about as simple as you can get!

Would you prefer I gave her instructions on how to heat up a TV dinner?  It is NOT as easy as it sounds!  First ya gotta dig it outta the freezer ... Then ya gots all them there buttons to push ... and then removing the film cover ... SHEESH!!! I am all tuckered out just THINKING about it!!!

LOL

My contribution is easy and cheap.
One package Macaroni and Cheese (Kraft or store brand, doesn't matter)
One can pizza sauce
One pound hamburger
garlic or garlic powder.

Brown the burger and boil the water to make the mac and cheese.  Set aside browned, drained burger.  Prepare mac and cheese according to package directions.  Add the browned burger, the pizza sauce, and garlic  (or garlic powder to taste) and mix well.  Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese over the top if the budget allows.

Fills you up and is surprisingly tasty.

My teenager's girlfriend's mother made this for him and we've taken to calling it Margo-Mac.

Thanks Chuck!

I'll definitely add that in...  give that recipe to the boy child and he'll have a blast seeing what variations HE can come up with :)

Its always the simple things we overlook- and generally turn out to be best ;)

Love ya,
Jen

Got a part can of baked beans in the fridge?  Break two eggs in on top and cook it up. By the time the beans have heated through the cackle-berries have poached to perfection and, if you lick the fork properly, there's no dishes to do afterwards.

To really show off your culinary skills, add a couple of drops of tabasco first

ClusterChuck wrote on Sep 17^th, 2008 at 5:47pm:

wrote on Sep 17th, 2008 at 5:16pm: Hi Chuck!  :-* You BITCH!!! LOL

Never take the ocupation of troll, Chuck.....Way to easy to spot!.....LOL  ;D

Everybody should have a version of this...cheap, tasty, and good after a night at the bars. :)

Pasta Carbonara

1/2 pound bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh spaghetti, cooked al dente
4 large eggs, beaten
Salt
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 6 minutes. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all of the oil except for 3 tablespoons. Add the garlic. Season with black pepper. Saute for 30 seconds. Add the crispy bacon and the pasta. Saute for 1 minute. Season the eggs with salt. Remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble. Add the cheese and re-season with salt and pepper. Mound into serving bowls and garnish with parsley.

ooooh I LOVE these!  Pat, yours sounds wonderful!

Brian, what a cool way to make eggs and high in protein!  A definite keeper.

KJ, ............you are gonna make that for me WHEN?????  ;)  

(seriously, wouldnt you add the eggs prior to the noodles? woud that be easier than trying to coddle/cook after the noodles?)

No, silly, that's the whole secret.....the pasta cooks the eggs, the eggs coat the pasta....yummy. :)

I am sure that this is NOT cookbook material but,, here goes, (bare with me), as a kid, my dad would cook one meal a year for us, that was the one night a year mom had "card club". he would fry some bacon, and leave the grease in the skillet, then we would add corn-meal to the grease and stir it up till it made like a dough. take it out and let cool a few minutes , then we would roll that "dough " into like a snake and roll it around a long fork, then cook it over the flame on the stove. Smear on some butter or jelly,, Man that was good!!! Of course dad ate the bacon. He called this "sleush". As adults he told us its what soldiers in the trenches would eat it cause its all they had and was C H E A P !!!!!!  We laugh about it today, but gosh was that stuff good.  Tuck

tuck wrote on Sep 17^th, 2008 at 8:51pm:

He called this "sleush".

Thats called a walking heart attack these days, I call it Gods gift to man!  [smiley=headbanger.gif]

jonny, I have a little motto when it comes to food,,,,"fry it or fuck it".   hell we all gotta die some time man.         Tuck  

i was down in talladega alabama last week waiting to get unloaded and i parked in a walmart and started walking around looking for a place to eat. i found this mom an pop chicken place with a small sign and a full parking lot. when i walked in i was the only white in the place. i looked at the menu and everything was fried. fried tomatoes, fried squash, fried mushrooms, fried chicken, you name it they had it fried. i ordered a leg and a thigh and some squash. the big lady behind the counter picked up a conversation with me. were ya from..... what brings you down this way..... that kinda stuff. then the conversation turned to food. halfway through my meal she started to bring me samples. by the time i got ready to leave i was friends with everybody there and i left with 2 containers full of food. i ate for 2 days off of that visit and i only spent like $6.00.  i love the south

Never let it be said that I don't contribute. Here ya go Jen:

Ya axed fir it:

Meatloaf of course: START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGESTART PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

Chisel out enough room in the microwave for your thawed beefalo; the stuff in back of the freezer, not the package from 1998, leave in plastic tray. Mix with Hamburger Helper, onion sticks, and Ketchup enhanced green tomato paste. Toss in some fake salt and Bacon Bits if you wanna go nuts.

Pound on the microwave key pad to set the timer and run for cover.

Head for the couch, pop in one of your Celebrity Poker videos and relax. When the smoke alarm goes off, it's done.

After you've satisfied your neighbors and the fire trucks have gone, take out the meatloaf. I usually find that it's a bit easier to separate the melted plastic from the meatloaf if you run it under cold water.

Poke around in the cupboard for an unprententious wine cooler, grab your Ron Popiel's electric knife, and off you go. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGESTART PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

Serves one...only once, so far.

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Cheap and easy?  Try this:

Boil a half-pound of macaroni until done, drain, melt a couple pats of butter in a frying pan, pour the macaroni into the pan, crack a half-dozen eggs into the macaroni, and stir the whole thing until the eggs are scrambled.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Costs a couple of bucks.

Sounds a little weird, but it's tasty and nutritious.  

I practically lived on macaroni and eggs when I was in college.  Beat the heck out of ramen noodles.

Best,

George

Into a frying pan over medium heat put equal parts BBQ sauce and coca cola, some rough-chopped onion and garlic paste. Add any amount of raw chicken pieces / pork chops / beef spare-ribs and stir occasionally over the next 2 - 10 beers.  

Better than you'll buy in the shop.

My Mom called this  BPD  Casserole, (before payday casserole).

1 lb ground beef
1 large can stewed tomatoes - reserve liquid
1 can whole kernel corn - drained
1 (or 2) large onions - sliced
2 to 4 large potatoes - sliced (I leave the skin on)
salt
pepper
garlic powder - or minced garlic (if using minced, brown it with the beef)

Brown ground beef in skillet - pour off grease

Spray a 2 qt casserole dish with cooking spray (Mom used Crisco - no
   such thing as spray)

LAYER:                      1/2 ground beef
           1/2 corn
           1/2 tomato
                               1/2 onion
           1/2 potato

Season lightly with salt, pepper, garlic

REPEAT LAYERS, ending with potatoes on top.

Pour remaining tomato liquid over all cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Served 4

If you have a little extra money at the end of the month, add layers of grated sharp cheddar cheese - ending with cheese on top.

This was our comfort food!

Sandy

Edited: because I forgot to layer the onions

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  Ham and Muthas. MMMMMMMMMMMMM Good.

       Potter

Here's two:

Sloppy Echo's

Brown 1 LB Hamburger and drain
mix in 3 Tsp  brown sugar
1/4 C Ketsup
1/2 tsp lime juice

simmer for 10 min.

add additional Ketsup if a little dry.


#2 - Echo's thirst quencher.
8 Oz glass filled with ice
add water

serve

(goes really well with whiskey and Hydrocodone)

Easy Beef Enchiladas

1lb lean ground beef
2 cans (10oz each) enchilada sauce (I use the hot variety)
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese
1 package (10.5 oz) flour tortillas

1. Heat oven to 375. Lightly grease 13x9 in. glass baking dish. In 10 in. skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in 3/4 c. of the enchilada sauce and 1 c. of the cheese.

2. Spoon enchilada filling onto tortillas; roll up and place seam sides down in baking dish.

3. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. cheese. Bake 12 to 20 min. or until hot.

I like to top mine then with some sour cream, green chile's and black olives.

:)

Other cheap dinners I love are Veggie Pizza, Chili, Chicken Parmigiana and any meat I can toss into the crockpot along with veggies and different cans of soup and seasonings.

I love this thread.  I'm printing it out so I can save money on meals to put towards my gas/electric bill each month!

I especially love that BPD casserole.  The weather is cooling and it's getting closer to casserole season!

I like the BPD casserole recipe too. And the beer/meat/cola/bbq.

And Mel, you have to understand... I now have to try those enchiladas... you know.... just to make sure... ummmm... see if its cost effective.... no wait.... ummm, easy to make...yeah! thats it!  ;)
(sounds too yummy not to try out immediately!)

They're all great!

A somewhat exotic but still a very simple dish! I call it just simply Tonkatsu rice, or "Super Yummy Happy Rice!" :)

Ingredients:

- Japanese tonkatsu sauce, Bulldog brand
- rice

1) Boil rice
2) Put the rice in a cup
3) Pour some tonkatsu sauce on top of it, like ketchup
4) eat!

And don't be afraid to try it because it's vegetable and fruit sauce. Meat-eaters usually love it, e.g. my previous bf. I'm not a meat-eater myself, but I've been living on this for weeks sometimes :P

- Rosa

heres an old one my grandmother used to make, called, '' pork a top a taties ''. potatos and sliced onions mixed with salt and pepper packed in to a deep oven dish, half fill the dish with stock and top to three quarters with milk, lay 1'' strips of belly pork on top. make a lid of some tin foil and pop it in the oven on a low heat. about four hours later take the lid off and turn up the heat, for 20mins, ish, untill brown. tasty. andrew.

I am not sure that this one belongs in the edition you are compiling, but maybe a CAMP FIRE section can be added:

Take a full Cantaloupe and the fixing for meatloaf on the camping trip.  When ready, slice the Cantaloupe in half, and dig out, and eat the meat of the Cantaloupe.  In the shell, put the meatloaf fixings into it (ground beef, onions, breadcrumbs, catsup, garlic, etc), wrap in foil, and then place in the fire's coals for one hour.

It tastes fantastic, and no pans to clean up!  You also get the benefit of eating the Cantaloupe!

Chuck

Cantaloaf!

The cheapest and ugliest piece of steak can be turned into something quite special by starting it to cook as you ordinarily would, then coating it with pepper.  Flip it over and absolutely smother the top with your favourite sharp or strong cheese, cover and turn the heat right down.

The pepper cooks upwards, the cheese glazes and melts downwards, and it's exactly what I'm cooking for dinner this evening.