Lobstah
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2011
- Messages
- 242
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- T/T Whistful
- Vessel Make
- Boat US 12' Inflatable
With holidays fast approaching, our interests start to shift a bit more towards entertaining, and specifically FOOD.
I have several memories from my early childhood which were all centered around fall/holiday celebrations.
I grew up in rural central Maine. Every fall, my dad would bring home a deer, as did most men in the area. One of the things that was made from venison, along with a freezer full of meat, was Mincemeat. As far as I knew, mincemeat was always made from deer meat, specifically the neck (waste not, want not, and all). It was one of the few "school nights" we were allowed to stay up past bedtime, until the mincemeat was done. My mother would can it, and the pantry had a variety of pint and quart jars of mincemeat with a parafin seal on top.
My parents passed away when I was fairly young, and with them, the traditions around a mincemeat pie at Thanksgiving, which was by far my absolute favorite. Several years later, living in Connecticut, I was invited to a friend's house for Thanksgiving, and spent most of the meal salivating for a piece of mincemeat pie, which I was assured was on the menu.
I was served a piece of pie which bore absolutely NO resemblance to the pie of my memories, and was somewhat embarrassed to learn that mincemeat was commonly purchased in the grocery store, and was really just a jar with a mixture of apples, raisins, and some other substances.
Needless to say, the pie was awful, and made more so by my feeling that I had to finish the whole BIG slice after being so excited about it.
For those adventurous cooks out there, here's a recipe from Patten, Maine:
http://www.food.com/recipe/venison-mincemeat-42874
I haven't gone near a mincemeat pie since, but would love to travel back up to rural Maine some fall just to search for a slice.
We also always had boiled onions with butter, cream, salt, and pepper. For those familiar with Maine culinary skills, that four-some will be familiar, it's what EVERY vegetable was served in
So these days, that's my "must have" with the turkey feast.
What are yours?
I have several memories from my early childhood which were all centered around fall/holiday celebrations.
I grew up in rural central Maine. Every fall, my dad would bring home a deer, as did most men in the area. One of the things that was made from venison, along with a freezer full of meat, was Mincemeat. As far as I knew, mincemeat was always made from deer meat, specifically the neck (waste not, want not, and all). It was one of the few "school nights" we were allowed to stay up past bedtime, until the mincemeat was done. My mother would can it, and the pantry had a variety of pint and quart jars of mincemeat with a parafin seal on top.
My parents passed away when I was fairly young, and with them, the traditions around a mincemeat pie at Thanksgiving, which was by far my absolute favorite. Several years later, living in Connecticut, I was invited to a friend's house for Thanksgiving, and spent most of the meal salivating for a piece of mincemeat pie, which I was assured was on the menu.
I was served a piece of pie which bore absolutely NO resemblance to the pie of my memories, and was somewhat embarrassed to learn that mincemeat was commonly purchased in the grocery store, and was really just a jar with a mixture of apples, raisins, and some other substances.
Needless to say, the pie was awful, and made more so by my feeling that I had to finish the whole BIG slice after being so excited about it.
For those adventurous cooks out there, here's a recipe from Patten, Maine:
http://www.food.com/recipe/venison-mincemeat-42874
I haven't gone near a mincemeat pie since, but would love to travel back up to rural Maine some fall just to search for a slice.
We also always had boiled onions with butter, cream, salt, and pepper. For those familiar with Maine culinary skills, that four-some will be familiar, it's what EVERY vegetable was served in
So these days, that's my "must have" with the turkey feast.
What are yours?
Last edited:
