Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Cracker Spread of my People

Here is my mother's recipe for something I remember from my childhood -- and both my parents from their childhoods, too -- a green-bean-and-egg spread which is the meatless equivalent of chopped liver. This has a very soft, mellow flavor, and I think it goes well with wine. At any rate, I remember having it with wine and liking them both.

And, most importantly, it contains detailed directions on how to boil an egg.

My mother calls the recipe "Green bean and egg salad for a party". It calls for three pounds of green beans and a dozen eggs. She must mean the Donner Party.

(Sorry, Rich.)

Mams, would you object to my recommending this on a "retro" sort of cracker? Is it possible I remember it so far back that it was on a Ritz? What do you think?

4 Comments:

At 1:44 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You probably did have it on Ritz crackers. If you read the ingredients and nutrition labeling and still want Ritz crackers, go for it! If you serve it with Ritz crackers, might as well use them for the cracker ingredient as well.

I originally typed up the recipe for the dish's fans at a baby shower at the United States Coast Guard Research and Development Center, about 30-40 people. Its biggest fan there made it for a reunion of a Catholic family of 350 people. In both cases the group was large and had few or no attendees with childhood memories of milchedig chopped liver. ;-) I have also made it for a potluck for Congregation Beth El and was asked for the recipe, so it has passed the ethnic test.

 
At 2:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

As an ethinic aside, let me tell you about "Nyfat." If chopped liver was made with rendered chicken fat, what would one use for a meatless dish? Nyfat was a thickened vegetable oil in a jar that looked just like rendered chicken fat. Your paternal grandmother would have used it but your maternal grandmother and mother would have used mayonaise.

I have rendered chicken fat and served it to you (I apologize) but I have never used Nyfat. Next time I am in Crown's Market in West Hartford, I will look for Nyfat and report back. If you ask nicely, I can type up directions for rendering chicken fat. ;-)

 
At 11:58 PM, Blogger nightquill said...

If they thicken the Nyfat by partially hydrogenating it, we'd be better off with real schmaltz.

I personally have no intention of rendering chicken fat, but feel free to enlighten the masses.

 
At 1:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

i don't think 3 pounds of greenbean and a dozen eggs sounds like THAT much food....everyone you know is a big eater.

 

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