What foods from the past are you happy to see gone?

The Kopps' sister-in-law Bessie brings over a picnic near the end of the book that includes, among other delicacies, aspic. Have you ever tried aspic? Would you? What other foods from the past are you happy to see gone?

Jello salad...if it is really gone...

God, I hate aspic! I'm not sure what other foods of the past are gone--I'll wait to see what others come up with--lol I was never fond of dumplings. Does anyone still float dumplings on soups? I used to love tongue sandwiches but I don't see tongue available in the meat dept anymore.

For my part, I will never again eat sauerkraut, oyster stew or creamed vegetables.

Tongue sandwiches, aspic, ginger beer, sour beef and dumplings.

I love sauerkraut and oyster stew but I'm with joyces--no, to creamed vegetables and actually, don't like creamed soups, either. Never had sour beef or ginger beer--first sounds awful, second sounds interesting--is it like ginger ale, which I really like?

When I read about Bessie bringing over a picnic (including aspic), it brought back memories. My mother was raised as part of a large farm family and would make aspic occasionally when I was little. It was one of the few things I refused to eat. Other foods that I left back with my childhood include tongue and heart sandwiches, also homemade sauerkraut.

I remember my grandmother's earth cellar in which she made sauerkraut in big oak barrels - it marinated for a long and I loved it. Now recommended as a great probiotic. We still make a version of her recipe (without the barrel). Aspic and tongue are not missed.

Liver! Ugh. My piano teacher reeked of liver and onions, every week! My mom said it was because she took a 'nip' between students.

tilleh--just bought a bottle of ginger beer to check it out. I hated liver and onions as a kid but now like it, especially if you add some bacon.

I agree with everyone about the aspic. I have never had tongue or sour beef, but they do not sound good

Not a food but homecooking and food prep have a long way. I have a cookbook that belonged to my grandmother and several recipes begin with skinning and dressing the animal. I may be a wuss (I am a wuss) but I really like having my chicken come pre-plucked and gutted.

I agree with everyone about the aspic - I ate it once and almost gagged. Liver and onions - ugh. My parents enjoyed it, but not us kids. Never had tongue, but my parents (German/Austrian descent) often had pickled pigs' feet in the refrigerator, and also limburger cheese. Aack.

Pickled anything! Our house smelled "pickly" for weeks every fall.
Donnac: Absolutely. I'd eat lots of that if I didn't have to do the "from scratch" preparation!!!!!

Scrapple, head cheese, just a couple off the top of my head. I have had aspic and it was not too awful, although trotting it out for a picnic seems sort of cumbersome, especially on a warm day, wouldn't the darn thing melt into mush in that sort of setting?

Aspic sounds awful! I've never had it. My mom hated liver & onions & was forced to eat it as a kid, so she NEVER cooked it. I was fascinated by the food descriptions in this book, though :)

And I found it interesting that the mother didn't like turkey but liked other kinds of poultry for Thanksgiving... though I would imagine that turkey would have been wild and much more gamey-tasting in those days!

Many people do not like liver and onions. I love a good plate of that dish especially if the liver is calf's liver and bacon is involved. The same goes for sauerkraut--I have a recipe that includes sausages, apples, and bacon that is to die for. Which brings me to this point: we now know so much more about what is good and what is bad for us to ingest. There is a big difference between then and now.

I"m not sure I'm happy to see any particular food gone. There is always someone out there that likes it and views it as a special part of their past. I'm sad that people are so far removed from the rural community and the actual production of our food that they don't know the real care that goes into it by the producer. People used to eat "real" food and now eat processed nothingness.

Nae mentioned scrapple, I had forgotten that nasty stuff! Most of the other things like aspic and sour beef I have never had but they don't sound appealing. I wish soda bread would disappear.

I agree with not liking tongue and aspic. Loved liver and onions and often ate in a favorite restaurant. Lots of the good I eat and like depends on where I am living and who did the cooking.