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Mormon Cuisine — No Comments

  1. My mom makes jello the way you describe. It\’s something that became common in the \’50s, I think, and while I thought it was only popular with certain age groups, it looks like I was wrong. She grew up in Oregon, so maybe it\’s something common to particular areas of the country.

  2. I didn\’t those dishes were \”Mormon cuisine\”. I\’ve heard of and eaten the green jelly dish (though like you, never really cared for it) and the 7-layer bean dip. That\’s good! I haven\’t eaten Shepherd\’s Pie, but I\’ve heard of it.

    I\’ve never heard of Funeral Potatoes. But I\’ll have to make it–sounds good!

  3. Funeral potatoes…Yikes!!! We don\’t have those her in Oz, we do have Jello, all colors and flavors and we call it jelly. My favorite brand is Aeroplane Jelly. We do have Shepherd\’s Pie made almost like your one. I love this idea of sharing our food styles, good fun. 🙂

  4. Wow, E! What a fun idea. And in answer to your question, no, we didn\’t eat any of these growing up. The first time I encountered the potato dish you mentioned, it was made for me by a friend from Indiana who has since passed on – so I\’m pleased to have the recipe to make in her honor! I\’ve had 7-Layer Dip before, but that\’s from the Mexican influence in California, where I\’m from.

    In relation to \”Mormon Cuisine,\” I actually have a cookbook by that name that I bought when I was in Las Vegas, traveling to Chicago by car. I don\’t recall if I bought it in Nevada or in Salt Lake City, but the title struck my eye and I had to have it. The idea that the Mormon people would have a discreet body of foods they prepare traditionally intrigued me.

    Thank you so much for sharing! I love seeing other ideas for foods from friends, it makes my time in the kitchen more fun.

  5. I LOOOOOOOVE 7-Layer Bean Dip!!!

    The Mormon part of my family always makes that, and grandma\’s taco soup! Mmmmm mmmm mmm!

    (I didn\’t think of them as Mormon cuisine, but I suppose anything meant to feed a whole lot of people qualifies. *lol*

    We also make home-made ice cream floats with homemade root beer (using dry ice) and ice cream (the kids get to kick it around a field in coffee cans for a while). Not sure if that\’s a Mormon thing, or just my family.

    Now I\’m hungry . . . =D

  6. Shepherd's pie, yes, but not quite the same. We tend to use frozen vegetables rather than canned, or fresh ones.

    Here, one fries an onion and some minced beef (hamburger), then adds frozen peas and diced fresh or frozen carrot, possibly some green beans and some herbs (parsley, thyme, etc).

    While the beef is frying, one peels and boils potatoes, then mashes them.

    The final dish is put together and baked similarly to yours, but there is no cheese. A little dash of paprika on top is nice, but not standard.

    One may also thicken the meat slightly with a little flour.

    I'm in New Zealand.