As I was crumbling the potato chips for Uncle Jerry’s Crunchy Pork and Beans Sandwich, I could hear his voice in my mind, “Don’t be stingy with the chips!” (I wasn’t.)
Dawn Kessinger/The Lima News
Have you ever been enjoying one of your favorite foods and been surprised when someone sees you and exclaims, “Yuck! How can you eat that?”
I can’t remember when I first started eating frosted cake in a bowl drowned with milk. It’s the way I’ve always eaten it. It never occurred to me that it was a weird combination until I grew older and friends who saw me eat it expressed disgust.
“That comes from your grandpa,” my mom recently explained. “Grandpa used to have cake or apple pie in a bowl with milk over it for breakfast. With nine kids in his family, they ate what they had.”
Do any of your favorite foods come from a family tradition? How many odd or quirky recipes do you know about that your grandparents or great-grandparents either enjoyed or served in a valiant attempt to keep the family fed?
“Your uncle Jerry liked canned pork and bean sandwiches with potato chips on the beans. We also had peanut butter sandwiches with sliced sweet pickles on them. I actually really liked that,” Mom said.
“Great-Grandma had some weird combos, too: she used to give Jerry and me a big cup of coffee and we’d put cream in the coffee and float Ritz crackers in it. We’d sprinkle sugar on top of the crackers until they sank, then scoop it out with a spoon and eat it. I loved that but wonder if I would like it today?”
My uncle Jerry, my grandpa and great-grandma all died long ago. Reminiscing about the foods they liked — which may sound funny to me now but likely were normal snacks or meals for them then — makes me miss them. I wish they were still here to watch and maybe laugh at my reactions as I try some of the foods they liked best. I’d happily fix them a sandwich (or sugar-dumped cracker coffee) of their own and ask them to share more of their favorite meals with me.
I found that when I made Uncle Jerry’s Crunchy Pork and Beans Sandwich, in addition to sampling his rendition of it, I also wanted to add my own touches. I toasted the bread, and added a slice of cheese (Velveeta jalapeno). I heated the pork and beans because I wanted the cheese to melt (it did).
I used sour cream and onion chips. I wonder what kind of chips Jerry liked best on pork and beans? As I was crumbling the chips, I could hear his voice in my mind, “Don’t be stingy with the chips!” (I wasn’t.) I bet regardless of how he used to make those sandwiches, he’d also have liked my slightly altered creation.
I really didn’t expect to like it so much. I planned to eat a bite, set it aside and make Mom’s pickled peanut butter sandwich to sample next. But I couldn’t stop eating Uncle Jerry’s Crunchy (and now cheesy) Pork and Beans Sandwich. All I can say is, good taste obviously runs in my family.
Uncle Jerry’s Crunchy Pork and Beans Sandwich
Ingredients:
• 2 slices bread
• 1 can pork and beans
• Plenty of chips to crunch
Dawn’s additions:
• 1 slice cheese
Toast 2 slices of bread (not a “must,” but toast doesn’t get as soggy). Open the can of pork and beans, drain and pour it into a microwave-safe bowl (or plop it into a pan on the stove and heat on medium heat). Heat for 1 minute (directions on the can indicate a minute and a half — it depends how hot you like your beans). Add a slice of cheese to a piece of toast. Spoon some pork and beans on it. Crumble potato chips on the beans. Top with other piece of toast. Enjoy!
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