New England Cooking Memories from my Grandma Nelson

Musing on Mother’s Day had me thinking of my mom, whom I miss so much, and my grandmother. I adored my grandmother. We visited my grandparents every summer in Portland, Maine. Looking back I realize my parents must have wanted to go elsewhere sometimes but I thought I was incredibly lucky. I loved it there so much. My grandma was inherently cool as some people just are. French Canadian, her maiden name was Plouffe. ❤️ We would try to get her to show us the Charleston which she would do reluctantly after much begging. We’d get my grandpa to tell us tales of parties and bathtub gin. She was reserved and quite dry but very funny and incredibly smart. I can almost smell her in my memories. When my mother and I cleared out their house I took one of her aprons. For years and years it smelled like her. I have it still but I can’t smell her any longer.

My beautiful grandparents in front of their house on Congress Street in Portland. Later it was moved to the Stroudwater when they built the Shaw’s, etc and they moved to Dirigo Street. Debbie and Judi in matching dresses my mother made.

When I think of our vacations in Maine and my grandmother’s cooking, these are some of the things that come to mind. Meat pie only came around at Christmas but she did once have it for us on the day we arrived for our summer visit complete with Christmas tablecloth. She told us it was Christmas in July. As I said, she was just damned cool.

Pan fried Scrod

This was always one of our favorites. My grandmother would shake her head when we said we wanted scrod instead of any other fish. Scrod isn’t a particular kind of fish but a young whitefish (haddock or cod for example). I think she was sometimes embarrassed at the Shaw’s fish counter that she wasn’t buying more expensive fish for her granddaughters from Illinois. I mostly remember it floured and sauteed in a square electric skillet. I don’t think there was anything other than flour, salt and pepper. Oh, although she was a big believer in a sprinkle of paprika. Hmmm, did she do an egg wash? I don’t think so. I must ask my sister Debbie if she remembers.

Doughnuts

This was a HUGE deal! We thought it was incredibly exotic that our grandma made her own doughnuts. Once every summer when we would visit she would made them from her Joy of Cooking cookbook (life regret: my mother and I didn’t take her copy of Joy of Cooking with her notes in it when we cleared out their house). She would fry the doughnut holes too (which was unheard of at the time). They always had a silverplate open sugar bowl on their dining room table and we would gleefully dip the warm doughnuts in it. The only time I’ve had a doughnut almost as good was at the Donut Dip.

Scalloped Potatoes

I have tried and tried to recreate my grandmother’s scalloped potatoes. I swear it was just layers of sliced potatoes with sprinkles of salt, pepper and flour on them, then doused in milk and baked. She didn’t use any recipe of course. I can just see her at her stove sprinkling flour on the potatoes. I swear I’ll figure it out someday. I’ve looked and looked but most scalloped potato recipes are far too rich and creamy compared to what I remember.

Boston Cream Pie

We always visited in the summer and as a July birthday girl we sometimes celebrated in Maine. I always asked for Boston Cream Pie. It’s not pie, it’s cake. Two slices of yellow cake with custard in between them and a thin coating of chocolate just on the top. I loved it. I don’t think I’ve had it since then.

Strawberries and Cream

Sometimes for dessert we would have cut strawberries with a bit of cream in some little Sandwich pattern glass bowls that I adored.

Brown bread, Bacon and Eggs

My grandpa cooked dinner on Saturdays and it was always the same thing. Scrambled eggs and bacon and baked beans…and he fried the sliced brown bread (from a can) in the bacon drippings. Oh man that was good.

New England Hot Dog Buns

I was always excited when we got to have hot dogs for lunch because NEW ENGLAND HOT DOG BUNS ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD. They’re sliced on the top and the sides are cut so you brown them in a bit of butter until they’re toasty before adding the hot dogs. Heaven.

Lobster and Steamers

Once each visit we would have lobster. We’d go to the lobster pound with my grandma. She picked out the lobsters and of course clams as well. She cooked the lobsters and would then let them cool. She’d put her iron on top of the pot so they couldn’t kick off the lid. I remember my grandpa doing the rest, cutting the cavity open and stuffing it with a mix of cracker crumbs, butter, some tomalley from the lobster, and roe if we had any girl lobsters, before broiling it. The stuffing was salty and crunchy and tasted of the ocean. I remember potato chips and coleslaw on the side. Oh, and we had steamers beforehand. I loved, loved, loved them and still do. I wouldn’t eat lobster until I was older but reportedly, even in my high chair I would devour clams dunked in clam broth and then butter. Seems slightly odd if you ask me but, again…there you go.

I have other memories of food, not that my grandma necessarily cooked but that I remember from my visits to Maine, but I’ll save those for another time. Right now I want to know what dishes you remember your grandmother making, and whether you still make any of them yourself.

Onward.

Love,
Cynthia