Bratwurst and Mashed Potatoes

I draw a lot of influence from my mother's cooking, and I don't think anyone is surprised by that. Who doesn't, for better or worse, learn from their family? Sometimes that means never learning to cook at all, but in my family, it means inheriting a whole lot of crazy.

One night it's oden or our family's unique version of Japanese curry, another night it might be pickled beet eggs and braunschweiger sandwiches. Sometimes it's both German American and Japanese American in the same meal. My family really owns its mixed roots, no more so than in its cooking.

This one is decidedly from the German American roots, and also born from my mother's busy work life. This was always a quick meal she could make at home for a fast weekday meal. She would prepare this in a snap on the electric griddle, served with a mountain of sauerkraut and some other veggies.

I make this one even faster by relying on ready-made mashed potatoes from the refrigerated section of the grocery store, as well borrowing my mother's tradition of buying sauerkraut in giant bags or hulking jars.

Recently I secured a promotion at work, and I've been just totally stressed out now that I'm in a management position. Coupled with a commute, I've been turning to a lot of my mother's go-to quick dinner ideas that I had as a kid.

Turkey and Hominy Soup

This recipe is legend among our family and family friends. Every fall and winter, my mother makes several giant batches to dole out with crusty bread on cold nights. My mother refers to it simply as "Turkey Soup," but in reality it is so stuffed with ingredients it's hardly a soup anymore. The way my mother cooks is to generally clear out her fridge, chucking things in until she thinks it "smells right" so this isn't exactly a recipe that was easy to write down, but it is certainly one that it is tailor-made for alterations.


Don't like hominy? Well I think you're nuts, but feel free to replace them with some kidney beans, or whatever strikes your fancy (or you have in your cupboard).

I happen to love hominy in a big way, it's always been my favorite part of this soup. For those of you not familiar with hominy, it is corn that has been treated with lye making it puffy and delicious in a process called nixtamalization. It is the precursor to masa, the ground corn dough that makes up tortillas, tamales, and papusas. The name "hominy" comes from the Powhatan tribe of American Indians, and many traditional American Indian diets included hominy.

Look how big that can is! IPhone for size comparison.

This recipe is very typical of my mother's cooking, almost spartan in its preparation. No added salt, no added fats, no giant mess of spices. While the stock is made in a French manner, with the classic mirepoux of celery, onion, and carrots, one could see a lot of Japanese American influences even in her Western-style cooking. The mottainai "waste-nothing" attitude behind using the leftover turkey bones to make her own stock and clearing out the cupboards and fridge for a soup that is always changing depending not only on the season but the very day she cooks it, for example.

Braunschweiger Sandwich

Certainly I love Japanese American food. Most of my blog is a testament to that. It is a food that ties me to my mother's side of the family, that never fails to bring me comfort, from the simple crunch of my favorite tsukemono to the gentle puff of the rice cooker it is warm and familiar.

But my mother's side is also German American, through my grandfather's family. Through this, I grew up loving the cuisine, although a lot of it I didn't even realize was German American, like potatoes pan-fried with onions. At dinner, we would be served an ungodly amount of sauerkraut with bratwurst, my mother boasting about its health benefits and vitamin C content. Even her favorite cookbook is largely German American, The Joy of Cooking. And I've already blogged about Pennsylvania Dutch pickled beet eggs, where German Americans added beets to pickled eggs for glorious pink color and flavor.

I even look more German American than anything and inherited his family's light coloring, compared to the Japanese and American Indian that allows my brother to tan. I would look more the part in a dirndl than a kimono.