Ethnic Food

The other night we went to eat at "Copeland's of New Orleans" in Tulsa. It was the fourth time to eat there, but it reminded me how much times have changed. We ordered alligator bites and broccoli balls as appetizers. For my meal I had Shrimp Ducky. This is a dish of small strips of duck with shrimp prepared in a mushroom and burgundy sauce on top of linguine. I would not have touched anything remotely like this a few years ago. This meal was delicious! wow!

When I was growing up in the 1950's, the closest thing to ethnic food was tamales from a can. We had a very set diet that included such things as fried potatoes, jacket potatoes,mashed potatoes, gravy, all sorts of spinach, turnip greens, cooked cabbage, kraut (ethnic) and wieners, okra, liver and onions, fried chicken, ham, etc. Fast food did not come to Oklahoma until 1962 (I was there).

At school they made what they claimed was pizza by my senior year (but you couldn't prove by me!). Garrison Keillor in his Lake Wobegon Days stories says that as a kid, we thought that every one in America was eating the same things on the same nights. I understand. Sunday Lunch was either pot roast or fried chicken (Sunday nights as the leftovers made as sandwiches). We ate hamburgers once a week either Friday night or Saturday Night. It was at these meals we had a bottle of Pepsi (10 ounce). We always had tea and kool-aid and milk. A weeknight meal may be something like Fried potatoes, cabbage, cornbread, fresh vegetables and pork steak (thin pork steak). We ate good.

I did not eat pizza until 1962 when Pizza places opened in Muskogee and Tulsa. (Shakey's and Ken's). McDonald's came to Tulsa about then but Muskogee got a Sandy's Hamburgers (Later it became Hardee's.) Other ethnic foods Chinese, Mexican, German, etc. came much later.

It has taken me years to like the various types of food but like them I do. Mexican is a staple. I crave good German food and can't find it. Currently my new favorite is the Mediterranean Grille at Woodland Hills. Last year I went Brazilian-love it and I am now willing to try new stuff anytime (within reason: I prefer seafood to be cooked).

I love this change in my life. It has been several years since we ended a meal by taking the remaining cornbread and putting it in a glass of milk with light salt and eating it with a spoon.

Now that is ethnic!