By Carolyn Hollis
What if you had no family food heritage?
You had nothing specific, or certain, just a few casseroles, desserts, and imitations from recipes already known. What if your family never stayed in one state to call it, “southern style,” or “western crop?” Instead, you gathered recipes here and there, created your own dishes based on available ingredients, and never wrote the recipes down. This style of cooking is known as “The Military Diet.”
On June 18, 1933, Bill Carver enlisted in the Army. Carver was married to Barbara Carver and they had two children shortly after marriage. During Carver’s military career he was stationed in Germany, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, and Kansas. The military influenced the Carver’s dieting habits because where they were stationed determined the food available and styles of cuisine.
Not only did the various locations establish an assortment of recipes, but Barbara Carver learned that having meals prepared in the freezer for surprise guests was essential as an army wife. Therefore, numerous casserole recipes overflow Mrs. Carver’s cook book. One of the family’s favorite casseroles is “Broccoli Chicken,” which consists of four basic ingredients: chicken, cream of mushroom soup, rice, and broccoli.
Broccoli Chicken
3 cups cooked rice
1 12 ounce bag frozen broccoli
2 10¾ ounce cans cream of mushroom soup
3 pounds cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Dice chicken in one inch cubes.
In an 8×8 casserole dish, spread out half of the cooked rice on the bottom, then 1 can of cream of mushroom, next spread the other half of rice, then diced chicken, broccoli, and the last can of cream of mushroom.
Once all the ingredients are placed in casserole dish, place in oven and cook for 45 minutes.
This recipe has been passed on to several generations. All three generations of women before me have been military spouses and have learned the essential part of learning to cook fast, quick, and in large amounts when hosting guests at the last minute. With the “Broccoli Chicken” casserole only requiring four ingredients, it is satisfying yet doesn’t break the bank.
Being raised in a military family I have learned that being actively involved in the military changes your life by uprooting you from friends, family, careers, and of course, food. Every small town, large city, and various states have certain dishes they are famous for.
One of the various states my father, Tom Hollis, was stationed was Hawaii in 1999-2003. One of the dishes/celebrations my family adopted from the Hawaiian traditions was Luau. A luau is a party, but not just any type of party, it is one in which a pig is cooked in an underground oven called an imu. First, a hole that is seven by five in width, and three feet deep is dug. Next, crumbled newspaper is placed at the bottom of the imu; then a two foot long pipe is positioned in the middle of the imu standing up, while firewood is built around the pipe. After this, large lava rocks are placed on top of the firewood and banana leaves on top of that, the imu is ready! Finally the pig is wrapped in chicken wire and placed in the imu, covered with a canvas tarp and dirt. However, a Luau is hard work and very time consuming, the pig itself takes eight hours to cook!
Learning new recipes and trying foreign cooking techniques is valued by the Hollis and Carver families. Different food styles can broaden your taste buds, and teach you new ways to use spices. However, not all should be as time consuming as the Luau. One of the select few Carver/Hollis family recipes that has been passed on from generation to generation is the “Best Ever Sweet Potatoes.”
Best Ever Sweet Potatoes
3 cups mashed yams
½ cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
¾ cup melted butter, divided
¼ cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packaged brown sugar
¼ cup chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine yams, sugar, eggs, ¼ cup butter, milk, and vanilla. Beat well.
Spread mixture in 8×8 casserole dish.
Combine ½ cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and nuts. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.
Bake 35-40 minutes.
Makes 4-5 servings.
This recipe has become family tradition during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. If there is one recipe that defines my family food heritage, one recipe that can speak for my family, it is the “Best Ever Sweet Potatoes.” Without this dish, our holiday meals would feel incomplete and unfulfilling, because they have become one of the select few heritage food items we tradition. The military has adapted my family to eat convenient meals, and disregard creating our own new recipes, which shortens my family’s food heritage. However, the reward of experiencing various cultures and diverse individuals is worth every lost or unmade recipe.
