Grandma's recipe for 'poor man's meal' from the Great Depression is a true reflection of those times

The early to mid-20th century was a time of global turmoil, marked by wars and economic hardships. One of the most challenging periods for Americans was the Great Depression, which left many unemployed and hungry. However, some families managed to get by, finding ways to stretch their limited resources. Clara Cannucciari, born in Chicago in 1915, was a child during the Great Depression and later shared her survival wisdom through her YouTube channel, Great Depression Cooking with Clara. In 2007, at the age of 91, Cannucciari shared a "poor man's meal" recipe that quickly resonated with viewers.

With the help of her grandson, filmmaker Christopher Cannucciari, Clara shared her Great Depression-era recipes with the world. The goal was to show how one can survive challenging times with minimal resources. In her "Poor Man's Meal" video, Clara recalled her life as a teen during the Depression, when she had to drop out of school because her family couldn't afford basic necessities. "I had to quit high school because we couldn't afford socks, couldn't afford anything to wear," the grandma said. "But we survived," she added. Her quick and simple recipe required only potatoes, hotdogs and onions.

As she peeled the potatoes, Clara explained how potatoes and hotdogs were often all her family could afford. "My father used to buy a sack of potatoes and we ate potatoes every day- potatoes with pasta, potatoes fried and potatoes with eggs," she explained. It turns out that a whole sack of potatoes cost only a dollar during the Great Depression, but that was still expensive for them. Cannucciari highlighted that the family would even cook the bad potatoes by using only the good parts when dicing them into cubes. She then fried the potatoes and onions and added some chopped hotdog pieces to the pan. The grandma was so proud that her "poor man's meal" was a big hit among her grandson Mark's friends.  

While the sound of potatoes, onions and hotdogs sizzling on the pan tingles our tastebuds, Cannucciari takes a trip down memory lane. "The pressures were so bad," the grandma said. She recalled the time when a lady tried to swipe the vegetables from her garden. When Cannucciari stopped her, the lady nitpicked her for being "so touchy." Cannucciari added, "I am touchy. Yeah, I worked hard to have that garden. She just made herself at home." The grandma then finished her "poor man's meal" with two dollops of flavorsome sauce. As Cannucciari served it hot, her grandson and his friends devoured the tacky yet delicious meal. Sadly, the grandma passed away in 2013, but her legacy is still winning hearts online, per Facebook.

This 17-year-old video garnered over 5.8 million views and people were grateful for the life-saving meal recipe the grandma shared. "Today, I temporarily lost my job due to coronavirus and stumbled upon this video trying to find recipes to make that won't break the bank. You take so much for granted until your lifeline gets taken away from you," said @svenislegend. "She didn't even season a thing and yet, it appears that everyone loves it. I think not only do the ingredients speak for themselves, but the cook, with all her love, makes it taste even better," remarked @calgboi. "It's amazing how many dishes that come from poverty have so much soul and taste so incredible," added @thejulien911.