Interesting and Funny Recipies.....

Go to www.batemania.com. They have a section called Recipes Of The Damned. It's their writer's choice of some of the worst recipes from 20th century cookbooks. Their archives contain even more "food" for thought. More ways to use Spam and Jello than we ever thought possible. Really funny.

[This message has been edited by JeniDaChef (edited 02-01-2001).]

Jeni, you should start a thread in the Late Night Café. I'm sure we all have much to post in this one! Can't wait to read evryone's responses..

[Mezzaluna]

Oh, God! I was starting to see how people can get something edible with fruit (of sorts)and ham (of sorts), but when I saw "Miracle Whip", I lost it. I find that more disgusting than Spam by a mile! Thanks for the link- I'll enjoy revisiting it.

For a garnish, fill lemon cups with miricle whip, and top with paprika........................mmmmmm,mmm.

Have you ever seen "White Trash Cooking"? There is a recipe for Oleo sandwiches-Merita white bread (not even Wonder!!!) spread thickly with Squeeze Parkay!

[Mezzaluna]

Oh, yes! I have a copy. My favorites are "Tutti's Fruited Porkettes," "Single Boy's Breakfast" and "Grand Canyon Cake." What a howl! Full of ugly recipes, and very, very funny.

Hey, foodnfoto! Watch the cracks about Merita. It's just another brand of Wonder "bread" that is available in a lot of the South. Since neither brand has any flavor whatsoever, I guess they taste just alike.

I had forgotten about that old cookbook! Mezzaluna, some of the recipes may sound ugly but don't knock 'em 'til you've tried 'em. My taste is pretty citified but I remember eating some of that stuff when we visited the relatives in the country. Not bad.

[Mezzaluna]

No disrespect intended Margaret. Heck, I come from a culture whose idea of an afterschool snack used to be smearing a slice of rye bread with rendered chicken fat (schmaltz), then sprinkling it with chopped onion. I'm just delighted by the author's colorful descriptions and preparation notes!

Oh great link..
Thank you
Danielle

[Nick.Shu]

mezz, is that cooked onion or raw, either way, it (strangely enough) sounds quite appettising (no kidding).

[Mezzaluna]

It was raw, Nick.shu, but sometimes my grandmother would chop up some of the cracklings (gribenes) and put them on instead, rare treat. I once found schmaltz as part of a cold seafood plate in a Copenhagen restaurant, in lieu of butter. The taste took me straight to my girlhood kitchen. Yes, it's good! But to many people it's gross. From experience, I think it's common for poor people in cultures where calories are scarce and needed for hard work to eat fat. I was a guest in an Austrian farmhouse for several days in 1969. One of my hostess' brothers came in for lunch after a morning with the cows. His meal: dark bread and slabs of roasted fat, smeared with mustard. Real stick-to-your-ribs fare! My people used schmaltz in lieu of butter for two reasons: it's cheaper than butter, and there's a religious restriction from mixing dairy and meat. So you could use it as a fat when preparing meat-based meals. Sorry for the long answer, but there it is.

[shel]

Originally Posted by Mezzaluna

It was raw, Nick.shu, but sometimes my grandmother would chop up some of the cracklings (gribenes).

Wow! I stumbled across this thread while searching for some other recipes and tips. We used to eat them "cracklin's" whenever mom or grandma made chopped liver. Made with onions, nice and crispy - that was heaven. I could sure go for a plate of mom's best dish now .... <LOL>

Shel

[KYHeirloomer]

I've been trying to figure out how to spell that for years. So thank you, thank you, thank you.

And, for the record, I still make it. It's the cook's reward for fussing around with chickens.

[Mezzaluna]

You'll all be glad to know that some years ago here at Chef Talk we had a discussion about popsicles. Someone suggested either schmaltz or gribenes as a flavor.