My head! (warning--rant on)

R

richard-in-cincy

Well-known member
I just love this new American past time of making up recipes, slapping a country adjective on them, and then pretending it's an "AUTHENTIC" recipe from that country.

Someone just showed me an "Oktoberfest Cookbook" and, specifically, wanted my opinion on the "German Chocolate Cake." The book was basically a Betty Crockeresque "Dumbed Down Impressions of German Shaped/Named Food."

I told them it had nothing to do with Germany and they were incredulous. "(But the recipe SAYS it's German!")

The recipe had coconut, pecans, and sauerkraut in the cake (Ach Ja! Sauerkraut ist German!).

The frosting, are you ready for this?, was melted chocolate with a cup of mayonaisse stirred in, then coconut and pecans.

Germans do eat chocolate and sauerkraut, so I guess it must have been authentic. (pardon the dripping sarcasm).

rant off.

 
(hit the wrong key) Crocker's Picture Cook Book 1956 (it says $3.75 on the inside)

I can't find the recipe now but the first cake I made had alternating scoops of choc. batter and orange flavored batter. I think the frosting was orange butter cream with chocolate drizzled down the sides. It was a big seller at the bake sales we used to have by the 4th floor elevator door in McWhirrs department store in Fall River.

 
Ah yes, source of my two first failures. Liver Loaf and Skillet meatloaf. Not Betty's fault by

any means! I made the meatloaf in an electric skillet, literally boiled it to death and the liver loaf I made with pork liver. It was incredibly strong tasting. It's a good thing my dh was in love and got a good meal on base every day.

 
Richard, its like everything that has pineapple in it is "Hawaiian". Umhm.

All decided by some marketing "genius" at Dole Pineapple in the 1950s. Authentic Hawaiian food does not have pineapple in it.

Nowadays anybody can call anything anything they want under the guise of "marketing".

 
LOL I feel the same way with ethnic foods or even 'new' versions of things

I ordered a Cubano sandwich when we were visiting my SIL and it had BBQ sauce on it - what? Oh and served on ciabatta.

Something else I ordered recently and it wasn't anything like what it said it was. If you want to call it a rose then it better be a freaking rose!

 
And how can most places make cream gravy so vile?

It simply requires BROWNING your flour in the fat (pan drippings or bacon or sausage grease) before adding the milk. It should not be sweet. It should not have chicken bouillon in it. It should not be translucent.

 
It's insidious isn't it?

Melissa, I'm with you on that gravy. It's from a mix and it is awful. I went to my dad's favorite restaurant and they had done that. My 80 year old dad threw his fork down and said "As god is my witness..." Actually not, he's not that vocal. But he did say, "we're not coming back here".

I was overjoyed since I hated this place. Meeting the family for dad's birthday tomorrow, I have to drive about 50 more miles, but I'm going to get real mashed potatoes, real pan-fried chicken, house-made yeast rolls, homemade desserts, etc. A REAL old-time country dive.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top