SC - Re: Goulash

[JEANNE STAPLETON]

> I think that goulash is an unexpected or unidentifiable (in the
> case of many 50s and 60s school cafeterias) mixture of
> foodstuffs, many times including pasta.
> 
> Now, as to hash, I was never able to relate to the stuff in the
> cans (corned beef hash??).  My grandmother on my father's side
> was half-german.  She made hash from the Sunday roast (usually
> venison, but sometimes beef).  She would put it through the meat
> grinder, until it was very fine, and mix with it cooked
> rutabega, potatoes, carrots and onions. She would then freeze
> this until large amounts of family would show up.
> 
I'm wondering what the determining characteristics of "hash" are.
Recently I had "prime rib hash", topped with tomato slices which were
topped with poached eggs and hollandaise.  The result was outstandingly
successful.

> For a large family breakfast, grandma always had hash, warmed in
> a frying pan (very little moisture left) fried eggs, fried
> potatoes, and pancakes with homemade current jelly or
> chokecherry syrup (chockcherries do not have much pectin, and so
> never set very well.  It always turns to syrup.)
> 
> When I was 8 or 9, and saw corned beef hash for the first time,
> I was confused as to why they would leave the pieces so large. 
> It didn't look like hash to me!
> 
Isn't it interesting how the size of the pieces affects our perception
of dishes!  I know that many people like spaghetti-sauce with large
chunks of tomatoes and bell peppers and onions, perhaps to feel like
they're eating their vegetables, but I like my spaghetti sauce smoother,
with meat being the predominant chunks.  I don't believe bell peppers
have any place in spaghetti sauce at all, period.  I don't like large
chunks in food anyway, which seems to be another prevailing characteristic
of "home-made" styling, ever since I had my wisdom teeth out and the
orthodontic surgeon had to partially dislocate the left side of my jaw.

Berengaria

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