[Sca-cooks] OOP - Green beans was Turkey, again!

[Pixel, Goddess and Queen]

On Tue, 26 Nov 2002, Phil Troy/ G. Tacitus Adamantius wrote:

> Also sprach A F Murphy:
> >Does anyone know how or when (or why!) green beans became practically as
> >much a part of the feast as the cranberry sauce? They're in half the
> >listed menus, frequently as the casserole. They're not particularly
> >seasonal, I can't think of any connection, they don't go better with
> >turkey than any other green vegetable... Most of the other traditional
> >accompaniments are seasonal.
> >
> >I guess I'm curious because they weren't part of our tradition, and I'm
> >not sure I've ever eaten the casserole!
>
> I had never eaten (or seen) the casserole until it was brought back,
> with due fanfare, from Foreign Parts, after my sister moved first to
> Western PA, and later, to the Southern Tier of New York State. So,
> for people in New York City, it was exotic. (No, I am not pushing for
> a jello mold of any description to be brought to my home, so we can
> all say, "Oooohh, how unYOOOOsual!")

Rats. And I was going to send you one. *Somebody* has to eat the Golden
Glow salad... :-)
>
> I believe the deal is that either the Durkee or French's company, I
> forget which one, issued a promotion of a series of recipes on
> packages and such, all calling for several of products made either by
> them or by co-subsidiary companies. The key is probably that the dish
> is garnished (with Durkee or French's Chemical Onion Rings, which are
> seasoned, floured, then fried until totally desiccated and impervious
> to the corruption of years), which might make them irresistible to
> socially conscious, culinary-inferiority-complex [misplaced]
> housewives, male and female, of the late 1950's and early 60's. This
> is probably how this dish slipped in under yours, and my, radar.

Doesn't explain why, in my family, it's always been just plain green
beans. Our reason is apparently due to food allergies--Mom couldn't eat
corn, so we had to have something else that qualified as a "green
vegetable", and peas would have been redundant. Even though there was only
one person eating the Le Sueur Tiny Mushy Nasty Taste-Like-The-Can Peas.
If there were toasted almonds scattered atop the beans, Mom could pick
them out.
 >
> Even more OOP/OT: has anyone seen the absolutely horrible (of course,
> that is its intended appeal) White Castle television ad, with the
> Rockwell-esque family slavering over Grandma's big covered roast
> platter, which turns out to be full of hundreds of Little Square
> Hamburgers (tm)? Some day, archaeologists of the future, or alien
> scientists trying to piece together the fragments of our culture,
> will find this and scratch their heads in total confusion...
>
> Adamantius

I saw that commercial whilst taking care of Mom. I was horrified.
Actually, I think my precise reaction was "Ew.", while my sister's
response was "Blech." I can't stand the things--just the smell makes me
physically ill--so I doubt any marketing on their part is going to
convince me otherwise.

Margaret