[Sca-cooks] Leftovers, questions and discussion [long]

[Fields Family Farm]

It is not a 'myth' as much as just not as commonly practiced as sometimes
claimed.  In general, people don't try to disguise the 'off flavor' of
spoilage in the food they plan to eat themselves.  But, as long as there
have been unscrupulous cooks, they've tried to disguise the spoilage of food
they serve to others.

Many grocery stores take expired meat, grind it into hamburger, and put it
back on the shelves.  A few of them then take the hamburger that has begun
to turn and cook it in their deli, as burgers, meatloaf, or whatever.  A
close friend of mine worked behind the meat counter at Whole Foods while in
school, and saw it happen, even had to do it himself without protest to keep
his job.  Yes, even Whole Foods does these kinds of things.

Some restaurants also practice 'money conservation' techniques.  Yesterday's
food is re-served with a little 'freshening up', mold scraped off, fresh
spices added, etc.

And, if you want to see the biggest 'bad flavor covered with spice' scam in
history, read this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/health/30salt.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&th&emc=th

It happened then.  It still happens now.  It just wasn't openly done, then
or now.


Hrethric


The "myth" that spices were used to cover up the flavor of spoilage has been
> well debunked for a number of years now. First, people new spoiled food
> would
> make them sick. Two, spices were expensive. Would you throw expensive
> spices on
> bad food and eat it knowing it would make you sick?
>
> I think there is something out there that tells the first reference of this
> myth
> was in the late 19th or early 20th century.
>
> ...
>
>  Euriol
>