Green Bean Casserole

 America is rightfully known for giving the world many wonderful, life-enhancing consumables. Where would we be without Coca-Cola, for example, or MacDonald’s, or Doritos, or Marshmallow Fluff? OK, I take that back: America has had a severely deleterious effect on global cuisine and health and should be avoided at all costs.

The rest of the world looks quizzically upon some US culinary traditions, which baffles Americans. The inexplicable pairing of peanut butter with jelly (jam), for instance — usually grape or strawberry — is viewed as the de rigueur filling for children’s sandwiches. They are also prone to eating things from sticks; a corndog, for example, is a small highly-processed sausage-like item which has been stuffed on a stick, dipped in a batter and then deep fried. You don’t so much as nibble the top as circumcise it with your teeth. Americans prefer to eat this in public.

Vegetables, which are only eaten on feast days such as Thanksgiving and — that’s it, Thanksgiving — only come in two forms: mashed (potato and yams) and shredded (green beans), the latter swimming in their very own bowl of mushroom soup.

This dish is called Green Bean Casserole, and is depicted in the photograph above. It is served with slices of battered, deep fried onion rings.

Green Bean Casserole

9 oz package frozen French-style green beans

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

½ cup French fried onions

Cook beans according to instructions on packet. Drain. Mix with soup. Bake until bubbly. Top with fried onions.

Pillsbury’s Creative Cooking in Minutes: Especially good and easy meals for all occasions, Pillsbury Publications, 1971

Also from this book: A Bird’s Eye View Of Bird’s Eye Peas

Creamed Eggs in a Corned Beef Crust

I don’t know about you, but when I think of a tart, I don’t assume the crust has been made from meat. This “appetizing” example of what not to do with food features a pie filled with that good old stand-by, mushroom soup. In case the sight of this doesn’t make you retch, the author has cleverly added islands of sliced egg and a sprig of parsley in case the overwhelming palette of browns makes you think no vegetables were involved. Don’t be fooled; they weren’t.

In the photo you can see a cake slice ready to serve this beast. One wonders quite how mushroom soup slices. Surely a ladle is the tool of choice? But then, what to do with the corned beef crust? And do you serve that in a bowl, or on a plate, or what? And what should you eat it with?

The charming composition has been helped along by three crocuses, presumably meant to suggest the Three Wise Men bearing the gifts of —well, something else to look at (there sure is nothing outside that window). It's dinner time! Four to Six whole people can be "entertained" by this recipe. Enjoy! 

Happy Living! A Guidebook for Brides by American Bride Publications, LA 1965

Also from this book: A Connubial Breakfast, Three Courses (Of Course), All For One And One For All!