# The apotheosis of American cooking **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 26, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229 "2012-12-26T22:18:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/101 "2012-12-28T03:26:10Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I wish the rest of you could grasp this. It isn’t fun. You have my earnest sympathies. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/102 "2012-12-28T03:28:56Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Yeah, I need to find Heinz chili sauce. It should be available at most grocery stores. I know my local Jewel’s carries it. I missed the part about rice. Is there a version where it’s not made on the side? I thought all the recipes have it as an accompaniment. Maybe I didn’t read my links closely enough. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/103 "2012-12-28T03:42:38Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It should be available at most grocery stores. I know my local Jewel’s carries it. > > I missed the part about rice. Is there a version where it’s not made on the side? I thought all the recipes have it as an accompaniment. Maybe I didn’t read my links closely enough. I re-read the link I posted, provided by my Swedish friend, and was wrong - the “updated” version of the dish involves cooking the rice first, then layering it in the bottom of the casserole dish with the rest of the ingredients on top. (I assumed you used converted rice and put it uncooked in the pan.) The traditional method has it cooked and served on the side, with the other ingredients baked together in a pan. I think the grocery store a couple blocks from my house carries Heinz chili sauce, now that I think of it, otherwise I’ll hit Jewel on my way back into town or maybe Saturday before leaving. Looking at the link I got - it appears to call for cream instead of what I assumed was mayonnaise, from the video. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/104 "2012-12-28T03:50:13Z")
Too late for another edit - I see he sent me the English-language recipe link from the Wiki article. :smack: At least we know there’s another Swede who backs up the inclusion of that link as properly representative. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/105 "2012-12-28T06:58:11Z")
The macaroni salad in the aforementioned video is basically a sweetened up version of [Hawaiian Macaroni Salad](http://norahsrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/05/hawaiian-macaroni-salad.html). I ran across this recipe a few years ago in Cooks Country. It only has a tablespoon of sugar, uses 2 cups regular milk and 2 cups mayo. The pasta is basically overcooked and soaks up the vinegar/dressing like a sponge but never gets mushy. The whole thing is actually pretty tasty, definitely not a low cal dish though. I’ve only ever made it twice for special occasions. I can’t envision all that sugar improving it any however. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/106 "2012-12-28T17:23:39Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > I’m mentioning a recipe from my childhood that I used to call Potato Chip Chicken. It’s chicken that’s been rolled in crushed potato chips instead of flour. You bake the chicken instead of frying it. But I’m not sure this fits the thread criteria because, as I remember, it actually wasn’t bad tasting. There’s a new version of that. Instead of potato chips, roll the chicken in crushed fried onions, French’s, from a can. It’s mighty tasty. The recipe in the OP is probably from one of the Pillsbury Bake-Off cookbooks, sold in grocery stores – or they used to be. Lots of recipes using biscuits and crescent rolls from a tube, and desserts using cake mixes. Tasty stuff, easy to make, using ingredients from the pantry. My favorite taco dip might be scary to foodies. Ground beef, canned chili, jarred salsa, Velveeta, green olives. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/107 "2012-12-28T17:39:10Z")
Re the OP recipe: is a “crescent roll” what we in Europe would call a croissant? Because it sure looks like it. A taco bake with a croissant base just seems all kinds of wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/108 "2012-12-28T17:43:04Z")
Crescent rolls were probably invented to mimic croissants, and in mid-century America they probably passed muster. They don’t actually taste or feel anything like croissants though, really just a very buttery and sweet bread. And yes, they seem completely and 100% wrong for inclusion in a taco bake. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/109 "2012-12-28T18:16:30Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > except we have more than one person in this thread who would totally try it or make it. Probably because it’s Swedish. It’s sounds Caribbean to me, the ingredients anyway. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/110 "2012-12-28T18:17:42Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Re the OP recipe: is a “crescent roll” what we in Europe would call a croissant? Because it sure looks like it. A taco bake with a croissant base just seems all kinds of wrong. Yep. When used in that recipe, it’s just a foundation. I’ve made meat pies using tube crescents as the bottom crust. The crust is a bit flakey, but not as flakey as when made as crescent rolls. They’re really not bad, the tube biscuits and rolls. Not as good as good homemade, but I’ve had bad homemade breads and rolls too. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/111 "2012-12-28T23:38:23Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > It’s sounds Caribbean to me, the ingredients anyway. It’s like a cross between an Elvis sandwich and a creamy chicken casserole. Anyhow, I got my ingredients all lined up. I’m going to do it the original way, though divided by four: 4 rotisserie chickens 1 tsp Italian salad spice 4-5 bananas 4 dl (400 ml) double cream 2 dl (200 ml) “ketchupish” chili sauce 2 packages bacon 1 dl (100 ml) salted peanuts I really, really want to substitute curry powder or garam masala for the Italian salad spice, but I will stick to the original to establish a baseline. I actually do think this will taste reasonably good. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/112 "2012-12-29T00:11:48Z")
Found Heinz chili sauce no problem. Forgot peanuts. :smack: I think the best substitution for double cream is whipping cream, or am I off on that? I’ve found references to “thick double cream” as well. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/113 "2012-12-29T00:17:47Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Found Heinz chili sauce no problem. Forgot peanuts. :smack: > > I think the best substitution for double cream is whipping cream, or am I off on that? I’ve found references to “thick double cream” as well. I bought a Mexican product called “table cream.” It’s of a thick double cream consistency and reminds me of the double creams I would get in Europe. That said, it’s loaded with carageenan and other thickeners. I was debating for a few minutes between heavy whipping cream (which was 100% whipping cream, but a very liquidy consistency) and the table cream, and I went for the table cream for sake of consistency, even though it had a bunch of other stuff in it. I haven’t tasted it yet, so I don’t know if there’s a tinge of sourness to it or not. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/114 "2012-12-29T00:21:28Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I bought a Mexican product called “table cream.” It’s of a thick double cream consistency and reminds me of the double creams I would get in Europe. Oo, good idea. I haven’t had it either… Now that I’m thinking of it, there’s an internationally-themed market not far away. I know they have lots of Mexican and Eastern European food (and Indian and Middle Eastern and Asian and…), but I’m not sure about Scandinavian. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/115 "2012-12-29T00:28:36Z")
The brand I bought is “Alpura,” and it comes in a cardboard container, 250 mL. I just had a taste, and it doesn’t taste like a sour cream, just a thick cream. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/116 "2012-12-29T01:28:09Z")
Anything from Paula Deen gets my vote for disgustingly fat-laden and unhealthy! Like Cheese Fudge: "Ingredients 1/2 lb processed cheese, sliced or cubed (Velveeta) 1 cup butter 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup chopped nuts, pecans, walnuts 2 16-ounce boxes confectioners’ sugar 1/2 cup cocoa Directions Spray lightly the bottom of a 9x2 inch square pan with a nonstick spray. Using a saucepan over medium heat, melt the cheese and butter together, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and nuts. In a large bowl sift together the sugar and cocoa. Pour the cheese mixture into the sugar and cocoa mixture and stir until completely mixed. The candy will be very stiff. Using your hands, remove candy from bowl and press evenly and firmly into pan. Because of the amount of butter in this recipe, pat the top of the candy with a paper towel to remove the excess oil. Place pan in refrigerator until candy is firm. To serve candy, cut into squares. Show: Paula’s Home Cooking Watch Paula on Food Network" [http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe\_view/chocolate\_cheese\_fudge/](http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/chocolate_cheese_fudge/) TWO boxes of confectioners sugar, half a pound of butter and half a pound of Velveeta for ONE 9x9 batch of fudge? Urrrrppp… ---
**Author:** ![InsomniaMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ad7895/32.png) [@InsomniaMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InsomniaMama)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/117 "2012-12-29T01:31:27Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > If the husband asks me for meatballs for dinner, I make the meatballs the way he likes them - and that includes using the Lipton Hearty Beef Onion Soup mix, the canned garlic and herb breadcrumbs, and after browning them, cooking them in the two jars of Heinz Savory Beef Gravy that he likes. Goes great with mashed potatoes. Convenient and it’s good - and it’s cheap. And I can’t replicate the taste of the store bought ingredients. I’m good, but I ain’t a miracle worker. Just out of curiosity, does your husband cook? I know my grandfather was a giant pain in the ass about onions and other foods he refused to eat until my grandmother died. Suddenly he started cooking and eating all those gross things he wouldn’t eat before. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/118 "2012-12-29T01:37:43Z")
> [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > Because of the amount of butter in this recipe, pat the top of the candy with a paper towel to remove the excess oil. That right there should have been the warning bell in the test kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/119 "2012-12-29T02:29:46Z")
So, I have to say, this Flying Jacob is not bad. Not bad at all. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229/120 "2012-12-29T02:45:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > So, I have to say, this Flying Jacob is not bad. Not bad at all. Is it “not bad at all” in a foodie way, or can I try serving it to my meat-n-taters husband? 'Cause I’m intrigued… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apotheosis-of-american-cooking/645229.md?page=7)