# Those dishes of yesteryear **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2005, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266 "2005-08-09T13:28:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![lhovis73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecd19e/32.png) [@lhovis73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lhovis73)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/81 "2005-08-10T02:33:51Z")
One more food that’s not exactly chic these days: the humble and unassuming fish stick. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/82 "2005-08-10T02:39:46Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > My mother used to give my father a HUGE bowl that he’d fill with chili, then proceed to take an entire stack of saltine crackers from the box and crumble it up into the bowl, effectively making the chili dry. \*At the risk of losing any food-related street cred I may have acquired here . . . \* MMMmmmm. Chili with pulverized saltines . . . yum! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/83 "2005-08-10T02:55:35Z")
But… If the shows were in black and white, how do you know their suits were brown? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/84 "2005-08-10T03:03:43Z")
> [@lhovis73](#): > > One more food that’s not exactly chic these days: the humble and unassuming fish stick. Geez, I’ve bought these in the last year too. The crispy ones labeled as being made from whole pieces of fish (as opposed to mashed fish) aren’t bad. I don’t think anyone’s mentioned chicken-fried steak yet. Does that qualify as “yesteryear” food? I thought most of the stuff mentioned here was peculiar to the midwest. It’s an eye-opener to see people from the coasts having some knowledge of it. One of my mom’s favorite things (don’t know if this is regional or depression era or what) was toast and milk – together, in a bowl. I always wondered if it had any relation to the term “milquetoast”. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/85 "2005-08-10T03:34:35Z")
> [@lhovis73](#): > > Speaking of forgotten foods, it’s my impression that people don’t generally eat tater tots as much as they used to, but I could be wrong. You obviously haven’t been around my kids at meal time. ---
**Author:** ![lhovis73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecd19e/32.png) [@lhovis73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lhovis73)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/86 "2005-08-10T04:06:11Z")
> [@rackensack](#): > > You obviously haven’t been around my kids at meal time. Wouldn’t it be kinda freaky if I was around your kids at meal time? (I kid, I make a joke…) Perhaps I should have said, tater tots are something that I haven’t had since Mom or the school cafeteria determined what I ate. And that would include other foods mentioned in this list, like fish sticks, sloppy joes, the hot turkey sandwich, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/87 "2005-08-10T04:25:47Z")
> [@](#): > > One more food that’s not exactly chic these days: the humble and unassuming fish stick. Jamie Oliver had a recipe for a fish stick sandwich in one of his cookbooks. Food goes through fads, just like fashion. Most of the recipes mentioned just aren’t fashionable right now. I myself make bread pudding, creamed chicken on toast, pot roast, and lots of mac’n’cheese. My husband would probably like salmon patties. I hate fish, but I should get my Mum to teach him how to make them. Oh! Minced beef in gravy with onions, on rice or mashed potatoes. Very Canadian/British cold weather comfort food. My parents make it a lot. In fifty years, people will be saying, “They ate foam! And put balsamic vinegar and wasabi on everything! And why did they insert roasted peppers into all sorts of weird foods and insist on using tons of garlic all the time? If only they realized that the only really cool sorts of cuisine are Visigoth revival and Polish.” ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/88 "2005-08-10T05:51:33Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > That would be “Underwood Deviled Ham.” The “weird looking red headed kid” I believe was a little red devil. At least that’s what’s on the label.! No, **HelloKitty** is thinking of a guy named Mason Reese, who can be seen as an adult in the third picture from the bottom on [this page.](http://www.creationent.com/past_events/tvland/tvland.htm)[This painting](http://www.venice-florida.com/ArtAndCulture/corwinart9.htm) depicts Mason as the child remembered by folks who were watching U.S. commercial TV in the 1970’s. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/89 "2005-08-10T10:41:48Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > One of my mom’s favorite things (don’t know if this is regional or depression era or what) was toast and milk – together, in a bowl. I always wondered if it had any relation to the term “milquetoast”. Just Google “Milquetoast, Caspar J.” and see what you get. Ever tried chocolate milktoast? Make some really good hot chocolate., use that instead of the regular white milk. More suited to a kid’s palate some might say, but quite the tasty, and unusual item. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/90 "2005-08-10T11:20:46Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Does anyone eat blancmanges anymore? Anyone have a recipe? Yeah, I like blancmange; it’s just flavoured milk set with cornflour (corn starch) though, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/91 "2005-08-10T12:38:02Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > But… > > If the shows were in black and white, how do you know their suits were brown? I’m not referring to any particular _show_. It’s an image in my mind. And my imagination tells me that the suit is definitely brown. > [@lhovis73](#): > > Akin to the Sloppy Joe is American chop suey, And speaking of chop suey, there are several Chinese restaurant dishes that seem to have gone out of style … chop suey, mu gu gai pan, egg fu yung, … ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/92 "2005-08-10T12:40:01Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > **AuntiePam\*\*\*\*lieu** , Manwich was a canned sauce that you were supposed to mix with browned hamburger to make Sloppy Joes. It was basically a sweet tomato sauce. Manwich includes meat. All you have to do is heat it up and pour it onto a bun. _A sandwich is a sandwich. But a Manwich is a MEAL!_ I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a Manwich. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/93 "2005-08-10T12:45:27Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Manwich includes meat. All you have to do is heat it up and pour it onto a bun. > > _A sandwich is a sandwich. But a Manwich is a MEAL!_ > > I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a Manwich. No, the Manwich you can still buy at the supermarket is just the thin, sweet, tangy tomato sauce that you add to browned ground beef to make the Sloppy Joe. I guess you could call the complete sandwich a “Manwich,” but the product is the sauce only. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/94 "2005-08-10T12:59:01Z")
Sonic\* offers tater tots as an alternative to fries. \*fast food restaurant thingy ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/95 "2005-08-10T13:25:25Z")
Tater tots are excellent. Esp. with fresh-ground pepper and some sour cream to dip them in. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/96 "2005-08-10T15:02:30Z")
Tater tots are also the main ingredient in a popular casserole – cream of mushroom soup, ground beef, green beans, tots, and fried onions (the kind that come in a can). My neighbor made it for me when I was laid up, and she brought it over with a dish of pickled beets and homemade sugar cookies. 🙂 The cafeteria where I used to work made a great bean dish – several different kinds of beans, ground beef, with a sort of sweet-sour sauce base. I have several cookbooks compiled by local churches and community groups. They’re a nice mix of yesteryear food and newer items, like the dips that are so popular now. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/97 "2005-08-10T16:31:52Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Tater tots are also the main ingredient in a popular casserole – cream of mushroom soup, ground beef, green beans, tots, and fried onions (the kind that come in a can). Mmmm! I usually ask my mom to make almost that exactly same casserole when I’m home for Thanksgiving or Christmas (though not for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner). Instead of fried onions, mom dices onions and adds them as the ground beef is browned. Very comforting stuff. Mom had a couple of other ground beef casserole dishes in the rotation back in the day, but that’s the only one worth being nostalgic over… ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/98 "2005-08-10T17:26:24Z")
I still see chop suey and chow mein listed in Chinese menus; but does anyone ever order them? Jordan almonds (the ones that are covered in colored hard candy). Two more Jewish dishes: kishka (stuffed intestine) and homemade gefilte fish (not the crap that comes in a jar). Malted milk, as opposed to milk shakes. Any kind of open-face sandwiches, with gravy. Waldorf salad. Birch beer. Popcorn balls. Chopped liver. Tuna casserole made with cream of mushroom soup. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/99 "2005-08-10T17:33:04Z")
An episode of _Fawlty Towers_ led me to seek out recipes for Waldorf Salad, and I found it rather tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266/100 "2005-08-10T17:55:57Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I still see chop suey and chow mein listed in Chinese menus; but does anyone ever order them? > > Jordan almonds (the ones that are covered in colored hard candy). > > Two more Jewish dishes: kishka (stuffed intestine) and homemade gefilte fish (not the crap that comes in a jar). > > Malted milk, as opposed to milk shakes. > > Any kind of open-face sandwiches, with gravy. > > Waldorf salad. > > Birch beer. > > Popcorn balls. > > Chopped liver. > > Tuna casserole made with cream of mushroom soup. The jarred stuff is pretty gross, but I loved homemade gefilte fish when it was served to me. I’m a HUGE fan of chopped liver, and I’d eat it more except that it is expensive and unhealthy. Spread it on a toasted bagel or Ritz crackers for me, or I’ll just go to town with a spoon! Birch beer is great, but I only ever see it at Wendy’s, and only sometimes. (I’m a root beer aficionado, though.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-dishes-of-yesteryear/316266.md?page=6)