Saturday, July 23, 2011

A Recipe to Make You Appreciate Mom's Tuna Casserole

Ever look through your cookbooks and come across a recipe that makes you wonder what the author was thinking?  I have too many a lot of cookbooks, ranging from turn-of-the-century textbook-style references for homemakers to brand new tomes heralding the merits of tofu.  Naturally, while perusing these cookbooks, I occasionally come across what I call a WTF recipe.  This was exactly the case tonight as I leafed through my 1917 edition of The New Household Discoveries: an Encyclopedia of Recipes and Processes, edited by Sidney Morse.  The book is 842 pages long (including the index) and offers sections like The Art of Correct Table Service, Economical Use of Meat in the Home, Candies and Candy-Making, and Prevention of Communicable Disease.  If you need to know which fork goes where or how to counter hookworm disease, this is the reference for you.  The recipe section comes complete with such appetizing headings as "Meat with Macaroni and Other Starchy Materials" (highlight recipes: Meat Cakes, Mock Wild Duck, Meat Salad). 

In terms of WTF recipes, this book is rife with them.  One in particular, however, caught my eye.  Ladies and gents, allow me to introduce you to Chicken-and-Ham Mold.  I hope I'm not violating any copyright laws by posting this, but honestly I can't imagine anyone wanting to actually take responsibility for this recipe. 

Chicken-and-Ham Mold
From The New Household Discoveries with editor's comments (okay, they're my comments, but I imagine any self-respecting editor would respond in a similar fashion)

2 cupfuls cold chopped chicken (not off to a great start)
1 cupful chopped ham
1 cupful cold boiled macaroni (WHAT?!)
2 eggs
1 tablespoonful butter
1 cupful gravy (oh hell no)
pepper and salt (you sound like a fool.  It's salt and pepper.)

Mix the chicken, ham, and macaroni (not happening), moisten (dirty, disgusting word that should never be used and especially not when referring to food) with the eggs, melted butter, and gravy, season highly (unless you're seasoning with Mrs. Dash magic de-disgustifying blend, don't bother).  Butter a mold, pour the mixture in (ew ew ew ew), put on cover tightly (and don't EVER take it off), and boil two hours.  Dip the mold into cold water for a minute and turn out on a hot dish (yes, because you don't want to ruin as gourmet a dish as this with a cold plate).  Serve with tomato sauce (to someone you don't care for much at all).

So now you know what to make next time your in-laws visit.  You're welcome!

What are some WTF recipes you've come across?

1 comment:

  1. Hehe! My husband and I were just talking about tuna noodle hot dish/casserole yesterday. In college I bonded with my roommate (from MN) while mixing tuna and peas into Noodle-roni and topping with crushed potato chips. But that ... thing sounds like a crime against nature.

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