Tasty versions of horrible foods

[Stephen Tashiro]

There are many types of food that are horrible in their supermarket versions, such as Pop Tarts, Spam, corned beef hash, "pressed" sandwich meats etc. I wonder if there exist tasty versions of these foods or appetizing ways to prepare them.

For example, one can make delicious fruit tarts, but can anyone make a nice pastry from the dry tasting filling in Pop Tarts?

Was there once a version of corned beef hash that people actually liked?

I've seen many recipes for preparing Spam, but none that would make me prefer it to hamburger.

Luncheon meats that are simply "sliced" make a good sandwich, but the ones that are "chopped, pressed and sliced" are disgusting. Nowadays you find this done to chicken and turkey as well as the traditional baloney.

[Frank Guerin]

Road kill and the microwave. Still not as good as dupster diving. And people wonder why I'm still single.

[Bill Cunningham]

Luncheon meats that are simply "sliced" make a good sandwich, but the ones that are "chopped, pressed and sliced" are disgusting. Nowadays you find this done to chicken and turkey as well as the traditional baloney.

They are chopped, pressed, and sliced for a reason. If you seen what they were actually chopped, pressed and sliced, 'from' you might become a Vegan! (Old Indian word for lousy hunter) Hail the Tofudibeast

[Belinda Barfield]

They are chopped, pressed, and sliced for a reason. If you seen what they were actually chopped, pressed and sliced, 'from' you might become a Vegan! (Old Indian word for lousy hunter) Hail the Tofudibeast

Come on Bill, what you got against chicken lips and pig hoof jam? Once diced and sliced you can barely tell it's not the real thing!

[John Coloccia]

Real corned beef hash is good. It's like comparing Hormel chili to my chili. It's just not in the same league. Spam can be grilled up on the BBQ. It doesn't actually taste any better, but it does get crispy, and anything crispy is better.

[Curt Harms]

.............
Was there once a version of corned beef hash that people actually liked?
............

There's a diner near the Eagle County airport in Colorado (between Vail & Aspen) that makes their own corned beef hash. The only place I've ever had a home made version. One thing they did was add Worcestershire sauce. I carried that to the canned version, it helps some.

[Burt Alcantara]

You can buy pre-rolled puff pastry. I believe it's made by Pepperidge Farms. Just take a sheet out and fill it with anything sweet -- jam for example. Fold it up and bake until brown. For the pop tart experience, take some apples, add sugar with a little butter, mix well and use as a filling. Of course, if you really want to make it good, make your own puff pastry or use brioche dough.

Try to avoid anything that comes in a box. These products are made for shelf life, not humans.

[Rick Markham]

They are chopped, pressed, and sliced for a reason. :

As my father used to say "That's the stuff they sweep up off the floor after making everything else"

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Boiled okra.

I spent 8 years in the U.S. Navy.......most of it in the deep South.......Brunswick, GA, Meridian, MS, Kingsville, TX and Charleston, SC.

They have this prerecorded message they play if you turn down the local version of boiled okra......"You haven't eaten my boiled okra.......ya'll should try it.......Ima sure you like it...." So trying to be nice you take some.

I remember being in kindergarten and we had wooden desk that had a hole in the top .....a little glass container in that hole with a lid that had a brush in it. Inside that jar was glue and it looked and tasted just like boiled okra. I'm sure boiled okra is made from that glue and visa versa.

Fried okra is a different matter.


grits.....now there is another one. They play another version of that recording again....."Try my grits. Ima sure you will like it." IMHO....there is nothing known to mankind that will make grits tasty.....NOTHING KNOWN TO MANKIND.

[Stephen Tashiro]

Real corned beef hash is good.

I can imagine a tasty hash made with beef and potatoes and cooked the normal way, but is the real corned beef hash you mention made with real corned beef? - brine cured?

As to grits, many Southern dishes are simply an excuse to eat salt and margarine, a combination that I enjoy. For this purpose, I enjoy grits more than hash browns.

[Marty Paulus]

I used to think that of grits as well Ken. That is before a I was shown how to properly season them. Butter and sugar! How can anything taste bad with butter and sugar on/in it? Of course my wife thinks I am nuts for liking grits but that is a whole 'nuther discussion on my mental status.....

[Dick Adair]

I guess none of you good people would like scrapple or pig stomach, so I won't even mention it.

[Leigh Betsch]

You should try head cheese! Only once though.

[John alder]

boiled peanuts not on my fav list

[Belinda Barfield]

Boiled okra.

I spent 8 years in the U.S. Navy.......most of it in the deep South.......Brunswick, GA, Meridian, MS, Kingsville, TX and Charleston, SC.

They have this prerecorded message they play if you turn down the local version of boiled okra......"You haven't eaten my boiled okra.......ya'll should try it.......Ima sure you like it...." So trying to be nice you take some.

I remember being in kindergarten and we had wooden desk that had a hole in the top .....a little glass container in that hole with a lid that had a brush in it. Inside that jar was glue and it looked and tasted just like boiled okra. I'm sure boiled okra is made from that glue and visa versa.

Fried okra is a different matter.


grits.....now there is another one. They play another version of that recording again....."Try my grits. Ima sure you will like it." IMHO....there is nothing known to mankind that will make grits tasty.....NOTHING KNOWN TO MANKIND.

Boiled okra - BLECH!!!!

Cheese + grits - TASTY!
Shrimp & Grits - TASTY!