Pater Familias

Theories, observations, and articles, by Philip Schaefer · All posts · Categories

EXOTIC AMERICAN FOODS.

November 27, 2009 at 4:51 PM · Uncategorized

EXOTIC AMERICAN FOODS. For our Thanksgiving dinner, Mary Jane made our traditional side dish of green bean casserole. My mother made it every Thanksgiving just as I imagine many American cooks did in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The important ingredients are frozen green beans, Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup and a can of dried fried onions. We have a dear French friend who told Mary Jane once that she was so amused by the idea of the green bean casserole that she told a lot of her friends about it and intends to get a photograph to send to France to prove that it exists. I think the idea of buying a can of fried onions rather than frying it yourself may be one of the things she finds amusing. I am reminded that I have a friend who was born in England who has never been able to bring himself to eat pumpkin pie.