Horrid Foods: The Dieters' Antidote to the Cheese Thread

[Clare Quilty]

Perdita wrote:

...Corned beef and cabbage was a meal for the Irish poor when I was growing up in Detroit. My mother learned to make it and it was the only non-Mexican dinner my brothers and I loved...

It occurs to me that if you're eating corned beef, you're not all that poor. My brother, who lives in your neck of the woods part of the week, worked in Ireland for a year. He insists that Corned beef and cabbage is not an Irish dish at all, and is some sort of American concoction--which would tend to make sense. Why would a potato famine have been so devastating to people sluggish with bellies full of corned beef.

I don't know if this place existed when you lived in Detroit, presumably somewhere on the southwest side. Have you ever heard of a place called Taqueria Tapatia (also known as Taqueria La Tapatia)? They serve things like tongue and brain tacos--with neither cheese nor sour cream to be found. It's a place where neighborhood people as opposed to the restaurants on Bagley, which cater to the gringo palate.

 

[Liar]

I've often heard the line with regard to steak, usually from middle aged guys quickly heading for a heart attack...

Which is odd... I was under the assumption that the more you fry things, the worse it will mud up the old pump.

 

[Guest]

It occurs to me that if you're eating corned beef, you're not all that poor. My brother, who lives in your neck of the woods part of the week, worked in Ireland for a year. He insists that Corned beef and cabbage is not an Irish dish at all, and is some sort of American concoction--which would tend to make sense. ...

Q., my youth was in the 50s in D., so I can't research this. Perhaps it was an Irish-Amer. thing. There was a large Jewish pop. so I wonder if the Irishers in D. got it from them. I buy a dear corned beef now and cook it with cabbage and potatoes nostalgically.

I don't know if this place existed when you lived in Detroit, presumably somewhere on the southwest side. Have you ever heard of a place called Taqueria Tapatia (also known as Taqueria La Tapatia)? They serve things like tongue and brain tacos--with neither cheese nor sour cream to be found. It's a place where neighborhood people as opposed to the restaurants on Bagley, which cater to the gringo palate.

Detroit's changed a lot since I lived there. Bagley used to be 'authentic', parts of my extended family lived there including cousins who belonged to 'the Bagley Boys' gang. I don't know the taqueria above, but I recall one we frequented for tamales at 10 cents a piece and just like homemade. For ref., hamburgers at the time were 25 to 35 cents.

Perdita

 

[RavenSpirit2k4]

• anything slathered in mayonnaise
• asparagus
• durian fruit
• organ meats of any kind
• hamburger
• rare pink and/or bloody meat (oh my F-ing god!)

I don't know what durian fruit is, but the rest of these I agree with. I like meat - including steak - medium well-done. Mostly, I eat chicken.

I also can't stand the taste of mushrooms. They just have a sour, yucky taste to me. Bleh.

 

[Guest]

I don't know what durian fruit is,

I bought one once on the recommendation of a Brit friend who loves them (he did anthropology work throughout Asia). When I cut into it the foulest smell filled my kitchen. Garbage day wasn't due for a few days so I wrapped it in several layers of plastic til then.

Perdita

 

[RavenSpirit2k4]

Ewww, sounds like I'm better off not knowing more. Thanks for the warning.

 

[Guest]

 

[SlickTony]

I've had durian. It tastes better than it smells. I've even had durian ice cream--I sampled some at an Asian restaurant. I had a chance to buy some durian popsicles but was afraid to, because I knew that no one else in the family would like them and I'd be stuck eating them all myself.

I miss tongue. They used to have it fairly regularly in the store when I was coming up, and my mother cooked it in the pressure cooker with peppercorns, a bay leaf or two and a splash of vingar, and served it in its broth with potatoes. It was delicious. Nowadays you rarely see it, and when you do, they sell it by the half and it's expensive.

I had hoghead (headcheese) for the first time in almost 2 decades, the other day. When I was working for an oil too company in Texas, this guy from Louisiana would sometimes bring hoghead, but I never had it after that, because I didn't have any connections. Then this girl brought some in that she'd bought at a store on the north side, and peeled me off a slice. It was nice.

 

[Clare Quilty]

Which is odd... I was under the assumption that the more you fry things, the worse it will mud up the old pump.

Do people fry steaks?

I'm really out of the steak loop.

What I really was alluding to was that I don't know many of people under 40 who eat a lot of steaks.

 

[Clare Quilty]

For ref., hamburgers at the time were 25 to 35 cents.

Perdita

Top Hat?

I just barely remember that place.

 

[Guest]

Top Hat? I just barely remember that place.

Don't recall Top Hat, but I do remember "drive-in" restaurants with the waitresses who served you at your car window. And White Castles at 10 cents a piece.

I've sent you a query via PM, when you have the time, thanks.

P.

 

[Clare Quilty]

Don't recall Top Hat, but I do remember "drive-in" restaurants with the waitresses who served you at your car window. And White Castles at 10 cents a piece.

I've sent you a query via PM, when you have the time, thanks.

P.

Top Hat and White Castle existed in the same niche of really unpalatable, albeit inexpensive, meatless grease-burgers. I don't know if the Top Hat chain existed outside of Detroit.

I'll reply to the PM as soon as "Chloë in the Afternoon" goes off, so I can devote my full attention to the answer.

FYI, there is still a drive-in A&W restaurant in Berkley, MI.

 

[Guest]

Ah, Q., do you recall the Coney Island counters? I used to go to one downtown and another on or off Grand River. All owned by Greeks and godonlyknows what the hotdogs and chile relish contained. They made a killing in the 60s/70s from hippies with munchies. P.

 

[Clare Quilty]

Ah, Q., do you recall the Coney Island counters? I used to go to one downtown and another on or off Grand River. All owned by Greeks and godonlyknows what the hotdogs and chile relish contained. They made a killing in the 60s/70s from hippies with munchies. P.

The two locally famous ones were American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island--both on the corner of Michigan Ave. and Lafayette. They used to get a lot of Tiger Stadium generated business. I think they are still there, but I really don't make it down that way often. Detroit is blanketed with 24 hour "coney island" restaurants. They still sell the greek influenced food, gyros and what have you, but many of them appear to be Albanian now-a-days.

 

[Guest]

The two locally famous ones were American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island--both on the corner of Michigan Ave. and Lafayette.

Yes, Mich. and Lafayette! I remember now, don't know how I thought it was downtown. And speaking of Greeks, I loved Greektown, actually danced in the street one 4th of July there. I'm glad I left D. when I did (1970) and managed to keep a nostalgia for all the good stuff. P.

 

[SlickTony]

For a short while, there was a White Castle in Laporte. I was conscious of the fact that WCs probably weren't good for me, but oh! those hot greasy little nuggets of oniony goodness!

 

[trendyredhead]

White Castles....

Belly bombers....the stuff that makes you wonder how food regulations got so lax....

I have always maintained that the day I ask for one of those is the day I need to be committed. Just the smell makes me ill.