Kitchen-table Memories of What is Now Called "Comfort Food" But was Exciting at the Time

Cześć!

Paul Zadner has come through with some more kitchen-table memories:

Julie

Is this the glass table that I ate  on Genese Street? What years did they live there?

Today I was eating lunch at Ruby Tuesdays and I had a flash back after 66 years as to what we ate at your parent’s home. I was VERY young and I was a very fussy eater and most foods I did not like.

Your parents served us a Chinese meal, Chicken Chow Main which I never had before in my life. I do not know if I ate any of it but I know for sure that I would have found it to be despicable to say the least.

Hi Paul,

Is this what we're discussing here?

Chicken or pork Chow Mein, 1950s-style

I'm sorry you didn't like it.  Apparently it was an exotic new thing at the time.  Below is a scan of a full-page color advertisement for the things; Clara saved it.  I like the man holding a dragon-lantern on the pole that holds the banner.

But my absolute favorite is the vignette on the lower right, of excited shoppers mobbing the Chun King Crispy Noodle Display.  Here, I enlarged it:

You'd think it was Frank Sinatra instead of a stack of cans.

The people look like the Jetsons,
or the Flintstones.

We always had that soy sauce, as well.
Horrible, horrible stuff, that Chun King soy sauce;
as if they'd dug it up out of some tomb.

Ever seen Flower Drum Song? Sammy Fong is a bigshot club owner, serving "the best Chinese food on the West Coast."  Mei Li, fresh off the boat from China, (interesting in 1961) tries a dish and burbles something like, "Oh delicious!  I love American food!"  Tough Guy Fong is annoyed.  Well, we could see how this could happen.

How did we all sit at that glass table? It must have been very crowded.

Sorry; can't tell you.  I was still in a high chair at that point, so I wasn't concerned about you guys.  You must have seen the wrought-iron and glass table in Bowmansville sometime between 1950, or so, and 1957 when we moved into the Marilla house.

Thanks, Paul, for unlocking some creaky doors in the memory vaults.  We also partook of other classic 1950s menu items:

Creamed tuna on toast points.
Friday-night favorite!
Eat the peas first to get rid of them,
then savor the tuna and the mushrooms.

"City chicken."
I don't get this dish; why do all that?
Can anyone explain?

Do widzenia!  Julia