Hamburger Helper
Remember all those News food columns with readers requesting bygone recipes for retro dishes like “townwheel sandwiches” and “colonial salad dressing”? Today’s returns to form with an inquiry about two Willow Run school cafeteria specialties from the 60’s: hamburger gravy and whipped peanut butter sandwiches. “The gravy had hamburger (very small pieces but full of hamburger) in it and the gravy was a brownish transparent gravy, and was it good,” writes the nostalgic alum. “[The sandwich] was very light and tasted so good. It was also a big hit. I was told it was peanut butter whipped with honey. I have tried that and the honey overpowers the peanut butter.”
On the other side of the A2 food and beverage spectrum, former Daily editor Donn Fresard charges that Ashley’s is serving light lagers at 50-degree temperatures more appropriate for Belgian ales because “they and/or their customers think it’s more highbrow that way.”
Stella Artois, like all flavorful lagers, should be served at 44 F, not at near freezing.
http://whatsbrewingblog.com/2007/02/08/the-worst-stella-artois-ive-ever-had/
posted by todd on August 1st, 2007 at 10:03 pmWe called it “Shit on a Shingle”.
posted by E. Michael on August 2nd, 2007 at 7:48 amIt was indeed a “hamburger gravy” but always served on toast; never on potatoes.
The recipe the A2 News tracked down is close but onion salt wasn’t in a ’60s seasoning rack and the recipe didn’t include a staple of cafeteria cooking then — butter.
Pan fry chopped onions (no scallions please) and clumped hamburger (which has more fat than ground round) — set aside.
Make a roux of butter, white flour. Add whole (fat full) white milk to gravy-like consistency. Add hamburger/onion mixture.
Pour over slightly burnt white bread (remember Wonder?) toast.
And, what does it look like? Shit on a shingle.
And, what does it taste like? A gluttonous heaven.
Since when is Stella Artois flavorful? I think Ashley’s rates it a 2/10 on the flavor scale in their menu. It’s definitely flavorless enough to be better served reasonably cold — anyone who tells you otherwise is being a little pretentious.
posted by donn on August 3rd, 2007 at 5:26 amI’m not being pretentious. Somehow you equate warmer beer with pretentiousness, and I haven’t a clue as to why this is the case.
44 degrees is indeed “reasonably cold”, so you’re all set. You’ll find that most European bars and restaurants serve their European lagers (i.e., almost all the beer) at around 44. Helles, Pils, Bock, Schwarz, etc….all served at 44.
Feel free to drink Stella at whatever temperature you like. You wrote an article about correct beer temperatures. All I’m doing is telling you what the ‘correct’ serving temp is for Stella Artois.
There’s nothing stopping you from drinking it at colder temps.
From the Stella Artois website “The serving temperature should be between 4-6°C.” I was off by .4 degrees C. (Essentially, between 39 and 44 degrees…..certainly not near freezing).
posted by todd on August 3rd, 2007 at 12:26 pmSTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
has flavor, don’t deny it.
i agree with todd, temperature of beer and pretentiousness while drinking beer makes no sense. if you are at a bar that serves ice cold guiness, that is your fault, order something else, it’s fucking beer.
i’m all for the local beers, ABC, Leo’s, Grizz, but i won’t turn away beer because it is too warm or two cold. if you spent a couple years drinking warm (ie. no fridge) beer that is supposed to be cold, it lowers expectations tremendously.
posted by nymbani yangu on August 3rd, 2007 at 3:17 pmAh, I guess you’re right — we don’t really have much of a disagreement here. And just to clarify, I was calling this Jim Zebora pretentious, not you. (I think it’s a fair criticism of someone who would leave half a Stella Artois in the glass because it’s too cold — lighten up and just wait a few minutes, man!)
posted by donn on August 3rd, 2007 at 10:06 pmi like your style big donn. and that is fair criticism, beer that is too cold? cruise-azeee.
posted by nymbani yangu on August 4th, 2007 at 12:02 amIn 1950s Ass Arbor, one was served a puree of honey and hamburger, and then was beaten raw.
Fifty-seven years later, one of the victims loved his abuse.
posted by Morbidly Midwestern on August 4th, 2007 at 2:30 amA college roommate of mine worked at Ashleys. Every night he’d come home and empty his backpack of hamburger, roast beef, buns, bags of fries, jars of pickles, coffee, etc.. I told him he was gonna get caught. He was confident he wouldn’t but sure enough he was. But probably after feeding half the house for a year.
The best temperature for beer is to fill a bucket with half ice and half water. By the time you reach the park spot half way home its perfect. Sans thermometer.
posted by Ypsidweller on August 5th, 2007 at 9:41 pm