"Casseroles have an image problem."
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:37 pm
Great opening line in this NY Times article. It very much reminded me of the list of things Bob told me he would not eat on one of our first dates. It was a list that included olives, artichokes, corn tortillas, sourdough bread, blue cheese, pickles, and soup or stew of any kind, among other things. He ended the list with, "oh, and casseroles." So for years, soups were "_____ with broth", stews were 'braises' and casseroles were 'one-dish meals'. By the time he caught on it was too late--he now liked these foods. But the reason he didn't was the very problem alluded to in the article, an over-reliance on gimmicky shortcuts badly executed by the women before me who fed him.
I don't actually make many casseroles just because I tend to prefer more contrasting flavors and textures on a plate as a rule. Which is why when I do go casserole, it's a treat. The few I repeat--and I don't use a recipe, just make out of things on hand so every version's different--is a variation on my evil stepmother's 'Viva la Chicken' which did indeed come off the back of a Campbell's soup can. Essentially, hers was a white enchilada pie. My versions don't use canned soup, but I did love Betty's right-off-the-can model which is why I still make a similar, but better and more complex, enchilada pie today. I would also sing the praises of many recipes posted here on FLDG--Mike Filigenzi's tuna and noodle casserole, and an extremely complex Morroccan chicken dish posted by Paul Winalski many moons ago.
The article is a great reminder of how complex and classy a great casserole can be.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/dining/the-casserole-catches-up.html?src=dayp&_r=0
I don't actually make many casseroles just because I tend to prefer more contrasting flavors and textures on a plate as a rule. Which is why when I do go casserole, it's a treat. The few I repeat--and I don't use a recipe, just make out of things on hand so every version's different--is a variation on my evil stepmother's 'Viva la Chicken' which did indeed come off the back of a Campbell's soup can. Essentially, hers was a white enchilada pie. My versions don't use canned soup, but I did love Betty's right-off-the-can model which is why I still make a similar, but better and more complex, enchilada pie today. I would also sing the praises of many recipes posted here on FLDG--Mike Filigenzi's tuna and noodle casserole, and an extremely complex Morroccan chicken dish posted by Paul Winalski many moons ago.
The article is a great reminder of how complex and classy a great casserole can be.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/dining/the-casserole-catches-up.html?src=dayp&_r=0