The Past Is Not Prologue

Some readers may remember the food world of the 1950’s in the U.S.

In my lower-middle class New England family, a piece of well-done beef or meat loaf, accompanied by instant mashed potatoes topped with canned tomatoes, next to a mound of canned peas was a Saturday’s-only treat. Hot dogs and beans were more common.

During the week, TV dinners were enthusiastically welcomed as a symbol of modern sophistication. Our nod to “ethnic” food included spaghetti topped with jarred tomato sauce, meatballs, and cakey parmesan powder poured from a green, cardboard cylinder.

An excursion into exotica was accomplished via cans of Chop Suey—hunks of chicken, peppers, mushrooms, celery and “exotic” bean sprouts suspended in a soy-flavored, corned-starch thickened sauce—served over Uncle Ben’s converted rice.

Chopped iceberg lettuce and tomato wedges were a salad. If fruit appeared at all it was suspended in Jello. Wonder Bread was indeed wonderful

Times have changed.