Midwestern Taco Party

About 4 or 5 years ago, I was at a house party talking to my friend Laura about the foods that we grew up with. Both of us hail from the Middle West - she from Carmel, Indiana and me from the Illinois suburbs, so we started laughing about some of the similar dishes that we had. As a kid, I always admired the homes in which the mom made "cool" food, like Mac-n-Cheese, Sloppy Joe's, and that ethnic wonder, Tacos. I knew nothing of authentic Mexican food (nothing like that was available near where we lived) - so what I learned was that taco shells came out of a box - uniform, yellow and crunchy, and that you prepared ground beef by adding packets of powdery seasoning to them. Layered on top were sour cream, tomatoes, onions, and grated cheese - and if you were really exotic, black olives.





We came up with the idea of the Midwestern Taco party, featuring all of those dishes from the 70's and 80's that we all knew growing up. Last weekend, Laura made it a reality, and it was so much fun preparing these familiar but almost forgotten foods. My contribution to the menu was Mac-n-Cheese, Green Bean Casserole, and Pigs in Blankets. Shopping was an adventure - I was able to complete my list for under $50 and with not one item from the produce aisle. I had to ask for things that I had never bought before - Velveeta, French's Fried Onions, Lil' Smokies. I wasn't even sure where to look - did Velveeta live on a shelf or in the refrigerated section? Answer: in the refrigerated section, but I think that was a courtesy to give customers the illusion of buying something real.





Preparation was easy and rewarding. The cheese melted so easily for the mac and cheese, and it made a ton! Same thing with the Green Bean Casserole. The Pigs in Blankets took a little bit of technique, what with the slicing and rolling of the dough. All in all, though, I understood why these dishes became popular in the first place. Cheap, plentiful, easy, and using ingredients with an indefinite shelf life - yeah, makes perfect sense. I could see women putting their dusty copies of Mastering the Art of French Cooking on the top shelf, and replacing it with boxes of elbow macaroni and jars of cheese spread. This type of cooking is less about cooking and more about assembly, and it is very satisfying. Too bad it leaves a brick in your stomach and guarantees a lifetime of doctors visits - because it tastes so gosh darned good! Just make sure to have plenty of water around, because the salt content is off the charts.

A few more highlights/lowlights from the event: Fluffernutters, Tater Tots, Fish Sticks, Deviled Eggs, and (ugh) Jello Salad. Is it any surprise that after two decades of eating this way, Lycra was introduced into sportwear? God Bless America.