Food Mysteries

My mother was a thrifty cook and growing up in the fifties we had many meals that were concocted to feed six ravenous children. One was called Summer Slungullion. I know! It is stewed fresh tomatoes, corn cut fresh off the cob, hamburger meat and macaroni. All cooked together with a dash of worcestershire sauce. 

My mothers nod to exotic food was chop suey. An extra pork chop was cooked and the next night it was cut into pieces and combined with onions, celery, pork gravy, and bean sprouts. It was served over rice with rice noodles and a hard boiled egg sliced on the top. This accounts for my occasional cravings for hard boiled eggs sprinkled with soy sauce. Strange.

I love chinese food and I have spent many great lunch hours in Cleveland's Asian neighborhoods eating at the local restaurants. I have never seen a hard boiled egg on top of any food, which puzzled me until a couple weeks ago when I was looking for a peach pie recipe and came across the LaChoy pamphlet dated 1949.  Mystery solved.

Now does anyone have a good peach custard pie recipe? My mother made one that had a carmelly bottom and a custard filling with a crumb top. Yummy!

And next time we will talk about jelly on top of fried eggs.