A2ZRecipes.net

Good morning to everyone and welcome to your Wednesday edition of A to Z Recipes newsletter. As luck would have it, both Linda and I are away today, so this issue was prepared in advance and scheduled to reach your inbox bright and early this morning. Linda is attending the wedding of her daughter (being officiated by her son in his first ceremony after being ordained a minister!). I am probably pulling my hair out while chaperoning a field trip with my 2 teens and a baker's dozen of their friends in Arlington and Dallas, Texas. So, while Linda is proudly giving a child away, I am wishing I could, lol.

Can you believe it? Today is the last day of May. Where did the month go? Andy Rooney (of 60 Minutes fame) was correct when he said "I've learned... that life is like a roll of toilet paper - the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes." While I hope to be around for many more years, it does seem that time is flying by me these days. If you have forgotten, our Monthly Theme topic of Regional Recipes - Food From Home ends today. Since I won't return from my trip until late Thursday, you get a little reprieve, so get those recipes to me no later than Friday morning. I will hopefully have time to get them all organized for the theme issue posting on Sunday.

Today's issue was so much fun for Linda, Fancy, and me as it focuses on an ingredient that we rarely use, but know some of you do. Now, Linda admits it is not likely to pass her lips. Fancy has her lips sealed. I, on the other hand, need some help in getting it past mine. Some creativity (and recipes for making me forget what it is) is in order. I believe you will agree that Linda has given us lots of help with a generous helping of humor. Here's Linda!

Hi from Linda in Michigan. There is no middle of the road regarding the star of this issue. You either like it or it will never pass your lips. Dare I say it? SPAM. You know that stuff in a blue can that has been in your pantry just in case there is a nuclear war. Mr. Mike likes it a lot. He is gracious enough to make it while I am in the hospital or gone to stay with one of our kids for a few days. My friend, Don, (the Canadian alien in our internet group) simmers it in orange glaze. I’m sure he'd make it for the Queen if she came to visit. My son, Mark, loves it as a fried sandwich. There is no accounting for some people's taste. In all fairness, I can‘t give you my opinion other than I can't stand the smell of it frying, so I sure am not going to chew it. I did find some rather interesting facts and recipes for Spam. (I may never look at a box of Jell-O the same way again.) If you are a Spam Fan, turn on your printer. The rest of us are going out to eat.

"Spam! How could we forget Spam, the canned meat that conquered the world! So highly esteemed in Korea that Hormel makes specially-decorated cases for gift giving there! Spam: the Pork Byproduct that fueled the US Army in WWII and soothed hungry London bellies in the Battle of Britain! So universally recognized that even today - twenty five years after it's first broadcast - Monty Python's Spam Sketch is an intrinsic part of Anglo/American pop culture! No, we couldn't forget Spam at all...no matter how hard we try!"
~Seanette Blaylock

Oh SPAM™! Oh SPAM™! Gourmet delight!
My food by day, my dreams by night.
To carve, to slice, to dice you up -
pureed in a blender and sipped from a cup.

What shining deity from Olympus knelt
down to the earth and hog butt smelt?
Creating then man's eternal desire
for swine entrails congealed by fire.

On some corporate farm, a pig has died.
Eyes, tongue, and snout end up inside
that cube of SPAM™ hidden in the can
I now hold in my trembling hand.

More than mere food, SPAM™ is for me
a hedonistic expression of gluttonous glee.
Mottled with pork fat, the pink cube engrosses.
My mouth takes it in, my intestine disposes.

Long have my arteries clogged to the sound
of sizzling SPAM™ when there's no one around -
furtively chewing or swallowing whole.
Triple bypass by forty, my medical goal.

Other processed meat products I've tried or declined
Vienna Sausages, Treet, even pig's feet in brine.
Though each may be tasty in different ways,
none matches SPAM™ for gelatinous glaze.

That glistening pinkness beckons me
with gristle, fat, and BHT.
Oh SPAM™! Oh SPAM™! - the taste, the smell!
The sacred meat product, from Hormel.

Author Unknown

SPAM

Source: http://www.cusd.claremont.edu/~mrosenbl/spam.html

Hormel developed America's first canned ham (''Hormel Flavor-Sealed Ham'') in 1926, and eleven years later developed the first canned meat product that did not require refrigeration. It was a ''distinctive chopped pork shoulder and ham mixture'' developed by Jay C. Hormel, son of Hormel founder George A. Hormel, and marketed as ''Hormel Spiced Ham'' - not a terribly inspiring name for an innovative product fated to save lives, win wars, and balance diets of people world wide. 

Hormel Spiced Ham got off to a slightly rocky start. Other meatpackers began to introduce their own canned luncheon meats, and Hormel lost its controlling share of the market. Soon, however, they came up with a cunning plan to rectify this situation - they would give Hormel's luncheon meat a truly catchy name. Toward this end, they offered $100 for a suitable appellation. The winning name was, of course, ''SPAM'', and a legend was born. 

SPAM was launched with much high-profile advertising in mid-1937. It was called ''the Miracle Meat'', and promoted as an anytime meat. In 1940, SPAM was the subject of quite possibly the first singing commercial. The jingle was to the tune of the chorus of ''My Bonny Lies Over The Ocean'', and the lyrics were ''SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM/ Hormel's new miracle meat in a can/ Tastes fine, saves time./ If you want something grand,/ Ask for SPAM!''. Hormel also sponsored George Burns' and Gracie Allen's network radio show, which included ''Spammy the Pig''. During World War II, sales boomed. Not only was SPAM great for the military, as it required no refrigeration, it wasn't rationed as beef was, so it became a prime staple in American meals. SPAM supported the war effort more directly, too. Nikita Kruschev credits SPAM with the survival of the Russian Army during WWII. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Hormel Girls performing troupe advertised SPAM as they performed throughout the country, distributed SPAM door-to-door, and even had a national weekly radio show. Ads proclaimed, ''Cold or hot, SPAM hits the spot!'' 

In 1960, SPAM began to be sold in 7 oz cans alongside the original 12 oz ones. SPAM began to spawn variations in 1971, when smoke-flavored SPAM was introduced. Next came less salt/sodium SPAM, in 1986, and with it the honor of being considered ''state of the art in its industry'' by the Minnesota Association of Commerce and Industry." In the early 1990s, SPAM Breakfast Strips were introduced, as was SPAM lite. 

What now awaits us on the SPAM front? Only time (and possibly Hormel) will tell.

More SPAM Goodies...

If laid end to end, five billion cans of SPAM would circle the earth 12.5 times

Spam is available in a variety of choices: Spam Lite, Spam Less Salt, Smoked Spam, the new Roasted Turkey Spam, as well as the good ol' Original Spam.

SPAM luncheon meat was introduced to the public in 1937.

On March 22, 1994, Hormel Foods Corporation celebrated the production of its five billionth can of SPAM. Five billion cans of SPAM would feed a family of four, three meals a day for 4,566,210 years.

This mixer is great! I got my order in and couldn't wait to try it. WOW! You have GOT to try it for yourself! The flavor and convenience are top shelf!
~Maggie~

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F-R-E-E SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS !

Source: www.stampo.com

With that in mind...
Pink tender morsel,
Glistening with salty gel.
What the hell is it?

Ears, snouts and innards, A homogeneous mass.
Pass another slice.

Cube of cold pinkness
Yellow specks of porcine fat.
Give me a spork please.

Old man seeks doctor.
"I eat SPAM daily", he says.
Angioplasty.

Highly unnatural,
The tortured shape of this "food".
A small pink coffin.

Watch the pink slab fry.
Its grease can lubricate eggs.
Get ketchup ready.

Parts of pigs o' plenty.
Sumptuous feet and tails,
Rub amber gel through hair.

You don't want to know,
What they put in that tin can.
It's scary to think.

Drop a pig in a blender,
Add salt and dye...
The recipe for Spam.

Did you ever wonder,
Where rats go when they die?
Spam knows where they go



Spam-on-a-Rope for people who like to lunch in the shower



SPAM

Shared by Fancy, Aurora, NE

"For my NEXT trick, I'll stuff this SQUID with SPAM!" - Jim Bodle 
"Give me spam or give me death." - Jim Bodle 
"Spam: Slime Posing As Meat" - Jay Leno 
"The ultimate dessert? Spam Jello!" - Jim Bodle 
(starting to chant) Spam spam spam spam spam... 
Chocolate covered spam - a true WARRIOR'S food! 
Cogito, ergo Hormel (I think, therefore I Spam) 
Haggis - Gaelic for Spam. 
Oops, I think Daddy burned the Spam again! 
Petition Hormel to make Spam out of Barney. 
So who put Spam in *your* cornflakes this morning? 
Sometimes you have to wake up and smell the Spam. 
Spam cut into 1/2" slices and dried makes excellent roof shingles. 
Spam doesn't kill people - it outlives them. 
Spam for me, please, with a side of crunchy frog. 
SPAM: (meat) Squirrels, Possum And Mice 
Spam: (S)crap (P)ork, (A)in't (M)eat 
Spam: canned meat you'll SCREAM for! 
Spam: It's not just for breakfast any more. 
Spam: Sound pig makes hitting bottom of elevator shaft. 
Spam: Subsentient Protoplasm Approximating Meatloaf 
Spam: The government definition of meat. 
Spam: The triumph of technology over taste. 
Spam: [S]pecially [P]rocessed [A]nimal-flavored [M]atter. 
The WWF is to sports what Spam is to meat! 
This microdot contains the secret formula for Spam: . 
What does eating have to do with Spam? 

Collected by Bert Christensen

SPAM DIP

Source: www.chef2chef.net

1 can Spam (12 oz.)
3 boiled eggs
1 dill pickle
1/4 onion
1/2 ts mustard mayonnaise

Grind or grate Spam, eggs, pickle and onion. Mix together and add mustard and mayonnaise to consistency. Good served with Ritz crackers.


SPAMMY ENCHILADA RING

Debbie Rhodes

1 Can of Chopped Spam
1/4 Cup chopped pitted ripe olives
1 Cup shredded Monterey Jack/Cheddar Blend Cheese
1 Can (4oz.) chopped green chilies, undrained
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Enchilada Seasoning Mix
2 plum tomatoes
1 lime
2/3 Cup finely crushed tortilla chips, divided
2 pkgs crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix chopped Spam, olives, cheese, green chilies, mayonnaise and seasoning mix in bowl. Seed and chop one tomato. Slice lime in half. Juice one half of lime to measure 1 teaspoon of juice. Reserve remaining lime for garnish. Add chopped tomato and lime juice to Spam mixture. Reserve 2 Tablespoons crushed chips and add remaining chips to Spam mixture. Mix well. Sprinkle reserved crushed chips over flat side of a large cutting board. Place dough onto chips and press down so chips adhere to dough. Separate dough into triangles. Arrange triangles, chip side down, in a circle, on a 13” baking stone. Wide ends should overlap in the center and points should be toward the outside. There should be a 5 “ diameter opening in the center. Scoop Spam mixture onto the wide ends of the triangles. Bring points of the triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends. Do not cover filing completely. It should show in between each triangle. Bake 20 -25 minutes or until golden brown. For garnish, cut remaining tomato into 8 wedges. Cut remaining half of line into 4 slices, cut in half. Arrange between openings of ring where filling is showing. Serve with salsa and sour cream (if desired).


SPAM JELL-O

Source: www.cooks.com

1 lg. box lemon or lime Jell-O
1 lg. can Spam or Treat
1 med. onion, chopped
1/2 c. boiling water
1/2 c. ice cold water
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 c. relish (pickle, corn, etc.)
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 drops Tabasco

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add cold water, mayonnaise and sour cream to Jell-O. Chop Spam; add to Jell-O with remaining ingredients. Chill until firm. Makes 6 to 8 servings. This recipe is excellent on a hot day.


HEARTY BEAN SOUP

Source: www.pitt.edu

2 cups dried pinto beans, wash and soak overnight
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
1 20oz can SPAM, cubed ?”
2 tbsp chili powder1 quart water 
3 bay leaves 
2 (13-oz) cans tomato juice 
1 tsp oregano 
1 (14-oz) can chicken stock 
1 tsp cumin
1 medium onion, chopped 
1 tsp thyme

In 4-quart saucepan add all ingredients; stir to blend. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until soup is thickened (3 to 4 hours). Remove bay leaves. 

Yield: 6 servings 


CREAMED SPAM PLATE SPECIAL

Source: www.hormel.com 

1 can SPAM® Classic (12 oz.), diced 
1/3 cup flour
2 1/4 cups milk 
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
salt, and pepper, to taste
8 eggs fried, scrambled or poached 
8 slices of bread or English muffins, toasted

In large skillet, over medium-high heat, fry SPAM® until lightly browned; stirring often. Drain SPAM® on paper towels. Return SPAM® to pan and sprinkle with the flour, stirring to coat. Whisk in the milk and mustard. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Season, as desired, with salt and pepper. Prepare eggs, as desired. For each serving, place toast on plate. Top with cooked egg and creamed SPAM® mixture.


COCONUT BEER BATTER SPAM WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Source: www.recipezaar.com

2 3/4 cups flour 
2 tablespoons oil 
2 eggs 
6 ounces cold water 
16 ounces beer, flat
3/4 teaspoon salt 
1 dash pepper 
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 (12 ounce) can Spam 
2 cups shredded coconut 
1 cup raspberry sauce or raspberry jelly 
3 tablespoons horseradish sauce 

Open beer and leave at room temperature overnight. 

Chill beer and then add water, oil and eggs. 

Mix just enough to break the egg yokes. 

In separate bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

Add to liquid ingredients, while stirring slowly. 

Add coconut and stir slowly. 

Prepare deep fryer as directed by manufacturer. 

When oil is ready, dip 1-inch wide strips of Spam in beer batter and deep fry until they float to the surface. 

To make raspberry sauce, combine raspberry syrup or jelly with horseradish sauce in small bowl. 

Dip in raspberry sauce and enjoy.


SPAM MUSUBI

Source: www.foodnetwork.com

Spam is a Hawaiian favorite. While the canned luncheon meat is the butt of jokes in the rest of the country, it's beloved in Hawaii. The state consumes more Spam per capita than any other, 6.9 million cans per year. It's fried, grilled and rolled into rice and wrapped with seaweed to make Spam musubi, a popular Hawaiian snack. 

Just Spam, ma'am 

It's hard to say why Spam is so popular in Hawaii, but many point to World War II, when large quantities of the Hormel product were shipped into the state to help feed military personnel. It became a hit with a local population that already had a taste for pork. The fact that it kept well in the tropical heat helped, too. 

5 cups cooked sushi rice, room temperature 
5 sheets nori, cut in half lengthwise 
1 (12 oz.) can Spam 
6 tbsp soy sauce 
4 tbsp mirin 
4 tbsp sugar 
Furikake, to taste

Cut Spam into 10 slices. Fry until slightly crispy. Remove and drain on plate lined with paper towels. In another pan, combine soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low. Add Spam slices, coating them in the mixture. When mixture has thickened, remove Spam from pan. 

Lay a sheet of nori lengthwise on a clean surface. Moisten lower half of musubi maker (see Note), and place on lower third of nori. Fill musubi maker with rice and press flat until the rice is 3/4-inch high. Sprinkle rice with furikake. Top with slice of Spam. Remove musubi maker and keep in a bowl of warm water to keep it clean and moist. 

Starting at the end towards you, fold nori over Spam and rice stack, and keep rolling until completely wrapped in the nori. Slightly dampen the end of the nori to seal it. Repeat with the other nine Spam slices, making sure to rinse off musubi maker after each use to prevent it from getting too sticky. 

Note: You can also use an empty Spam can that has been opened on both sides for the musubi mold, using your hands (or a piece of Spam) to press down on the rice.

HEALTHY SPAM PEPPERS

Source: www.hormel.com

1 can SPAM® Lite (12-ounce), cubed 
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded zucchini 
1 onion, shredded 
1 carrot, shredded 
2 cloves chopped garlic 
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves 
1 teaspoon dried oregano 
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
1 can diced tomatoes (28-ounce) 
1 1/2 cups instant rice 
1 tablespoon brown sugar 
10 green bell peppers, cored and seeded

In skillet over medium-high heat, saut? SPAM® until lightly browned; remove from skillet. Add cabbage, zucchini, onion, carrot, garlic, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes to skillet. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Drain juice from tomatoes; reserve juice. Add enough water to tomato juice to make 2 cups. Add juice, tomatoes, SPAM®, rice, and brown sugar to vegetable mixture. Cover. Cook 10 minutes. In large saucepan, boil green bell peppers in water 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Fill peppers with SPAM™ mixture.

Nutrition (per serving) 176 Calories 5 Grams Fat 9 Grams Protein 27 Milligrams Cholesterol 25 Grams Carbohydrates 355 Milligrams Sodium

SPAM™ SKILLET CASSEROLE 

Source: www.fbnr.com

2 baking potatoes, cut into 1/8-inch slices 
1 (12-ounce) can SPAM® Lite, cubed
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 (16-ounce) can no-salt-added green beans, drained 
1 (16-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, drained and chopped 1 (5-1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added vegetable juice cocktail
Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray 

Cook potatoes in boiling water 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. In large skillet, cook SPAM® until browned; remove from skillet. Add carrots to skillet; saut? 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion, celery and garlic; saut? until tender. Combine flour, pepper and thyme. Stir flour mixture into vegetable mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add SPAM®, green beans, tomatoes and vegetable juice cocktail. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat; arrange potato slices over top. Spray potato slices with cooking spray. Broil 6 inches from heat source 10 minutes or until golden. 

Nutrients per Serving (1/6 of total recipe) Calories 245 Calories from Fat 29 % Total Fat 8 g Cholesterol 45 mg Carbohydrate 31 g Protein 13 g Sodium 683 mg

RAMEN WITH ONION AND ROASTED PEPPER AND SPAM

Source: www.recipezaar.com

I have added Spam to make this meal an inexpensive lunch for two. Without the meat, it is a nice side dish. The prep time includes waiting for the bell peppers to soften

6 ounces Spam 
1 green bell pepper, roasted, peeled and diced (very easy)
1/2 cup onions, diced 
1 (3 ounce) package ramen noodles 
1 clove garlic, peeled and diced 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1/2 teaspoon butter 

Impale the whole green bell pepper on a long handled fork, making sure that the tangs protrude from the other side. Hold over an open flame until the flesh blisters and starts to turn black. Place the pepper into a paper bag and seal for 15 minutes. Then remove ,and rub the skin that has been loosened by the steam until it comes off. Remove the stem and seeds. Cut the peeled bell pepper into small pieces, add the salt and black pepper, and set aside. 

Bring two cups of water to a boil. 

Melt the butter in the olive oil in a medium sized frying pan, and the saut? the onions. When the onions are nearly transparent, break up the Ramen noodles and add to the boiling water. Do NOT add the contents of the seasoning package. 

Add the Spam, bell pepper, and the garlic to the frying pan and stir for 3 minutes which should give the noodles time to cook. 

Add 1/2 cup of the water from the cooked noodles to the frying pan, drain the noodles and add to the frying pan. Remove the frying pan from the heat and set aside for another minute while the water is being absorbed. 

Served with a side salad or fruit, this will feed two people for lunch.

Linda’s Note: Well, I’m not gonna lie to you. I have never eaten this, so I really can’t say that it is my favorite. What I can say is that I might try this because it has a lot of ingredients that might mask the flavor of the Spam…LOL.

SAVORY INTERNATIONAL SPAM CHEESECAKE

Source: www.hormel.com 

Crust: 
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs 
1/4 cup ground toasted almonds or pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1/4 cup melted butter 

Filling: 
2 (8-ounce) containers garden vegetable flavored cream cheese 
3 eggs 
1/2 cup crumbled tomato basil flavored Feta cheese 
1/2 cup crumbled Blue cheese 
1/4 cup chopped black olives 
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 
1 tablespoon brandy or 1/2 teaspoon brandy extract 
1 SPAM® Classic (12-ounce) can grated 

Topping: 
1 cup sour cream 
2 teaspoons sugar 
1 PATAK'S® Major Grey Mango Chutney (10-ounce) jar pureed 
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds or pine nuts 
Assorted crackers

Preheat oven to 350°F. For crust, in small bowl, combine all crust ingredients. Gently press into bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan or pie plate. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside to cool. Reduce temperature to 300°F. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in next 6 filling ingredients. Gently fold in SPAM® Classic. Pour into prepared crust and bake 50-60 minutes or till center is almost set. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine sour cream and sugar. Spread over cheesecake and bake 10 additional minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool to room temperature. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Before serving, spread chutney over cheesecake and sprinkle with toasted nuts around the outside edge. Cut into thin wedges and serve with assorted crackers. Serves 24.

Nutrition (per serving) 239 Calories 18 Grams Fat 6 Grams Protein 67 Milligrams Cholesterol 14 Grams Carbohydrates 595 Milligrams Sodium

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Maggie's Choice:

Spam The Cookbook (Hardcover)
by Marguerite Patten
Price: $9.95 & eligible for F-R-E-E Super Saver Shipping.



Spam: The Cookbook (Paperback)
by Linda Eggers
Price: $5.95 & eligible for F-R-E-E Super Saver Shipping.



Hawaii's Spam Cookbook (Paperback)
by Ann Kondo Corum
Price: $9.95 & eligible for F-R-E-E Super Saver Shipping



Hawaii's 2nd Spam Cookbook (Paperback)
by Ann Kondo Corum
Priced from $5.49, new and used.



           

          

          

          

     

              

                      





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