DAILY DIRT: Chop Suey, French dressing and German chocolate cake are as American as hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolets

Daily Dirt for Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024

I can’t remember the last time I had chop suey … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,120 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Believe it not, these “foreign” foods are actually American:

• Chop suey: No, it’s not Chinese. It was invented in 1896 in New York City.
• Chimichanga: Mexican, you say? Wrong. A chimichanga is simply a deep-fried burrito and originated in an Arizona restaurant in the 1920s.
• English muffins: British? Another resounding no. In 1880, a guy named Samuel Thomas opened a bakery in New York City. Thomas, an English immigrant, invented a variation of ye olde English crumpet, but unlike those this new American offering was halved and toasted. Thomas’ Original English Muffins still carry his name, but the company that produces them is a Mexican firm named Grupo Bimbo.
• French dressing is not French: What Americans call “French dressing” is made up of different properties than the true French dressing. It was invented in Pittsburgh in 1925 by Kraft.
• German chocolate cake is not German: This dessert has absolutely no connection with Germany. It’s named after Samuel German, an English-born confectioner who developed a variety of baking chocolate in 1852. The original recipe was called “German’s chocolate cake,” but the “s” was eventually dropped from his name at some point by producer General Foods.
• Swiss steak is not Swiss: A Swiss steak is tenderized and braised in a sauce, but this offering is completely unknown in Switzerland. It became popular in the U.S. in the 1920s.
• Russian dressing is not Russian: This dressing has nothing to do with Russian cuisine, but its early version included caviar. This is likely where the origin of the name emerged. What Americans refer to as Russian dressing was invented in New Hampshire and started being sold in 1910.

2. Did you know (Part 193)

That most people think the T-Rex can’t clap because its arms are too short, but it’s actually because they are all dead.

That it’s difficult to tell what season it is when walking through a Walmart this time of the year. In all probability, you will see pallets of Thanksgiving goodies, Halloween candy, pool floaties and Christmas lights.

That Eric Clapton’s 1970 monster hit “After Midnight” was a cover of a J.J. Cale song that did nothing on the charts in 1966.

That “Some Kind of Wonderful” by Grand Funk Railroad in 1974 was actually recorded first by the Soul Brothers Six in 1967.

That former champ Kevin Harvick has a pretty solid idea how to revamp the current NASCAR postseason format:

•  The regular-season points leader gets an automatic spot among the Championship Four.
•  The runner-up in the regular-season points race gets an automatic berth in the 8-car semifinals.
•  The third-place driver in regular-season points earns a spot among the final 12.
•  The fourth-place driver in regular-season points goes to the final 16.

Someone put Harvick in charge — right now.

3. From time to time, The Daily Dirt likes to spotlight the costs(s) of living on certain items from different decade. Today, we look at the 1950s:

• A new car would have cost you $1,500 to $2,500 (not a month, that would have been the total cost.)
• Minimum wage reached $1 per hour before the end of the decade.
• The average salary for a U.S. worker was $3,500 per year.
• A wedding would have cost the parents of the bride $2,000.
• Four years of college would have cost $3,200 to $4,000. (Yeah, things have definitely changed.)
• The monthly cost of groceries for a family of four was $30. (I currently spend more than that a WEEK just for snacks.)

Steve Thought O’ The Day — For all wives out there: Cook a husband a meal and you’ll both eat for a night. Teach a husband to cook and you’ll be cleaning up your kitchen for a week.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. We would like to wish a happy birthday to Muddy Buddy Brittany Boll!