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Is This The Most Disgusting Recipe Ever?
Published on: July 2, 2009 – 10:06 am by Jillian Madison 
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Many people consider British chef Elizabeth David to be one of the most influential culinary writers of the past century. She revolutionized the way people thought about food, and introduced a nation to many new flavors and ingredients. When she died in 1992, her collection of personal cookbooks were donated to London’s Guildhall library. As it turns out, many of the books contained post-it notes with Elizabeth’s snarky commentary and “bitchy annotations” – including one where she called a recipe the “most revolting dish ever devised.”
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PREPARE THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Italian salad:
1 pint cold cooked macaroni
½ pint cooked or tinned pears
½ pint grated raw carrot
French dressing to moisten
2 heaped tablespoons minced onion
½ pint cooked or minced string beans
Mix the chopped macaroni and vegetables; moisten with French dressing, flavoring with garlic if liked. Serve on a dish lined with lettuce leaves. Decorate with mayonnaise and minced pimento or chives.
Bottom line: I wouldn’t eat it! The combination of pears, mayonnaise, pasta, and the word “moisten” makes me ill. While it does sound disgusting, I’ve definitely seen more disgusting recipes being prepared on the Food Network. I get the feeling Elizabeth David only referred to this Italian Salad as “the most revolting dish ever” because she’d never seen a Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade cookbook.
I agree, it’s enough to gag a maggot.
Disgusting . . . yet still very Sandy-esque.
haha She hates the word “moisten”
(but what of Miss Moist of Knightsbridge ?)
With the french dressing, all mixed up the salad would look like (sorry if you’re eating) vomit. rrreeetttccchhhhhhhh
I totally remember my great grandmother making a recipe similar to this. I do not really get the whole mayonnaise and pear combination but apparently someone out there likes it…
“Cooked or minced string beans”?? Makes no sense. Cooked, minced string beans maybe. But who minces string beans !? Pears and macaroni …BLERGH. French Dressing on “Italian” salad makes me think ED had some form of ADD.
O ya, fer shure. This would tOHt’lly be served at a niice MINNeSOHt’n er Fargo, Nor’DakOHta church lunch’n, don’cha know. Right along with some chick’n HOT dish and a niiice green Jell-o salad with carr’ts ‘n cel’ry.
:-D
OK, Lana. Back off the Jell-O & celery salad. I love that white trash shit.
I’m so tempted to toss this salad (hehe) together, but my gag reflex is on a hairpin trigger.
Too bad she died, otherwise she would make a great contestant on some lame Food Network program. I’d bet Gina Neely would like this salad though.
Elizabeth David did not write the recipe–she called it the “most revolting dish ever devised” I agree it’s pretty revolting but she never ate an American school lunch.
That sounds truly gross. Pears and French dressing – ugh. It’s a good thing ED is dead because both Aunt Sandy and Ray Ray would be serious contenders in the Most Disgusting Recipe Ever contest.
Have you never picked up an old cookbook or copy of Workbasket Magazine from the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s? The top three ingredients are mayo, jello and Cool-Whip (sometimes all three), and sound like a MidWestern Church Pot Luck. Or tomaine poisioning, take your pick. No wonder Aunt Sandy has a following.
Well you managed to do it, mention Elizabeth David and Sandra-Lee in the same sentence!
It ranks right up there with Paula Deen’s HAM AND BANANA casserole. ****shudder****
My mother ACTUALLY made that and said, “It was good, but you had to eat it pretty quick before the bananas turned all brown…”
*re-shudder*
Ham and banana casserole?!? Oh that’s gross.
Why am I tempted to make this “ham and banana casserole” now? Might be a lurvly addition to our Fourth of July spread tomorrow… HA!
$2 says Sandra Lee will be making this on her next season of Money Saving Meals. “Serving all the courses in one pan saved me $14.93 and that includes an bottle of Tums!!”
I’m glad Elizabeth never had to witness the dreaded “KURTAIN KRAFT,” let alone any of Sandy’s monstrosities.
Gross, but not as bad as Paula Deen’s Lady’s Brunch Burger.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paulas-home-cooking/the-ladys-brunch-burger-recipe/index.html
Actually it shouldn’t be as bad as you think if using a REAL French dressing, which is traditionally a vinaigrette (I don’t how the American deformation came into existence, but it insults the whole French nation), and to ‘moisten’ is rather an old term meaning to lightly coat with a liquid other than a batter; ‘wet’ dressings, marinades, etc. But what the hell do I know?
Um, there is a comment on the original Guardian post that notes ‘pears’ should actually be ‘peas’. I doubt it will make much difference in this revolting recipe.