There can be many reasons why a dish gets labeled as kitschy cuisine. It could have a kitschy name, be served in a kitschy dish, or it could have been meant as glamorous but ended up disgusting and gross.
It probably also has one of these ingredients:
- Gelatin – which was used to thicken anything and everything and make molds out of ingredients that should never be molded (like tomato soup – yes, I’m looking at you, Shrimp Elegante!)
- Lard – because that was just what they used back then.
- Pimiento – which is in so many recipes, I’m beginning to think housewives were rewarded by the government for serving it. (Add pimiento and get a $100 savings bond!)
- Hard Boiled Eggs – which is so puzzling to me I wrote a separate post about it.
- MSG – aka monosodium glutamate. I don’t really remember the scuttlebutt behind MSG, but when I checked it out on the Mayo Clinic site it said:
Over the years, the FDA has received many anecdotal reports of adverse reactions to foods containing MSG. These reactions — known as MSG symptom complex — include:
- Headache
- Flushing
- Sweating
- Facial pressure or tightness
- Numbness, tingling or burning in the face, neck and other areas
- Rapid, fluttering heartbeats (heart palpitations)
- Chest pain
- Nausea
- Weakness
However, researchers have found no definitive evidence of a link between MSG and these symptoms. Researchers acknowledge, though, that a small percentage of people may have short-term reactions to MSG.
In other words, it may be harmful, or not. You may get a bad reaction from it. Or not. You may… well, you get the idea.
