Good morning spam!

And I'm there with you on about half of this. I know it's not good, but a holiday dinner without Green Bean Casserole just seems wrong. It breaks my brain just to ponder that such a possibility could exist.

Good morning spam!

And I'm there with you on about half of this. I know it's not good, but a holiday dinner without Green Bean Casserole just seems wrong. It breaks my brain just to ponder that such a possibility could exist.

johnharrow, your spam link for various for-profit cooking schools just happens to coincide with the recent publication of this New York Times article on how such schools are huge ripoffs. Which school do you work for?

I've always hated green bean casserole. Now that i have my "own" thanksgiving, NO WAY is that stuff allowed. It looks like a sinus issue.
However, I disagree with the indictment of Berger cookies.. The cookie itself is just a polite way to get your icing fix. You know instead of a spoon and a container.Yes, I've gone that route.

The first time I encountered Berger cookies, I greeted them the same way I would a ten year-old's best baking efforts: with polite enthusiasm, admiration for her spatula skills, and appreciative of her generosity with the icing. But it would never occur to ask for the recipe.

Green bean casserole seems like the last vestige of bomb-shelter cuisine, when you only have on hand canned green beans, canned mushrooms, and canned onions.

As for jello, the rendered animal parts are probably the best part of the product.

Ms. V, obviously you haven't been to one of New York's more popular delis, like the Stage or the Carnegie, over the years. Tongue has always been a staple of numerous sandwiches, paired with corned beef, pastrami, salami and/or Swiss cheese, heaped with cole slaw,slathered with Russian dressing. It's hardly making a comeback when it's never been away.

The green bean casserole: What is up with that? The same thing as sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top? Gross. What's wrong with just green beans and sweet potatoes by themselves? They're both great just on their own.

What's wrong with just green beans and sweet potatoes by themselves? They're both great just on their own.

If you're talking about fresh produce, most certainly.

But I can only guess that the casserole versions arose out of a need to cover up or dress up that the produce in question most likely came out of a can.

potpie, but for the green bean casserole, there would be no place for Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup (or any other soup, for that matter) at Thanksgiving.

BOO on Berger Cookies - every time I share them outside the state they are a HUGE hit - the first thing my mom used to ask when I got off the plane (they lived in Nevada) was "Did you bring the Berger Cookies? If not, get back on the plane." Getting rid of Berger Cookies is like saying "HEY Who Needs Old Bay?"

Green bean casserole is a staple at our holiday table. Just like the cranberry sauce that comes out of the can looking like the can.

Since I've left my mother's home, I've learned to appreciate, cook and like fresh veggies, but I'll always have a soft spot for those two items.

Agree on the Bergers. Blech. One bite is too much. I'd much rather have a good bakery chocolate top!

Oh LV, I really wish you didn't ruin Berger Cookies for me. When indulging in a treat like that, its best not to know whats in them. I fear I will never look at them the same way again.

There are a ton of good recipes out there for green bean casserole. In fact, many have been "modernized" to omit the cream of mushroom soup and crispy onion toppings. The same goes for sweet potato casserole. Blah to the marshmallow topping. I use light brown sugar and pecans....so yummy!

Joyce...I'll take a good chocolate top over a Berger cookie too. My fav are from Giant!

While the green bean casserole is not usually part of the Thanksgiving table in my family, it is good ol' comfort food.

But the cranberry sauce that comes out of a can is a staple on our Turkey Day table, along with the real thing. Some in the family just like the canned stuff better.

At our last Thanksgiving dinner, a guest brought a wonderful sweet potato casserole that had pecans, coconut, brown suger - was heavenly!

Of course, she also brought the marshmallow topped version - her husband protested the "modern" version!

Re: #5 -- pickles using yellow dye. I avoid that by home canning my own... oh, wait. I guess that's a food trend that just shouldn't be brought back.

OK, I'll take back the canning comment. LV

Yikes! Can't disagree with you more! My green bean casserole is delicious and Berger cookies are a guilty pleasure. (And if you ask me, the ingredients are no worse than pretty much any dessert you buy at the grocery store!)

Down with Green bean casserole. I couldn't agree more.

Berger Cookies, though... As a DC transplant to Baltimore, there are few foods that are truly Baltimore to me: Berger Cookies, Pit Beef, Snowballs are a few that come to mind. I'll take the cookies over them all.

Speaking of chocolate tops, in my opinion, and of my coworkers, the best chocolate tops are from Parisers bakery in Pikesville. They set the standard IMO. http://www.parisersbakery.com/

BaltBabs & M&M I agree with both of your choices for chocolate tops. In addition, Sinai's marketplace sells an awesome one but I have no idea what supplier they come from.

Reading the ingredients for Berger Cookies is like reading the ingredients for scrapple. Don't do it!

Joyce - Shhh! You know what happens once you proclaim your fondess for something!

you gotta be kidding me...

Berger cookies are great bc you only need to eat one!

green zebra striped tomatoe/german striped tomato is like sugar... don't knock em cause you can't grow em

la lenqua tacos at tortillaria sinaloa are the best.

We'll have to agree to disagree on the Bergers and la lengua. But I'm willing to be converted on the Striped Germans. What's your secret? LV

Trixie! You are right! Darn it! Now there will never be a chocolate top to be had again! Wish I'd remember to stop proclaiming my fondness for things!

hmmm captcha Nostradamus says quatrain 1972.

Berger cookies are topped with a mediocre substitute for good fudge. I'd rather just buy some fudge and dig in.

I like tomato aspic. I mean not alone, that is just wierd, but it really is good with chicken salad.

Re: Pickles

Head out of the condiments aisle, and head to the refrigerated deli section. There you will find Claussen pickles. I just checked our jar, and no dye, just potassium sorbate as a perservative.

Joyce, what's a chocolate top?

I have an idea but since this is a food blog, it is probably wrong. ;)

4. Berger cookies
I know this is heresy in these parts. But do you want frosting on cookies? A blob of frosting as thick as the cookie itself? Then there's the matter of what goes into them. From the company Web site: "Ingredients: sugar, flour (bleached), water, fudge (partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil) cocas (natural processed with akali) margarine (partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil) corn syrup, eggs (FDC yellow 5 & 6) corn starch, milk (non-fat), artificial flavor, salt." Does that sound yummy?

YES, YES IT DOES!

probably not what you're thinking, Stacy! LOL! it's a delicous cookie with a blob of chocolate on top. It's sort of like Berger's in that they're both cookies and both topped with chocolate, but it's much less chocolate and much less sweet. Sort of like a star tipped icing bag put the chocolate on top of a pretty plain cookie.

Eddie's on Charles Street has them. Chocolate tops, that is.

Hmmmmm...now I'm wondering if chocolate tops are a Baltimore thing too?

Stacy, here's a link to an assorted cookie picture. I'm sure you can figure out which ones are the chocolate tops. :-)
http://www.parisersbakery.com/category_s/3.htm?searching=Y&sort=13&cat=3&show=10&page=2

What about Zotz? Zots are like Poprocks, but encased in hard candy.

Thanks--I learned something new today. I never knew those cookies were called chocolate tops.

Me too Dahlink! As soon as I read that childhood memories came rushing back. I loved those cookies. Wasn't there a bakery/stall in Lexington market that used to sell them? I can recall them being packaged in those little white boxes.

Trixie, there are no childhood memories of Lexington market for me, but I've seen those cookies at my local Giant bakery from time to time.

Chocolate tops over Berger cookies?!?! Are you kidding me?!?!

We had our first Berger cookies at a wedding a couple weeks back. Turns out... they're delicious!!!

sean, your taste buds must be on strike. berger cookies taste like crap, just the worst artificial garbage. guess what? that's what they are made from:

Ingredients: sugar, flour (bleached), water, fudge (partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil) cocas (natural processed with akali) margarine (partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil) corn syrup, eggs (FDC yellow 5 & 6) corn starch, milk (non-fat), artificial flavor, salt.

mmm... cottonseed oil margarine, just like my robot mother used to make. garbage garbage garbage

tree elf, thanks for the clarification. Here I thought they were made out of oat bran, kale, and multivitamins. Silly me! And thanks for pointing out that I'm wrong about how I think they taste - I really needed that useful bit of info as well.

I'm sure you can imagine how I must feel.

that's not me

Okay, well, that one was less funny. And regulars who are familiar with my posts know better.

Wait a minute... tree elf, huh? I think I know your opposition to Berger cookies now...

Sean, just change your handle to Da real Sean. That should help :-)

BaltBabs, the preview said "Sean, just change your handle to Da"--I thought you were going to advise him to appropriate my name!

I have to admit, it's a wee bit disorienting having to argue with myself...

How about "Sean fo sho"?

Malkovich Malkovich?