Yes, I
bought an Air Fryer after
Hucker (restaurant owning son) got one for
Christmas and regaled us with pics and testimonials. So, what's
the first thing I did? That's right, I took the chicken from a TV
Dinner and cooked it ala carte. I know, a famous gourmand
(shucks) does not mess with frozen dinners, but there is a back story
here.
The original T.V. dinner was introduced in 1953 and sold for
a whopping, even
prohibitive (in our houses) 98 cents.
Cutting
to the chase, I saved my money and bought one prior to a weekend
Boy
Scout camp-out at Chicago's Camp Fort Dearborn (which was located near
O'Hare
field, and I have more stories about that).
I wanted the cooking merit
badge, and figured this was the best way to get'er done. I cooked
it
by covering the tin foil package with hot coals, and prior to
calling the Scout master over to verify my cookery, placed the dinner
in my mess kit. It got raves, and I got my merit badge.
This is all
true. So, to this day, I have an affinity for what is now called a Hungry Man dinner -- which, by the
way, actually does produce a fairly crisp chicken in the microwave. But
not crisp enough.
Anyway, after reading the basic instructions for the Air Fryer, I
plucked the chicken out of the package and cooked it for 5 minutes, or
so, while the rest of the dinner was spinning in the microwave.
The
result was impressive, and I have since had this meal twice more.
By
the buy, I bought the
Power Air Fryer XL (5.3 QT Deluxe, Black). It's
actually just a mini convection oven, but heats up quickly and is great
for reheating pizza.
You're welcome
|
|
|
The TV dinner was indeed introduced in 1953. It's popularity really took off the following year during the Army-McCarthy hearings. One of the questions McCarthy asked of the Army, and which has never been satisfactorily answered, was "Who Promoted Peress?" Dr. Irving Peress was a dentist at Ft. Monmouth, NJ, part of the Signal Corps. Peress was promoted despite it being known that he had been a communist. So, who, knowing that, would have promoted him?
ReplyDeleteAmericans wanted to know the answer to that question, and put up with TV dinners rather than miss a minute of the hearings.
By 1964 the novelty had worn off a bit, and competition had set in: so when I was attending UNM I lived mostly on TV dinners costing $0.25. Sometimes there was a sale at Globe Discount City, and I could get 6 for $1.00!
ReplyDeleteSomehow back then those TV dinners didn't make me fat. Maybe it was because I didn't have (and couldn't afford,) a TV!
Hungry Man chicken dinners were the only ones I would eat back in the day, mostly because they didn't contain peas or carrots. Fried chicken, Corn, whippers, and a desert made my favorite dinner. Not so sure about the air-fryer idea after reading reviews at Amazon regarding low quality of the product materials, but if you are having fun with it, no matter what others think.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, congrat's on the merit badge! Smart move for a clever kid.
ReplyDeleteFrench fries, onion rings, tempura! Anything breaded yes!
ReplyDeleteYou just have to watch the temps as it's a bit easy to overheat.
-Marc M
'Sorry, Raja, but your story of fraudulently obtaining your cooking merit badge reminds me of one of my favorite quotes. What you did wasn't cooking; it was heating, in the same way that Hemingway said, about the work of Jack Kerouac, "That's not writing. That's typing."
ReplyDeleteIT WAS THE CHICAGO WAY.
ReplyDelete