Swiss steak AND spaghetti for dinner?! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Elizabeth B. · 07-20-2003, 11:41 PM

OK, this has been bothering me for some time now, don't ask why!

In one episode, Alice tells the kids that they are having "swiss steak and spaghetti" for dinner. Why would Alice go through the trouble of making TWO separate main-course-type dishes, instead of just making a lot of either spaghetti *OR* swiss steak?

I mean, both of these dishes use different cooking utensils and pots/pans. Why make all that extra work for herself? Besides, these two meals do NOT go well together!

I don't know---that has just always bothered me for some reason!

Has anyone else noticed this, or am I just crazy?

hawaii five-o · 07-21-2003, 03:02 PM

Maybe they were having leftovers.

Mijada · 07-21-2003, 06:50 PM

Well with 6 kids, she probably couldn't please everybody so she had to make 2 separate dishes so everyone would be happy. You are right though, swiss steak and spaghetti isn't a very good combo.

Cashodeen · 07-22-2003, 09:42 PM

Well ya see... I have a grandmother who will cook something and then cook speghetti on the side--like chicken and spaghetti, Steak and speghetti, ect. She does it almost for every meal! Can you imagine what it is like eating speghetti for the fourth of July with barbequed food?! (of course I passed and ate my mother's edibles.) But my grandmother is a crazy italian. Her example doesn't count.

I've noticed that Alice did this and thought it was a bizarre combination. I can't imagine her cooking seperate things to please everybody. With 9 people in the house, those accomidations just don't usually happen. But maybe! I think it was intended on being the complete meal though. Alice is just a ding-a-ling!

TV Guy · 07-26-2003, 08:34 PM

Swiss steak is served in a tomato-based sauce. So you can serve it over the spaghetti, or with spaghetti on the side. This was not an uncommon meal back in the 60s, but you really don't see it too often any more. It's actually pretty good if prepared well.

And Cashodeen, your grandmother sounds like my kind of lady. I love Italian food. If you put tomato sauce on it, I'll eat it.

Cashodeen · 07-26-2003, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TV Guy
Swiss steak is served in a tomato-based sauce. So you can serve it over the spaghetti, or with spaghetti on the side. This was not an uncommon meal back in the 60s, but you really don't see it too often any more. It's actually quite good if prepared well.

Gosh, that's not how my mother, aunt, grandmother, and all the people before them in my family made Swiss Steak! I'll have to look it up online to see the different ways to prepare it. There obviously must be different ways if you are saying it's served in tomato sauce. The best way I can describe the Swiss Steak I eat is to say that it is in an "au juice" type sauce--more comparable to "roast beef." The drippings from it can even make brown gravy.

Tomato-based Swiss steak?

TV Guy · 07-27-2003, 10:44 AM

Yeah, I've seen a bunch of different recipes for it, and I've had it "au jus" the way you describe. But most of the time, I've had it served in a thicker, tomato-based sauce (tomato-based, but not a full red sauce like pasta sauce). And my guess is that's how old Alice prepared it, too. Because spaghetti really wouldn't work with "au jus".

bandito · 07-27-2003, 11:05 AM

I agree with Cashodeen, the spaghetti is probably served on the side.

TJL · 07-27-2003, 11:32 AM

Steak and spaghetti?

Man that's livin'.

Cashodeen · 07-31-2003, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bandito
I agree with Cashodeen, the spaghetti is probably served on the side.

Yeah, the speghetti would definitely be on the side if the Swiss Steak was the au jus kind (thanks for the correct spelling, TV Guy. DUH.

),which would be a grotesque meal combination anyways. I don't think a lot of us were even familiar with the "tomato sauce" Swiss Steak which is why this thread was made. Afterall, the "au jus" kind with speghetti is wacky (unless of course, you're my grandmother who's wacky anyways

). But since TV Guy taught us about the tomato sauce kind, we can assume Alice did that.

Swiss Steak was invented by the Brits, wasn't it? How did the Italians get ahold of it to mix it with tomato sauce?

Cashodeen · 07-31-2003, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TJL
Steak and spaghetti?

Man that's livin'.

Sam must have given Alice another one of his "deals" on meat for the Brady's to splurge on Steak AND pasta.

fonzie666 · 08-01-2003, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TJL
Steak and spaghetti?

Man that's livin'.

It beats spaghetti and boiled wieniers

Cactus Jack · 08-02-2003, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TJL
Steak and spaghetti?

Man that's livin'.

TJL · 08-02-2003, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cashodeen

Sam must have given Alice another one of his "deals" on meat for the Brady's to splurge on Steak AND pasta.

The things that poor woman has to do to keep that damn family fed!

Man, that's just wrong!

Cactus Jack · 08-02-2003, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TJL
The things that poor woman has to do to keep that damn family fed!

Man, that's just wrong!

07-20-2003, 11:41 PM	#1
Elizabeth B. #1 JAN FAN!!!! Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 03, 2002 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 165	Swiss steak AND spaghetti for dinner?! OK, this has been bothering me for some time now, don't ask why! In one episode, Alice tells the kids that they are having "swiss steak and spaghetti" for dinner. Why would Alice go through the trouble of making TWO separate main-course-type dishes, instead of just making a lot of either spaghetti OR swiss steak? I mean, both of these dishes use different cooking utensils and pots/pans. Why make all that extra work for herself? Besides, these two meals do NOT go well together! I don't know---that has just always bothered me for some reason! Has anyone else noticed this, or am I just crazy?
	__________________ Elizabeth B.

07-27-2003, 11:05 AM	#8
bandito Going Topless Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Location: The Steel City Posts: 6,320	I agree with Cashodeen, the spaghetti is probably served on the side.
	__________________ bandito

07-27-2003, 11:32 AM	#9
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,591	Steak and spaghetti? Man that's livin'.
	__________________ "I think I'll stroll up to the front to see how the shooting's going..." - Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce Read my blogs! http://centralparkamisguide.com/ http://dvdcriticscorner.com Visit me on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=641138880 Hey, I do the tweet thing too! http://twitter.com/TomLevier My shop of handmade items! http://www.etsy.com/shop/ColdGarageCreations

07-21-2003, 03:02 PM	#2
hawaii five-o Book 'Em, Dano Senior Member Join Date: Jun 27, 2003 Location: At home, eating cereal straight out of the box Posts: 1,406	Maybe they were having leftovers.

07-21-2003, 06:50 PM	#3
Mijada Spencers mom Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 02, 2001 Location: eastern US Posts: 4,093	Well with 6 kids, she probably couldn't please everybody so she had to make 2 separate dishes so everyone would be happy. You are right though, swiss steak and spaghetti isn't a very good combo.

07-22-2003, 09:42 PM	#4
Cashodeen Hi. Forum Star Join Date: Aug 30, 2001 Posts: 11,362	Well ya see... I have a grandmother who will cook something and then cook speghetti on the side--like chicken and spaghetti, Steak and speghetti, ect. She does it almost for every meal! Can you imagine what it is like eating speghetti for the fourth of July with barbequed food?! (of course I passed and ate my mother's edibles.) But my grandmother is a crazy italian. Her example doesn't count. I've noticed that Alice did this and thought it was a bizarre combination. I can't imagine her cooking seperate things to please everybody. With 9 people in the house, those accomidations just don't usually happen. But maybe! I think it was intended on being the complete meal though. Alice is just a ding-a-ling!

07-26-2003, 08:34 PM	#5
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	Swiss steak is served in a tomato-based sauce. So you can serve it over the spaghetti, or with spaghetti on the side. This was not an uncommon meal back in the 60s, but you really don't see it too often any more. It's actually pretty good if prepared well. And Cashodeen, your grandmother sounds like my kind of lady. I love Italian food. If you put tomato sauce on it, I'll eat it.

07-27-2003, 10:44 AM	#7
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	Yeah, I've seen a bunch of different recipes for it, and I've had it "au jus" the way you describe. But most of the time, I've had it served in a thicker, tomato-based sauce (tomato-based, but not a full red sauce like pasta sauce). And my guess is that's how old Alice prepared it, too. Because spaghetti really wouldn't work with "au jus".