All-American treat makes a comeback

By SHARON K. GHAG

MODESTO, Calif. — It’s hip to be square.

Spam, that fabulous find of the ’30s and ’40s, is enjoying renewed popularity because of tough economic times.

This touted “Miracle Meat of a Million Uses” can be used in sandwiches, salads, mac and cheese; with eggs; skewered with pineapple chunks or vegetables and grilled; in casseroles; sliced, diced, baked or fried; and in soups and stir-fries. There’s classic Spam in a can. Other varieties of Spam include oven-roasted turkey, with cheese, with bacon, hickory smoke flavored, hot and spicy, “lite,” low-sodium ... the list goes on.

Memories of Spam take many people back to their childhood.

Oakdale, Calif., native Dallas Brunetti enjoyed so-called hot dog surprise as a youngster.

“I first remember Mom fixing these in the late ’50s. I didn’t know at the time that we were in hard times like everyone else around us,” she said. “I remember these being a real treat to have.”

Some get nostalgic for the sweet-and-salty taste of Spam and peaches cooked over an open fire after a hard day of hiking as part of a Boy Scout troop, while others remember the taste of their mom’s Spam loaf glazed with brown sugar and stuffed with half rings of pineapple.

Ethel Hall of Waterford, Calif., may be one of the reasons Spam is nearly an institution.

“We had fried eggs and Spam for breakfast,” said the 85-year-old about eating the product in the mid-1940s. “Spam sandwiches for lunch. Best of all, I think, was Spam for dinner. I spread the meat with mustard, covered it with brown sugar and baked it, serving with potatoes and salad.”

For others still, Spam brings back memories of wartime hardships. “You use it to survive,” recalled Lois Alldrin of Ripon, Calif., who turns up her nose at the mere mention of Spam. “Everything was rationed. You couldn’t buy meat unless you had a coupon. We used a lot of Spam. I know the servicemen ate a lot of Spam.”

Spam gained popularity from its role during World War II, when Hormel provided 15 million cans of luncheon meat to troops every week.

“Spam luncheon meat became an essential item in soldiers’ diets, often serving as the last line of defense between battle-weary soldiers and starvation,” according to Hormel Foods. “Following the war, world leaders the likes of Dwight Eisenhower, Margaret Thatcher and Nikita Khrushchev all credited Spam luncheon meat for its role in the Allied victory.”

Nancy Cline of Modesto, Calif., recalled those times. “People got so tired of Spam during the war [including the GIs] that it became a bad word.”

These days, more than 122 million cans of Spam are sold worldwide each year, according to Hormel. “That’s three cans every second,” the company reports on its Web site.

The luncheon meat is distributed in 41 countries, including Denmark, the Philippines, Japan and South Korea. In Asia, Spam is the darling at mealtime.

“South Koreans are the biggest consumers of Spam in the Asia/Pacific, with Japanese and Filipinos coming in at second and third, respectively,” according to an article in the Eatz! section of a July 2006 issue of Asian Week. “In South Korea, Spam is seen as an upscale food and a nice hostess gift. Some Japanese eat Spam every day, and in the Philippines, Spam is a household product.”

But nowhere is Spam more loved than in Hawaii, where it could be declared the state dish, according to Hormel. “Hawaii has the highest consumption per capita for Spam, where it is available in restaurants, convenience stores and as a staple in nearly every kitchen pantry.”

SPAM WITH PORK ’N’ BEANS

This recipe is from Linda Mac Dannald of Modesto, Calif. Said Mac Dannald in an e-mail: “My Husband’s family, The H.H. Mac Dannald household of 10 siblings who lived on Modesto Avenue, thrived on many staple dishes, such as this recipe made with Spam, back in the early 1940s and 1950s. We still enjoy this economical dinner and we don’t have to slice the Spam into so many servings. It’s yummy! Today, the Spam with pork ’n’ beans has passed through three generations in our family and it’s still going strong!”

Mac Dannald said the Spam pork ’n’ beans recipe is great for newlyweds because it’s easy, for working moms because it’s fast and for large families because it’s economical and filling.

2 cans Van de Kamp’s Pork and Beans

1 medium onion, diced

1‚Ñ3 bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 can Spam

Pour the two cans of pork and beans into a 9-by-12-inch glass baking dish

Saut the onion and bell pepper in oiled frying pan, then add to beans Add brown sugar Slice the Spam into 12 long pieces (very thin)

Brown in the frying pan, then lay in two rows on top of the beans.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serves: 4

SPAM LOAF HAWAIIAN

This recipe is from Sharon Secrest of Oakdale: “In the 1970s, my mother used to make a dish called Spam loaf Hawaiian. I was just asking her about it today, and she says the original recipe was made with ham, but she couldn’t afford ham and so she used Spam.”

Secrest said the family loves this recipe: “Mom says that’s because it had pineapple and brown sugar. I haven’t had that since I was a kid, but I’m tempted to go buy some Spam now.”

2 cans Spam

1 can pineapple rings

Mustard, to taste

Brown sugar, to taste

Cut four slits in each loaf of Spam, but not all the way through. Spread a little mustard inside the slits, then put a half ring of pineapple in each slit. Sprinkle brown sugar on top and bake in a 350-degree oven until it is hot and the sugar gets glazed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Slice it so that each serving has a slice of the pineapple.

Serves: 8.

SPAMTASTICK

This recipe is from Sandy Paul, who said it won a blue ribbon in 1999 at the San Joaquin County Fair.

“Victory was short, as I later learned my dish was disqualified,” she said.

1 box pineapple cake mix

1 tablespoon oil

1 can Spam, diced

1‚Ñ2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 (20-ounce) can pineapple slices

Red maraschino cherries drained and halved

Whipped topping

Mint leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in skillet and saut Spam. Drain on paper towel. Melt butter in 9-by-13- inch pan. Sprinkle Spam and sugar evenly in pan, top with pineapple slices. Place cherries cut side up in center of pineapple slices. Prepare cake mix according to package directions and pour batter evenly in pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool five minutes, then invert cake. Top slices with whipped topping and mint leaves.

SPAM SANDWICH SPREAD

“This is my mother’s recipe for Spam,” writes Mary Ostic Lee of Modesto. “Each picnic we had as kids, Mom fixed this for us.”

1 can Spam, chilled

1‚Ñ2 cup Miracle Whip

1 small yellow or red onion, chopped

1 large tablespoon sweet relish

1 dab of mustard

1 small jar Dromedary sliced pimentos

Grate the chilled Spam. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Spread on bread for a cold sandwich or add to a grilled cheese sandwich and enjoy hot. Top Ritz Crackers with it for an appetizer.

SPAM ’N’ PEACHES

This recipe was relayed to Modesto Bee executive editor Mark Vasche by two different Boy Scouts.

1 can Spam, sliced

1 (14.25-ounce) can sliced peaches in heavy syrup

Sugar (optional)

Heat a skillet or frying pan on a camp stove, over an open fire or at “home on the range”

Fry the Spam. If desired, sprinkle a little sugar on the Spam slices as they cook.

When Spam is slightly browned, pour in the peach syrup. When the sugary syrup begins to caramelize/crystallize, add the peach slices and cook until they’ve warmed.

LUNCHEON MEAT CHILI

This recipe is from Nancy Cline of Modesto.

“My mother used to make this chili for the family because my dad really liked it,” said Cline. “It was perfect for camping, our family’s hobby, because most everything came out of a can.”

1‚Ñ2 cup chopped onion

1‚Ñ2 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons fat

1‚Ñ2 cup chopped green pepper

1 (12-ounce) can Spam, chopped

1 No. 2 can kidney beans

11‚Ñ2 cups canned tomatoes

1 teaspoon chili powder

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon salt

1‚Ñ8 teaspoon pepper

Saut onion and garlic in fat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serves: 5.

SPAM DINNER

This recipe is from Dee Rosales of Merced, Calif.

1 can Spam, cut into 1‚Ñ4-inch squares

1‚Ñ4 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon crushed chili powder (optional)

2 tablespoons flour

1‚Ñ4 can (small) tomato sauce

2 tablespoons canola oil

3‚Ñ4 cup water

1 dozen soft tortillas

Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Saut onion until translucent. Add Spam, stirring frequently to heat evenly. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons flour over the Spam. Add chili powder, if desired.

Stir in tomato sauce, stirring well to incorporate. Add water and bring to a full boil. Turn down heat and simmer for three to five minutes.

Serve with refried beans or heat tortillas and place 3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each tortilla before folding it into a burrito.

You can also add a scrambled egg or refried beans to the tortilla. Do not add salt and pepper.

HOT DOG SURPRISE

This recipe is from Oakdale, Calif., native Dallas Brunetti. Said she in an e-mail: “I prefer these served with barbecue potato chips and orange soda (but then again, that is my childhood memory). When you serve these ... SURPRISE ... it’s not a hot dog.”

Hot dog buns (don’t substitute bread, it will not taste the same)

1 can Spam

1 cup cheddar cheese

1 large dill pickle

White or yellow onion (optional)

Mayonnaise, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grate first four ingredients into a large bowl. Stir in enough mayonnaise to coat ingredients well. Spoon into buns. Wrap each bun in aluminum foil. Put these inside a covered lid roasting pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serves: 6 to 8

SPAM BUNS

This recipe is from Lori Van Nieuwenhuyzen, who said Spam buns are a favorite at family get togethers. “We joke about having to have our Spam buns, but they are so good! Real comfort food. This recipe came from my husband’s aunt Verla Vrieling, who passed away a couple of years ago. She was a wonderful cook and baked delicious pies, cookies and desserts,” said Van Nieuwenhuyzen, who lives in Ripon, Calif.

1 (12-ounce) can of Spam, grated

1‚Ñ2 pound of Velveeta cheese, grated

1 small onion, chopped finely

1 small can of chopped olives

12 dinner rolls

Mix together Spam, Velveeta, onion and olives and put inside a dozen or more soft dinner rolls. Wrap each individually in foil or in groups of six. Heat in preheated 325-degree oven until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

Makes about 12

MOLLY O’GRADY SPAM CASSEROLE

This recipe is from Polly Wright of Groveland. “My husband is a Spam nut,” she confesses. “This is a tasty and quick main dish using Spam. Basically, it was a recipe that had been in a friend’s family for years, but I modified it from ham to Spam and it tasted so much better. It makes a great one-dish main meal.”

4 cups wide noodles, cooked and strained

11‚Ñ2 cups cheddar cheese, cut up

1 can of Spam, chopped into 1‚Ñ2-inch cubes

1 can mushroom soup

1‚Ñ4 to 1‚Ñ2 cup of milk

1 green pepper (or celery), diced

1‚Ñ4 cup onion, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon horseradish, optional

Mix all ingredients and place in 9-by-12-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Serves: 4 to 6.