The Can-Can Challenge: Take 2

For our second can-can challenge, I picked something I had high hopes for, something I remember as a kid and I'm pretty sure my Dad still eats on a semi-regular basis.  Corned Beef Hash.

Another one of Hormel's products, the corned beef hash on label doesn't look very appetizing, but I've had it before, and as far as I can remember it wasn't too bad (loaded with hot sauce).  So this taste test was really for Matt.  It was a good thing he didn't do the cooking though, because I'm sure it would have never made it to the plate.  Open the can and you will find, wait, what, is that dog food?!  I guess you could feed it to your dog, but it isn't dog food persay, although it looks and smells like it.  Just hurry up and get it in the fry pan, when it starts crackling away and turning from pink to red, it actually starts smelling good.  You have to keep pushing the hash around so it cooks evenly, scoop it up and flip it, and start the process over again.  I liked to have it pretty crispy.  Served with eggs over easy, toast, fresh squeezed oj and english tea, corned beef hash is a WIN!

Which brings us to the next part of the challenge, now how much should we bring?  Well, even with tabasco, we didn't like it that much, so we'll have to see what kind of units we can buy it in at BJs.  If we had it once every two weeks, figure 4-6 month supply,  I guess maybe we'll be packing up a dozen cans of it?  At least we know there's some hope for the canned foods out there.

The Can-Can Challenge!

I'll admit it, when we first started talking about this trip, we talked about how awesome it would be, and so great, and so wonderful, but deep inside the mind of my belly I had a serious concern - what in the world are we going to eat?

Food, obviously, but how?  We won't always be at marinas or in places that will have restaurants or a good selection of groceries.  What are we going to eat?!?!?  

I'm a big fan of the Tosca Reno "Eat Clean" cookbooks and diet guides, which basically state that you should only shop on the outside perimeter of the supermarket: meat, fish, dairy, vegetables, and avoid any of middle isles which contain food that is packed with preservatives.  Unfortunately, our refrigerator is about the size of the top shelf of my refrigerator at home.  In fact, we are living large considering the refeer compressor we just had delivered came with a tiny little metal box, for FREEZING.  We'll have to see how well it works, but it will be just big enough to have a couple ice cubes trays inside it.  That's kind of a big deal on boats our size.

Which brings us to the Can-Can Challenge.  It's a little tip of the hat to my old neighborhood ShopRite on Knorr Street, which has a big canned food sale a couple of times a year.  I've never really eaten that much canned food, since there is always enough room at home for fresh fruits, veggies, and of course, cheese, or whatever else frozen you want.  Heck, how many people even have an entire extra refrigerator? I know a lot of families do.

So have you recently felt the need to explore the inner isles of the supermarket?  And I don't just mean the chip isle.  There is quite a bit of canned food out there.  Things you may have never even tried.  Why not give them a shot?  Before stocking the boat up with a bunch of canned foods we don't like, I'm giving them a taste test.  

First up, SPAM.  SPAM Lite, actually, but don't worry, they don't even try claiming any extra nutritional value, just less fat and salt.  You can even visit their website for recipes like casseroles and pizzas, which might sound okay, but not even the pictures look appetizing, or when you open the can and it wiggles out like jello gone bad.  My Grandmother recommended I slice it very thin, and pan fry.  I even tried it diced up really small in some scrambled eggs.  There's no getting around it: any way you slice it, SPAM is AWFUL.  It's no wonder someone named all that crap that comes to your inbox, SPAM - it really should just be thrown away!

The Can-Can Challenge SPAM: FAIL