Jill wrote:

>I love this argument. I hate it when
> people show this as typical "American"
> cooking. In the 1980's a friend invited us
> to dinner. She said she was serving
> "goulash". Sorry, but macroni with
> ground beef, tomatoes and cheese isn't
> "goulash". It's more like hamburger
> helper made from scratch.

The main dishes that I have fixed, that are named GOULASH are a far cry
from a box of Hamburger Helper off the shelf of any store, and the
flavor can no way compare.

>Goulash is a beef and veal stew. Quite
> tasty.

It is whatever a person wants to call it, as is "stew", or "soup". When
someone invites you over to share some with them. You have no idea if it
will be made from beef, lamb, pork, seafood, chicken, etc. It could be
any kind of meat, as could even have HOTDOGS in it (I have one as such
called Puppy Tail Soup) also squirrel or rabbit. Also it could be chunks
of meat, or even hamburger (I have fixed several delicious hamburger
soups). It could be an Oven Beef Stew, such as I fixed last night for
supper (delicious) or a 8 hour stew, where put everything together and
bake all day at a very low temperature, while a person is gone from
home, or it could be cooked on top the stove, or in a Crock Pot. No
matter how it's prepared, or what is in it, that doesn't change the fact
of the matter, that it's STILL soup/stew.

It could be called many things, but in the end it is still 'just' soup
(stew, if thicker) with anything in it a person feels like adding, the
same as what is known as 'Goulash'...there is no wrong way, or right way
to fix it, or what ingredients it's made out of, it is GOULASH any way
you look at it, whether it's made in Hungary or in the middle of Long
Island, N.Y.

Judy (just telling it like it is!)