On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 09:54:48 -0500, Jenn Ridley
> wrote:

>Frogleg > wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 02 Feb 2004 12:05:02 GMT, schachmal >
>>wrote:
>>
>>>I think it has something to do with philly cream cheese. Can someone
>>>explain?
>>
>>Philadephia, yes; cream cheese, no. The 'authentic' ingredient seems
>>to often be another Kraft product -- jarred (or presurrized can?)
>>Cheese Whiz processed cheese (sauce).
>
>Although it wasn't originally. AFAICT, the original cheese steak
>sandwiches had Provolone in them, and perhaps another mild Italian
>cheese. The CheezWhiz is a simplification. Many true cheesesteak
>fans are distressed by the use of CheezWhiz on a cheesesteak.

I suppose there are very few "authentic" recipes that specify a
particular brand of manufactured processed cheese, although we might
have to designate Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom soup as one
of the major food groups. :-) I haven't been to Philadelphia in
decades, nor have I ever eaten a 'cheese steak'. My comments were
based on reading a *lot* of discussion on the subject, as well as
checking into quite a few recipes. Personally, I'd go for the
provolone, but it *does* appear that Cheese Whiz is quite common.

I searched and experimented for years for the "genuine" delicious
chile con queso recipe served by a New Mexico restaurant only to find
(friend of the owner's family) it was Velveeta-based. So much for
hidalgo heritage. :-)