I think it has something to do with philly cream cheese. Can someone
explain?

J

schachmal > wrote:

>I think it has something to do with philly cream cheese. Can someone
>explain?

It has *nothing* to do with Philadelphia brand cream cheese.
Philadelphia cream cheese is Kraft's brand name for their cream
cheese. It is the same as the house brand cream cheese.

A Philly cheese steak sandwich has no cream cheese in it. It's got
steak, cheese, and onions.


jenn
--
Jenn Ridley

I thought that it was named after the city.

Melissa

"schachmal" > wrote in message
...
> I think it has something to do with philly cream cheese. Can someone
> explain?
>
> J
>

Ophelia wrote:

> I thought that it was named after the city.

Steakville? or Cheeseopolis?


> "schachmal" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I think it has something to do with philly cream cheese. Can someone
> > explain?
> >
> > J
> >

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). The sandwiches originated in and
are a specialty of Philadelphia restaurants. Thin sandwich steaks on a
sub roll with sauted onions and green peppers and some sort of
meltable cheese.

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.


jenn
(not from Philly, but there was an intensive discussion of
cheesesteaks on a email list I read.)
--
Jenn Ridley

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. :-)

Frogleg > wrote in
:

> 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. :-)

With the added note that this is only applicable within the US because
making a béchamel is well known outside those boundaries (and I suspect
within as well).

--

"I'm the master of low expectations."

GWB, aboard Air Force One, 04Jun2003

Frogleg muttered....


> 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. :-)
>

Since chile con queso was far less Mexican than it was an American (50s?)
interpretation of TexMex food, the original "popular" recipe for the
appetizer and party dip was a clever blend of Velveeta and Rotel brand
canned tomatoes with green chiles.

The closest Mexican dish must have been the Northern Mexican favorite
"queso flameado", sort of a oven melted rarebit with browned crumbled
chorizo atop. Even tortilla chips used in the "dip" fashion seem to have
been unknown in Mexico, where the corn tortilla, torn in to quarters at
middle class tables, served as spoon/dork/shovel, the predecessor of the
schoolkids' spork.

My memory of pre-modern Philly cheesesteaks, 1964-65, vaguely recalls a
white Italian cheese of no great flavor, but then Cheesewhiz's introduction
cannot have occured much if any before 1960 (although it's popularity
climbed rapidly).

The New Orleans roast beef poor boy remains to me a better samitch, and the
"debris" model even better, a classic.

TMO

On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 20:20:23 -0600, Olivers >
wrote:

>The closest Mexican dish must have been the Northern Mexican favorite
>"queso flameado", sort of a oven melted rarebit with browned crumbled

An ingredient needed in a dish to be real mexican is Salmonella,
giving you the Montezuma revenge effect. Very important component of
all mexican dishes :-)

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.

About the composition of a cheese steak many learned individuals have
discussed at great length, and often with much acrimony. On the subject
of cheese, the Whiz fans are often more vociferous than the provolone
partisans; clearly the subject will never be put to rest, and I am of the
opinion that either is fine.

Two further points: first, the *real* Philadelphia sandwich- as opposed
to the cheesesteak, a tourist sandwich- is roast pork with greens
(broccoli rabe or spinach). Which should be made with aged provolone.

Secondly, it's axiomatic that any sandwich described as a "Philadelphia"
or "Philly" cheesesteak will be lousy.

-Andrew

Frogleg > nattered on
m:

> 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

Whiz on cheesesteak? Go back to Ohio, buckeye, boy!

Cheeze Wiz was prefered by many peole eating The Philly Cheese Steak
sandwhich. I tried it, and it just doesn't work for me.
I make PCS's for lunch using thinly sliced roast beef from the deli,
Provolone or Swiss cheese, and leave off the onions.
Cooked or not cooked.
Easy and quick to make, and actually quite good.

and as WC Fields said he wanted on his tombstone, , ,

"Altogether, I'd rather be in Philadfephia"

I've been there, and altogether, I'd rather not be there, It is NOT
the city of brotherly love, although the people are great, the cops
really suck!

================================================== =======



On Wed, 04 Feb 2004 00:10:09 GMT, "Bryan J. Maloney"
> wrote:

>Frogleg > nattered on
om:
>
>> 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
>
>Whiz on cheesesteak? Go back to Ohio, buckeye, boy!

Dr Pepper muttered....

> Cheeze Wiz was prefered by many peole eating The Philly Cheese Steak
> sandwhich. I tried it, and it just doesn't work for me.
> I make PCS's for lunch using thinly sliced roast beef from the deli,
> Provolone or Swiss cheese, and leave off the onions.
> Cooked or not cooked.
> Easy and quick to make, and actually quite good.
>

But but cold roast beef makes it a roast beef and cheese sammitch, miles
removed from a Philly cheesesteak.

.....and at its best, a Philly Cheesesteak is but a poor substitute for a
classic, the "Debris" Po'boy of New Orleans.

.....which is what you eat if the oysters are off.

TMO

Olivers wrote:

> Dr Pepper muttered....
>
> > Cheeze Wiz was prefered by many peole eating The Philly Cheese Steak
> > sandwhich. I tried it, and it just doesn't work for me.
> > I make PCS's for lunch using thinly sliced roast beef from the deli,
> > Provolone or Swiss cheese, and leave off the onions.
> > Cooked or not cooked.
> > Easy and quick to make, and actually quite good.
> >
>
> But but cold roast beef makes it a roast beef and cheese sammitch, miles
> removed from a Philly cheesesteak.

Agreed. Roast beef is roast beef, not steak.

> ....and at its best, a Philly Cheesesteak is but a poor substitute for a
> classic, the "Debris" Po'boy of New Orleans.

A debris sandwich is a wonderful thing, no question about it. Probably on
average, it's better than the average cheesesteak- if for no other reason
that (to the best of my knowledge) debris hasn't traveled outside of NOLA,
and so hasn't been diluted by overfamiliarity. But a really first-rate
cheesteak, from Tony Luke's, in deep South Philadelphia, can hold its own
against any sandwich you choose.

-Andrew

On Wed, 04 Feb 2004 00:10:09 GMT, "Bryan J. Maloney"
> wrote:

>Frogleg > nattered on
om:
>
>> 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
>
>Whiz on cheesesteak? Go back to Ohio, buckeye, boy!

Well, , , ,, ,
These Philly Cheese steak sandwhiches are sold in only two places I
know of, they are accross the street from each other, and are standup
lunch counters where you get them at a counter, and they are all very
messy, and dribble all over the place.

I've forgotten the names of the places, but they are the true
deliverers of the one and only PCS sandwhich.

They are both very good, but I haven't been to Philly since 1986, so I
don't know if theyare still there.

Ron C.
================================================

Dr Pepper wrote:

>
> Well, , , ,, ,
> These Philly Cheese steak sandwhiches are sold in only two places I
> know of, they are accross the street from each other, and are standup
> lunch counters where you get them at a counter, and they are all very
> messy, and dribble all over the place.
>
> I've forgotten the names of the places, but they are the true
> deliverers of the one and only PCS sandwhich.

It sounds as if you're describing Pat's and Geno's, at the corner of 9th
and Passyunk. Pat's is generally acknowledged as the originator of the
cheesesteak, and these are the places where visiting politicians, etc.,
come to visit when they are in Philadelphia.

But "the one and only cheeesteak"? Arrant nonsense. While important for
historical reasons, these places aren't even close to serving the best
cheesesteaks in Philadelphia.

-Andrew