The Space Boss wrote:
> I went to high school in the 80's. Does anyone know if they hamburgers
> that HS cafeterias serve are (typically) SOY patties? I remember the
> kids used to complain that they didn't taste like real beef, and I have
> to agree with that assessment - but I STILL really liked the burgers!!
> Maybe they were a beef/soy mix?
>
> These days, I'm a vegetarian and eat a LOT of soy burgers, and I
> *think* they taste like the old cafeteria burgers, but I'm not sure.
> Can anyone help out with this one?

Can't help with this because I went to high school in the 50's. I
worked in the cafeteria kitchen, which served both the high school and
the elementary school. Far from nosy health inspectors, the cooks
sometimes mixed some ground pork in with the ground beef, making
particularly juicy, good tasting burgers. When they did that, they
would tell me to be sure I cooked the patties well -- I eventually
graduated to being the grill (really, griddle) guy -- but the press of
the lengthening line meant I sometimes served them pink. No one ever
got sick.....

Back then the school got big blocks of what we called government cheese
but not soy or tvp, if such even existed then. -aem