TMO wrote:

>
>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.
>


I've located chili con queso recipes in US cookbooks dating to the 1930s, and
indeed chili con queso was likely a Tex-Mex creation (as was chili con carne).
Early recipes do not use Velveeta, which was first manufactured in 1928. It was
common practice to use Velveeta in chili con queso recipes by the 1970s in New
Mexico. Velveeta was much cheaper than cheese; when heated and mixed with other
ingredients, the properties of Velveeta made a decent chip dip that was better
than ones made from real cheese.

As to chip dips, I blame Lipton's Soup for this phenomena. As far as I know,
their recipe combining dry onion soup mix with sour cream, along with the
multi-million dollar promotion blitz, was the impetus for the party dip craze
that began in the 1950s. (Out of curiosity, did Lipton promote this dip in the
UK or elsewhere as well?) During the 1950s, the chips of choice were potato
chips (or crisps if you prefer). Corn chips (for dipping as opposed to fritios,
which were/are too small for dipping) did not become popular in the US until
the late 1960s.

Andy Smith

On 04 Feb 2004 08:42:26 GMT, (ASmith1946) wrote:

>TMO wrote:
>
>>
>>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.

Velveeta, maybe; Rotel, no. I have a booklet of "Historic Cookery"
published by a New Mexico state university, "revised" in 1958 which
has a 'green chiles with cheese' recipe that simply specifies "slices
of cheese" added to sauted onion, garlic, and canned(!) or dried,
soaked green chiles until melted. No 'serving suggestions' for either
chips or tortillas

>
>I've located chili con queso recipes in US cookbooks dating to the 1930s, and
>indeed chili con queso was likely a Tex-Mex creation (as was chili con carne).
>Early recipes do not use Velveeta, which was first manufactured in 1928. It was
> common practice to use Velveeta in chili con queso recipes by the 1970s in New
>Mexico. Velveeta was much cheaper than cheese; when heated and mixed with other
>ingredients, the properties of Velveeta made a decent chip dip that was better
>than ones made from real cheese.

Velveeta *is* 'real cheese', processed as you mention. Will have to
remember that 1928 date for reference.
>
>As to chip dips, I blame Lipton's Soup for this phenomena. As far as I know,
>their recipe combining dry onion soup mix with sour cream, along with the
>multi-million dollar promotion blitz, was the impetus for the party dip craze
>that began in the 1950s. (Out of curiosity, did Lipton promote this dip in the
>UK or elsewhere as well?) During the 1950s, the chips of choice were potato
>chips (or crisps if you prefer). Corn chips (for dipping as opposed to fritios,
>which were/are too small for dipping) did not become popular in the US until
>the late 1960s.

"California dip" was apparently introduced as a package recipe in
1954. According to some references, sour cream was very little used in
American cooking until that time, although crème fraîche, and various
yogurt/sour milk products have a long history. The potato chip (or
Saratoga chip) was introduced in the 1850s as a variation on fried
potatoes, which presumably have been around in one form or another
since there've been potatoes and fat.

Looks as if Snack America began in the mid 1950s. Or at least
Chip'n'Dip America. Crackers, pretzels, sweets, and cookies have been
around for a long time.

> The potato chip (or
>Saratoga chip) was introduced in the 1850s as a variation on fried
>potatoes, which presumably have been around in one form or another
>since there've been potatoes and fat.
>
>

Recipes for extremely thin slices of fried potatoes were published in the 1820s
in the US and probably earlier in France. The first reference to the term
"potato chip" that I've found dates to 1870. This predates the first use of
"Saratoga chip."

But potato chips did not become important in the US until the 1930s. While
they had been manufactured since the late 19th century, a packaging revolution
using first wax paper was necessary before the chips became a commercially
viable product. (Don't know when they were first manufactured in the UK or
elsewhere-- after WW II?) And they really were a minor product until the dip
revolution of the 1950s.

Andy Smith

There is a Mexican relative to the chili con queso: They put chihuahua
cheese straight onto the griddle and flip it around, scrambled egg style,
with chorizo, then serve it in a dish. The remaining skin that is
inevitably left on the griddle when the melted cheese is removed is then
fried crisp and served as well, like a giant cheese chip.

How good does that sound?

Don't ask me what it's technical name is - I saw it on Rick Bayless's show
on Chicago PBS

Peg
"ASmith1946" > wrote in message
...
> TMO wrote:
>
> >
> >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.
> >
>
>
> I've located chili con queso recipes in US cookbooks dating to the 1930s,
and
> indeed chili con queso was likely a Tex-Mex creation (as was chili con
carne).
> Early recipes do not use Velveeta, which was first manufactured in 1928.
It was
> common practice to use Velveeta in chili con queso recipes by the 1970s
in New
> Mexico. Velveeta was much cheaper than cheese; when heated and mixed with
other
> ingredients, the properties of Velveeta made a decent chip dip that was
better
> than ones made from real cheese.
>
> As to chip dips, I blame Lipton's Soup for this phenomena. As far as I
know,
> their recipe combining dry onion soup mix with sour cream, along with the
> multi-million dollar promotion blitz, was the impetus for the party dip
craze
> that began in the 1950s. (Out of curiosity, did Lipton promote this dip in
the
> UK or elsewhere as well?) During the 1950s, the chips of choice were
potato
> chips (or crisps if you prefer). Corn chips (for dipping as opposed to
fritios,
> which were/are too small for dipping) did not become popular in the US
until
> the late 1960s.
>
> Andy Smith

Peggy muttered....

> There is a Mexican relative to the chili con queso: They put
> chihuahua cheese straight onto the griddle and flip it around,
> scrambled egg style, with chorizo, then serve it in a dish. The
> remaining skin that is inevitably left on the griddle when the melted
> cheese is removed is then fried crisp and served as well, like a giant
> cheese chip.
>
> How good does that sound?
>
> Don't ask me what it's technical name is - I saw it on Rick Bayless's
> show on Chicago PBS
>

Sounds like Queso flameado, usually served in a oven-proof pan in which it
weas prepared.