Front cover of the Pillsbury recipe pamphlet Summertime Across America Cookbook from 1983. It has a grid of 4 photos to represent each region within the book. The photos show a fajita, a layer cake, a bowl of vegetables, and a piece of fish with sauce being spooned on it. Literally none of the foods look appetizing, except maybe the broccoli in the veggie bowl, which is admittedly at least fresh.
Photo and recipe for German Potato Salad and Brats. The photo shows a glass mug of beer with entirely too much foam on it, an out-of-focus pile of brats in the background with no grill marks, and two brats on a plate in the foreground that have been grilled into submission and topped with a beige goop that claims to be potato salad. Dressing ingredients: 1 beaten egg, 2 Tb sugar, 2 Tb vinegar, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, 1/4 tsp celery seed, 1/8 tsp pepper. Dish ingredients: 4 slices bacon, 1/4 cup sliced green onions, 1.5 cups water, 1 tsp instant beef bouillon or 1 beef bouillon cube, 1/2 cup milk, 1.5 cups Hungry Jack Mashed Potato Flakes, 6 bratwurst. Directions: In small saucepan, combine all dressing ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Set aside. In large skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble and set aside. Add onions to bacon drippings and cook until tender. Stir in water and beef bouillon; bring to rolling boil. Remove from heat. Add milk and potato flakes, stirring until combined. Add bacon and dressing; stir until well mixed. Keep hot. Grill bratwurst until thoroughly cooked. Split each bratwurst lengthwise not cutting through completely. Spread open. Top each with about 1/2 cup hot potato mixture. Serve immediately. 6 servings.
Nothing says "summertime" like brats slathered in potato salad that is made from instant mashed potato flakes and is thus actually potato paste. 🤢
