European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 21, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                No matter How you slice it it s still spam by Mike Denali new York Bureau to paraphrase some popular movie dialogue of the .�?T80s Quot it s Baa Accel Quot -. George a Hormel amp co., of Austin Minn is coming out with a new. Variation of spam the famous a or a infamous depending on your age a Quot spiced Ham in a can. The new product spam breakfast strips is meant As a substitute for Bacon and unlike its famous predecessor must be a cooked a a. A a most americans Are familiar with spam s having taken advantage of its versatility to. Liven up a meal. But to the generation that served in the. Armed forces during world War ii spam evokes an entirely different memory \ a a i supporting the axiom that Quot familiarity i Breeds contempt Quot it would appear that most of the negative reaction by former j servicemen to spam was born out Rotthe j ready availability of the product rather than j its Quality As a meat product. J in a letter written in june 1966 to a Hormel s Board chairman of the time . A Corey former president Eisenhower gave his interpretation of spams Quot bad . It Quot i ate my share of spam along with. A millions of other soldiers Quot Eisenhower wrote. Quot ill even confess to a few unkind words about it uttered during the stress. Of Battle you understand. But As a former commander in chief i believe i can still a officially forgive you your Only sin sending us so much of  a a. A a a another individual who had been. A ? introduced to spam during the War was a syndicated Nevy paper columnist Robert a Ruark. A / a 7a. A a. I Quot where or. Hormel found the necessary. J Swine i shall never know a Ruark wrote f Quot but the Only thing we did no to run Short of in the War was you know w a there Weton t any apartments or new cars or very much Gas. But Man there was panic of spam Quot this widespread Avail Lanty of spam Ted a to in s negative reputation and the ridicule that it had to endure Quot i eat spam today As presume do a lot of other americans Quot Ruark continued. Like it very much especially with vinegar or Mustard but there was a time m my life when confronted by spam or starvation i would have turned the old face to the  spam became the target of other go barbs variously described As a Quot Ham that did t pass in s physical Quot or Quot a Meatball without Basic  a a As one former mess sergeant described it Quot i had to disguise spam to get the Guys to eat it. I would bake it try it scramble it. A bread it and even Cream it you Collid do Alyth ing with spam except enjoy . Even today comedians find spam a Handy target for their humor. The British comedy group Monty Python performs a skit where a couple enters a restaurant and attempts unsuccessfully to order a meal that does not contain spam. David. Letterman recently proposed a product. A spam on a rope Quot for people who get hungry in the  a there is however the positive Side of the Story As Well. Now registered in 93countries from Afghanistan to Venezuela spam is widely respected throughout the world. A recent Wall Street journal article highlighted the Case of a South korean businessman who was delighted when at Christmas  receiving a gift of a. Bottle of Fine wine he received a Case of. Spam. A Quot. A a. It is estimated that 3.8 cans of spam Are consumed in the United states every second. In 1986 the four billionth can of / spam was produced enough altogether to Circle the Globe 10 times. In 1989 alone the . Armed forces purchased 3.3 million pounds of spam. A. Quot spam has endured because of. It s convenience and versatility said a Allan Krejci Public relations director. Quot you car eat it hot or cold. You can slice Dice or cube it. You can eat it for breakfast lunch dinner or snacks. In fact the Only thing that limits your use of spam is your imagination a. A a there Are annual  a around spam this past february Seattle  spam carving contest there Are co Koffs each year in several states the biggest of which Are probably the Maui Mali. Kookoff in Hawaii and the Austin Texas. Ustel Quot it happened in Boutwood Quot Hormel new the in radio entertain sent. Every attire Node won thru a Columbia network. Spam Orama Barbecue. This year exas also added a spam olympics with events such As spam eat and spam toss. On a per capita basis Hawaii is the largest consumer of spam Over 4.3 million cans Are bought annually by a pop u fat Ion of 1 million. Awhile emphasizing spam s earlier negative reputation and wearing it like a badge of Honor Hormel has continuously introduced variations on the original spam in an Effort to meet changing Market conditions a .�-.�. A a \ Quot a in 1960, a smaller7-ounce version was introduced. In 1971 smoke Flavoured spam entered the Market and in 1986 a Les Salt sodium spam was offered to a Consumers who desired  in i her diet. A a a a a. _ a a Quot now in 1990, we have breakfast strips. The new Saccu unpacked product although it is basically the same spam is described As a Quot totally different product Quot the difference is we injected Hickory smoked Bacon flavor Inlo it Quot says Jim Tupy at sales representative with Hormel Quot which makes it taste just like  in a Way the strict Muslim traditions of saudi Arabia May Rescue today s armed forces from having to relive the experiences of their fathers and grandfathers. But maybe a just  would if. Given the option prefer to Havo a can of spam instead of the res. / if All this makes you Long to Rush right out and get a can you might like to try the following Nouveau recipes from Hormel. A  a. Stir Fry pasta Salao 4 ounces Shell pasta vegetable cooking Spray. 1 Tablespoon Plu 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil 3 cups Broccoli Floweres 17-ounce can Low Salt Low sodium spam Cut in strips a red Bell Pepper Cut in strips 2 cloves garlic minced vie Teaspoon cracked Pepper 1 Tomato chopped Cook pasta according to package directions omitting Salt and fat. Drain pasta and set aside. Coat a targe Skillet with cooking Spray add one Tablespoon Olive Oil  stir frying easier. Add. Broccoli and Cook 4 minutes Over medium High heat. Stirring frequently remove Broccoli from Skillet add. Remaining Olive Oil spam Beni Pepper garlic and cracked Pepper to Skillet. Cook two minutes stirring occasionally. Combine pasta Broccoli spam and Tomato in bowl toss Well serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time. Serves Lour. A. A a a a spam fiesta Salao marinade i cup Lime juice i cup Low sodium say sauce i cup water1 Tablespoon vegetable Oil i Teaspoon cumin % Teaspoon oregano i Teaspoon Ginger i Teaspoon hot Pepper sauce 2 cloves garlic minced salad. A. 12-ounce can Low sait Low sodium spam Cut into strips 1 Green Bell Pepper Cut in strips 1 Small head of lettuce washed and divided into four portions 12 Cherry tomatoes halved in a Jar with a tight listing lid Combine All marinade ingredients shake Well a. A. Place spam strips in plastic bag. Pour marinade Over spam strips. Seal bag marinate 30 minutes in refrigerator. Remove spam strips from bag Reserve 2 Tablespoons of marinade heat reserved marinade in a a Large Skillet. Add spam strips onion and Bell Pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until spam strips Are heated line 4 salad plates with lettuce. Spoon hot salad mixture Over lettuce Garnish with Tomato  a serves four. Friday december 21, 1990 the stars and stripes a a Page 17