BROCCOLI TIDBITS—INCLUDING A MCDONALD SNAFU, A MISRECALLED CARTOON, AND A RECIPE COMPLETE WITH FULL DISCLOSURES

THESE PARTICULAR TIDBITS SURELY DON’T suffer from lack of variety. They arose from two seemingly unrelated events: reading about a rare McDonald failure and wondering how to finish off the orange juice before its sell-by date. 

Fruit-flavored Broccoli??  The InterestingFacts.com website caught my attention with “McDonald’s Once Tried Making Bubblegum-flavored Broccoli.” From the website: “When McDonald’s tried to add bubblegum-flavored broccoli to Happy Meals, kids weren’t lovin’ it. In 2014, the fast-food giant’s then-CEO, Donald Thompson, revealed the bizarre experiment at an event hosted by a venture capitalist firm. Under pressure to make Happy Meals healthier, the company reflected on how toothpaste and amoxicillin producers had used artificial bubblegum flavoring to make their goods more palatable to children. McDonald’s decided to try a similar tactic with the divisive cruciferous veggie.”

Interesting Facts continued, “ ‘Mickey D’s’ food scientists did successfully make broccoli taste like bubblegum, likely by employing a combination of strawberry, banana, and cherry flavors. However, a focus group of kids was confused by the final product, which they enjoyed about as little as standard broccoli (we’re guessing it wasn’t pink). The item was never added to the McDonald’s menu. Parents who want to impress their kids with a tastebud switcheroo will have to settle on cotton candy grapes.” 

By the way, Interesting Facts added a “Fact or Fib” feature: “Former McDonald’s owner and CEO Ray Kroc met Walt Disney when they were teenagers.” The website offers “After lying about their ages to join the World War I effort, the Illinoisians became acquainted at a Connecticut camp that trained them to serve in the Red Cross Ambulance Corps. The war ended before either Kroc or Disney had a chance to use their skills, however.”

A Recollection, Misrecalled. This got me thinking of the kid’s cartoon meal-time comment ending with “the hell with it.” Just a bit of research revealed that I was giving broccoli a bad name (just as President George H. W. Bush did).

Geez, I’ve always liked both broccoli and spinach. Even back when as a kid I didn’t like my foods to touch: My idea of a PBJ involved three separate plates.

Orange Juice Utilization, with Full Disclosures. So there I was, refreshed in appreciation of broccoli, with perhaps an overkill of orange juice, and with one of Daughter Suz’s Moink ribeye steaks in the freezer.

What’s a person to do? Google all three, of course, and see what recipes arise. A straightforward one appeared from Bon Appétit, and I was off, iPhone handy for happy snaps which follow here, together with full disclosures of things I’d do differently next time. 

Some online recipes show only the final product; some are step-by-step; a few even compose videos. Here, I strive for iPhone Exuberance. 

Next, I am to “Wipe out skillet” and sear the steak over medium-high heat. 

Then “wipe out the skillet, heat remaining 1 Tbsp of oil” for the shallot (I substitute sweet onions), garlic, and mushrooms. Full Disclosure: Other garlic had been included with the broccoli. Also, my little pack of shiitaki mushrooms weighted 5 ounces, not 3. No matter, I like shiitaki.   

The broccoli and orange juice/soy sauce/ginger/(garlic) mixture goes in next, and then the beef.

Full Disclosure: Next time, I’d go scant on the soy sauce and double the OJ for a more intense “Orange Broccoli, Beef, and Mushrooms.” 

I researched the Chinese for Japanese 頂きま, Itadakimasu, “Let’s Eat.” Google Translate says 吃饭吧, Chīfàn ba. ds 

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2023