FOODIE TIDBITS: Ferrell Hospital burgers bring back the good ol' days
I want to apologize for the lapse in articles for the column, but I have been ill and in the hospital for a few days.
I am doing better now and trying to get back into the normal flow of things. I have not been in a hospital for a very long time and it is definitely an experience these days. Ferrell Hospital is going through major renovations plus COVID-19 has resulted in major changes and practices there.
You sit in a parking space and call them to come and get you and everyone there wears a mask. I had to have a COVID test prior to placement in the hospital, even though the virus was not my reason for being there. That test was definitely an eye-opening experience. WHOOEEE! My stay there was very comforting, and the staff was phenomenal, and I want to give a shout out especially to Dr. Pathi, Julia, Pam, and Ryan my main staff there. I have never been to a hospital that was as quiet as it was. With no visitors, and no kids running up and down the hallways, and staff speaking in low tones, you couldn't have been in a more peaceful and restful place. It was very hard not seeing my husband and family for six days, but I kept FaceTime busy and blew my Verizon contract out of the water.
You know everyone talks about the food at hospitals and on airplanes but there are simple reasons for the food served in hospitals. YOU ARE THERE TO GET WELL AND THE FOOD SERVED IS TO MEET YOUR NEEDS AND CONDITIONS FOR YOUR TIME THERE. If you are a diabetic, then your food is definitely going to reflect it. If you have a cardiac condition and need low sodium input, then your food is going to reflect it. Gee, I get it! It's what the doctor ordered. My food there was great! The cooks there cook a lot like I do at home, only without the chips and sweet snacks I consume at home despite my diabetes. They are old-fashioned cooks and I enjoyed it while there.
I had turkey and dressing, roast pork, hamburgers and homemade potato chips, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage. What's not to like? My last day, they brought me salmon patties and I asked if I could have a grilled cheese instead, so they brought it to me without question. Nobody and I mean nobody fixes salmon patties the way I like them except me and my mom. I have tried them all over the place and they are never fixed to suit me. Sorry, that's just the way it is. I really don't do or add anything spectacular. I clean it well removing skin, bone, and cartilage from the can. I add lots of black pepper, cracker crumbs, egg for binder and pat on more cracker crumbs after patting into round patties and brown in oil. I do not deep fry them or OVERCOOK them. I think that is where people mess up. The salmon is already cooked and only needs to be reheated with the crumbs.
The cooks made me a phenomenal cheeseburger my first night with stewed potatoes and sweet baby carrots. It was my best meal there. The cheeseburger was not overdone and on a soft bun with fresh tomato (red and juicy and not hard and yellow on the inside), onion, pickles, and lettuce. The burger brought back memories from my times working on a Saturday afternoon at the old Orpheum Theatre in Harrisburg. The theater has long been torn down and in its place the Family Video Store behind Dr. Flannigan's office (Old Jackson Drug Store). I would sell tickets to hundreds of kids who would come in and watch old rerun spooky movies or old westerns for just a quarter to get in. For two hours, moms all over took advantage of that time to get their Saturday shopping done at the local grocery stores. (Remember the 10 ham sandwiches you would get in a bag for a $1 at the old Food Park grocery store next to the pawnshop in Harrisburg?
The ushers at the theater would run down to Fuzzy's Pool Hall across the street and down a half a block and pick up cheeseburgers for us. They were the best in town. Everybody went there to get them. Back then, nice girls didn't go into the pool halls so we would get the ushers to do it for us. They were wonderful. I seriously doubt Fuzzy could pass a food safety inspection, but he sure cooked a great cheeseburger.
I found in my file this super easy lemon bar and thought you might like it.
<h3 class="breakHead">Super Easy Lemon Bars</h3>
1 package yellow cake mix, 1 dry package (3 ounces) of lemon Jell-O, 4 eggs, ¾ C of water and ¾ C Vegetable Oil. Mix all of this well and pour into greased 9X13 pan and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. While cake is warm, mix 2 Tbsp. butter, 2 C powdered sugar and 6 Tbsp. Lemon Juice. Poke holes in cake and pour butter mixture into the holes. Allow to cool then cut and serve. Try It! I think you will like it.