The Art and Secrets of Chinese Cookery, printed in 1949 by Beatrice Foods Company, for their La Choy brand name.  Well, it must be authentic, if it’s La Choy… right?  Well, read on!

“Chinese foods as we know them (actually they are Chines and domestic ingredients artfully blended to satisfy the American appetite) offer a welcome departure from dull, everyday dishes, though they cost no more to prepare.  Highly nutritious, Chop Suey for example, contains five to nine vegetables… meat, foul, or seafood… and rice, with an all-over flavoring of Soy Sauce. A balanced one-dish meal you yourself can prepare at home in fifteen minutes, rivaling the magic creations of the most famous Chinese chefs”

Hmm… “rivaling the magic creations of the most famous Chinese chefs”… I don’t buy it.  I’m sure I ate my fair share of La Choy products as a kid, and probably loved them, but what stands out for me was going to real Chinese restaurants where the food was more alive than a canned product… and had more MSG.  (Remind me to tell you about MSG…)