During my third year in the Triple Cities of Endicott, Binghamton and Johnson City, I shared an apartment with two college students. I cooked some of the time but John and Tom did some of their own cooking. I mentioned that I was never a big macaroni and cheese dinner aficionado. One day, John made himself some, but it turned out watery. Apparently, he hadn't drained the macaroni before adding the cheese sauce. He didn't follow directions on the box.
xxxxxOn another occasion, I made beef stew for everyone and John cooked some lima beans - not one of my favorites but healthy nonetheless. A day or two later, John warmed up the stew together with the lima beans. I did not have any.
xxxxxAt that time, a store on the outskirts of town sold horsemeat. Thom and Linda, good friends of mine who lived in nearby Pennsylvania, would fix it for me but not tell me that sometimes the meat could be found at the racetrack. I enjoyed whatever they fixed and couldn't tell the difference between cow and horsemeat, even though I felt it could have been the latter.
xxxxx One day, I made some hamburgers from horsemeat. I believe the recipe was the one for stewed hamburgers in this chapter. John liked it and finished it up, since I couldn't eat it. Somehow, all I could think of was Mr. Ed!

In a large bowl, mix the ground beef with egg, bread crumbs and basil. Heat oil in a heavy iron skillet over moderate heat. Form hamburger mixture into patties and brown on both sides. Remove to a Dutch oven. Repeat until all the hamburgers are browned. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for one hour. Serve the hamburgers on hard rolls dipped in the sauce and covered with the onions.