Unique Regional Cuisine Defined by Location

NY BarBQ chickin is actually Cornell BarBQ chicken mentioned my myself and Cosmos in numerous other posts. The sauce was originally devised by Prof. Robert Baker at the Cornell College of Agriculture in the early to mid 1950's. Numerous churches and volunteer fire depts. among others, put on chicken BarBQ events all over NY State and adjacent areas each summer.

Brooks House of BarBQ on NY Rt. 7 just east of Oneonta, NY is one restaurant I know of where Cornell-style BarBQ chicken appears on the menu.

Wally
Cornell '67

I feel like I must represent, but most of our food in California can be traced back to another place. Offhand I can think of Cobb salad, SF Sourdough bread, date shakes, and Santa Maria style BBQ. We seem to do movements rather than specialties. We have Cal-mex and "California fusion", and the fad of eating fresh and in season started in California. Can any of my fellow left-coasters think of others?

Kokomojoe, I consider the '"best" cornbread to be that which is "best" to the individual eating it. For you and those of your cornbread persuasion, that would be what I call "cake cornbread". To me and those with cornbread tastes similar to mine, the best would be what I call "cornbread" or "non-cake cornbread".

As to the matter of a good "non-cake cornbread" recipe, I'd say that the best such cornbread ever was that made by cornbread bakers such as my grandmother and mother who had no cornbread recipe; who just threw it together. As for now, there are all kinds of "non-cake cornbread" recipes in cookbooks, on the internet, on the backs of meal sacks, etc., many very similar to the one I use; others using more flour and sugar but not to extent of making "cake cornbread". I've always just used the recipe printed on the back of the bag of Aunt Jemima cornmeal:

2 T drippings or vegetable shortening
1-1/2 cups corn meal
3 T all purpose flour
1 t salt
1 t soda
2 cups buttermilk
1egg

Preheat oven to 450 (with my oven I go a little lower). Place shortening in 9" cast iron skillet and place in oven for about
3 min. While skillet is heating, in large bowl combine corn meal, flour, salt, soda; add buttermilk and egg; mix well. Pour batter into hot skillet and bake 22 - 25 min. or until surface cracks and edges are light golden brown & begin to pull away from skillet sides

If I'm out of some ingredients, in a hurry, or want a smaller amount I will at times use Aunt Jemima or any of the Martha White cornbread mixes. Find them to be pretty good. I also at times make Mexican cornbread from any of several recipes.
Everyone to his own taste, but guess my palate is not sophisticated enough to appreciate the superiority of the exotic stone or water ground cornmeals which many people proclaim
(and which I've had at times by virtue of their being gifts).

I made a huge pot of zipper peas I bought last weekend at the Farmers market. They seem to be more and more difficult to find. They were delicious served with a ham. I used the leftover ham later in a pot of pinto beans. Blackeyes are my favorite thought, cooked with some Kelibasa (sp?) sausage.

Bushie -I am a 6th generation Texan, and in our family beans cooked with anything other than salt, pepper, and some ham, bacon, or pork salt is considered to be bean soup, or "Yankee beans". The beans are served with white or yellow cornbread, green onions, sliced tomatoes, and peppers, chow-chow, or pickle relish on top, according to individual preferences. It is one of those meals you just "get a hankerin" for and have to have!

quote:

Originally posted by Lone Star

Bushie -I am a 6th generation Texan, and in our family beans cooked with anything other than salt, pepper, and some ham, bacon, or pork salt is considered to be bean soup, or "Yankee beans". The beans are served with white or yellow cornbread, green onions, sliced tomatoes, and peppers, chow-chow, or pickle relish on top, according to individual preferences. It is one of those meals you just "get a hankerin" for and have to have!

Sounds perfect, Lone Star. Maybe it's just around Austin, or maybe I'm hangin' with the wrong crowd, but the only pintos I've been served at friend's houses have been either a) watery with lots of "filler" ingredients, or b) made to replicate the taste of Ranch-Style beans.

As for me, if I never have another Ranch-Style bean as long as I live, that'll be just fine.

Liketoeat, I make my cornbread similar to yours, but I just use one cup of either whole milk (omitting the extra baking soda) or buttermilk.

As for stone-ground cornmeal, I've tried a few of them. I really like the brand "Hodgson Mill". It tastes very fresh and "corny". I like it.

http://www.victoryseeds.com/catalog/vegetable/beans/beans_dry_pole.html

I missed Liketoeats post about no knowledge of rattlesnakes. They are a fairly new variety of pole bean and they grow like Jack's Beanstalk. Once these things start making, they produce and produce. The beans are a dark green color with little purple stripes (flecks?) all over them. They will get huge quick if they are not gone over everyday (just like cucumbers, one day they are not quite big enough and the next they are big seed pods). They are great eating. Best pole beans I have ever eaten. They are good cooked quick (oriental style stirfry) or they are good cooked low and slow with ham, onions, garlic, etc.

http://www.victoryseeds.com/catalog/vegetable/peas/peas_southern.html

Zippercreams, on the other hand, are very starchy and not very flavorful (in my opinion), but pea farmers all over the south went crazy with them a couple of years ago and there was a seed shortage so their legend grew. The bushes are not particularly prolific and they are alot of trouble to grow. All that being said, I have a bushel in the freezer and they will all be gone by next May. Let's face it, even an o.k. pea is still great.

Speaking of great, I had some late season watermelon this weekend that was terrific. I don't know the variety, but it was almost round, not very large, and almost solid green. Flesh was deep red and could not have been sweeter. Bought two of them and ate 1 1/2 and made small freezer of sherbert out of the other. MMMMMMMMMMMM

The voss family, of Ballinger, Paint Rock, San Angelo, and Voss, Texas, pinto bean recipe.--
2lb. of pinto beans;
2 ham hocks;
2 dried red chile peppers;
& (optional)-1 or 2 onions coarsely chopped;
my kansas/oregon addition-as many cloves of fresh garlic as you like.
fresh onions and hot sauce have always been the table accessories,
sometimes served over rice, mostly not. and cornbread, always

quote:

Originally posted by EliseT

I feel like I must represent, but most of our food in California can be traced back to another place. Offhand I can think of Cobb salad, SF Sourdough bread, date shakes, and Santa Maria style BBQ. We seem to do movements rather than specialties. We have Cal-mex and "California fusion", and the fad of eating fresh and in season started in California. Can any of my fellow left-coasters think of others?

How About-San Diego- Fish Tacos

San Francisco- Cioppino, Hangtown Fry, Original Joe's Special and Crab or Shrimp Louis

Los Angeles- Yogurt, Wheat Germ, nuts fruits and oats

I grew up in Chicago. The usual have been mentioned often. Hot dogs, (by the way, it's the water you know?), Italian beef or beef sausage combos, friday pepper and egg sandwiches thin sliced real pizza. I also loved the Italian lemonade, or italian Ice. crushed by hand in buckets. Ice stirred with lemon juice and bits of lemon rind. I haven't seen watermelon by the slice in a long time. the wedge was cut lengthwise and chilled on ice blocks in the old neighborhood. Anyone remember Ben's Shrimp on North avenue and Cherry st by the river?

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by EliseT

I feel like I must represent, but most of our food in California can be traced back to another place. Offhand I can think of Cobb salad, SF Sourdough bread, date shakes, and Santa Maria style BBQ. We seem to do movements rather than specialties. We have Cal-mex and "California fusion", and the fad of eating fresh and in season started in California. Can any of my fellow left-coasters think of others?

How About-San Diego- Fish Tacos

San Francisco- Cioppino, Hangtown Fry, Original Joe's Special and Crab or Shrimp Louis

Los Angeles- Yogurt, Wheat Germ, nuts fruits and oats

EliseT [et al.],

There's hardly a thing anyone could mention as a regional item that DIDN'T come from elsewhere (or from the influence of people from elsewhere) - "new" foods are invented/concocted/discovered/derived from the new conditions imposed upon immigrants. With each successive wave of immigrants, each with its own dietary preferences & restrictions, conditions have changed for the continuing food history of a region.

Some of what we eat in California is neither unique nor characteristic - but public perception seldom has reality as its foundation. The comedian, Gallagher, captured America's perception of our state with, "What ain't fruits and nuts is flakes!" A great number of people apparently have projected that to mean that that's what we eat[there may still be parts of the country that teach 'you are what you eat' is gospel/literal truth...]. There are all sorts of foods that are unique here because the conditions are unique - we have access to fresh food 24/7/365, we have culinary traditions from all over the planet, and we have a long history of culinary pragmatism - "nouvelle cuisine" was a resonant concept here because we had the luxury to choose. And we chose to eat healthier wherever possible because it was more flavorful.

Any number of foods that I think of as typical for a California region are bound to have defenders elsewhere, but I would still maintain are different here:

Most of our coast - minimally-sauced grilled seafood
Gold Country - pasties [including vegi variations not found in the UP]
Sacramento Delta - sopa (Portuguese kale soup)
San Francisco - the Mission [District]-style burrito is a special case: here's a food that is ostensibly Mexican, mostly made by Central Americans for slackers/Gen-Xers/mods/goths/other young folks in search of a new tribal affiliation - they're commonly as big as your head, and contain everything but the kitchen sink (NOT like anything I remember from growing up near L.A.); about the only SF stand-by that still seems credible [sorry WJ - except for the occasional artisan sourdough, your list has mostly gone tourist-only, along w/ Celery Victor & Chicken Tetrazzini] is Irish coffee.
San Mateo/Central Coast - olallieberry pie, artichoke soup
Santa Barbara/Santa Maria - tri-tip
Los Angeles - French-dipped sandwiches, taquitos w/ green sauce
San Diego/Imperial Vly - date shakes
And, because the US border is such an artificial construct, I'd also add Baja's fish tacos, Caesar salad, & Margaritas [both now ubiqitous].

Here's a current local example: the non-Muslim Bay Area has recently "discovered" halal dining - as more residents tried educating themselves about Islam, they've also taken to educating their palates. Where there used to be a halal butcher shop a few blocks from my office, there are now many places that show being halal on their awnings or in their windows - even a halal Thai restaurant! So it's like the new kosher here.

The main difference between the regional bests in other areas and California? Seems to me it's only a matter of age of the foodstuff compared to the dynamics of the local migration pattern. If there's little change in the local menu, ANYTHING different will be memorable - though not necessarily accepted. Here we have lots of change, all the time. We won't necessarily hold on to some traditional foodstuff just for nostalgia's sake. I don't expect it take long for there to be more mixing of different ingredients (or just different marketing - like selling 'joong' as "Chinese tamales") to create new favorites. And if it's tasty, it'll migrate in a heartbeat! (Then you only have to wait 50 years plus for folks to argue about where it originated & who makes it best/the right way....)
Buen provecho,
Richard
Berkeley/SF, CA

quote:

Originally posted by spadoman

I grew up in Chicago. The usual have been mentioned often. Hot dogs, (by the way, it's the water you know?), Italian beef or beef sausage combos, friday pepper and egg sandwiches thin sliced real pizza. I also loved the Italian lemonade, or italian Ice. crushed by hand in buckets. Ice stirred with lemon juice and bits of lemon rind. I haven't seen watermelon by the slice in a long time. the wedge was cut lengthwise and chilled on ice blocks in the old neighborhood. Anyone remember Ben's Shrimp on North avenue and Cherry st by the river?

I LOVE Pepper and egg sandwhiches!!!!thought thqat nobody in the world except my moms Italian family ate them though---looking forward to "ordering" one---where in Chicago do they sell them--every one i have ever had was made at home---was my favorite lucnh at school for a long time---room temp'on white or scala bread with a touch of hellmans,salt and pepper!!! MMMMM

There is one dish native to the Eastern Shore (MD & VA) that I have never heard of elsewhere, stuffed ham. This is a whole fresh ham that is stuffed with a spicy mixture (i.e. black pepper and vinegar and sometimes some mustard powder) of kale, turnip or collard greens, onions and cabbage. This is a late fall/Thanksgiving specialty as the growing season for those greens and the butchering season for hogs coincide. You make a big mess of the spicy greens, not too finely chopped and cooked till not too soft then let them cool. Next you take your whole ham (better with the skin still on) and cut slits down to the bone about every inch or so and stuff the living heck out of the pockets with the greens mixture. Cannot give exact amounts 'cause ham sizes differ but, make more stuffing than you think you will need. Then the ham is baked very, very slowly. Basted frequently with a non-sugar based sop (some like vinegar and mustard powder, some just the drippings with a little vinegar). In about, hmm, 3-5 hours its done. Lot of work but it is a real regional treat and most folks that I have served it to tear it up. And yes, it is generally served with non-cake cornbread using some of the drippings for the fat/grease. Do try it sometime as I don't believe that you will find it easily even on the Eastern Shore.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Brooks Alba

Originally posted by wanderingjew

Originally posted by EliseT



Any number of foods that I think of as typical for a California region are bound to have defenders elsewhere, but I would still maintain are different here:

Most of our coast - minimally-sauced grilled seafood
Sacramento Delta - sopa (Portuguese kale soup)
Richard
Berkeley/SF, CA

Portuguese kale soup is extremely popular here in Rhode Island. Rhode Island and nearby Fall River and New Bedford have a significant Portuguese population.

By the way, Richard, you forgot Sushi. I understand that some of the best Sushi can be had in So Cal.

quote:

Originally posted by tiki

quote:

Originally posted by spadoman

I grew up in Chicago. The usual have been mentioned often. Hot dogs, (by the way, it's the water you know?), Italian beef or beef sausage combos, friday pepper and egg sandwiches thin sliced real pizza. I also loved the Italian lemonade, or italian Ice. crushed by hand in buckets. Ice stirred with lemon juice and bits of lemon rind. I haven't seen watermelon by the slice in a long time. the wedge was cut lengthwise and chilled on ice blocks in the old neighborhood. Anyone remember Ben's Shrimp on North avenue and Cherry st by the river?

I LOVE Pepper and egg sandwhiches!!!!thought thqat nobody in the world except my moms Italian family ate them though---looking forward to "ordering" one---where in Chicago do they sell them--every one i have ever had was made at home---was my favorite lucnh at school for a long time---room temp'on white or scala bread with a touch of hellmans,salt and pepper!!! MMMMM

Tiki, you can still get pepper and egg sandwiches at Buono Beef in Downers grove, but only on Fridays. Buono used to have only one location and then they had to get like Potillos and branch out all over into new Kitchy buildings, but the food is good and they have the sandwich you crave.

How are the pepper and egg sandwiches made?

quote:

Originally posted by Lone Star

How are the pepper and egg sandwiches made?

My grandmother taught me-----we use roasted red or green peppers that we kept packed in olive oil---now you can buy them anywhere it seems---put some of them-in good sized "chunks"-along with some olive oil and a little crushed red pepper flakes in a fry pan on med heat and saute till the are warm and then swirl in eggs that have been beaten with a touch of water--seems to make them fluffier--and cook as srambled eggs--i usually make them a little firmer than i do normal scrambled eggs, ass they keep in the lunchbox without sogging the bread---i usually butter the bread to keep the mayo from sogging it--unless im eating them right away--white bread btw or Scala if you can get it. Hit them with a touch of good mayo--im partial to Hellmans/BestFoods-a little salt and pepper and-------MMMMMMM My granfather actually liked to toss in a few capers and i do so on occasion,but i think they are best if kept simple ----eggs and roasted peppers compliment each other really well. This started out in our home as a friday lunch---remember when it was a sin for catholics to eat meat on Fridays---God must have changed his mind!-but where to good to only eat once a week, so try em--you'll like em!!

They sound delicious. I may try them for brunch this weekend. Thanks Tiki!

Wonder if they would be good on a biscuit?

Mayhaw, thanks for the additional info re the Rattlesnake green beans and the zippercream peas and the website links. They are something which just completely passed me by. Will be anxious to try them, most particularly the Rattlesnakes. They must be some good! Thanks. Sounds, too, like you had and really enjoyed some fine late season watermelon.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Brooks Alba

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by EliseT

I feel like I must represent, but most of our food in California can be traced back to another place. Offhand I can think of Cobb salad, SF Sourdough bread, date shakes, and Santa Maria style BBQ. We seem to do movements rather than specialties. We have Cal-mex and "California fusion", and the fad of eating fresh and in season started in California. Can any of my fellow left-coasters think of others?

How About-San Diego- Fish Tacos

San Francisco- Cioppino, Hangtown Fry, Original Joe's Special and Crab or Shrimp Louis

Los Angeles- Yogurt, Wheat Germ, nuts fruits and oats

EliseT [et al.],

There's hardly a thing anyone could mention as a regional item that DIDN'T come from elsewhere (or from the influence of people from elsewhere) - "new" foods are invented/concocted/discovered/derived from the new conditions imposed upon immigrants. With each successive wave of immigrants, each with its own dietary preferences & restrictions, conditions have changed for the continuing food history of a region.

Some of what we eat in California is neither unique nor characteristic - but public perception seldom has reality as its foundation. The comedian, Gallagher, captured America's perception of our state with, "What ain't fruits and nuts is flakes!" A great number of people apparently have projected that to mean that that's what we eat[there may still be parts of the country that teach 'you are what you eat' is gospel/literal truth...]. There are all sorts of foods that are unique here because the conditions are unique - we have access to fresh food 24/7/365, we have culinary traditions from all over the planet, and we have a long history of culinary pragmatism - "nouvelle cuisine" was a resonant concept here because we had the luxury to choose. And we chose to eat healthier wherever possible because it was more flavorful.

Any number of foods that I think of as typical for a California region are bound to have defenders elsewhere, but I would still maintain are different here:

Most of our coast - minimally-sauced grilled seafood
Gold Country - pasties [including vegi variations not found in the UP]
Sacramento Delta - sopa (Portuguese kale soup)
San Francisco - the Mission [District]-style burrito is a special case: here's a food that is ostensibly Mexican, mostly made by Central Americans for slackers/Gen-Xers/mods/goths/other young folks in search of a new tribal affiliation - they're commonly as big as your head, and contain everything but the kitchen sink (NOT like anything I remember from growing up near L.A.); about the only SF stand-by that still seems credible [sorry WJ - except for the occasional artisan sourdough, your list has mostly gone tourist-only, along w/ Celery Victor & Chicken Tetrazzini] is Irish coffee.
San Mateo/Central Coast - olallieberry pie, artichoke soup
Santa Barbara/Santa Maria - tri-tip
Los Angeles - French-dipped sandwiches, taquitos w/ green sauce
San Diego/Imperial Vly - date shakes
And, because the US border is such an artificial construct, I'd also add Baja's fish tacos, Caesar salad, & Margaritas [both now ubiqitous].

Here's a current local example: the non-Muslim Bay Area has recently "discovered" halal dining - as more residents tried educating themselves about Islam, they've also taken to educating their palates. Where there used to be a halal butcher shop a few blocks from my office, there are now many places that show being halal on their awnings or in their windows - even a halal Thai restaurant! So it's like the new kosher here.

The main difference between the regional bests in other areas and California? Seems to me it's only a matter of age of the foodstuff compared to the dynamics of the local migration pattern. If there's little change in the local menu, ANYTHING different will be memorable - though not necessarily accepted. Here we have lots of change, all the time. We won't necessarily hold on to some traditional foodstuff just for nostalgia's sake. I don't expect it take long for there to be more mixing of different ingredients (or just different marketing - like selling 'joong' as "Chinese tamales") to create new favorites. And if it's tasty, it'll migrate in a heartbeat! (Then you only have to wait 50 years plus for folks to argue about where it originated & who makes it best/the right way....)
Buen provecho,
Richard
Berkeley/SF, CA

I left fish tacos out since they are indigenous to Baja, but I see your point of "We didn't cross the borders...the borders crossed us".
As for those burrito monstrosities, I was actually served a burrito with big broccoli florets in it recently. I'm still getting the night sweats over it. Ugh. If taquitos are local, what about flautas and churros? Are there actually churros south of the "border"?

I am thumping my forehead over cioppino and Joe's special.

quote:

Originally posted by Lone Star

They sound delicious. I may try them for brunch this weekend. Thanks Tiki!

Wonder if they would be good on a biscuit?

Is'nt everything!?

My final stop (for now) on the culinary journey is Rhode Island. In a nutshell Rhode Island is seafood, Italian, Portuguese with a little bit of Yankee and French Candian thrown in. First of all every bar/tavern/restaurant will always have stuffies (stuffed quahogs) on their appetizer menu. Quahogs for those who are not in the know are huge clams. Baked Scrod is also big, but it's also big in Boston too. Clam Cakes and chowder are also popular and most restaurants will offer New England Style (creamy white) Rhode Island Style (red with a little cream thrown in) and Clear (broth only). Although most Rhode Islanders think Calamari is regional, it is not, so I won't include it. Fish n Chips are served at many restaurants on Fridays and don't forget to generously spritz the malt vinegar on your fries, pouring ketchup over them would be an abomination. Snail Salad is another Rhode Island treat, found at most deli counter supermarkets. Johnny Cakes and Coffee Milk for breakfast or perhaps some Chourice or Linguica Sausage with your eggs, and yes Rhode Island is definetly the Donut Capitol of the nation. Bakery Pizza or Pizza strips are popular in the Central part of the state. Bakery Pizza which can be found at most Italian Bakeries are square cuts of Pizza served with at room temperature with a dusting of Romano or Parmesan cheese. No Mozzarella or Provolone on these babies! They are delicious and addicting too. French Canadian meat pies can be found in the northern part of the state as well as the Roast Chicken Dinners which come with minestrone, antipasta, ziti, french fries, and spumoni. Portuguese Kale Soup you'll find in the Eastern part. Finally dough boys at ice cream shops, seafood shacks and local fairs and festivals.

Baked scrod is also common in Connecticut, at least along shoreline towns. Bluefish, too, is a staple in many CT restaurants.

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

Baked Scrod is also big, but it's also big in Boston too.

Also, when it comes to naming sandwiches, Rhode Island, to my knowledge, (well maybe eastern Connecticut as well) calls their hero a "Grinder". Down here by Philly, we call them "Hoagies". I also think (reading "Roadfood") I remember Jane and Michael mentioned that a milkshake in Rhode Island is termed a "Cabinet". Is that right?

quote:

Originally posted by tamandmik

Also, when it comes to naming sandwiches, Rhode Island, to my knowledge, (well maybe eastern Connecticut as well) calls their hero a "Grinder". Down here by Philly, we call them "Hoagies". I also think (reading "Roadfood") I remember Jane and Michael mentioned that a milkshake in Rhode Island is termed a "Cabinet". Is that right?

That is correct. I didn't want to go into regional variations of names since milkshakes and sandwiches can be found in most places.

The Absolute Best Restaurant I have ever been to is the one in my hometown. I live In Hyas Saskatchewan (CANADA)...There are 113 people and we have the most Unique restaurant in the world. A mexican lady moved here and started a restaurant. The food is to die for...but one of the best things about this restaurant Is its location. It i s in the Basement of and ex-Catholic church. All the food is home-made and mouth watering. And really...How many times are you gonna eat in the Basement of a old catholic church bought over buy pentecostals and now run by a mexican mennonite

Haven't heard from my state yet: North Dakota

Fleishkuechla
Nephla Soup
Rhubarb Pie
Rubarb Jam
Juneberry Jam
Chokecherry Jelly
Sandcherry Jam
Lutefisk
Lefsa
Hot Beef Sandwiches
Fleish Nepfla
Cabbage Rolls- Baked with a tomato sauce

Hot Dishes- too many to list, but they all have the "Holy
Trinity":hamburger, can of cream soup and a starch.

Fermented Dill Pickles
Watermelon Rind Pickles
Jello Salad
Blatchinda- a savory pumpkin turnover
Slush Burgers
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Noodles with browned butter
Klub- heavy potato dumpling served with melted butter
Green tomato relish
Sot Suppe- dried fruit soup
Beet Pickles
Braunschweiger sandwiches
Fattimand
Krumkaker
Rosettes
Rome' Grot- wallpaper paste may be substituted with anyone catching on.

Egg Coffee
Julekake
Bread and butter pickles
The list goes on and on and on...

quote:

Originally posted by canoodle

Haven't heard from my state yet: North Dakota

I've been to Fargo. Couldn't find any restaurants that served that stuff. The closest "regional" food I could find on a menu were beer cheese soup and a buffalo burger!

Oh..Fargo is too "cosmopolitan" to find these things other than in peoples homes. The small town cafes serve a lot of these as does the state fair and ethnic festivals. I must admit I won't eat a lot of these "delicacies".

quote:

Originally posted by Lone Star

How are the pepper and egg sandwiches made?

LoneStar, Pepper and egg sandwiches made in the Chicago beef and Hot Dog stands in earlier days, (like maybe in the 50's and 60's, that's when I lived there and ate em') were a thin skinned green pepper called a Melrose pepper. these are mild and just like a bell pepper except they were a very thin skin. These were cut into strips and fried in olive oil. My dad liked them very crisp, acually burning the skin, then fried with scrambled eggs and served on a Gonella type French bread or Italian bread roll. i like to add some granulated garlic to the peppers as they are frying when I make them at home. Melrose peppers are hard to find but can usually be gotten at farmers markets in late summer. In winterI use regular green bell peppers or red ones for color. They were usually served only on fridays as they are today at Buono beef restaurants. This was probably because of the Catholic influence of not eating meat on fridays and offering a meatless sandwich.

I just heard on the radio that it is the 85th anniversary of the moon pie. Brought back memories of eating a moon pie and drinking an RC cola. Believe that it is from Chattanooga.

quote:

Originally posted by canoodle

Oh..Fargo is too "cosmopolitan" to find these things other than in peoples homes. The small town cafes serve a lot of these as does the state fair and ethnic festivals. I must admit I won't eat a lot of these "delicacies".

Since I might find my way back to North Dakota, can you make any recommondations on small town cafes where I might find these "delicacies" especially lutefisk! Never had it before, and can't wait to try it

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by canoodle

Oh..Fargo is too "cosmopolitan" to find these things other than in peoples homes. The small town cafes serve a lot of these as does the state fair and ethnic festivals. I must admit I won't eat a lot of these "delicacies".

Since I might find my way back to North Dakota, can you make any recommondations on small town cafes where I might find these "delicacies" especially lutefisk! Never had it before, and can't wait to try it

Wanderingjew: Minnesota is a place to find Lutefisk, especially in church basements on Sunday afternoons as we get closer to Christmas. Many of the small town restaurants serve this "delicacy" around the state. Try the Kaffe Stuga in Stacy or in Braham try the Park Cafe. I won't eat the stuff, but what do i know? I'm Italian!! By the way, while in and around Minnesota and Nort Dakota, remember to start every sentence with "so" and end it with "Then". They'll take you for a local. So, you want some Lutefisk then?

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

My final stop (for now) on the culinary journey is Rhode Island. In a nutshell Rhode Island is seafood, Italian, Portuguese with a little bit of Yankee and French Candian thrown in. First of all every bar/tavern/restaurant will always have stuffies (stuffed quahogs) on their appetizer menu. Quahogs for those who are not in the know are huge clams. Baked Scrod is also big, but it's also big in Boston too. Clam Cakes and chowder are also popular and most restaurants will offer New England Style (creamy white) Rhode Island Style (red with a little cream thrown in) and Clear (broth only). Although most Rhode Islanders think Calamari is regional, it is not, so I won't include it. Fish n Chips are served at many restaurants on Fridays and don't forget to generously spritz the malt vinegar on your fries, pouring ketchup over them would be an abomination. Snail Salad is another Rhode Island treat, found at most deli counter supermarkets. Johnny Cakes and Coffee Milk for breakfast or perhaps some Chourice or Linguica Sausage with your eggs, and yes Rhode Island is definetly the Donut Capitol of the nation. Bakery Pizza or Pizza strips are popular in the Central part of the state. Bakery Pizza which can be found at most Italian Bakeries are square cuts of Pizza served with at room temperature with a dusting of Romano or Parmesan cheese. No Mozzarella or Provolone on these babies! They are delicious and addicting too. French Canadian meat pies can be found in the northern part of the state as well as the Roast Chicken Dinners which come with minestrone, antipasta, ziti, french fries, and spumoni. Portuguese Kale Soup you'll find in the Eastern part. Finally dough boys at ice cream shops, seafood shacks and local fairs and festivals.

WANDERINGJEW: I found your Rhode Island post very informative, and I'm wondering if you can help me out. We'll be taking a trip to New England soon with 2 senior citizen ladies in tow. We'll be landing at the Providence airport right around lunchtime. We'll all be hungry. Can you recommend a nice sit-down restaurant not too far from the airport where we can get a bite to eat? It would be great to try some regional specialties. Many thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by spadoman

Originally posted by wanderingjew

Originally posted by canoodle

By the way, while in and around Minnesota and Nort Dakota, remember to start every sentence with "so" and end it with "Then". They'll take you for a local. So, you want some Lutefisk then?

I think my Long Island twang might get in the way. However I saw "Fargo" enough times to make a halfway decent attempt..."Ya, sure you betcha!"

quote:

Originally posted by KimChee43

[quote
WANDERINGJEW: I found your Rhode Island post very informative, and I'm wondering if you can help me out. We'll be taking a trip to New England soon with 2 senior citizen ladies in tow. We'll be landing at the Providence airport right around lunchtime. We'll all be hungry. Can you recommend a nice sit-down restaurant not too far from the airport where we can get a bite to eat? It would be great to try some regional specialties. Many thanks.

About 2 1/2 miles from the airport on a side street off Post Road (rt 1) is the Crows Nest Restaurant. It's a little tricky to get there because you have to go through a Rotary. They have fantastic stuffed shrimp, a better than average lobster roll and is very popular with "the gray haired set". Their website is www.eatatcrowsnest.com

You have a lot of guts to want to try lutefisk! I can't get past the smell of it cooking. I have always called it the Yuletide attrocity. Blech
http://www.hostfest.com/events/food/food.html Here's the link to our local festival. I end up volunteering for 1 day during the festival. Tens of thousands of people come from all over the US and Europe to attend this Norweigen (and Scandinavian) event.
On the local scene, we have a great restaurant called The Speedway (which I should review for Roadfood) that serves Fleishkeuckla for lunch. I know the DairyQueen in Beulah ND serves it also. In Minot and Bismarck you can get FK and Nephla Soup at Krolls Diner. If you ever get to Grand Forks..try Widmans Chocolates-Home of the Chocolate covered potato chip. They have wonderful handmade chocolates also. The rhubarb desserts can be found at most small restaurants.
The jams,jellies and condiments can always be found at farmer's markets and tourist shops. I must admit to buying mine at the Farmers Market. I've become too lazy to make chokecherry jelly. And I'm also a Fleishkueckla snob. I like my mothers the best ,fresh out of the fryer...but I usually can manage to poke down a few in a restaurant.
I am not partial to Norwiegen food being that I am 2nd Generation German (from Russia). There's a large population of Germans from Russia here in ND. We have a unique regional cuisine that I've never seen before. It's a mixture of German,Russian, and Black Sea cookery. Thank God I wrote down most of the recipes that my mother and grandmother made. The youth today don't know about these treats. So sad! Most recipes are still made in small (and I mean small) town churches, cafes, and homes.
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/outreach/activities/gfrclass3.html
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/outreach/activities/gfrclass2.html
I can't believe I left out kuchen. My mother made THE BEST! I need to write down that recipe too. And Borscht..it's not always made the traditional Russian way.
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/history_culture/recipe/
http://www.prairiepublic.org/features/schmeckfest/gallery.htm pictures of GFR food AKA:food porn to me. LOL The "wedding schnapps" was featured at my wedding. It's Everclear and burned sugar flavored with anise!!!!
Most Germans from Russia on the northern plains are not Volga Germans, but rather Black Sea Germans, and they have their own characteristic foods. None of these have crossed over into mainstream American pop culture, but three of them have reached the threshold of regional recognition. These are Knoephla soup (spelling varies), Fleischkuechle (again, spelling varies) and Kuchen. I don't know just why these three items have emerged as signatures of German-Russian cuisine, but they are the ones that appear frequently on café menus and are known to non-German-Russians.

Knoephla soup is a variant of cream-of-potato soup that has fluffy dumplings floating around in it. This is the ultimate comfort food of the German-Russian heartland in the Dakotas. Fleischkuechle are patties of seasoned meat wrapped in pastry and fried in fat. These are a main dish. Kuchen look like pies, but they aren't. The crust is a yeast dough, and the filling is a cheesy custard with some kind of fruit in it. Prune is traditional; I like rhubarb.

Sorry for the long post..but I forgot to add that at this link: http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/history_culture/recipe/index.html on the right hand side are newpaper articles on where you can find some of these dishes.

quote:

Originally posted by canoodle

You have a lot of guts to want to try lutefisk! I can't get past the smell of it cooking. I have always called it the Yuletide attrocity. Blech

Canoodle, thanks for the leads . Actually I don't think lutefisk could be any worse than gefilte fish, which actually goes very well with red horseradish

here is some regional cuisine from rural south carolina: pickled pig's feet, fried pork rinds, and chitlings. and the only one of the three of those i like are the pork rinds, especially homemade one's from a local flea market or fair. the pig's feet, i just don't have the heart to partake in, and the chitlings i won't touch. if you don't know what a chitling is, you aint missing anything. basically, it is the stewed guts of a pig, served with rice,typically. rural churches sell plates of it for fundraisers, and the people who like it, really like it alot. i can tell you, it smells horrible cooking, smells just like what it is

OMG- you do like smelly fish! Here's recipe to make your own *shudder* Lutefisk in case you can't find it already prepared and ready to cook:
Take two lbs. of stockfish (dried fish, preferably cod, lincod or saithe caught in early summer) and cut each fish in three pieces. Place the pieces in a wooden tub and soak them for a week in water (which should be changed daily). Remove the pieces, clean the tub, and cover the bottom with 1/4 lb. of slaked lime. Prepare a lye from 1/3 lb. of washing-soda (WARNING do not utilize caustic soda or natriumhydroxide) (2 lbs. of
birch ashes will also do) add enough water to cover the pieces, and pour the lye over the fish pieces. As they swell, add more water to keep them covered. When the pieces are soft enough to allow a finger to penetrate easily (after about a week), remove and rinse them, clean the tub, replace the pieces and soak them in clear water for another two weeks. During the first week the water should be replaced daily. Cook in boiling salted water at simmering temperature for about 20 minutes. Drain well and serve with melted butter with freshly ground pepper and sea salt. Allow 1/3 lb per serving.
The texture is something like a firm pudding. The butter makes it even more slimier which helps it slip down your throat so you don't have to "really" taste it. LOL

Canoodle - loved reading your posts. They were very interesting like Wanderingjews always are.

Just when you think the entire country has been Wal-Marted, you learn about so the many regional diversities.

I think I would have to study to be able to go up there and pronounce all of those names.

(but I don't think I would like th smelly fish)

btw - I recently read a novel, "The Master Butcher's Singing Club",that was set in North Dakota ( or was it Nebraska?). It was based upon the true story of the author's great-grandfather who came from Germany as a master butcher and built his life there.

Binghamton, NY. Spiedies. <pronounced spee-dee> It is cubes of marinated pork, beef or chicken, and sometimes lamb. They are cooked on a skewer and eaten with a slice of italian bread. You take the meat off the stick by using the bread slice as a glove. Roodfood has reviewed the resturant "Sharkey's" in Binghamton. They claim to have invented the little item, although the Lupo family & Salamida family argue over which one of them developed the sauce. People are religious about them in this area, and spiedies are virtually unheard of 75 miles away.

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by KimChee43

[quote
WANDERINGJEW: I found your Rhode Island post very informative, and I'm wondering if you can help me out. We'll be taking a trip to New England soon with 2 senior citizen ladies in tow. We'll be landing at the Providence airport right around lunchtime. We'll all be hungry. Can you recommend a nice sit-down restaurant not too far from the airport where we can get a bite to eat? It would be great to try some regional specialties. Many thanks.

WANDERINGJEW: Sounds like just the place we're looking for! Thank you so much for your help!

About 2 1/2 miles from the airport on a side street off Post Road (rt 1) is the Crows Nest Restaurant. It's a little tricky to get there because you have to go through a Rotary. They have fantastic stuffed shrimp, a better than average lobster roll and is very popular with "the gray haired set". Their website is www.eatatcrowsnest.com

WANDERINGJEW: I messed up on my previous post. Again, many thanks for your recommendation. It's perfect. Have a great day.

quote:

Originally posted by canoodle

OMG- you do like smelly fish! Here's recipe to make your own *shudder* Lutefisk in case you can't find it already prepared and ready to cook:
Take two lbs. of stockfish (dried fish, preferably cod, lincod or saithe caught in early summer) and cut each fish in three pieces. Place the pieces in a wooden tub and soak them for a week in water (which should be changed daily). Remove the pieces, clean the tub, and cover the bottom with 1/4 lb. of slaked lime. Prepare a lye from 1/3 lb. of washing-soda (WARNING do not utilize caustic soda or natriumhydroxide) (2 lbs. of
birch ashes will also do) add enough water to cover the pieces, and pour the lye over the fish pieces. As they swell, add more water to keep them covered. When the pieces are soft enough to allow a finger to penetrate easily (after about a week), remove and rinse them, clean the tub, replace the pieces and soak them in clear water for another two weeks. During the first week the water should be replaced daily. Cook in boiling salted water at simmering temperature for about 20 minutes. Drain well and serve with melted butter with freshly ground pepper and sea salt. Allow 1/3 lb per serving.
The texture is something like a firm pudding. The butter makes it even more slimier which helps it slip down your throat so you don't have to "really" taste it. LOL

Ack! looks like a science experiment gone really, really wrong! I wonder if it is combustable? And if so, how can our military put it to use? Most people here buy it at the grocery store and just boil the snot out of it. It's traditionaly served with meatballs and gravy. I order the meal and tell 'em to hold the lutefisk.

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by canoodle

You have a lot of guts to want to try lutefisk! I can't get past the smell of it cooking. I have always called it the Yuletide attrocity. Blech

Canoodle, thanks for the leads . Actually I don't think lutefisk could be any worse than gefilte fish, which actually goes very well with red horseradish

Dont bet on it!!!

quote:

Originally posted by RockyB

Binghamton, NY. Spiedies. <pronounced spee-dee> It is cubes of marinated pork, beef or chicken, and sometimes lamb. They are cooked on a skewer and eaten with a slice of italian bread. You take the meat off the stick by using the bread slice as a glove. Roodfood has reviewed the resturant "Sharkey's" in Binghamton. They claim to have invented the little item, although the Lupo family & Salamida family argue over which one of them developed the sauce. People are religious about them in this area, and spiedies are virtually unheard of 75 miles away.

Sherkey's may CLAIM to have invented the speidie but i dont think so---the word means---"grilled" in Italian and they have been served in Umbria---a distict in the hills to the north and east of Rome for a LONG time---like for about as long as umbrians have been around.They may be the first to SELL them THAT area but i know a few Umbrians that would argue the "invented" point. For a killer,"Classic" recipe--check out Mary Ann Espisito's cookbook-"Cio Italia in Umbria"

LOL @TIKI ! Have you tried this stuff? I think lutefisk is the sole reason the Vikings left Norway!

In Las Vegas they like

Shrimp Cocktales
and
Prime Rib (of course).

quote:

Originally posted by canoodle

LOL @TIKI ! Have you tried this stuff? I think lutefisk is the sole reason the Vikings left Norway!

I think you may be right---actually it was the first Scandanavian food i ever ate--and danged near the last!!!! Had it served at a family friends house when i was young--in my family, if simeone offered you food it was REALLY impolite to turn it down---darn near a moertal sin!!So i ate and kept my shut---aven had seconds since i was too scared to turn it down---whne i saw how it was made i thought-"this has to be a recipe for paint stipper!!!!

peppertree, I love those little .99 cent shrimp cocktails at the Four Queens downtown.

Anyone ever eat a carnita? I had them at a restaurant in Tijuana (across from the racetrack). The name of the restaurant is U Ru Guapan. I forget the spelling. This is THE roadfood spot in Tijuana. Orange picnic tables, Mariachi music (live) in the evening. A meal there is under $10. Includes Carnitas, pork skin that you can pull right off of the overdone pig and Mexican beer.

Anyone ever eat there?

quote:

Originally posted by Lone Star

peppertree, I love those little .99 cent shrimp cocktails at the Four Queens downtown.

The Golden Gate (Hotel and Casino) in downtown at Fremont and Main boasts the original shrimp cocktail. The hotel has been around for about 100 years.


Another NYC favorite (of olde) Egg Creams.

Scandinavian food served daily along with great PIE! try Osseo, Wisconsin's Norske Nook. They have a couple of other locations in Wisconsin but are not a Franchise chain. I had Lefse there last weekend with a great piece of pie for desert. osseo is 88 miles from the Minnesota border on I-94 in Wisconsin.

spadoman- I have their cookbook! It is extremly fun to read. It's more literature for me than recipes.

Dearfolk,
This jumps a ways back - clear to the Louis Jordan part of the thread. Not too long ago, I met Sonny Burgess, the legendary Sun rockabilly singer from Newport, Arkansas. "If it wasn't for Big Joe Turner, I'd have never gotten into music," he remarked. "What about Louis Jordan?" I asked. "I always wanted to meet him just to thank him for the great records he made. After all, Brinkley, his hometown, isn't too far from where I grew up." - It was gratifying to find a Southern rocker who openly acknowledged the debt that rockabilly musicians have to blues performers.
Back to Nestlerode Pudding, thanks a million for those three recipes. I'm gonna turn someone I know on to them directly and we'll let you know what transpires.
Dadgum it, today is Thursday - that means I missed Chicken Mull Day at The Gateway Cafe on North Avenue. Well, God willing, I'll traipse over there next week....
In The Trenches (Always A Trencherman), Ort. Carlton in Well-Fed (My Part Of It, Anyhow) Athens, Georgia.

quote:

Originally posted by peppertree

Anyone ever eat a carnita? I had them at a restaurant in Tijuana (across from the racetrack). The name of the restaurant is U Ru Guapan. I forget the spelling. This is THE roadfood spot in Tijuana. Orange picnic tables, Mariachi music (live) in the evening. A meal there is under $10. Includes Carnitas, pork skin that you can pull right off of the overdone pig and Mexican beer.

Anyone ever eat there?

LOVE Carnita's----when my wife was in grad school in San Diego we went to a restteraunt in Tijuana that specialized in carnitas---you order the meat by the kilo and they supplied all the fixins you could eat along with it" Fabulous stuff and dinner for 4 adults with appeties--with tip--$20---mexico is the only thing about San Diego that i miss!

quote:

Originally posted by RockyB

Binghamton, NY. Spiedies. <pronounced spee-dee> It is cubes of marinated pork, beef or chicken, and sometimes lamb. They are cooked on a skewer and eaten with a slice of italian bread. You take the meat off the stick by using the bread slice as a glove. Roodfood has reviewed the resturant "Sharkey's" in Binghamton. They claim to have invented the little item, although the Lupo family & Salamida family argue over which one of them developed the sauce. People are religious about them in this area, and spiedies are virtually unheard of 75 miles away.

RockyB---You mention the Lupo family. My Grandmother on my Mothers side was a Lupo, (or came here with the Lupo family). I'd better check that out! Anyway, they were Sicilian. Grandma and Grandpa came to this country in the very early 1900's and started an ice cream shop in Hanibal, MO. Moved to Chicago around 1920 or so.

Hey, Spadoman! See you hail from Howard Lake. I grew up in Buffalo. Nothing like good old Wright County road food, eh?