Regional foods in the USA

[rotuts]

CA is so large S.CA would be different than N.CA

 

back in the day, N.CA  and that was a long long time ago it would be fresh Abalone pounded tender with the edge of a thick 'restaurant' plate then f

 

breaded or floured and sauted until golden   fork tender and very delicate.  good luck finding that now !  difficult back then even.

 

agree on the Burger:  cooked backyard on charcoal.  lettuce, tomato, mayo.  Ground Chuck.  to order, from the chuck your

 

mother selected and the butcher then ground on the spot.  butchers did that back then and were known for their chuck in the

 

meat case that went into these burgers.

Edited March 25, 2014 by rotuts (log)

[Kim Shook]

VA would be country ham, certainly.  But you can't forget Brunswick stew.  I've been to lots of BBQ restaurants in VA that have only so-so BBQ, but fantastic stew.  There is even a really good canned stew made in our area - Mrs. Fearnow's.  NC has to be BBQ pork, of course.  IN - pork tenderloin sandwiches.   

[IowaDee]

So you're taking away "my" tenderloin?  Well, I always have The Butter Cow to fall back on

[Hassouni]

VA would be country ham, certainly.  But you can't forget Brunswick stew.  I've been to lots of BBQ restaurants in VA that have only so-so BBQ, but fantastic stew.  There is even a really good canned stew made in our area - Mrs. Fearnow's.  NC has to be BBQ pork, of course.  IN - pork tenderloin sandwiches.   

 

As a native of McLean I can't say I'm particularly familiar with anything from south of the DC Beltway    - but everyone seems to know the ham. What's this stew you speak of?

[suzilightning]

NJ  here:  Campbells soups (Trenton)  or Goya foods but if you are talking raw ingredients Jersey corn and tomatoes.

Grew up on the east end of Long Island and it was lima beans and corn in August.  Strawberries in June for my mom's birthday shortcakes.  It used to be potatoes but almost all of the potato fields have been replanted with wine grapes.

[gfweb]

Eastern PA- Two different influences. The Philadelphia one and the PA Dutch one.

Philly- Cheesesteak, Roast Pork sandwich, certain odd fishcake sandwiches, Italian Sausage/Onion/Pepper Sandwich (maybe not so local-specific)...Pepperpot soup if you can find it. turtle soup. Scrapple.

PA Dutch- scrapple, shoo-fly pie, pepper cabbage, funnel cake, fasnachts, various pickled veg, chow chow

[huiray]

I'm slightly surprised no-one has mentioned Chicken Fried Steak yet, and the sauce that is required to be served with it.

 

In Texas and environs my understanding is that it HAS to be White Sauce, and anything else is grounds for hanging; while in other regions especially where the alternative term "Country Fried Steak" operates a brown gravy is fine, and various permutations including mushroom-based gravies are found including in chi-chi restaurants.  There was/is a thread on (cough cough) another food forum where this issue was FIERCELY FOUGHT OUT over what the dish was. :-)

 

[rotuts]

they did

 

 

annabelle

 

did and I agree with her that OK this might be the Item

 

I knew two  fellow residents in BOS.  there were OK

 

they spoke highly of CFS

[IowaDee]

Has anyone mentioned Utah and  funeral potatoes?  The residents also eat more Jello than any other state.

[huiray]

they did

 

 

annabelle

 

did and I agree with her that OK this might be the Item

 

I knew two  fellow residents in BOS.  there were OK

 

they spoke highly of CFS

 

Yes, she did, thanks for the correction.  However, she didn't mention the fight over what gravy to serve with it, and the variations that include what is called "Country Fried Steak" and brown gravy.

[rotuts]

she did not mention

 

"" "Country Fried Steak" and brown gravy. ""

 

as good as this might be

 

its not  'Chicken fried steak'

[Darienne]

Has anyone mentioned Utah and  funeral potatoes?  The residents also eat more Jello than any other state.

We have spent much time in Utah over the past 30 years and have NEVER seen anyone eating jello in any form.  Maybe it's a northern Utah thing.

[IowaDee]

I read that in 2001 it was declared the official  state snack by the governor.  Green Jell-o being the favorite. 

[huiray]

she did not mention

 

"" "Country Fried Steak" and brown gravy. ""

 

as good as this might be

 

its not  'Chicken fried steak'

 

That's because those folks cannot conceive of a dish resembling a fried Wiener Schnitzel  being covered in anything other than a white gravy.  But she will have to speak to this herself.  "Country Fried Steak" is really the same thing, only with a different gravy, in a generalized sense.  Ditto mushroom gravies.  If you insist on CFS being served with a white gravy only then one knows where this person is coming from, and it does not allow of any variation from Gospel Truth.

 

ETA: It seems to me that your response is entirely appropriate to those who fiercely defend the notions of a particular foodstuff regardless of whether said foodstuff is suitably located in such-and-such a location.

 

Fare thee well.

Edited March 25, 2014 by huiray (log)

[rotuts]

you have still missed the point

 

sad.

 

""  That's because those folks cannot conceive of a dish resembling a fried Wiener Schnitzel  being covered in anything other than a white gravy""

 

this has nothing to do with conception.  it has to do with what's routinely on the plate.

 

good or bad.  its on the plate.

 

""  t seems to me that your response is entirely appropriate to those who fiercely defend the notions of a particular foodstuff regardless of whether said foodstuff is suitably located in such-and-such a location.""

 

I dont' defend anything  fiercely on not.

 

its just chicken fried steak  nothing more nor nothing less

 

its just on the plate.  In Oklahoma.

Edited March 25, 2014 by rotuts (log)

[gfweb]

This CFS diversion brings up the question of how far a dish can veer from its origin and not be a different dish.

Lets say Chicken Parm is defined as a breaded chicken breast, fried, served with melted mozzerella and a red sauce.

Is it still chicken parm if you serve it with a bolognese? probably... How about with a peppery alfredo sauce? probably not

I'd draw the line at the white sauce. If the menu didn't explain that white sauce was involved,I'd be unhappy when I receive the plate.

Why don't we call chicken fried steak... steak parmigiana?

Edited March 25, 2014 by gfweb (log)

[rotuts]

Its Oklahoma  no cheese  no red sauce.  no mushroom  no fiddle no faddle

 

then again, its pretty easy to take the idea and make a whole lot " better "

 

just not in Oklahoma  not on those plates.

 

 

""  if the menu didn't explain that white sauce was involved ""

 

its Oklahoma.  they know what CFS is.

 

PS  Ive only had it in TX.  granted TX is NOT  Oklahoma.  as far as I can tell   

 

it was pretty bad.   tasteless 'no one else wants it '  beef.  thin  passed thought the 'Cuber' to create  'cube steak '  

 

with a white sauce that left a lot to be desired.

 

but if the crunch is good ... and there is a lot of pepper the table

 

better by far than anything at McD's

Edited March 25, 2014 by rotuts (log)

[annabelle]

Chicken Fried Steak is a cube steak that is battered and fried.  

 

It is served with mashed potatoes, white peppered gravy, and slow-cooked green beans along with a soft dinner roll and butter and honey.

 

One drink sweetened iced tea with lemon with this.

 

It is fantastic and is indeed the state dish.

 

CI is written by a bunch of Yankees who wouldn't know a proper chicken fried steak if it bit them in the ass. 

 

I'll add that they also don't know what they're talking about with regards to biscuits.  Biscuits are made with shortening or lard, not butter.  Butter goes on 'em.  Not in 'em.

 

(gfweb, I'll mail you a packet of white gravy mix.  There is a sausage version as well.)

Edited March 25, 2014 by annabelle (log)

[rotuts]

I'm sure its far better than anything with a similar name made in TX or God forbid, Nebraska 

Edited March 25, 2014 by rotuts (log)

[annabelle]

If you should make a roadtrip, rotuts, anywhere on old Route 66 you'll find a diner that serves CFS. 

 

If not a diner, try one of the truck stops.

 

Huiray, the cooks around here make gravies for everything.  I mean everything.  It's not a matter of being provincial that makes us serve the CFS with white gravy, it is as rotuts said, the way that dish is served.

[rotuts]

surely the sausage gravy goes on the Biscuits, not the CFS ?

 

wonder that the Heathens in Nebraska do ?

[annabelle]

It is for biscuits.  One cannot have breakfast without biscuits and gravy.

 

I can't say too much about Nebraska since my dad was born there. 

 

Of course he did pack up and leave as soon as he graduated high school.

 

So, yeah.  It sucks.

[djyee100]

Has anyone mentioned Utah and  funeral potatoes?...

 

I had never heard of funeral potatoes (what a name!) so I looked it up online and found this recipe:

http://blogs.kcrw.com/goodfood/2011/02/recipe-mormon-funeral-potatoes/

 

Wouldn't you know, I've tasted funeral potatoes, or its close cousin, at a potluck I attended years ago--in Ca, not Utah. I saw people milling around one dish on the table, so of course I had to try it. It was a rich, cheesy potato au gratin with chicken stock in it, and people were gobbling it up. I thought it was darn good too.

Edited March 26, 2014 by djyee100 (log)

[SylviaLovegren]

I'm slightly surprised no-one has mentioned Chicken Fried Steak yet, and the sauce that is required to be served with it.

 

In Texas and environs my understanding is that it HAS to be White Sauce, and anything else is grounds for hanging; while in other regions especially where the alternative term "Country Fried Steak" operates a brown gravy is fine, and various permutations including mushroom-based gravies are found including in chi-chi restaurants.  There was/is a thread on (cough cough) another food forum where this issue was FIERCELY FOUGHT OUT over what the dish was. :-)

 

 

I've had CFS in many place and ONLY served with white gravy.  And pretty much as Annabelle describes -- mashed taters, dinner roll, green beans cooked southern style.  Yummy.

 

The regional dishes that have surprised me have been in Pennsylvania -- an odd assortment of Deutch and southern -- scrapple alongside the biscuits and gravy.  And northern central Pennsylvania is prone to "salads" made with LOTS of Miracle Whip, the gloppier the better.  Went to a wedding once and the reception (in the church basement, natch) was catered by the bride's friends who each brought a different bowl of Miracle Whip with a variety of chunks mixed in.  It was interesting. 

[IowaDee]

Has anyone mentioned the Hot Brown as iconic to Kentucky?   Or maybe the Mint Julip is better? Why not both at the same time?