What are the local delicacies where you come from?

[Longgrain]

Being from New England, I'm familiar with clam bakes and the old classic Chow-dah, and I consider Lobster my favorite-est of foods (as is most seafood). One of my aunts makes something called Maine Soup (anyone else familiar with this), kind of a brothy brew with tomato chunks and rice, or sometimes pasta.

I don't make it far beyond New England very often, but last time I was in Florida I had some blackened cat-fish on grits, something I never tried before and thought was dee-lish.

Share with me some of your regional faves so I can expand my culinary horizons...

[JimmyJazz]

1. Hoagies and Tastykakes!

[vixengrl]

14. Soft pretzels and scrapple!

And cheesesteaks. Oh my.

[JimmyJazz]

23. Ooooh - cheese steak hoagies

YUMMY!

[GOPisEvil]

18. Mmmmmmmmmm...Tastykakes...

:9

[JimmyJazz]

24. I knew that would get your attention!

:hi:

[GOPisEvil]

26. I found a place that sells them here!

Woohoo! :hi:

[JimmyJazz]

27. So you have said - as long as they carry the Junior CoffeeKake

you're good! :9

[GOPisEvil]

28. I might have to pay them a visit tomorrow.

I am Tastykake-less at the moment!

[slackmaster]

2. Abalone, and fish tacos

When I was a kid back in the '60s, abalone was still plentiful enough that you could easily get enough for dinner by wading into the waters of La Jolla with a mask, snorkel, and "ab iron" at sunset.

People used to make a simple abalone stew by simmering chunks of the meat in condensed milk.

:toast:

[Longgrain]

10. Fish Tacos?

As in taco's made with fish? Sound yummy...I love seafood.

[GOPisEvil]

13. Fish tacos are awesome!

There's a taco place here that sells mahi-mahi tacos! :9

[Longgrain]

30. Now I'm intrigued

Not to mention salivating...I want to try fish tacos, first time I ever heard of em.

Anybody from New England ever have fish tacos? Where can i find them?

[maveric]

73. You'll love em. I'm from Boston now in San Diego and have been

addicted to fish tacos since the first Rubios opened by mission beach in 1981. Come to San Diego. All the taco shops (2,145,000 of them), now have fish tacos.


Can you still get a real Veal Cutlet sub in the Boston area anymore? Damn I miss those!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

96. Wahoo's? or Rubio's? (sigh missing good fish tacos)

[shanti]

69. ah yes, rubio's fish tacos

love 'em!!!

[LSparkle]

3. In Central California, it's Tri-Tip barbecue

Fairly thinly sliced beef, grilled after marinading. You can have it alone or in a sandwich. Verrrry tasty!

[skygazer]

4. Artichoke

Never ate an artichoke till I moved to California from Vermont. It is now officially one of my favorite foods.

I don't know about the oddball regional things but Mexican food is big here - there are always these little hole in the wall taquerias to be found and the food is great.

Avocado goes into and onto everything.

[name not needed]

5. Pork roll and Drake's Cakes

[henslee]

7. Drakes cakes? You mean, yodels, ringdings and yankee doodles!!! nt

[name not needed]

8. Yes. Exactly.

[Longgrain]

19. Yep Drakes...

We get them out here in Massachusetts too...still remember my mom packing a Ring-Ding into my lunch every day during grade school, I still get a yen for an occasional Devil Dog. I used to love eating their Coffee Cakes with an apple at the same time...take a bite of the cake, take a bite of the apple, take a bite of the cake, take a bite of the apple...try it sometime...sweet and Cinnamon-y.

[LiberalEsto]

43. You must be from NJ

My brother worked for a Drakes bakery many years ago. He got awfully sick of Ring Dings after a while.

[henslee]

44. Don't forget devil dogs. When I was little, yodels/ringdings were rapped i

blue and sliver foil. They also used to make a peanut butter filled cake. Forgot then name. Sigh.... I wish I was little again.

[Baja Margie]

62. My maiden name is Drake, I want some please !

[CO Liberal]

56. Don't Forget Hard Rolls w/Butter

The official New Jersey Breakfast.

:-)

And anything from a good 24-hour diner....

[name not needed]

65. How could I forget?

;)

[shanti]

6. merlino's orange freeze

sort of like a slurpee made from fresh orange juice, and they come in several other yummy flavors. it's mostly a summertime treat tho.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

9. Country Fried Steak and Gravy.

Done properly and served with lumpy mashed potatoes, greens (turnip) with pepper sauce and a cat head biscuit. All should be washed down with sweet tea (iced) with lemon and a sprig of lime.

It ain't haute cuisine, but you can't get much better.

[bettyellen]

16. cat head biscuit? i'm scared to ask...

:scared:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

34. Real simple, a biscuit the size of a cat's head.

[bettyellen]

72. Oh. I am sooo relieved.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

80. If it were anything else than a biscuit, it would be fried.

[Nicole]

31. Same here with fried okra on the side

Pecan pie for dessert.

[PurityOfEssence]

35. I love fried okra, but can't seem to master it; any hints or recipes?

Yum. Greasy, seedy little things, but if done right, they're exquisite.

[Nicole]

48. I am no pro but

everyone loves it when I make it. I don't have exact measurements, I just guess.


Mix about a cup of cornmeal with 1/4 cup of flour. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Slice okra & rinse with cold water. Drain okra; roll slices in cornmeal mix until well-coated. Set aside about 1 hour to dry.
This helps keep the cornmeal mix from falling off while it's frying.

Fry in hot oil* until golden brown & drain on paper towels. Salt again if you like it more salty.

* I usually add a couple of T. of bacon drippings to the oil for flavor if I have any on hand. You don't have to though.

[henslee]

11. Mexican Americans in So Cal whip up some awesome Christmas tamales....

beef, chicken, pineapple and cheese.

[tavalon]

85. Amen, I am jonesing for those fine tamales n/t

[henslee]

92. Yup. My friend married a Mexican gal who can't cook but her mom can.

We kiss up to her so every year jsut for tamales -- she is a total shrew. It's funny.

[SmokingJacket]

12. Sponge candy.

Peanut butter pie.

Chicken wings (known elsewhere as Buffalo Wings)

Beef on weck.

[eleny]

55. took me a while to remember sponge candy!

[SmileyBoy]

15. Lutefisk and "Hot Dish".

You all know about Lutefisk, or "fish jello".

And "Hot Dish" is any sort of caserole you can whip up using heavy cream, butter and/or sauce. And it has to have no flavour, and it must taste like it came from a cafeteria.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

61. Also lefse (Norwegian potato tortillas),

jelly omelets, "California" hamburgers (hamburgers with lettuce and tomato), and, in honor of Christmas, Scandinavian baked pastries such as rosettes, fattigman, and sandbakkelse.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

17. Venison chili

only in Arkansas they call it "deer chili". Another regional favorite here and in Southern Illinois is barbeque. That's meat cooked over a hickory fire, no sauce. The sauce is added afterwards.

My family had a couple of special recipes. One came from Northern Germany-noodles with cracker crumbs on top. The other is a very old recipe that my grandmother said she got from her grandmother, who was born in 1828. Since this side of my family goes back to Plymouth and Salem MA, it could be something you've heard of. It is sour cream candy. You take a cup of sour cream, add a cup of sugar, and heat to hard boil stage. Take off the fire and add hickory nuts. I think that is all there is in it-haven't made it in years.

[Longgrain]

25. I've heard of that...

My sister tried it once not realizing it was venison. She's not the most adventurous person so it kind of squirmed her out once she realized what she was eating...:-)

[supernova]

Pulled pork BBQ, Brunswick stew, lemon and chocolate merengue pies

Yum. I might have to have BBQ for lunch tomorrow. :D

Edit: This is the South. Too many delicacies to mention them all! :D

[bettyellen]

20. fresh mootz(arella) and antipast... the best pizza in the world too!

[GOPisEvil]

21. One thing Texas is known for is BBQ Brisket.

:9

[short bus president]

117. That's not BBQ, Dammit!

It's BEEF!

Wrong animal! Not barbecue!

:P

[Cuban_Liberal]

22. Apple crunch, roast pork and the best darned beef you'll ever eat.

Central Illinois.

:)

[MaineDem]

29. Lobster, of course, and fiddleheads and blueberries

But I don't care for lobster. We have them all the time and I don't care if I never eat one.

Now fresh native blueberries are something else!

[Longgrain]

33. Ah New England blueberries...

I still remember going blueberry picking as a kid and filling up a big plastic bin for my mom to make blueberry pancakes. It was a long walk home and by the time I reached the front porch, there weren't enough blueberries for a single flapjack!

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

112. Yeah,,, fiddleheads and blueberries along with

the lobster, clams, and chow-dah. It's all Maine food.

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. KC BBQ

and the best steak you will ever have in your life.

I was in Maine a few years ago and since I love lobster, I was in heaven. Most restaurants offered an add-on lobster tail to your meal for a ridiculously low price. Yummy.

[Boswells_Johnson]

36. Two classic Nova Scotian foods

are, from Lunenburg County, Solomon Gundy (pickled herring), and all over the province, Blueberry Grunt (stewed bluberries with dumplings)

[charlyvi]

37. Pizza and Italian Beef sandwiches....

raised in Chicago.

[barackmyworld]

116. and pierogi

If you have ever been to the Midway area

[PurityOfEssence]

38. Nothin' quite like a fine Rhode Island clambake

Yum.

Those Eye-ties really know how to make a grinder, too; bless they caloric little hearts.

[givemebackmycountry]

39. Barbecue baby...smoke it and cook it for 20 hours

Here in Kansas City, Barbecue is King.

I'm not saying that I endorse this opinion, but it's fact.

They smoke anything here, and they cook it for 20 hours over mesquite or hickory or some other exotic wood.

I'm here to tell you, I have had some barbecued beans that would get you aroused that's how good they are.

Brisket that you would die for, and smoked sausage that's so good it should be outlawed.

And let's not forget RIBS.

Ribs that have been smoked and cooked for 18 hours.

These ribs are served hot, smoky, steaming, and glistening with a spicy barbecue sauce, so tender the meat falls off the bone.
Oh man.

Pork, Chicken, Turkey they smoke em' and cook em' for hours and hours and when they come out of that pit, you got to have some.

I live less than 100 yards from a "smokehouse".
Every Thanksgiving, they smoke about a thousand turkeys.
It smells great down here for about a week.

KC and BBQ it's for real.

[pantouflard]

114. Holy moly, you are makin' me homesick!

I have not found "real" BBQ here in central California. If anyone knows where I can get it between SF and Monterey, Please! Save me!

[guitar man]

40. Frito Pie

and chili fries!

[Z_I_Peevey]

41. Cheese

Caciocavallo, primarily.

Indian Taco, nothing more than a tostado with flat bread instead of a tortilla.

Indian fry bread. Fried bread.

We're very fat.

[LiberalEsto]

42. Maryland is for crabs

but I'm from NJ originally, and there it's Taylor pork roll. Fried for breakfast.

NJ is also home to great tomatos and blueberries, fabulous pizza, and saltwater taffy.

[WMliberal]

45. Smithfield ham. Blue crabs. Lynnhaven oysters.

[Imalittleteapot]

46. BEEF. Barbeque. Calf Fries. Tex Mex.

I guess calf fries are the only delicacy. For those of you who don't know, they are testicles. They taste like chicken, of course.

[baldguy]

47. Beef on 'weck

Hot, thinly sliced roast beef with LOTS of horseradish, on a heavily salted kimmelwick roll



Preferably from Anderson's or Charlie the Butcher

Oh yeah. We invented chicken wings too.

[Longgrain]

49. How about ruhbarb pie

Anyone else ever had that, or is that just a northeastern thing.

My aunt used to have a huge rubarb pach in her back yard and would make the homemade pies, with the sweet-sticky glaze...I remember loving it!

Stay away from the leaves tho, they are Toxic!

[SOteric]

53. I make rhubarb pies in the summer, sure.

But I tend to sweeten them up with a little cassis.

[stanwyck]

57. We grew rhubarb in the

back yard in Illinois. I make a rhubarb crisp. I've had several people eat their first rhubarb at my table. I live in Atlanta now and Southerners aren't as familiar with rhubarb. My neighbor...a rightwing fundamentalist, bless her...believes rhubarb is a sign of Satan. Really. She went door to door on the subject. Of course when she knocked on our door about the evil rhubarb, my son assured her we eat it all the time. I'm sure she thought, well, that figures. Her husband is a pediatric surgeon. And normal. No one can figure that marriage out. But, hey, it works.
Anyone know the rhubarb/Satan connection?

[SOteric]

50. Cioppino,

I was born and raised in San Francisco's North Beach, -the Italian district. My parents were both born and raised in Parma Italy.

Zuppa de mari is an Italian tradition. Cioppino is the San Francisco version; a cross between a zuppa de mari, a bouilliabaise, and a new world twist on the two.

[Zomby Woof]

110. For Seattle

You could say geoduck! ;-)

Better than lutefisk anyway! x(

[Delarage]

51. Scrapple

Although, I wouldn't eat the shit if it was the last food on earth.

[mcscajun]

52. The Bronx, NY -- Hard Rolls, Bagels, Black & White Cookies, Egg Creams

and the world's BEST freakin' pizza!

[PittPoliSci]

54. chipped ham.

[Carson]

58. Kentucky Hot Brown, burgoo, Derby pie, country ham w/red-eye gravy

Now I'm hungry...

[yellowdogintexas]

84. Oh yeah, and good pork barbecue, too.

I like the thin vinegary and peppery sauces myself, as it is done in the southern part of the state.

Actually, in Kentucky, any kind of pie is good. Pie is worshiped in Kentucky, I think

[Wheaty]

59. Peanut Butter Meltaways

http://www.gardnerscandies.com/2lbpeanbutme.html

[Liberty Belle]

60. Chocolate covered macademia nuts.

[Baja Margie]

63. From San diego, alot of Seafood and

Mexican Food. Mom was a great cook, lots of baking like Cream Puffs, and wholesome yavol German Farm food from Nebraska. I remember the Little Italy down by the wharf, best Italian, to die for. Many Portugese fishermen when the tuna boats were still here, lots of good Portugee food from our neighbors.

[yellowdogintexas]

64. Texas 4 Basic Food Groups: Barbecue, TexMex,

Chicken Fried and Dairy Queen.

just plain good Mexican food, available anywhere, lots of mom & pop type places available

Lots of beef smoked for hours, also sausage and chicken or turkey.

Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy sweet tea ahhhh...heaven on a plate if it is done right, globby greasy mess if it is not.

Favorite local specialty for me : Spinach enchiladas @ Mexico Real in South Fort Worth.

oh yeah...the Lemon Chill...invented by a local restaurant man about 30 years ago, it is a really lemony frozen concoction served in a cup. For years you could only get them at street fairs, MayFest, ArtsFest or the Ft Worth Zoo. Now you can buy them in the grocery freezer, and they also come in cherry and raspberry. On a hot Texas day at the zoo, they are heaven. You have to eat them with a spoon, they are that firm.

[WritersBlock]

74. No more! Please! I'm drooling worse than Dubya himself here!

Omigawd, I'm having flashbacks here. Waaaaah!!

(Spinach enchiladas? Do tell....)

[yellowdogintexas]

82. those are the BOMB, and nobody does them like this place

I have tried them other places, and this cook has them down to perfection.

Nice and fat, lots of spinach that has been just barely sauteed or steamed w/some seasonings, rolled in very thin corn tortillas,
smothered in crema (Mexican sour cream) and cheese, with a side of rice and beans.


OH MY GOD!!!!!

and not the least peppery, one of the few Mexican dishes I could tell my mom with no hesitation:
"You will LOVE this"

and normally I am a chili head!!!!! For me to love something Mexican w/o any jalapenos or serranos over it speaks for itself.

[WritersBlock]

87. Okay, I gotta try to emulate these.

This is gonna require some reccy on your part. You'll have to go there several more times to try to figure out which seasonings are used, and what seems to be in the sauce, then report back. It'll take careful and detailed study.

What do you think? Would you be willing to make this sacrifice for the cause?

[yellowdogintexas]

91. man, I have been trying for 15 years to figure out that recipe.

Truly, the spinach does not appear to have more than salt, pepper and maybe a little garlic in it.

I may just have to force myself to do some more taste testing for the good of mankind (not necessarily the same as the good of my waistline)

I KNOW they use Mexican sour cream instead of regular, it has a different texture and taste.

sigh, you may just have to make a trip to Ft Worth...for the good of the cause

[WritersBlock]

98. 7 or 8 hours on an airplane - BIG sigh

I think I'll just do some spinach experiments for now. :D

[sleepyhead]

66. Egg creams!

A Brooklyn specialty!

[brainshrub]

67. Ramps.

Mmmmm. Ramps.

Very stong onion that only grows here.

[yellowdogintexas]

83. East Tennessee, huh?

I remember the local interest reporter in Nashville going somewhere for the Ramp Festival every year.

Never had them myself.

[brainshrub]

102. I live in Asheville, NC.

PM me in April. I'll send you a batch. Yummy.

[Mabeline]

104. Any Morel Mushrooms there?

We have Ramps here, and Morels.

[lgardengate]

68. Green beans cooked for houers with ham,soup beans...

Soup beans are pintos cooked with some kind of pork.

Chicken and dumplings (soup with dough "dumplings".The old fashioned kind use alot of chicken fat.I lighten mine up and add veggies.

We love our biskets and gravey,and cornbread and beans.
Grits are kinda popular,Stewarts hotdogs (with chili sauce,cole slaw,and musterd and onions).Jims spegetti (different than ANY other...although i don't like there spegetti.My cousin would almost die for some.

Shoneys strewberry pie,and in the summer we love making fresh fruit cobler.

[AccessGranted]

70. Blooming Onion!

It's called either a blooming onion or an exploded onion. You can get them at Outback Steakhouse. It's an entire onion cut and deep fried and it comes with special sauce to dip it in. You just break off pieces and eat it. It's so greasy, so good and so much fun. Wish I had one of those big greasy things right now! Mmmmm!

Here's a link to a picture:

[yellowdogintexas]

86. Chili's makes them as well. "Awesome Blossom" is what they

call theirs.

[WilliamPitt]

71. Lobster and baked beans

The lobster we used to serve to prisoners. Baked beans were originally made for slaves in the West Indes.

Weird old world we live in.

[TyeDye75]

75. Chips, Jumbo sausage and gravy.....yum.

Trust me it tastes a lot better than it sounds.

[T Town Jake]

76. Lamb fries dipped in melted butter...heaven.

(n/t)

[Roon]

77. Rocky Mountain Oysters

Here in Colorado

[The Zanti Regent]

78. Pierogis, chipped ham and Primati Bros Sandwiches from Pittsburgh

My sister sends me a care package, several pounds of chipped ham and Tom Tucker Mint Ginger ale to wash it down!

[matcom]

79. Maryland Blue Crab

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

crabs, old bay seasoning and beer

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

88. Hey man I knew you were from the DC area but I didn't know you

were a Marylander too. I had blue crabs with Old Bay at the Bethesda Crab House when I was back home a little while ago. Good times.

I remember having crabs and beer at Buddy's in Annapolis with friends after sailing one time. I was smashing the shells so vigorously with my little mallet in all my enthusiasm that I didn't realize I was getting pieces and juice all over the elderly couple at the next table. Heh. Serves 'em right anyway!

[Rabrrrrrr]

81. brats, lefse, lutefisk, sausages, and Jell-O served as a salad

Yes, that's right - I'm from the midwest, specifically Wisconsin.

I was glad to leave the Jell-O salad legacy behind. Though I miss the brats and the lefse.

[Wapsie B]

89. The Iowa Chop,

and the Panino. It's an Italian sandwich with sausage meatballs, marinara sauce and cheese wrapped in pastry dough. Good!

[RetroLounge]

90. Brats, cheese and beer.

Wisconsin's finest...

RL

[Heidi]

93. Where I come from . . .

which is the southern U.S., my favorite delicacies were barbecued beef and pork, chicken fried nearly anything, pecan pie . . . comfort foods. But where I live now, the local delicacies are fondue, raclette, and minestrone. Christmas dinner is a culinary adventure in our family.

[Timebound]

94. Mountain Oysters...

JUST KIDDING!!! *yuck* (And if you don't know what it is, I'm not gonna tell ya either)

[flygal]

99. I know - I'm from Montana

Bull Balls! :puke:

[RevCheesehead]

95. around here, people like Booyah.

Never heard of it before. It's basically chicken soup with tons of veggies and barly and/or noodles.

But for WI, it's gotta be brats and beer. And Fish Frys.

[TheMightyFavog]

97. Cheese Fries!!

A central Wisconsin specaility.

take some pizza crust, top it with cheese and garlic, no pizza sauce, and use ranch dressing or pizza sauce to dip them in.

That's good eatin'!

:9

[flygal]

100. Pasties from Butte Montana

beef, potatoes and onion in a pie crust like pastry. The miners used to take them for lunch. We serve them with brown gravy - yum!

[Blue Gardener]

101. Kolaches or Giant Pork Tenderloins

When my brother comes home to eastern Iowa for a visit, he likes to get kolaches from the Czech bakery and a big tenderloin sandwich from Joensy's Restaurant. Oh, and cheese curds from the Kalona cheese factory. He can't get these things where he lives now.

[cruadin]

103. Stuffed quahogs. n/t

[cruadin]

107. I forgot chorico and fried egg sandwiches. n/t

[auntAgonist]

105. meat pie and mushy peas

[Zomby Woof]

106. Navajo Tacos

Navajo fry bread, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, salsa, and whatever else you like on a traditional taco. Tasty stuff! We had them for our quarterly luncheon at work in September. Bought the makings from a fund-raiser for a co-worker's son who attends a bi-lingual charter school for Navajo kids.

[Tsiyu]

108. It used to be salt rising bread

but our bakery has closed.

I love Low Country Boil ( with Old Bay) from Tybee and venison anything - lots of deermeat stew, chili, meatballs - from the mountain.

I miss Grandma Brown's baked beans and half-moon cookies.


Personally, I baked kolackies, banana bread ( with mini chocolate chips), sugar cookies, and chocolate chip cookies.


Food, glorious food!

[HEyHEY]

109. Triple Os!

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

111. Lobster, clams, chow-dah (same stuff) I'm from Maine. n/t

[solinvictus]

113. Really great BBQ!

From Alabama.

[pantouflard]

115. We are spoiled here in NoCal

In my immediate area we grow the majority of the country's artichokes, garlic, strawbs... But the best is Brussels Sprouts still on the stem.

Our local farmers market has the best heirloom tomatoes I've ever tasted. And beautiful salad greens. If it's organic, you can probably find it here. My town has six organic/health food markets.

Every local Thai restaurant serves Panang Salmon, a peanut/red curry dish with vegetables. The wild salmon from local waters is my favorite fish.

Wine. Oh, my, god. Such wine!

Wild mushrooms, esp chantrelles. Pippin and fuji apples. Mussels. Fantastic bakeries...