Carol Fisher-Linn
Palates across the country vary. In Western NY we like the bite of spicy chicken wings. In Missouri you can readily find toasted ravioli and Provel cheese. Let’s wander through the alphabet of places to discover some of their local specialties.
Alabama – barbecue, collard greens, fried green tomatoes and grits.
Boston – New England clam chowder and lobster rolls.
Canada – poutine: fries and room-temp cheese curd slathered in rich beef gravy (add fish sauce and soy sauce for extra zing), fiddleheads, peameal bacon and trempettes.
Delaware – Steamed crabs, slippery dumplings, salt-water taffy, the Bobbie: turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce layered on mayo-ed bun.
El Paso, Texas – tostadas and salsa, homemade caldos (soups), fajitas, burritos, and enchiladas.
Fayetteville No. Carolina - Southern Egg Roll made with bacon braised collards, house-made pimento cheese, and pepper jelly.
Georgia – grits, Brunswick stew, pork barbeque.
Honolulu – Laulau, featuring steamed parcels of pork, butterfish (also called black cod) and vegetables (carrots and sweet potato) wrapped in luau and ti leaves.
Illinois – super juicy Italian Beef sandwich, Chicago style hot dog, the Horseshoe (toast covered with ham slices, topped with cheese-beer sauce encircled with hot fries), pierogi, spaghetti on pizza, fried eggs on burgers.
Jacksonville, FLA – garlic crabs, Hoppin’ John (cowpeas and rice), she-crab soup with roe, conch fritters, gator tail.
Kentucky – Burgoo: midway between a hearty soup and a stew with chicken, pork, or mutton. Hot brown: a baked or broiled open-faced turkey and bacon sandwich smothered in creamy Mornay cheese sauce.
Louisiana – gumbo, muffuletta, jambalaya, and their famous beignets: fried, fluffy pieces of dough, served hot and doused with powdered sugar.
Montana – All things huckleberry, gravy-covered Irish butte Pasties, elk or bison burgers.
Nebraska – Runza sandwich: a fancy hot pocket – fluffy bread stuffed with a mixture of seasoned beef, cabbage, and onions.
Rocky Mountain oysters (thanks to Nebraska’s ranches they have an abundance of the raw material), deep-fried grilled cheese sandwiches and raisin pie for dessert.
Oklahoma- Oklahomans love their fried okra, black-eyed peas, chicken fried steak and fried pies: fruit-filled turnovers.
Pennsylvania – Philly cheesesteaks. Their fame is spread across the world. Have it with a side of scrapple – a mixture of cured pork trimmings and cornmeal pan-fried in a block shape.
Rhode Island – Calamari made with freshly caught squid, the crispy battered rings and tentacles tossed in garlic, butter and pickled cherry peppers. Stuffed quahogs, baked and served on the half shell. Coffeemilk – coffee flavored syrup in milk, or coffee cabinet- coffee ice cream added to coffee milk.
So. Dakota – Chislic: Salted cubes of meat – mutton, beef, venison, or goat — deep fat fried or grilled, served skewered or on toothpicks with a side of crackers or dipping sauces. Lakota-style skillet bread called Gabubu.
Tennessee – Country hams are salt-cured and served boiled, broiled, or fried. Fried pickles, sweet potato fries and fried catfish, banana pudding, and biscuits and gravy, best from The Loveless Café in Nashville.
Utah – Funeral potatoes, a dish that combines potatoes with cheese, creamy soup, and crushed cornflakes. In local culture, the potatoes are prepared for bereaved families following a funeral. Crown Burger – a quarter-pound hamburger patty on a sesame-seed bun with Thousand Island dressing, lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese, and topped with a heaping helping of pastrami.
Virginia - Since the 17th century, Virginia country hams began to earn an international reputation. Most famous are Smithfield hams, which, by law, must be cured within Smithfield’s town limits
Washington – Based in Seattle, Theo Chocolate is the first and only organic & fair-trade chocolate in the country. Famous for apples, raspberries, sweet onions, and huckleberries.
X-rated foods have not been included in this family-oriented article, but trust me, they are out there. Example – sitting in bed munching frozen peas straight from the package.
Yuma, Arizona – Chimichanga – a deep fried burrito filled with rice, cheese, beans, and meat.
ZZZZZZzzzzz! All this food talk has made me sleepy. Enjoy the Taste, on the streets and this one, in your head! (Questions about the foods in this article can mostly be answered at What’sCookingAmerica.)