Local Foods

[Diane AKA Traska]

Local home cooking in southcentral Kentucky is yummy and calorie-laden.
==>For breakfast, Chocolate gravy over a split homemade biscuit OR sausage, biscuit, and gravy with a couple slices of fresh tomatoes.
==>For lunch, fried bologna sandwich ( I add a slice of cheese) 
==>For supper, fresh homemade cornbread, freshly cooked pinto beans (after it's been soaked in water to re-hydrate), with finely chopped fresh onion and some pickle relish.

I miss being able to eaily buy Lebanon Bologna, Taylor ham, and scrapple like I was able to do when we lived in New Jersey. I especially miss the Lebanon Bologna. I ask for it in the deli at the different stores I've tried out here in s.c.KY, and all I get is a blank stare and then a polite "No, we don't carry it."

For the record, scrapple is an invention of the Pennsylvania Dutch.

[KitKat]

Sedorna I'm from NJ and I lurrrrrve Berger Cookies.  About twice a year I'm tempted to drive down just for the cookies.  I've tried black and whites and they just aren't the same. 

From my state we have Salt water Taffy and the best tomatoes in the nation. 

Northern NJ is highly influenced by NYC and southern NJ is similarly influenced by Philly so you can generally find good cheesestakes, pizza, bread/rolls/bagels, and tastykakes here. However, we rule in where to eat.  More 24 hour diners than any other state.

[POF]

Hi, guys. I thought it might be fun to post some local foods and food customs. Both to show off what we've got, and so that any visitors might know what to enjoy--or what to avoid. Plus, it might be fun to see any similarities between different places. I'm from Baltimore, Maryland (well, technically Baltimore County, not City.)

One popular custom is eating sauerkraut at Thanksgiving. It's quite big here. I work in a grocery store and I think about 95% of all sauerkraut is sold during the month of November. Two refreshing snacks are lemon sticks and snowballs. Now, New Orleans also has snowballs, and I'd love to go there some day to see how they differ from Baltimore snowballs. I like my snowballs powdery and sweet, with marshmallow creme on top. Lemon sticks are so simple, yet so good. Basically, they're a lemon (or lemon half, if large enough) with a soft peppermint stick in them. You suck up the juice through the peppermint, and it sweetens it a bit and adds some minty goodness. Yum.

Three (honestly, I'm not counting) local factory made foods are Berger Cookies, Goetze Caramels, and Mary Sue Easter Eggs. Berger Cookies are shortbread cookies with a thick slab of fudge on top. Goetze caramels (which I'm pretty sure are sold nationwide; heck, I was shock when I learned that they're made in Baltimore) are soft caramels with a sweet white center. Yum. And, while Mary Sue does make other candies, I think of the pecan nougat Easter eggs when I think of the candies. Oh, and the theme song, which is sung to the tune of "I'm called Little Buttercup" from H.M.S. Pinafore.

So, what local treats do all of you have?

YES ! I  turkey with  sauerkraut !!!! Now that I live in New England people think I am crazy

[Sharnita]

I just remembered an incident with one of my students.  We were in the middle of discussing the Revolutionary War.  He raised his hand and I called on him.  He asked "Why are they Virginia hams?  What's so special about the pigs in Virginia?"

[KitKat]

I just remembered an incident with one of my students.  We were in the middle of discussing the Revolutionary War.  He raised his hand and I called on him.  He asked "Why are they Virginia hams?  What's so special about the pigs in Virginia?"

This is what I love about teaching.  How did you answer his question?

[Julia Mercer]

Since my dad's family is from Scotland, I can highly recommend Orkney fudge, that stuff is YUMMMMMM, melt in your mouth! Haven't had it in years, but loved it the last few times I had it!

Jules

[Giggity]

Local home cooking in southcentral Kentucky is yummy and calorie-laden.
==>For breakfast, Chocolate gravy over a split homemade biscuit OR sausage, biscuit, and gravy with a couple slices of fresh tomatoes.

What on EARTH is chocolate gravy? I MUST KNOW IMMEDIATELY.

[elephantschild]

Wings!    I mean, seriously, Buffalo wings are NAMED for us! And I think it's probably a local thing that there are so many take-offs on the wing thing here ... chips, subs, pizza, shrimp, pasta ... a local copy even makes a "Buffalo-wing"-themed ice cream! (No chicken in it ... but there is cayenne pepper. )

I think orange chocolate is a Western New York thing, too. I'm not taking about one of those oranges that break into pieces when you smack it ... although it's similar ... I'm talking about orange-flavored chocolate that's made into pretty much everything, from Easter bunnies to sponge candy.

Actually, I think sponge candy might be a WNY thing as well ...

[Sharnita]

I just remembered an incident with one of my students.  We were in the middle of discussing the Revolutionary War.  He raised his hand and I called on him.  He asked "Why are they Virginia hams?  What's so special about the pigs in Virginia?"

This is what I love about teaching.  How did you answer his question?

I said that it was an excellant question but I didn't know the answert and that if he could research it and tell me I'd give him extra credit.  Knowing him he did research it but forgot to tell me.  The next day he was asking me about the Treaty of Versailles when we were, of course, still covering the Revolutionary War.

[Diane AKA Traska]

I just remembered an incident with one of my students.  We were in the middle of discussing the Revolutionary War.  He raised his hand and I called on him.  He asked "Why are they Virginia hams?  What's so special about the pigs in Virginia?"

This is what I love about teaching.  How did you answer his question?

I said that it was an excellant question but I didn't know the answert and that if he could research it and tell me I'd give him extra credit.  Knowing him he did research it but forgot to tell me.  The next day he was asking me about the Treaty of Versailles when we were, of course, still covering the Revolutionary War.

So I'm a dork and I looked it up.  It turns out a Virginia Ham is no different than a Tennessee Ham, or a Georgia Ham, with one notable aspect:  they have a good PR department.  Seriously, the only reason VA hams are famous is because their country hams became famous before the hams of any other state.

[SoCalVal]

The best of San Diego drunk food:

Carne Asada Fries: Like nachos, but with French fries instead of tortilla chips

California Burrito: Steak burrito containing french fries. It's like carne asada fries wrapped up in a tortilla

Hey, they're both on wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carne_asada_fries

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_burrito#San_Diego

Am not so fond of the California burrito, but, on my first trip back to SD since I moved away, I did get some Arizona burritos to take home with me (one with carne asada and one with chicken).  Arizona burritos are just like California burritos except, instead of french fries, they have homefried potatoes.

[kethria]

There are so many! And many that are just every day food that we don't even realize foreigners would consider it an unusual local food.

I just roasted a large pan of arracacha roots. It is so delicious! It is bright yellow, but it has an almost creamy texture and a nutty, slightly sweet flavour. You can boil them, puree them, fry them, roast them, make pasta, etc.

*faints* I can't remember the last time I had an arracacha!! Wait yes I can, 3 years ago when I took DH to Colombia to visit family. I wish we could get them here.

[lady_disdain]

If they didn't spoil so easily, I would send you some

[MamaMootz]

Can I ask a question of all you current NJ-ites (and former ones)?

I told my co-worker to check out a genuine NJ diner when she went to visit. She asked a person she was visiting with for a recommendation.... and this person told her "Well there's such and so diner but it's owned by Greeks and I don't know how good it is."

I was born & raised in northern NJ and lived there for most of my adult life. To the best of my knowledge, all the diners there worth talking about were Greek-owned. I can't think of one that wasn't, actually.

Did something change in the last 6 years since we've moved out of the state?

[heartmug]

Turkey burgers with sprouts and avocado.  Also, See's candy (from CA).