Local Foods

[Lynda_34]

I grew up in York County, PA where the world's best potato chips are made.   

http://www.martinschips.biz/potatochips.aspx

If you plan on ordering some, I'll give you my address so you can send me a box as a tip.   

Definitely go with the kettle cooked, they're way better than the ruffled.

Yes I'm reading the whole thread, but Stateline in southern Mass are the best.
They aren't easy to find anymore but I can mail you a bag if you'd like.

[Melle]

The part of Germany I'm from is directly adjacent to Austria, so a lot of the local cuisine intermingles. But here goes:

- Brezel (/Breze), which are usually soft, a lot like bagels, and can be cut open to put on spreads (mostly butter and cream cheese)

- Knödel (/Klöße), dumplings made from day-old rolls, milk and eggs that are a traditional side-dish for gravy-heavy meals.

- Spätzle, a noodle-like side dish where the dough is scraped into the boiling water

- Schnitzel (of course ), either breaded (Austrian origin) with fries or plain wit a lot of gravy, often mushrooms, and sides of rice, mashed potatoes, Knödel, noodles or Spätzle

- Krapfen (Berliner), like beignets, but filled with jam or jelly

- Stollen, a traditional christmas loaf with raisins and candied lemon and orange peel

- a wide variety of christmas cookies which reminds me I need to start baking and making chocolates soon

There must be tons more, Germans love to eat, but I can't come up with anything more right now... because I'm hungry now...

[siamesecat2965]

The part of Germany I'm from is directly adjacent to Austria, so a lot of the local cuisine intermingles. But here goes:

Spätzle, a noodle-like side dish where the dough is scraped into the boiling water

 
- a wide variety of christmas cookies which reminds me I need to start baking and making chocolates soon
There must be tons more, Germans love to eat, but I can't come up with anything more right now... because I'm hungry now...

Spätzle - YES, best with my favorite, rouladen. I make it every now and then (the rouladen, not the spatzle)  But there isa german pork store near me and i buy the most authentic spatzle I can find.  My mom and I are toying with the idea of a saurbrauten for Christmas dinner since we don't want our traditional pork roast.

[General Jinjur]

I've been craving the chocolates I grew up with - See's Candies. Sadly, they are only a West Coast thing. Happily, a friend on the West Coast is mailing me a box of their chocolate lollipops! Which are amazing. They're kind of like the bits of fudge that get stuck to the pan. Yum.

[siamesecat2965]

I've been craving the chocolates I grew up with - See's Candies. Sadly, they are only a West Coast thing. Happily, a friend on the West Coast is mailing me a box of their chocolate lollipops! Which are amazing. They're kind of like the bits of fudge that get stuck to the pan. Yum.

I just discovered them a few years back (east coaster here) and last year, they had a kiosk in one of the malls.  Which is why my co-workers all got a small box of See's for Christmas!

[CLE_Girl]

Okay - I haven't read the whole post but I'm going to chime in with Chicago and Cleveland

Chicago - deep dish pizza.  Uno's is the orginal, Lou Malnati's is my favorite chain.  I've had deep dish outside Chicago, it is not the same, I think it's the Lake Michigan water 
             - Gyro's.  Maybe not a Chicago thing, but I've never found them as good as in Greek Town in Chicago.
                           The G is silent!
Cleveland - We have become a city of foodies.  Cleveland is now the place for chef's to test resturant concepts before disapearing to NYC or LA.  Guy Fieri showcased 8 resturants here, Michael Symon has Lola, Lolita and his burger chain B spot, Anthony Bordain even did a "No reservations" about Cleveland.  There are fabulous resterants everywhere!  But I think Cleveland is know for it's Polish population and therefor has AMAZING perogi! 

[General Jinjur]

I've been craving the chocolates I grew up with - See's Candies. Sadly, they are only a West Coast thing. Happily, a friend on the West Coast is mailing me a box of their chocolate lollipops! Which are amazing. They're kind of like the bits of fudge that get stuck to the pan. Yum.

I just discovered them a few years back (east coaster here) and last year, they had a kiosk in one of the malls.  Which is why my co-workers all got a small box of See's for Christmas!

I've heard there are keee-ahsks here in some malls around holidays, but I never go to malls, so it doesn't enter my mind. Besides, do I really need the prospect of chocolate buttercreams, Bordeaux, Divinity, and - the best! - toffee? Sadly, I do not.

[KitKat]

I'm from Harrisburg, PA.  Some of the best things are:
Shoo-Fly Pie.  Seriously it is a combination of complete and utter molasses bliss than you will fall in love with and want to marry.

Middlewarths BBQ Chips  & UTZ chips

Also, and I didn't realize that this did not happen outside of the East Coast, but Made To Order food at gas stations.  We have a wonderful gas station called Sheetz(which is almost as good as WaWa) that serves MTO food.  You can order specialty drinks, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, paninis, salads, soups, wraps, ANYTHING made to order at your local gas station and it'll be ready in less than 5 minutes.  So I will add Sheetz to the wonderful list of local food even though it serves everything you ever wanted.

I was at a Sheetz a few months ago and was amazed at how many types of food (MTO and grocery) that they had, but no maps! 

[Melle]

- Gyro's.  Maybe not a Chicago thing, but I've never found them as good as in Greek Town in Chicago.
                           The G is silent!

If it's supposed to be Greek, it's not silent, just pronounced differently (and has no apostrophe ). My uncle is Greek and he pronounces it "Ghee-ross".

If this is something Chicago-specific and different than traditionally seasoned meat from a rotating skewer, I never said anything 

[Sharnita]

The part of Germany I'm from is directly adjacent to Austria, so a lot of the local cuisine intermingles. But here goes:


- Spätzle, a noodle-like side dish where the dough is scraped into the boiling water

- Schnitzel (of course ), either breaded (Austrian origin) with fries or plain wit a lot of gravy, often mushrooms, and sides of rice, mashed potatoes, Knödel, noodles or Spätzle


- Stollen, a traditional christmas loaf with raisins and candied lemon and orange peel

- a wide variety of christmas cookies which reminds me I need to start baking and making chocolates soon

There must be tons more, Germans love to eat, but I can't come up with anything more right now... because I'm hungry now...

My sister made Spatzle and green beans last night as one of our Thanksgiving sides.  It was the first time she made it, though we;ve had them plenty of times before.

Love Shnitzel but not so hot on Stollen.

You mentione Christmas Cookies - do you do something called "Springerlie"? (Not sure about the spelling)

[Melle]

You mentione Christmas Cookies - do you do something called "Springerlie"? (Not sure about the spelling)

I haven't actually made any myself because you need special molds for them, which I don't own, but they are traditional cookies where I live

[EngineerChick]

You mentione Christmas Cookies - do you do something called "Springerlie"? (Not sure about the spelling)

I haven't actually made any myself because you need special molds for them, which I don't own, but they are traditional cookies where I live

My family does, but we usually just roll out the dough and cut into rough squares.  (US/North Carolina--but it probably came from my grandfather, who grew up near a Pennsylvania Dutch area)

[oz diva]

This isn't strictly local as I know it's made in other countries, but perhaps not so much the US. I just put a fruit cake in the oven for Christmas and beyond. It's got loads of sultanas, currants, raisins, glace cherries, peel & apricots, mixed with a little cake mixture and brandy and topped with almonds. It's the most amazing cake, and if necessary will last years.

[Stranger]

South Africans love "pap" (maize porridge), as a breakfast food and as a side dish to meat casseroles.

http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=pap+en+sous&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=-ZbQTozaDYi0iQfH5em9CA&sqi=2&ved=0CDUQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=549

"Pap" is the maize, and "sous" is the vegetable gravy, made with mostly onions and tomatos.

We also love koesisters http://www.mydiversekitchen.com/2010/05/koeksisters-south-african-deep-fried.html and

milktart http://allrecipes.com/recipe/south-african-melktert-milk-tart/ and

biltong http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=biltong&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=uZjQTtePIYaSiQeYoNnRDg&sqi=2&ved=0CGQQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=549

There is nothing better than a samoosa http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=biltong&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=uZjQTtePIYaSiQeYoNnRDg&sqi=2&ved=0CGQQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=549#hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=samoosa+pictures&pbx=1&oq=samoosa&aq=2&aqi=g1g-s1g1g-s7&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=58330l61257l0l64646l13l8l0l0l0l2l1329l4525l2-2.1.1.0.1.2l8l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=e3e551bf642aa3c4&biw=1024&bih=549 dipped in the hottest chilli sauce you can find.

[Diane AKA Traska]

This isn't strictly local as I know it's made in other countries, but perhaps not so much the US. I just put a fruit cake in the oven for Christmas and beyond. It's got loads of sultanas, currants, raisins, glace cherries, peel & apricots, mixed with a little cake mixture and brandy and topped with almonds. It's the most amazing cake, and if necessary will last years.

Fruitcake is somewhat... infamous in the US.  There are stories (tales, one might say) of families trading the same fruitcake around for years like a White Elephant gift.