Not exactly recipes -- but regional food
09-22-2023, 02:39 AM
#11
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Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
Posts: 2,076
We moved from the Rio Grande Valley to Corpus Christi, and the meal that I miss the most is a Botana. It is a family meal platter with a base of bean and cheese nachos with grilled beef fajitas piles in the middle. Scoops of guacamole, jalapeno slices, embueltos (small, rolled up, fried corn tortillas with chicken), and Mexican cheese quesadillas! One restaurant had thin fried zuchini strips that were worth the extra drive!
09-22-2023, 06:22 AM
#12
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Conroe, TX
Posts: 83
I'm originally from Indiana and the food I think I miss most is s breaded tenderloin sandwich. They were huge. Pounded out so thin then breaded and fried. They were often served on two buns and hung over the sides of the plate. Here in Texas they have no idea what I'm talking about when I say I want a tenderloin.
09-22-2023, 06:41 AM
#13
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
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I see (and have had a couple) of the tenderloin sandwiches here. Again, something I never saw before and here they are everywhere! They are, btw, awesome 
"Mexican" food changes a lot depending on where you grew up/where the family the food originates from. TexMex is different than CalMex and Hatch Chilis and green sauces are another thing entirely. And then there are the regional differences from Mexico -- obviously if you are coastal it is a very different thing than if you are central.
As I understand, in the Seattle area, the first family to make it big (and just about the same time as I moved from Alaska to Washington) in Mexican restaurants was from Cuaulta, not only their chain but several others are from the same region. It wasn't until later that I was introduced to Oaxacan and other regions. To be honest, I don't know what my favorite local place style was -- only that Iiked it!
"Mexican" food changes a lot depending on where you grew up/where the family the food originates from. TexMex is different than CalMex and Hatch Chilis and green sauces are another thing entirely. And then there are the regional differences from Mexico -- obviously if you are coastal it is a very different thing than if you are central.
As I understand, in the Seattle area, the first family to make it big (and just about the same time as I moved from Alaska to Washington) in Mexican restaurants was from Cuaulta, not only their chain but several others are from the same region. It wasn't until later that I was introduced to Oaxacan and other regions. To be honest, I don't know what my favorite local place style was -- only that Iiked it!
09-22-2023, 10:18 AM
#14
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
Posts: 5,012
I grew up in central Canada (just think north of the Dakotas) and in a German farming community. My mom and dad were both first generation Canadians.
Three 'regional' things that come to mind are Fruit Platz--a shortbread type base covered with sliced and sweetened fresh peaches or plums (those were the ones I liked best altho I suppose you could use any fruit that is in season) with a crumb topping. It was baked and best when it was served warm, and it didn't 'keep'--the fresh fruit would make the base soggy, so we were always encouraged to have seconds!
The second is Pluma Mous--a sweet cold 'soup' of stewed fruit--raisins, prunes, dried apples,pears,peaches or apricots in winter or canned apricots, plums or peaches added--the variations were endless. The juices were thickened with cornstarch and sugar and the seasoning included cinnamon and star anise. I'm sure every family had its own favourite mixture. It was often served for Sunday Faspa--afternoon lunch--like the English afternoon tea.
The third is Ruhl Kuhchen--a rich, but not sweet dough made with 'top cream' (the cream that rises to the top of fresh milk after it sits for a while)It was rolled out and cut into rectangles (sometimes a slit would be cut down the middle and one end would be pulled through to make it 'fancy') and deep fried. Always served with watermelon in my family, but also with rhubarb sauce or Roger's Golden Syrup.
When I think back to my growing up years, I often wonder how I managed to not be as round as a pumpkin!
Three 'regional' things that come to mind are Fruit Platz--a shortbread type base covered with sliced and sweetened fresh peaches or plums (those were the ones I liked best altho I suppose you could use any fruit that is in season) with a crumb topping. It was baked and best when it was served warm, and it didn't 'keep'--the fresh fruit would make the base soggy, so we were always encouraged to have seconds!
The second is Pluma Mous--a sweet cold 'soup' of stewed fruit--raisins, prunes, dried apples,pears,peaches or apricots in winter or canned apricots, plums or peaches added--the variations were endless. The juices were thickened with cornstarch and sugar and the seasoning included cinnamon and star anise. I'm sure every family had its own favourite mixture. It was often served for Sunday Faspa--afternoon lunch--like the English afternoon tea.
The third is Ruhl Kuhchen--a rich, but not sweet dough made with 'top cream' (the cream that rises to the top of fresh milk after it sits for a while)It was rolled out and cut into rectangles (sometimes a slit would be cut down the middle and one end would be pulled through to make it 'fancy') and deep fried. Always served with watermelon in my family, but also with rhubarb sauce or Roger's Golden Syrup.
When I think back to my growing up years, I often wonder how I managed to not be as round as a pumpkin!
09-22-2023, 10:22 AM
#15
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
Posts: 5,012
I see (and have had a couple) of the tenderloin sandwiches here. Again, something I never saw before and here they are everywhere! They are, btw, awesome
"Mexican" food changes a lot depending on where you grew up/where the family the food originates from. TexMex is different than CalMex and Hatch Chilis and green sauces are another thing entirely. And then there are the regional differences from Mexico -- obviously if you are coastal it is a very different thing than if you are central.
As I understand, in the Seattle area, the first family to make it big (and just about the same time as I moved from Alaska to Washington) in Mexican restaurants was from Cuaulta, not only their chain but several others are from the same region. It wasn't until later that I was introduced to Oaxacan and other regions. To be honest, I don't know what my favorite local place style was -- only that Iiked it!
"Mexican" food changes a lot depending on where you grew up/where the family the food originates from. TexMex is different than CalMex and Hatch Chilis and green sauces are another thing entirely. And then there are the regional differences from Mexico -- obviously if you are coastal it is a very different thing than if you are central.
As I understand, in the Seattle area, the first family to make it big (and just about the same time as I moved from Alaska to Washington) in Mexican restaurants was from Cuaulta, not only their chain but several others are from the same region. It wasn't until later that I was introduced to Oaxacan and other regions. To be honest, I don't know what my favorite local place style was -- only that Iiked it!
09-22-2023, 07:17 PM
#16
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Manassas, VA
Posts: 2,017
My mother was from North Carolina, but I was raised in Northern Virginia. She never served oatmeal, it was always grits... usually mixed with a breakfast meat. My favorite was scrapple. My father was from West Virginia, and if he hadn't wanted scrapple, I would never have known about it. I don't think it is sold in North Carolina.
Grits was served in North Carolina as often as eggs for breakfast.
To this day I don't know why oatmeal is so popular. It tastes slimy to me.
Grits was served in North Carolina as often as eggs for breakfast.
To this day I don't know why oatmeal is so popular. It tastes slimy to me.
09-23-2023, 04:40 AM
#17
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 15,243
This is such a fun thread, Iceblossom. I love regional dishes and also especially love ethnic dishes. That beef you mentioned doesn't ring a bell.
There is a place in Cleveland that makes Reubens that rival the best NYC restaurants. Just thinking about them makes my mouth water. They must be 6 inches high and not a bit of fat.
My husband got his degrees at the University of Georgia. What an experience coming from NY at 21. First of all I'd never had Mexican food until then and to this day we love it. Of course now you can find it anywhere but not back then. I couldn't take grits though. I really think you have to be born in the South to appreciate them.
Every time we watch My Cousin Vinny the grits scene cracks us up. That would have been us haha!!!
I DID have a cousin Vinny and he acted an awful lot like Joe Pesci in that film LOLOLOL As we say of people like that- a real greenhorn
There is a place in Cleveland that makes Reubens that rival the best NYC restaurants. Just thinking about them makes my mouth water. They must be 6 inches high and not a bit of fat.
My husband got his degrees at the University of Georgia. What an experience coming from NY at 21. First of all I'd never had Mexican food until then and to this day we love it. Of course now you can find it anywhere but not back then. I couldn't take grits though. I really think you have to be born in the South to appreciate them.
Every time we watch My Cousin Vinny the grits scene cracks us up. That would have been us haha!!!
I DID have a cousin Vinny and he acted an awful lot like Joe Pesci in that film LOLOLOL As we say of people like that- a real greenhorn
09-23-2023, 09:06 AM
#18
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,183
I'm glad people are enjoying this thread
We went out today for a farmer's market that had mentioned they would have pawpaws -- something regional I am very interested in trying. Unfortunately, what few pawpaws they had were sold out in minutes, and we got there about an hour after starting.
Pawpaws are very seasonal and don't travel well. The reason you "pick up pawpas and put them in your pocket" is that is how you tell if they are ripe -- they fall off the tree.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asimina_triloba
We went out today for a farmer's market that had mentioned they would have pawpaws -- something regional I am very interested in trying. Unfortunately, what few pawpaws they had were sold out in minutes, and we got there about an hour after starting.
Pawpaws are very seasonal and don't travel well. The reason you "pick up pawpas and put them in your pocket" is that is how you tell if they are ripe -- they fall off the tree.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asimina_triloba
09-23-2023, 09:18 AM
#19
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Manassas, VA
Posts: 2,017
