Down Home Cooking

[HungarianGypsy]

Today is Wednesday. In my house that means American History is our History/Geography topic. We are also learning about the individual states. The best way to learn is always through hands-on experience. Since we can't travel to each state at this time, I hoped all the good Freepers could bring their states to us. What recipes do you have that are specific to your area and can rarely be found anywhere else?

[bert]

I am an expert cornbread cook. Cornbread was a staple of Tennessee diets for many years.

The preparation is super simple and outstandingly magnificent to eat.

Buy one package of Martha White sweet yellow cornbread mix and in a mixing bowl add the package ingredient's, one egg and milk as directed. Mix until very creamy.

Pour the mixture into a greased cast iron skillet and bake at 350 for 18 minutes or so.

[Coldwater Creek]

We were right in between some of the worst hit. We are fine, and thanks for asking.

Maria

[billbears]

What recipes do you have that are specific to your area and can rarely be found anywhere else?

Well for the Carolinas/southern Virginia region that would be BBQ. What is found elsewhere isn't BBQ, it's slop that somebody decided to pass off as BBQ. It is only BBQ if it has a vinegar or mustard sauce.

LOL, yeah I said it, what of it? ;)

[bert]

....I think you boil them......

Having eaten ramps on a number of backpacking trips in the Great Smokies ......ramps are frequently eaten raw like green onions with a little salt..



Chopped up into freeze dried backpacking meals they add a certain zest.


The stink oozes for a while and an un pc term for such a person is "Ramp:

[MayflowerMadam]

Western NY State has salt-rising bread. Yummm... Toasted and slathered with butter. Don't have the recipe, though.

[Coldwater Creek]

I just haven't had a chance to try the recipe. I always save brisket for company as there is just the two of us.

[Alouette]

LAFAYETTE CONEY ISLAND HOT DOG SAUCE (Detroit, Michigan)

In a deep skillet, brown 1 lb. ground beef in just enough oil to cover bottom of pan. Stir and crumble til no longer pink. Mash with fork to consistency of rice and keep on low heat.

Meanwhile you put into a food processor:

14 oz. clear chicken broth,
4 T. flour,
1 T. chili powder,
1T. paprika,
1 t. ground cumin,
1 t. turmeric,
1 T. chicken bouillon powder (or 3 cubes mashed)
6 oz. can tomato paste.

Blend briefly to combine, add to meat and stir til smooth and thickened. Remove 2 c. mixture to food processor, puree and return. Serve spooned over hot-dogs or in bowls as a chili.

[RedQuill]

Sorry moondoggie, but the Slopper doesn't hold a candle to the PASSKEY. Yes, I'm from Pee-eblah.

[Lil'freeper]

(sorry, you'd get the launch codes for the whole nuclear arsenal before one of those grannies would give up their recipie!)

LOL! That's the problem with my list of home cookin' favorites. I grew up in southern AZ and the best Mexican food I've ever had was cooked by my friend's families using traditional recipes that they've had for generations. Tamales, empanadas, mole, and even menudo (I loved it until they told me what was in it! LOL). Part of the secret is not really having a recipe: it's a bit of this, a dash of that, cook until it looks right.

One of my family favorites was a bit of a budget stretcher. We'd make a large pot of pinto beans flavored with onion, salt-n-pepper, cumin, and a bit of bacon. With it we'd have cheese crisps. Grated cheddar or jack cheese + strips of the hottest chile peppers you can handle on a large flour tortilla. Broil it until bubbly and cut into wedges. Use the crisps to scoop up the beans. Black beans or Roman beans are great, too.

My favorite treat was Indian Fry Bread. Didn't get it very often because it is outrageously bad for you no matter how you fix it. Fry Bread is one of those 'mother of necessity' foods made out of white flour, salt, and lard. These were the government rations handed out on the reservations in the 1800s and early 1900s. What on earth can you make with flour, salt, and lard??? Why, a most delicious and versatile comfort food. These are served all over the place - rodeos, fairs, pow-wows - definately a local fave.

Modern batters are made of flour, baking powder, salt, and milk. You take a bit of dough, pat it flat, and deep fry it in some fat until golden. You can then dress it up as a meal or for dessert.

To make a meal you can pile on refritos, taco meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatos, chiles, onions, salsa, sour cream, etc. If you leave it flat it's an Indian Tostada, if you fold it over it's an Indian Taco.

Dessert versions use less salt and are dressed in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or jams.

Indian Fry Bread:

3 c. flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. warm water

Mix to form dough. Let it rest for a while. Pull off small bits of dough, roll or pat flat (it'll be sticky so flour surfaces and hands). 1/4" - 1/2" thick. Some people prick the rounds before frying, some don't. Deep fry until golden.

[Lil'freeper]

Frybread!

More LOL - guess you beat me to it.

[Lil'freeper]

Dessert versions use less salt and are dressed in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or jams

Good grief - how could I have forgotten honey. Frybread dripping with yummy yummy honey.

[mylife]

Why skim on the lard?

Thats what makes tortillas and beans so dang tasty!

[Lil'freeper]

Tamales, too! Back home manteca is a key ingredient.

[mylife]

You betcha

[antisocial]

Try Figi's

[DarthVader]

That sounds obscenely delicious!

[RedQuill]

The Pueblo Passkey sandwich:

(from Passkey restaurant)
-Griddle-fry a rectangle of high-fat Italian sausage.
-Split a hoagy-bun and put it on the griddle next to the sausage, cut-side down so it gets spattered on the outside with all the grease.
-Put the sausage on the bun, top with sliced provolone and wilted shredded lettuce (fresh will not do!).
-Serve with banana peppers (bite the end off and dump the pepper-juice on the bun), Ketchup and fries.

You can find pictures online.

dee-lish.

[KosmicKitty]

Here in Connecticut you'll find some of the best Italian food in the world, especially pizza!!

Real pizza, not that pizza hut or chicago stuff. Thin crust, w or w/o tomato sauce, real mout za rel (not pronouned motts a rell ah). And we'll wait on the street outside of Sally's apizza on Wooster St in New Haven for hours and it worth it!!!

[proud_yank]

In a close knit Southern neighborhood, you can walk down the sidewalk of any given street, and if the smell of fried chicken is so thick you can taste it, you know somebody in the neighborhood died even before reading the obit in the local paper :)

Really? I knew it was popular, but not that popular LOL! This is making me way too hungry. Only thing I have had to eat all day long is 3 cups of coffee!!!

Last time I was down in Texas, we went to an excellent fried chicken joint. Some of the best I've ever had. More and more, the south is really starting to appeal to me.

[mylife]

My hometown is famous for pizzas.
Briar Hill Style can be found just about anywhere in NE OH

Pizza lovers are finding their thrill on Briar Hill
Jane Snow
Beacon Journal

Youngstown-style pizza is alive and well and living in Stow. Dennis Altieri of Altieri's Pizza at 3291 Kent Road (phone 330-686-6860) makes Briar Hill pizza, named after the Youngstown neighborhood that is home to the unique thick-crust pizza topped with tomato sauce, roasted red peppers and Romano cheese.

``In Youngstown you can't hardly find an Italian restaurant that doesn't have Briar Hill pizza,'' wrote Tony Mastadonna of Tallmadge. He was among the dozen or so readers who called, e-mailed and wrote with information for former Youngstowner Carol, whose plea was printed March 1.

``I named it after my Grandma Vitale,'' Altieri said. ``It is the kind of pizza she made us as kids. It was either plain sauce and Romano, or it included pepperoni or roasted peppers.... We have quite a few people from the Youngstown area who have found us.''

Kathy Manus-Gray of Cuyahoga Falls noted, ``They also have a wonderful white pizza, for those of us from Warren who miss Leo's version.''

We also got the lowdown on wood-fired pizza for e-mailer Pete of Wadsworth. For smoky-tasting pizza with an extra-crisp crust, he should head to Melvin's Brick Oven, 359 W. Liberty St. in Wooster (330-264-6263); Kozmo's Grille, 37 First St. S.W. in Massillon (330-832-8807); or 91 Wood Fired Oven, 5570 Fulton Drive in Canton (330-497-9111) and 1983 E. Maple St., North Canton (330-496-9191).