State Fare
Here's where you'll find some of America's offbeat and beloved edibles. Click on the dots below to learn more about local foods and print out your own recipe.
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<![CDATA[Picon Punch]]>
Nevada
Out West, émigrés from Europe’s Basque region mix grenadine, bitter liqueur, and brandy.
Scotty Ygoa, owner of the Star Hotel—a Basque restaurant and boardinghouse in Elko, Nevada, that’s been around since 1910—pours as many as a hundred Picon punches a night. Take a look at the Basque bartender in action, then try making your own, following his recipe:
ice
splash of grenadine
Amer Picon (a bitter orange French spirit; Torani makes a version called Amer that’s available at some bars and restaurants and can be purchased online)
brandy
lemon twist
club soda (optional)
Fill a 6.5-ounce glass with ice. Add grenadine. Fill the rest up (90 percent) with Amer Picon. Top glass with half a shot of brandy and a twist of lemon.
Serves 1
Variation: Some people cut back on the liqueur, add a shot of club soda, and then add the brandy.
Click here to print this recipe.
Photograph by 123RF]]>
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<![CDATA[Fry Sauce]]>
Utah
Burger joints offer the thick mix of ketchup and mayo.
People in Utah love their fry sauce. Arctic Circle, a western restaurant chain that debuted in northern Utah in 1950, claims to have invented the creamy, orange condiment, an amalgamation of tomato concentrate, lemon juice, eggs, and a few other ingredients that the chain keeps secret. You’ll find some version of fry sauce in just about every fast-food restaurant (and on grocery store shelves) all over Utah. But Arctic Circle claims ownership of the original recipe, which it sells in their restaurants and on their website.
Salt Lake Tribune food writer Kathy Stephenson told us the dip is such a Utah phenomenon that when the Winter Olympics came to Salt Lake City in 2002, the fry sauce trading pin became one of the most popular sellers. Prices soared to $200 a pin, but have since plummeted to under $5.
Photograph by Larry Crowe, AP]]>
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<![CDATA[Date Milkshakes]]>
California
Shredded dates add a hint of health to milk and ice cream
Ninety-five percent of America’s dates are grown in the Coachella Valley of California, where date palms thrive in the hot desert climate. The weather is pretty conducive to milkshake-drinking, too.
This recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Date Shake is courtesy of datesaregreat.com
½ cup dried dates
½ cup low-fat milk
¼ cup frozen raspberries, thawed
3 scoops chocolate ice cream
Combine dates, milk, and raspberries in a blender; puree until dates are finely chopped. Add ice cream; blend until just combined.
Serves 1
Click here to print this recipe. ]]>
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<![CDATA[Green Chile Stew]]>
New Mexico
A version of beef stew, with pork, and lots of roasted chiles.
When New Mexico ex-pat Elaine Thatcher moved to Utah she sought out a local Mexican restaurant to satisfy her cravings for her beloved spicy stew. She found the dish on the menu, and asked what kind of chilies were in the dish. The waitress didn’t know, so she left and returned with a more senior staff member who looked at Thatcher and said, "diced."
Wrong answer. Here’s a recipe from the Santa Fe School of Cooking , calling for the traditional green chili peppers:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin or pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 cups chicken or beef broth
1 pound red or white potatoes, cut in 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes
2 to 3 teaspoons salt, to taste
3 cups roasted, peeled, chopped green chilies, or to taste
3 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, to taste
Heat oil in a 6-quart pot over high heat and brown the meat in batches. Set meat aside.
In the same oil, sauté the onions until golden. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute.
Return the meat to the pan along with any juices that may have accumulated. Add the broth, potatoes, salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour, until potatoes are tender. Add green chilies and red bell pepper, and cook 15 to 20 minutes more. Add cilantro, stir and serve.
Serves 8
In New Mexico the stew is often served over pinto beans (cooked with bacon or salt pork) and garnished with grated cheddar or Mexican asadero cheese. Sop up extra liquid with toasted and buttered flour tortillas.
Click here to print this recipe.
Photograph by iStockphoto]]>
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<![CDATA[Texas Cavier]]>
Texas
A couple of cans of black-eyed peas set this apart from plain old salsa.
The story goes that Texas caviar made its debut in the 1950s at a New Year’s Eve party, and to this day, it continues to turn up on tables when another year is about to pass.
This recipe for Lone Star Caviar, from Cooking with Texas Highways, calls for preparing your own black-eyed peas, but the canned kind are fine (you’ll need 5 cups or three 15-ounce cans).
1 lb dried black-eyed peas
2 cups Italian salad dressing
2 cups diced green bell pepper
1½ cups diced onions
½ cup finely chopped jalapeño
1 (3-oz) jar diced pimiento, drained
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 cup finely chopped green onion
salt to taste
hot pepper sauce to taste
Soak peas in enough water to cover for six hours or overnight; drain well.
Transfer peas to a saucepan, add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and cook until tender, about 45 minutes. Do not overcook.
Drain well and place peas in a large bowl. Stir in dressing and let cool. Add remaining ingredients, mix well, and chill.
Yields: 7½ cups.
Click here to print this recipe.
Photography by 123rf]]>
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<![CDATA[Toasted Ravioli]]>
St. Louis, Missouri
Breaded and deep-fried pasta pockets are a crispy counterpart to marinara.
How did toasted ravioli become a local favorite in St. Louis? In 1947, a chef at Charlie Gitto's restaurant (then called Angelo's) accidentally dropped some freshly made ravioli in breadcrumbs and decided to deep-fry it. The fried pillows made their way to bar patrons, who loved the new invention. "Fried ravioli" became "toasted ravioli" or t-rav, as harried servers scribble when taking down orders for the appetizer they say almost every table wants.
The folks at Charlie Gitto’s know that not everybody has the time (or patience) to make ravioli from scratch. Whether you make your own or buy pre-made frozen pillows (meat’s the traditional filling), here’s their method for “toasting” it up:
To bread the ravioli: Make an egg wash by mixing eggs and milk. Add the ravioli to the wash, then dip ravioli in seasoned breadcrumbs. Refreeze until ready to fry.
Preheat a deep fryer to 350°F.
Fry the ravioli until golden brown. Serve hot on a plate sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan on top and tomato sauce on the side.
Click here to print this recipe.
Photograph by iStockphoto]]>
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<![CDATA[Kringle]]>
Racine, Wisconsin
Circumference: 36 inches (91 centimeters). Filling: fruit, cheese, or nuts.
Trust us, you don’t want to make a kringle from scratch. The recipe for this Midwestern twist on a traditional Scandinavian pastry has many, many steps and stages. But if you can get hold of a finished product, you’ll be in bakery heaven. And you’ll endlessly debate the numerous varieties. Is apricot filling better than raspberry? Chocolate icing: too sweet or absolutely perfect? For the answer, you’ll have to travel to Racine, where kringles are as numerous as doughnuts in Homer Simpson’s Springfield.
Courtesy Kringle.com]]>
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<![CDATA[Buckeyes]]>
Ohio
The state tree’s nut, done up in chocolate and peanut butter.
Dale Rogers was born and raised in Ohio and for him, Christmas was not complete without his mother's homemade buckeyes. When he and his wife were newlyweds, Dale continued this candy-making custom, and his grandchildren keep the Christmas tradition alive.
Buckeyes are enjoyed year-round in Ohio, and recipes vary from home to home. This one, from Don't Forget the INNgredients!, is the Rogers family's Christmas classic. Around the holidays, guests at their B & B are treated to them, too.
http://www.spitzerhouse.com/
1 pound butter
32-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
2-3 1-lb boxes confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cake (or block) paraffin wax*
24 ounces chocolate chips
Melt butter in a saucepan. Blend in peanut butter until completely incorporated. Remove saucepan from heat. Add confectioners’ sugar and blend well, until peanut butter can be formed into balls without being sticky. Add more confectioners’ sugar if the mixture is still too sticky.
When cooled, form into golf-ball-size balls.
Melt wax and chocolate chips together in a double boiler. Keep the chocolate mixture hot and dip each ball to coat, using a spoon.
The peanut butter balls will not be completely covered, so spoon the chocolate over the top of the balls and transfer them to wax paper to cool. They might not look as perfect as the ones in the photo, but once you bite in, you won’t mind at all.
Yield: 6 dozen
*Paraffin wax is edible and tasteless. It helps the chocolate stick to the peanut butter balls.
Click here to print this recipe.
Photography by iStockphoto]]>
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<![CDATA[Spam Musubi]]>
Hawaii
The number one SPAM®-eating state fries it up for sushi!
Hoagy Gamble, who’s been managing the Spam brand since 1972, tells us that the canned meat was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands around 1945. Today the state consumes almost five million pounds a year. Hawaiians love its porky flavor and use it in many ways, typically in combination with their favorite carbohydrate, short-grained rice. Spam turns up in fried rice, rice with eggs, and a state favorite, musubi.
This recipe is courtesy of spamjam.com :
1 12-oz can Spam
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons oil
3 cups cooked white sushi rice
1 package hoshi nori (Japanese dried seaweed)
Slice Spam lengthwise into eight equal pieces.
In a shallow dish, combine garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Place Spam slices in the mixture and let sit for 30 minutes. Remove and pat dry.
In a skillet, heat oil and sauté marinated Spam slices until browned.
Moisten hands and mold rice into eight thick blocks with the same dimensions as Spam slices.
Cut nori into 8 1/2-inch strips. Place each Spam slice atop a rice block and wrap individual nori strips around the middle. Moisten one end of nori slightly to fasten the strip. Serve, using remaining marinade as a dip.
Serves 4
Click here to print this recipe.
Photography courtesy Allison Day, Sushiday.com]]>
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<![CDATA[Livermush]]>
North Carolina
Pig parts and cornmeal fried in a block. Nearby states love it, too.
Kathleen Purvis, food editor at the Charlotte Observer, says some folks will call it liver pudding, not livermush. And some will tell you it’s delicious, while other locals can’t fathom taking a bite. Purvis is in the latter camp.
This recipe for livermush pâté was developed for the Livermush Expo in Shelby, North Carolina, and is courtesy of the Uptown Shelby Association (which sponsored the event) and the Observer.
½ lb livermush
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup beer
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Place livermush in a food processor and blend one minute. Add cream cheese, beer, Worcestershire, onion, and pepper sauce. Blend until smooth. Place in a serving dish and refrigerate. Serve with crackers. Makes about 3 cups.
Click here to print this recipe.
Photograph by iStockphoto]]>
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<![CDATA[Half-Smoke]]>
Washington, D.C.
Bigger, coarser, and spicier than a hot dog, the beef-pork combo is sold by street vendors and a few local eatereies.
In Washington, D.C., Ben's Chili Bowl has been serving up half-smokes to locals and tourists since 1958. According to Nizam Ali (Ben’s son and an employee), the restaurant sells about 250 a day Monday through Thursday, and around 500 on Fridays and Saturdays. A half-smoke with chili runs $4.80. The price was a little cheaper when they first started serving them—more like 25 cents.
Whenever he’s in town, Bill Cosby stops by. And when he goes too long without a visit, he’ll order 20 raw half-smokes to be shipped to him with chili sauce on the side.]]>
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<![CDATA[Coddies]]>
Baltimore, Maryland
A poor man’s crab cake; lots of potato, a pinch of cod.
Nancy Faidley Devine’s grandfather opened J.W. Faidley’s Seafood in 1886. She now runs the operation with her husband, Bill, and at least twice a week, she’s there making coddies from scratch. She uses a lot more fish than the early immigrant version, and sells several hundred coddies a week. Here’s her recipe:
½ lb salted codfish
3-4 lbs potatoes
½ stick melted butter
½ cup minced onions
fresh parsley to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs
crackers
Boil codfish until soft, about ½ hour. Shred and reserve.
Boil potatoes until fork tender and mash them with the next five ingredients. Add shredded codfish to the potato mixture. Mix well.
Form the codfish and potato mixture into patties about three inches across and one inch high. Crush crackers on a plate. Dredge the patties in the crushed crackers and refrigerate approximately 30 minutes.
Fry coddies in hot oil until golden brown.
For a truly authentic coddie-eating experience, serve them on saltine crackers slathered with mustard.
Click here to print this recipe.
Photograph by 123RF]]>
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<![CDATA[Coffee Milk]]>
Rhode Island
Blend coffee syrup with milk. Add ice cream. Locals call it a cabinet.
Walk into a Rhode Island grocery store or gas station and you’ll likely find several brands of bottled coffee milk right alongside the soft drinks and juices. These ready-to-drink varieties are all made with coffee syrup, which is available in stores for those who prefer to mix up their coffee milk at home.
Out-of-staters can easily make their own. This recipe is courtesy of Quahog.org , a website that reports on travel, food, and fun in the Ocean State.
Enough ground coffee beans for 4 cups of coffee
¼ cup water
3-4 tablespoons sugar
Brew ground coffee beans to make two cups of coffee. Combine the brewed coffee, water, and sugar in a saucepan.
Bring mixture to a boil. Stirring occasionally, continue to boil until the mixture has reduced to one cup of syrup. Transfer to a small jar and refrigerate.
To make coffee milk, fill a large glass with cold milk. Add a spoonful or two of the cooled coffee syrup. Stir and enjoy. For a real Rhode Island treat, add a scoop of ice cream.
Click here to print this recipe.
Photograph by Elena Moiseeva, 123rf]]>
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<![CDATA[Beef on Weck]]>
Buffalo, New York
Salty, seed-studded kummelweck rolls are a German vehicle for sliced beef.
German immigrants get credit for bringing the kummelweck to Buffalo (in German, kummel means caraway seed and weck means roll). It's the crunchy top of the weck that makes this sandwich of thinly sliced roast beef special. At Schwabl’s , where beef on weck has been on the menu since the restaurant opened in 1837, the sandwich is served with pan juices from the roast for dipping the roll's top half. Pumpernick ‘n Pastry , a local bakery that sells about 15 dozen rolls a day to Schwabl's, has a quick solution for out-of-towners who crave a kummelweck:
Store-bought kaiser rolls
Caraway seeds and coarse salt (figure about one teaspoon of each per roll)
One egg (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine caraway seeds with coarse salt (as much or little as you like of each) and spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet, plate, or other flat surface.
Brush tops of rolls with water or egg wash (one egg mixed with water), then gently press the moistened top into the seed/salt mixture to coat the surface of the roll.
Click here to print this recipe.
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