Regional Cuisine

[Cachoo]

I always believed that nationwide a bowl of chili was always accompanied with a cinnamon roll. But I learned that I might be wrong. It might just be a heartland tradition.
Also—do you have sanchos on the menu at Mexican fast food places?

What are some of the culinary practices that might be unique for your area?

 

[El Rey]

I always believed that nationwide a bowl of chili was always accompanied with a cinnamon roll. But I learned that I might be wrong. It might just be a heartland tradition.
Also—do you have sanchos on the menu at Mexican fast food places?

What are some of the culinary practices that might be unique for your area?

What? And a double what? Never heard of cinnamon rolls with chili and don’t even know what a sancho is (other than it being a slang term for lover/affair). I live in Texas.

 

[Spikefan]

Grew up in Colorado, lived in Indiana and now Missouri. I had never heard of cinnamon rolls with chili until we moved to Missouri. I guess it’s a thing that was on the school menu around here. Sounds gross to me but I’m sure if you grew up with it, it brings back good memories. Never heard of a sancho, what is it?

Most of my family is from Nebraska where runzas are a regional thing. I hate any from a restaurant but love any my family makes or mine. My husband and his family in Indiana had never heard of it. In Indiana you can get persimmon pudding in the fall, had never heard of it until I lived there. Colorado, the only thing I can think of is Rocky Mountain oysters-gross. Our high school used to sell a ball of cookie dough for 25 cents before they baked them at lunch. I may or may not have had a breakfast of cookie dough several mornings.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

Sancho. A large soft flour tortilla loaded with our specially seasoned beef, 100% cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and your choice of sauce.

The Sancho is like a burrito with ground beef but the outside has melted cheese on it and comes with a side of lettuce and tomato!

 

[PRlady]

DC has half-smokes (I live around the corner from the legendary Ben’s Chili Bowl.) My native Philly of course has cheesesteaks which are never as good anywhere else, soft pretzels with mustard. Maryland’s crabs with Old Bay Spice.

The weirdest thing I heard recently was that Israelis eat watermelon with Bulgarian or feta cheese.

 

[once_upon]

I've never heard of cinnamon rolls with chili - I've lived in Iowa or Nebraska for almost 70 years.

At school on Fridays, we had cottage cheese with a half cannwd pear on the the side as the salad. I remember looking forward to it. But I don't think I've had it or seen it served that way since high school.

 

[MacMadame]

All this talk of chili made me have chili and garlic knots from BJ's for dinner.

 

[Spikefan]

The weirdest thing I heard recently was that Israelis eat watermelon with Bulgarian or feta cheese.

That reminded me, my mother’s family all put black pepper on their cantaloupe. Not sure if anyone else in Nebraska does that or if it’s just a weird family thing.

 

[made_in_canada]

Chili and cinnamon buns I’ve never seen, but I do have a chili recipe that has quite a bit of cinnamon in it and I can kind of understand the logic.

I think the only thing that’s really super local here are screamers. Soft serve and slushie layered in the same cup. A local reporter tried to track down its origins but didn’t have much luck. It’s a summertime staple

 

[MacMadame]

That reminded me, my mother’s family all put black pepper on their cantaloupe. Not sure if anyone else in Nebraska does that or if it’s just a weird family thing.

I've heard of putting it on watermelon.

I think the only thing that’s really super local here are screamers. Soft serve and slushie layered in the same cup. A local reporter tried to track down its origins but didn’t have much luck. It’s a summertime staple

"Amy's Wicked Slush" in Petaluma, CA says they ate it growing up in the Boston area. It seems like an obvious combination so I wouldn't be surprised if it developed in several areas independently. I love Amy's Wicked Slush. Putting slushie and soft-serve together is genius!

 

[MsZem]

The weirdest thing I heard recently was that Israelis eat watermelon with Bulgarian or feta cheese.

Well, I don't. But 1. we've already established that I'm a failure at Israeli food and 2. I can't believe it took you this long to find out!

I'll, um, keep my opinion about some of these regional dishes to myself

 

[once_upon]

That reminded me, my mother’s family all put black pepper on their cantaloupe. Not sure if anyone else in Nebraska does that or if it’s just a weird family thing.

I'd say a weird family thing.

Even dad who put a lot of pepper om almost everything, never put it on melons (water, cantaloupe, honey dew, etc)

 

[ribbon]

Western NY:

chicken wings
beef on weck
chicken french
chicken riggies
garbage plate
white hots

I don’t eat any of it, even though I’ve always lived here aside from my university years.

what I do love: variety of fruits and vegetables that grow here. Farmers markets are everywhere, and I u-pick a huge variety at affordable prices three seasons a year. When my sister lived twenty plus years in Boston she’d go apple picking and be amazed that they’d only have one or two varieties growing whereas we have fifteen or so!

 

[clairecloutier]

Boston North Shore:

Roast beef sandwich shops (I.e., hot roast beef) everywhere
Super-size scoops of Richardson’s ice cream (local chain)
Greek pizza
Bland light golden breaded fried seafood, lots of it, esp. fried clams
Dunkin’ Donuts, and doughnuts in general
More local restaurants than chains

Maine:

Blueberry desserts of all types, inc. blueberry ice cream
Whoopie pies
Fried haddock
Lobster dishes of all kinds
Beanhole baked beans/bean suppers run by churches
Generally a lot of good food, esp. around Southern Maine

 

[ribbon]

Boston North Shore:

Roast beef sandwich shops (I.e., hot roast beef) everywhere
Super-size scoops of Richardson’s ice cream (local chain)
Greek pizza
Bland light golden breaded fried seafood, lots of it, esp. fried clams
Dunkin’ Donuts, and doughnuts in general
More local restaurants than chains

Maine:

Blueberry desserts of all types, inc. blueberry ice cream
Whoopie pies
Fried haddock
Lobster dishes of all kinds
Beanhole baked beans/bean suppers run by churches
Generally a lot of good food, esp. around Southern Maine

yes, I really enjoyed Maine. The seafood is fresh and delicious whereas I agree Massachusetts inexplicably transforms their clams into fried nothings. You can only taste the breadcrumbs. I found clam chowder better in Maine compared to MA/CT/RI too.

 

[oleada]

DC has half-smokes (I live around the corner from the legendary Ben’s Chili Bowl.) My native Philly of course has cheesesteaks which are never as good anywhere else, soft pretzels with mustard. Maryland’s crabs with Old Bay Spice.

The weirdest thing I heard recently was that Israelis eat watermelon with Bulgarian or feta cheese.

Not Israeli but watermelon feta salads are a thing and are delicious.

 

[Cachoo]

Western NY:

chicken wings
beef on weck
chicken french
chicken riggies
garbage plate
white hots

I don’t eat any of it, even though I’ve always lived here aside from my university years.

what I do love: variety of fruits and vegetables that grow here. Farmers markets are everywhere, and I u-pick a huge variety at affordable prices three seasons a year. When my sister lived twenty plus years in Boston she’d go apple picking and be amazed that they’d only have one or two varieties growing whereas we have fifteen or so!

Other than the wings I've never heard of these items. What are they?

 

[MacMadame]

Peppery Cantaloupe Cubes Recipe - Food.com

I love sharing these two ingredient recipes, though this one may sound a little odd. I must admit when I heard a chef on TV say that freshly ground bl

www.food.com

 

[once_upon]

If you are in Nebraska

Steak
Bacon
Corn dogs
Sweet Corn
Smores
Frito Pie
Waldorf Salad
Pot Luck Church Dinner
Something called Hamballs https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/iowa-ham-balls/
Runzas
Loose Meat Sandwiches

 

[MacMadame]

In CA, everything has avocado on it.

 

[Spikefan]

Peppery Cantaloupe Cubes Recipe - Food.com

I love sharing these two ingredient recipes, though this one may sound a little odd. I must admit when I heard a chef on TV say that freshly ground bl

www.food.com

What a tough recipe.

 

[Cachoo]

If you are in Nebraska

Steak
Bacon
Corn dogs
Sweet Corn
Smores
Frito Pie
Waldorf Salad
Pot Luck Church Dinner
Something called Hamballs https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/iowa-ham-balls/
Runzas
Loose Meat Sandwiches

I not familiar with the term Runza so I pulled up the restaurant and it reminded me of a bierock. (And they were also offering chili and a cinnamon roll combo )

 

[Kruss]

In Chicago, you do NOT put ketchup on a hot dog. No matter if you get the classic Chicago hot dog or with any other ingredients, just say no to ketchup.

I had ketchup and mustard on hot dogs as a kid, but I am definitely in the no-ketchup camp. Ketchup is for burgers.

 

[Winnipeg]

Never heard of cinnamon buns with chili................

Canada is supposed to be known for Poutine, french fries with clods of cheese and gravy

Not the greatest for one's health!!

 

[sk9tingfan]

Western NY:

chicken wings
beef on weck
chicken french
chicken riggies
garbage plate
white hots

I don’t eat any of it, even though I’ve always lived here aside from my university years.

what I do love: variety of fruits and vegetables that grow here. Farmers markets are everywhere, and I u-pick a huge variety at affordable prices three seasons a year. When my sister lived twenty plus years in Boston she’d go apple picking and be amazed that they’d only have one or two varieties growing whereas we have fifteen or so!

I'm not from Western NY but I am familiar with beef on weck (a kind of roll?) and chicken riggies. the latter being rigatoni. I think I've seen garbage plates, and others due to my extensive viewing of the food network.

 

[sk9tingfan]

In Chicago, you do NOT put ketchup on a hot dog. No matter if you get the classic Chicago hot dog or with any other ingredients, just say no to ketchup.

I had ketchup and mustard on hot dogs as a kid, but I am definitely in the no-ketchup camp. Ketchup is for burgers.

As a NYC native, putting ketchup on a hot dog is a punishable offense!

 

[sk9tingfan]

In all of the years I've lived in CT, I have yet to get down to Louis' Lunch, the supposed originator of the hamburger. Nor have I had a steamed cheeseburger.

 

[ribbon]

Other than the wings I've never heard of these items. What are they?

beef on weck - Buffalo, NY roast beef and its juices on a special Polish-American roll that has big flakes of sea salt and caraway seeds on it, often with horseradish on the beef as a condiment

chicken french - chicken cooked in a lemon butter sauce that Italian immigrants created in Rochester, NY calling it French to make it sell as haute cuisine

chicken riggies - Italian immigrants in Utica NY have rigatoni with chicken smothered in a tomato cream sauce

garbage plate - typical baseball and hockey stadium food in Rochester, NY that is a plate of hot dog, hamburger, macaroni salad, baked beans, and hot sauce all sloppily scooped on one plate

white hots - Syracuse and Rochester, NY uncured and unsmoked pork, beef, and veal; the lack of smoking or curing allows the meat to retain a naturally white color. From German immigrants, I believe, as Rochester had a robust Germantown before Italian immigrants vastly outnumbered them

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

I not familiar with the term Runza so I pulled up the restaurant and it reminded me of a bierock. (And they were also offering chili and a cinnamon roll combo )

I have a cookbook from America's Best Kitchen containing "lost" recipes - not really lost but regional, historical or unusual family recipes. Runsa/runzas are square, I believe, and bierocks are round - from what I remember that the person submitting the recipes for Runsas stated (who now lived in Kansas home of bierocks IIRC).

 

[once_upon]

I not familiar with the term Runza so I pulled up the restaurant and it reminded me of a bierock. (And they were also offering chili and a cinnamon roll combo )

Runzas are a staple in Nebraska. Lots of people will buy Runzas, freeze them to take back with them if they have moved away from Nebraska.

Basically to me they are cabbage/hamburger roll wrapped in dough. One of my son's worked for a Runza restaurant for years. Even when he was working full time at his post college career, he would fill in at the location where he originally worked.

Testicle festivals are kind of a big thing too. https://www.roundthebendsteakhouse.com/festival
Look up testicle as food. But only if you aren't squeamish