Back to World Food Index

East Coast

New England Clam Chowder
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 large onions, chopped
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart shucked clams, with liquid
6 (8 ounce) jars clam juice
1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cups half-and-half cream
 salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill weed

Melt butter in a large kettle over medium heat.  Add onions and saute until translucent.  Stir in flour and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 2 to 4 minutes.  Set aside to cool.  In a separate pot, bring clams and clam juice to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  In a small saucepan, cover peeled potatoes with water.  Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  Slowly pour hot clam stock into butter/flour mixture while stirring constantly.  Continue stirring and slowly bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and add cooked potatoes. Mix in half and half, salt and pepper and chopped dill.  Heat through but do not boil.

Crab Cakes
1 pound crab meat
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped fine
1 egg, beaten
2 slices stale bread, grated to crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Check crab meat for bits of shell. Mix all ingredients and form patties about 3 inches in diameter.  Coat with extra bread or cracker crumbs if desired. Fry over medium high heat until golden brown.

Iowa

Steak de Burgo

It seems that nobody has the definitive word on the origin of the name or the recipe.  Nevertheless, this a popular dish in central Iowa, and little-known anywhere else.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 6- to 8-ounce beef tenderloin steaks (about 1 inch thick)
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup sauterne wine

Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let garlic butter stand 2 hours at room temperature.  Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper.  Cook steaks to desired doneness and set aside.  Add garlic butter to pan, then wine, stirring to deglaze pan.  Spoon mixture over steaks and top with herbs.  Serves 4.

Louisiana

Some say that Louisiana Cajun and Creole cuisine is the only truly American regional cuisine.  Coming from Wisconsin, and having enjoyed other regional specialties, I beg to differ.  Nevertheless, there is something special about Creole and Cajun food.  It makes no sense for me to reinvent the wheel here when somebody has already published the definitive source for Louisiana recipes (and much more).  Go to the The Gumbo Pages (but be sure to come back to the Bratwurst Pages).

New Mexico

Sopaipillas
Spanish for "little pillows," these are sort of a version of the French beignet, using baking powder instead of yeast as the leavening because of the high altitude.  New Mexican restaurants start you off with a basket of warm sopaipillas and squeeze bottle of honey.

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup shortening or lard
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cup water or more if needed
 
Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Add water and mix until it holds together. Knead
10-15 times until dough forms a smooth ball. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Divide dough into two parts.  Roll dough to 1/8" thickness on a lightly floured board.  Cut into 3" squares or triangles. Cover dough while waiting to fried. When ready to fry, turn upside down so that surface on bottom while resting is on top when frying. Fry in 3" hot oil until golden brown, turning once. Add only a few at a time to maintain proper oil temperature. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

New England

Succotash
1/4 pound sliced bacon
1 small onion, chopped coarsely
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ears corn, kernels cut off and cobs discarded
1 large fresh jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed and finely chopped
1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby lima beans, thawed
1/2 pound okra, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook bacon in a large skillet over moderate heat until crisp.  Drain on paper towels, leaving fat in skillet.  Add onion to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Stir in corn, jalapeno, lima beans, okra, and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.  Stir in vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper, and adjust seasonings, to taste.  Crumble bacon over top and serve. immediately

New England Boiled Dinner
1 corned beef brisket (4 to 5 pounds)
4 quarts chicken broth
1 teaspoon pickling spices
1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut into quarters
12 small new potatoes, peeled
6 carrots, coarsely chopped
6 small turnips, diced
8 small beets, with tops
Hot mustard (optional)
Prepared horseradish (optional)

Place the corned beef and broth in a Dutch oven. Add the pickling spices and garlic and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beef is cooked, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Add the potatoes, carrots and turnips to the pot and cook until the meat and vegetables are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the beets in a separate saucepan of boiling, salted water for 30 to 45 minutes (this prevents the beets from discoloring the other vegetables).

Remove the beef and all of the vegetables from their broth and arrange on a heated serving platter. Pass the mustard and horseradish, if desired.

Boston Baked Beans
2 cups dried navy or pea beans, picked over
3/4 pound salt pork
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon English-style dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon grated onion
1 tablespoon sugar

In a bowl combine the beans with 4 cups cold water, let them soak overnight, and drain them, reserving any remaining liquid. Transfer the beans to a small heavy kettle, add fresh water to cover (about 31/2 cups), and simmer the beans, covered, for 1 hour. Drain the beans in a colander, reserving the cooking water and combining it with the reserved soaking liquid, and reserve the liquid. To the kettle add a 1/4 pound piece of the pork and the beans and bury the remaining piece of pork, well scored, in the center of the beans. In a small bowl stir together the molasses, sugar,1/2 cup of the reserved bean water, the mustard, the paprika, and the onion, pour the mixture over the beans , lifting the beans with a spoon to allow the seasoning to concentrate to the bottom of the kettle. Bake the beans, covered, in the middle of a preheated 300 degree oven, adding some of the reserved bean water at hourly intervals to keep the mixture covered and lifting the beans to allow the liquid to penetrate to the bottom of the kettle, for 6 hours. (The surface of the liquid in the pot should just cover the beans.) Remove the lid for the last hour of cooking.

New England Clam Chowder
3/4 ounce salad oil
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onions
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 gallon clam stock or juice
3 large peeled and diced potatoes
Roux (3/4 pound butter and 1 1/2 cups flour)
2 cups drained, chopped clams

In large pot saute the oil and garlic about 2 minutes. Add diced vegetables and saute for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add herbs and salt. Add clam stock and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and bring to a boil again. Add roux and chopped clams, reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

Indian Pudding
4 cups milk
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup molasses or 1/4 cup molasses plus 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated ginger or lemon rind
1 tablespoon butter
Cream, as an accompaniment

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Place milk in a saucepan and slowly sprinkle the cornmeal over it and whisk in. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes, whisking occasionally to make sure it's not burning or sticking on the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the molasses, salt, ginger or lemon, and butter and pour into an 8-cup buttered casserole (or "pudding") dish. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until set. Serve with cream, whipped or poured.

South

Kentucky Bourbon Brown Sugar Pound Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup vanilla extract
6 Tablespoons plus 2 Tablespoons bourbon
1-1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
5 large eggs
2 Tablespoons orange juice
strawberries and blueberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Combine milk, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons bourbon.  In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar until free of lumps.  Add butter and beat at high speed until light and creamy, about 5 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  At low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Pour batter into pan.  Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched with finger and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.

Remove cake from pan.  In small bowl, combine orange juice, 1/3 cup sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon; brush mixture all over warm cake.  Cool cake completely.  Garnish with berries if you like.

Kentucky Burgoo

1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
2 1/2 pounds diced chuck/stew beef
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup green beans
1 cup lima beans
1 cup corn
1 cup frozen okra
6 ounces tomato sauce
1 teaspoon onion base
2 teaspoons beef base
2 teaspoons chicken base
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
Burgundy, to taste
Sherry, to taste
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Water, as needed
2 cups diced potatoes
2 or 3 cans instant mashed potatoes

In a large pan, saute first 10 ingredients until meat is browned.  Add all other ingredients and bring just to a boil.   Reduce to simmer and cook a minimum of 3 hours, or better yet, overnight.

Mid-South Carolina Mustard Sauce
A classic sauce for pulled pork.

1 cup cider vinegar
6 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons maple syrup or honey
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
Ground black pepper

Back to World Food Index