My region: the produce & dishes

[Yorky]

As you could probably imagine, the main produce grown in Isaan, North East Thailand is rice (predominantly Jasmine rice). Sugar cane is also grown and sweetcorn. Food here is greatly influenced by neighbours Laos and Cambodia.

 

[caseydog]

Why I've not heard of this I don't know. Is it chicken or beef?

As Craig mentioned, it is steak, usually a cheep cut, that his hammered thin, like a cutlet. It is then run through a flour, eggwash, flour dredge, and shallow fried in a skillet.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSP_kIFj6lY


CD

 

[caseydog]

It’s funny, but all these things that come to mind about Michigan are derived from imports. These mostly came from immigrants, but have evolved from local influences:

1. Detroit style pizza - a Sicilian deep dish pizza.
2. Pasties - originated in England, but a local favorite.
3. Paczkis - a greasier version of a donut that the Polish community made a Fat Tuesday favorite.
4. Coney Dogs - a Detroit creation, by Greek immigrants.

Michigan is also known for cherries. They truly are better here than anywhere else. Many local restaurants offer cherry-focused dishes, particularly in-season.

Michigan also has raised their profile nationally (and internationally) with their breweries: Bell’s, Arcadia, Founders, and Shorts all have superb offerings, and those are only the biggest ones. I keep finding new ones that also have tasty and varied brews. Blake’s is a cider brewery with a staggering variety.

Great topic...it makes me want to learn more about my state.

Chicken fried steak is thought to be created by German immigrants to central Texas who based it on schnitzel they ate back in Germany.

CD

 

[caseydog]

As you could probably imagine, the main produce grown in Isaan, North East Thailand is rice (predominantly Jasmine rice). Sugar cane is also grown and sweetcorn. Food here is greatly influenced by neighbours Laos and Cambodia.

You might be surprised to hear that rice is also a money crop in Southeast Texas, along the coast and over into Louisiana. Cajun cooking uses a lot of rice, and SE Texas has a pretty significant Vietnamese immigrant population.

CD

 

[rascal]

We call that schnitzel here.

Russ

 

[caseydog]

We call that schnitzel here.

Russ

See my reply to The Late Night Gourmet above. Chicken Fried Steak is believed to be a spin off of schnitzel. Texas had a huge German influx of immigrants in the 1800s.

Schnitzel often uses bread crumbs for the top coating. Chicken Fried Steak does not. The white gravy is more of a Texas thing, too.

CD

 

[WhatsCookingMama]

Boiled peanuts, Georgia. You can get them fresh almost anywhere. They come salty, plain, and spicy. They're soft and almost meaty. They're very good. Even better freshly picked then boiled and eat them warm.

Also pralines, here in Savannah. Melt in mouth sweetness! I enjoy the chocolate ones with extra pecans. I have worked hard at cracking the recipe from the Savannah Candy Kitchen. I have a non corn syrup version that I make every holiday season.

 

[TastyReuben]

@WhatsCookingMama - I have a can of boiled peanuts in my cupboard right now, but nothing beats fresh.

Funny thing - used to only see those in the southeast (Florida, Georgia), but now, nearly every quickie-mart fuel stop around me in Ohio has a slow cooker full of peanuts.

@The Late Night Gourmet - I think you all grow a lot of blueberries in Michigan as well, and Frankenmuth has its own style of chicken. I can't remember if it's baked, fried, or broiled, though, but it has a distinctive coating.

 

[Morning Glory]

Boiled peanuts, Georgia. You can get them fresh almost anywhere.

@WhatsCookingMama - I have a can of boiled peanuts in my cupboard right now, but nothing beats fresh.

Could someone explain what these are and how they are made?

 

[Mountain Cat]

Chicken fried steak is thought to be created by German immigrants to central Texas who based it on schnitzel they ate back in Germany.

CD

I had to swallow my instinctive dislike of chicken fried steak - but then I remember: I only ate that back in my college days, from the campus food service. I need to try this dish made correctly, with a better grade of meat. Yes, I know part of the point is to find something that a lesser grade of steak will taste good with - but I fear the college campus "cooks" found whatever was at the absolute bottom of their barrel. And probably aging past the "use by" dates, as well...

 

[TastyReuben]

Could someone explain what these are and how they are made?

When you're in parts of the southeastern US, mainly Georgia or Florida, you'll see very suspect looking people along the roadside, with a big 55-gallon steel drum sat over a fire, full of brine (I think) and fresh peanuts, still in the shell and sometimes still on the tops, still with the dirt on them. You pull over, order some, and prepare to get wet and a little muddy eating them.

I think they're best eaten warm, though I've seen plenty of people eat them room temp. They're a little slimy and hard to handle at room temp, though.

You'll get wet because water gets into the shell, so when you open it (it's soft at this point, but fibrous), the water can squirt out.

The taste and texture, unsurprisingly, is very boiled potato-like, just with some peanut thrown in.

They can be simulated at home with a slow cooker or on the stovetop. The key is to get fresh (raw) peanuts in the shell, not the roasted ones you'd use for snacking. Raw peanuts, if you've never tasted them, have their own distinct flavor.

Boiled peanuts - Wikipedia

These are in my cupboard right now:

 

[Morning Glory]

When you're in parts of the southeastern US, mainly Georgia or Florida, you'll see very suspect looking people along the roadside, with a big 55-gallon steel drum sat over a fire, full of brine (I think) and fresh peanuts, still in the shell and sometimes still on the tops, still with the dirt on them. You pull over, order some, and prepare to get wet and a little muddy eating them.

I think they're best eaten warm, though I've seen plenty of people eat them room temp. They're a little slimy and hard to handle at room temp, though.

You'll get wet because water gets into the shell, so when you open it (it's soft at this point, but fibrous), the water can squirt out.

The taste and texture, unsurprisingly, is very boiled potato-like, just with some peanut thrown in.

They can be simulated at home with a slow cooker or on the stovetop. The key is to get fresh (raw) peanuts in the shell, not the roasted ones you'd use for snacking. Raw peanuts, if you've never tasted them, have their own distinct flavor.

Boiled peanuts - Wikipedia

These are in my cupboard right now:



View attachment 32032

Thank you! Mystery solved. It used to be easy to find peanuts in their shell when I was younger. We called them 'monkey nuts' . Nowadays it only seems possible to order them on-line in bulk.

 

[WhatsCookingMama]

Could someone explain what these are and how they are made?

The picture is from Vivian Howard's Deep Run Roots cookbook.

Boiled peanuts are literally what the name is, boiled with bits of salt, honey, or spices. Best when eaten warm, pop that shell open and pop them peanuts in your mouth. Delicious!

 

[Morning Glory]

Now I'm wanting to try these boiled peanuts!

 

[TastyReuben]

We have a local candy maker here, Esther Price, and they do chocolate-covered potato chips/crisps (especially popular around the holidays, for some reason), using locally-made Mike Sell's Potato Chips.