Regional Eating

TexDanm

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As I sit here after a late dinner I got to wondering about how different our diets must be. Depending on where you live and were raised your idea of home cooking can be massively variable. For example, i was raised in South East Texas right along the Texas Louisiana border. We eat a lot of Cajun-inspired meals. Tonight it was boudin. That is a Cajun sausage made of a rice dressing stuffed into a sausage skin. You eat it on crackers and it is SOOOOOOO good. We also make a lot of gumbo and Cajun Creole. I was raised near the coast and seafood has always been a staple. We buy shrimp 25 to 50 pounds at a throw, oysters by the gallon, and used to catch and eat crabs by the dozens.

My wife and I are both half German and so eat a lot of German and heavier Italian meals. What is the "common" type of foods where you all live???
 
Good question, Dan!

I'm in "farm country"...where everything requires meat, potatoes, and gravy. Seriously. That's the "staple" meal here and all variations there of. Since I am not much of a meat eater and my stomach doesn't do well with gravy, this can be a challenge at times for me...lol I have added in some Mexican dishes (the mild ones, thanks) and throw in the Italian stuff as I can. I sub in cottage cheese for my "meat" protein.
 
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Whatever is on sale.

We do a lot of Mex out west, and Mex fusion. I grow hot peppers every year in my garden to facilitate my own culinary adventures, but I explore everything I think I can duplicate in my kitchen. I'm weakest on Indian traditions, haven't gone down that path at all. And living 900 miles from the nearest ocean limits my exposure to affordable "fresh" seafood. But we do eat a lot of native, fresh-water fish. Hard to beat a properly prepared trout. I'm weak on baking, Kelly is the house authority in the flour department.

But Mexican and Hispanic cuisine in general is just a vibrant, wonderful spice palate with fresh ingredients and tons of regional variation.

The standard local cooking is nothing to brag about. As a kid I would have starved if it weren't for tuna casserole and Kraft macaroni & cheese. Mom and the kitchen did not get along.
 
It's kind of like the United Nations in Northwest Indiana / Chicago. So the towns and cities have distinct identities reflecting the people that live there. And those food traditions carry over well. Debi will back me on this !
There's also a ton of Eastern European immigrants plus Greeks. So there are quite a few Byzantine and Eastern Orthodox churches that reflect their country of origin. And in the summer time there are enormous festivals. Greek Fest. Serb Fest. And Pierogi Fest. If you want Mexican food it will taste like it came from Mexico. Soul food. Check. Lots of African Americans migrated North in search of work in the steel mills. Tex, I'm sure you have more meat smokers per capita in Texas - but we have to be up there too !
Greek restaurants are always around the corner wherever you are. Fish fries. Bars and taverns will often roast a lamb on a spit in the alley or the parking lot.
I was kind of heavy when I was a teenager and I lost a lot of weight eating primarily chicken and veg and rice. Still do and I like to cook jambalaya and paella. Kung Poa. Winter veg chicken soup with wild rice and andouille sausage. I have a rough cut pasta sauce that I have been perfecting over the years.

Fun topic Tex. I'd like to thank you would approve of my jambalaya. I tried a bunch of different recipes and Emeril Lagasse's was kind of a dud. But I have a Jamie Oliver cookbook that is pretty much a love letter to America and he learned how to cook it in your neck of the woods.
 
Whatever is on sale.

We do a lot of Mex out west, and Mex fusion. I grow hot peppers every year in my garden to facilitate my own culinary adventures, but I explore everything I think I can duplicate in my kitchen. I'm weakest on Indian traditions, haven't gone down that path at all. And living 900 miles from the nearest ocean limits my exposure to affordable "fresh" seafood. But we do eat a lot of native, fresh-water fish. Hard to beat a properly prepared trout. I'm weak on baking, Kelly is the house authority in the flour department.

But Mexican and Hispanic cuisine in general is just a vibrant, wonderful spice palate with fresh ingredients and tons of regional variation.

The standard local cooking is nothing to brag about. As a kid I would have starved if it weren't for tuna casserole and Kraft macaroni & cheese. Mom and the kitchen did not get along.
Great answer !
 
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I don’t know that we have an area dish. I’m in Mi and we eat a lot of meat and potatoes. Barbecue and fried food are popular. I’m with GWU , whatever is on sale.
 
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I can go for almost anything but for me personally, I prefer chicken, pork or beef with potatoes, carrots, and onions. And rice.
 
Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin have hot dish. It's a very simple Swedish casserole. Wisconsin has deep fried cheese curds and they are wonderful.
 
I think the official sandwich of Indiana is the fried pork cutlet. Put one of those on good bread with lettuce, mayo and a ton of black pepper. Oooooo good. That's for the southern part of the state but up here there's a lot of fried or sauteed perch out of Lake Michigan.