What regional cuisine do you miss?

Cynthia's question about why we go out to eat got me thinking about the New England seafood I miss when we are not in Massachusetts. And, being born and living in Florida so long, now that I'm in CA and NC, I really miss the great Cuban food I used to get there...Deviled Crab, Black Bean Soup, Chicken and Yellow Rice, Mojo Pork, Ropa Vieja, Pressed Cuban Sandwiches, on and on. Last week, I got desperate and made Mojo pork, black beans and rice, fried plantains, key lime pie and even baked some Cuban bread. Our friends had never had Cuban food.

Did you spend a significant time in a place then move and now miss the local cuisine? If so, tell us about it...

Currently live in northern New Jersey and always have. Whenever I leave the area, though, it never ceases to amaze me that the rest of the world can't make a decent bagel.

Will also miss Taylor Ham Egg & Cheese sandwiches when I finally move away. [Salt & Pepper, no ketchup, please.]

[Robin Garr]

Did you spend a significant time in a place then move and now miss the local cuisine? If so, tell us about it...

I couldn't really answer the poll in a meaningful way (although I did vote "live where I grew up" because it's literally true: I've spent more of my life in the Ohio River Valley, where I was born and grew up, but have <i>also</I> lived in a few other places long enough to discover the foods and foodways: New York City, near-upstate New York's Catskills, Los Angeles, the Bay Area and Southern Idaho; and I've traveled a lot.

I'm lucky to live in a city with a surprisingly diverse restaurant community and good representation of many ethnic cuisines, but I do miss the real Greek cookery that we enjoyed in Astoria, Queens. I've also loved true Tex-Mex and New Mexico cuisine and can't get a good replica of those dishes here, although we do have a decent representation of real Mexican cookery, which of course is not the same thing.

[Jenise]

Carrie, your question is very evocative. I live in a different region than I grew up in, but I grew up in Whittier, California where there was literally no regional cuisine unless you count the myriad good hole in the wall Mexican restaurants and taco trucks, of which even the most mediocre was better than the best of same up here. I miss having a regional cuisine to miss!

Bagels. I miss bagels. And bialys.

That's the only thing you can't find done well out here. Amazing, considering how good the bakeries are.

I miss being able to walk into almost any diner type place and get a good beef on weck. I have to make my own rolls out here.

Happily, we do have a good bagel joint in Santa Fe.

I miss the far West Texas / New Mexico style of mexican food. Where the green chile / red Hatch chiles reign. And all the myriad stews and sauces based on those amazing pods. Little out of the way cafes that serve the most wonderful, yet simple concoctions…red enchiladas(flat) w/ a fried egg on top an a dab of sour cream, chile rellenos, carne con chile colorado, green chile stew etc…

Richard

[James Roscoe]

Hoagies, cheese steak, pizza, the list could go on. I love going back to Philly to eat, but the crabs make up for it!

If you consider Ky to be a Southern State (I do, but I do know some who do not), then I am once again living in at least a similar region to where I grew up (assuming that you count the first 14 years of your life growing up). However there are many things I miss from Pittsburgh; things like Pizza subs, Primanti Brothers, good perogi's, "Hunky Hand Grenades" (stuffed cabage), cheese steaks, fried provolone, and good Italian restaurants on every other street corner just to name a few.

I've lived in the Buffalo area all my life and I've got to the point that when I travel to other areas I don't even bother to try wings any more, as I've been disappointed every time. Toto, there's no place like home.

Nothing, really. Arizona, where I grew up, had little in the way of regional cuisine (although the cheese crisp comes close). My mom has always been an excellent cook but she never really stuck with any particular regional or ethnic cuisine. My grandmother made great food that was more Italian-American than Italian. And there's so much great Italian-American and Italian around that I don't have to miss it.

Mike

The only thing I really miss from the PA area are the steamed clams. Everything else can be found here in Albuquerque (including steamed clams if you want to take out a second mortgage).

I grew up in semi-rural Pennsylvania, near but not in Amish country. I miss good scrapple, Taylors Pork Roll, cured meats and sausages, and fresh sausages that were commonly available there.

Alan, did you eat your scrapple with maple syrup? My former husband was from the Main Line and his family always ate scrapple that way. I never did become too fond of scrapple . Too gritty for me...

Larry, do you know where the clams come from in NM? Just curious, because here in the CA desert, I'm pretty sure ours come from Australia. They call them cockles.
Oh, I'm missing the steamers up in MA right about now...

Carrie,
I never did care for the combination of scrapple and maple syrup. It was common enough, but never in my house. We sliced it thinly, about 1/4 inch, and browned both sides thoroughly in a pan. Great, I thought, with scrambled eggs.

[James Roscoe]

My grandmother was from Berks Co. Pa. I ate plenty of scrapple growing up in suburban Philadelphia. We never put syrup on our scrapple, but ketchup was madatory.

Grew up in Pittsburgh and other than Iron City there were two other items that I have not found in other parts of the country. Of course, I really haven't been looking for Iron City, avoided it like the plague when I lived there. Scary to think they might export that stuff.

Two items that every tavern in the area served were ham barbecue and hot sausage. Ham barbecue consisted of chipped ham warmed in a tomato based sauce, often barbecue sauce cut with Sprite. The mixture was served on a soft bun. For the uninformed, chipped ham is a thinly sliced processed lunchmeat type of ham, also unique to SW Pa.

Hot sausage is a spicy Italian sausage that has been simmered in tomato sauce with green peppers and onions......simmered like all day to the point that the sauce picks up the spice of the sausage. The hot sausage is served on a hard roll. Recently I did get a recipe for this. We have made it several times and love it......or at least I do.

But nothing beats a cold one with either of these sandwiches made by someone else!!

Larry, do you know where the clams come from in NM? Just curious, because here in the CA desert, I'm pretty sure ours come from Australia. They call them cockles.
Oh, I'm missing the steamers up in MA right about now...

Not a clue, but they don't look like the ones from the East Coast. They're much larger, for one thing.

Speaking of scrapple: there's scrapple and then there's scrapple. I occasionally make my own from good cuts of pork, such as pork chops or steaks, etc., which makes a rather good tasting product. People who think they don't like scrapple, generally like mine.

I grew up using ketchup on scrapple, but I'm aware that some people like maple syrup.

I love inviting people for a Pennsylvania Dutch-style breakfast of scrapple and fried mush just to see the look on their faces. Of course, if one called it [some fancy name] sausage and polenta, they would think it's a gourmet delight.

Larry, do any of those people live here?

After living in Oz for 5 months, Amy and I find ourselves missing the Barramundi, Kangaroo, and (especially) the $1 Sushi handrolls that are for sale on every street corner in Sydney and Melbourne. There was also some great Southeast Asian food there.

Best,
Joe

Larry, do any of those people live here?

What do you mean by "here?" If it's New Mexico, people generally turn up their nose (to my amusement). PA expatriates generally will give it a try. How 'bout you?

Larry, I fondly remember my Mother making scrapple when I was a kid growing up. I never see it in my market, but if I were to, I would for sure buy it. I still make a version of fried mush occasionally I usually do it after we have a pot roast. I shred the left over pot roast and if there is a bit of gravy I use that too. Take cornmeal and make a not too thick porridge of it, then put the beef and gravy into the porridge, stir it in then pour into a loaf pan. Allow to cool and set up in the pan, after which it can be sliced as thick or thin as desired. Good stuff with eggs for breakfast, or as a side dish anytime.

BTW, if you have a scrapple recipe I would like to see it, I would like to try my hand in making it.