Off topic: New England foods

[garddog]

And here this old southern fella was thinking that chowder was all the same. Must have got the wrong township when I tried it.

 

[huskeynut]

I have had the Rhode Island Red, which, as advertised by the restaurant, was essentially a mix of Manhattan and New England Chowders. While it was quite tasty, my wife only eats Manhattan Chowder and I prefer New England. That said, since it is almost impossible to get Manhattan here in Tucson, I have often gotten it when traveling.

There is a local variety of chowder in Saint Augustine, FL that we had on a trip years ago that was positively wonderful, but this many years later I don't remember the details. Not New England style.

So here is the Rhode Island Red Chowda recipe. We are the third generation to make it this way.

Finely diced salt pork
Chopped yellow onion
White potato
Tomato puree
Clams
Paprika
Clam juice
A little water
Salt & Pepper to taste.

We live about three hours from St. Augustine. Been there a few times. Never had any chowder in any of the restaurants there.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

i had a very strong suspicion that it was local, and part of the fabric.
'The company was founded by Gail Borden Jr., in 1857 in Connecticut as "Gail Borden Jr., and Company." Its primary product was condensed milk.'

Borden's Dairy. that's what was the well known brand around fairdale county. i get this stuff from contact highs with pops and grandad. great grandad used to drive the buckboard from the dairy and apple farm in Easton down to Bridgeport. lots of tales aboot milk. and drunk cows.

their last retail ice cream place, in Lafayette, Louisiana.

now, im gonna fix a bowl of ice cream. Friendly's Royal Banana Split, my fav. choc with nuts, strawberry with fruit bits, and banana with fudge, on sale from shoprite, $2.50.
i'll add some cherry jam ($4 for a 2 lb pail at ocean state! from Poland or somewhere), and some smuckers fudge.
hey! smuckers also feels ol timey local. i wonder...

 

[ClifSpliffy]

no on smuckers.
'The company was founded in 1897 by Jerome Monroe Smucker, a Mennonite from the small agricultural community of Orrville, Ohio, about 45 minutes south of Cleveland.'
but, he did have early success with selling apple butter, which i really like.
and, 'With the exception of a few crab apple varieties, apples are not native to North America. During the early 17th century, apple seeds, buds and small plants came to the American colonies from Britain. Soon the colonists covered New England with apple orchards,' sooooooooo,
apple butter and other apple stuffs, a New England food.
apple brown betty,
apple fritters,
apple sauce,
hard cider,
apple dumplings ....


aaannnnnd, since mr burbank invented the 'russet' potato in Massachusetts, im tossing that one into the 'local' food category.
tasty.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

pasta e fagioli.
beef braciole. brajule!
(for those playing along at home, always use bottom round for this. top round just stinks, for any purpose.)

they even sell these as 'takeout' in the supers. that's aboot as local as it can get.

 

[HuskyNan]

So here is the Rhode Island Red Chowda recipe. We are the third generation to make it this way.

Finely diced salt pork
Chopped yellow onion
White potato
Tomato puree
Clams
Paprika
Clam juice
A little water
Salt & Pepper to taste.

We live about three hours from St. Augustine. Been there a few times. Never had any chowder in any of the restaurants there.

You in Orlando?

 

[huskeynut]

You in Orlando?

Poinciana

 

[triaddukefan]

@Beemer

Any New England Foods you would recommend?

 

[Sifaka]

Don't know about “Southerners” (That includes people in Mass. and points south) but in northern NE fish chowdah is one of the basic food groups. Haddock is the standard, but you may substitute cod or another firm white fish.

Here’s the recipe from Helen's in Machias.

Ingredients​

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium-size onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 4 cups water
• 2 medium-size russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 2 1/2 - 3 pounds skinned fresh haddock, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Instructions​

In a 5- to 7-quart pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.

Pour the water into a 3- to 4-quart pot and add the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the fish to the potato liquid and simmer until the fish begins to flake, about 10 minutes. Remove the fish with a slotted spoon and add it and the potatoes to the cooked onions in the larger pot. Stir.

Slowly add the potato/fish broth and the heavy cream to the onion/fish/potato mixture. Stir well. Add the salt and white pepper; then add the dill. Simmer gently over low heat for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.

source: Helen's Haddock Fish Chowder


For best flavor, let it sit overnight before eating.
I've been making something very similar for years, but with fish stock rather than water. Never had a complaint.

 

[Beemer]

@Beemer

Any New England Foods you would recommend?

Hey @triaddukefan after reading this thread I think my fellow Yankees have pretty much nailed down the best New England foods

I myself am very partial to good seafood, for me there is nothing like fresh boiled lobster, steamed clams & mussels. I also love haddock & fluke, usually baked. No sauces, juices or butter. Just give me the fish and I'm happy.

And yes, butter & sugar corn on the cob cannot be beat. Again, no salt & no butter for me. I'm a purist that way.

 

[triaddukefan]

Hey @triaddukefan after reading this thread I think my fellow Yankees have pretty much nailed down the best New England foods

I myself am very partial to good seafood, for me there is nothing like fresh boiled lobster, steamed clams & mussels. I also love haddock & fluke, usually baked. No sauces, juices or butter. Just give me the fish and I'm happy.

And yes, butter & sugar corn on the cob cannot be beat. Again, no salt & no butter for me. I'm a purist that way.

Ah.. you didn't take the bait

But anyway.. sugar on corn on the cob??

 

[HuskyNan]

Ah.. you didn't take the bait

But anyway.. sugar on corn on the cob??

She meant no sugar in the cooking water. Butter & sugar is a type of corn on the cob, the name coming from the pale yellow and dark yellow kernals. When really fresh, the corn is sweet enough without adding sugar to the water.

 

[Beemer]

He meant no sugar in the cooking water. Butter & sugar is the type of corn on the cob, the name coming from the pale yellow and dark yellow kernals. When really fresh, the corn is sweet enough without adding sugar to the water.

View attachment 76416

That's right. And for the record, I'm a she

 

[Beemer]

Ah.. you didn't take the bait

But anyway.. sugar on corn on the cob??

What bait?? I'm a pretty literal person so....????

 

[jchusky]

What bait?? I'm a pretty literal person so....????

don't worry Beemer we'll take out those canes, hopefully there won't be as many empty seats as game 1 in Carolina as we travel well. If it's any consolation I think bruins woulda smoked rangers.

 

[TCC Kid]

I am totally with you on butter & sugar corn. There’s nothing like it in Maryland.

As a resident of Maryland, I have to call BS on crab cakes being a New England thing. Yes, they exist in NE, but down here they’re a way of life. Not my cuppa. The list should have just stopped at lobster rolls and clam cakes in the same vein.

I spent lots of time in the Baltimore/ Meade/DC area. Born and bred Connecticut nut, ask meg. I loved the bushel baskets of crabs cooked dumped on my table and the Annapolis fish houses were great. But MD isn't just the coast--it goes way past the pan handle with lots of farmers selling and growing eating corn.
In Ellington going out of town west were some of the finest white/gold corn God has made. That's Ellington Ct. 13 for a dollar, obviously, that wasn't last fall.

 

[TCC Kid]

What bait?? I'm a pretty literal person so....????

He may not BE BIG, it isn't nice to call him literal.

 

[Beemer]

don't worry Beemer we'll take out those canes, hopefully there won't be as many empty seats as game 1 in Carolina as we travel well. If it's any consolation I think bruins woulda smoked rangers.

Duh I should have looked more closely at @triaddukefan 's avatar! I feel like an idiot now. But hey, at least I'm not a fan of those jerks!

You've got a good team there though I think you've ridden Sheshterkin a little harder than you should have. Good luck and thanks for beating those damn penguins!

 

[ClifSpliffy]

overheard while settin on a porch in Woodstock, Connecticut, some years back:
'is that ur cornfield over there?'
'yep.'
'mind if i go over and grab an ear to eat?'
''have at it.'
walks aboot a couple hundred yards over, grabs a big ear after careful selection, takes a bite or three, and spits it out.
'what did i just eat? u said it was corn. that doesn't taste like any corn that i ever et.'

'i didn't say it was sweet corn.'
lesson to self. cow corn is not sweet corn.
and iffn ur putting sugar on an ear of sweet corn, ur doing this all wrong.
it's called 'sweet corn' for a reason. and iffn ur putting sugar on sweet corn and u have one of those zippy sugar monitoring devices attached to ur body, ur really doing it wrong. a persons taste for sugar is one of the easiest habits to change. takes aboot a week or two of discipline, and then, magically, ur done with putting sugar in ur coffee.

 

[garddog]

overheard while settin on a porch in Woodstock, Connecticut, some years back:
'is that ur cornfield over there?'
'yep.'
'mind if i go over and grab an ear to eat?'
''have at it.'
walks aboot a couple hundred yards over, grabs a big ear after careful selection, takes a bite or three, and spits it out.
'what did i just eat? u said it was corn. that doesn't taste like any corn that i ever et.'

'i didn't say it was sweet corn.'
lesson to self. cow corn is not sweet corn.
and iffn ur putting sugar on an ear of sweet corn, ur doing this all wrong.
it's called 'sweet corn' for a reason. and iffn ur putting sugar on sweet corn and u have one of those zippy sugar monitoring devices attached to ur body, ur really doing it wrong. a persons taste for sugar is one of the easiest habits to change. takes aboot a week or two of discipline, and then, magically, ur done with putting sugar in ur coffee.

The sugar withdrawals were the worst, but 2 weeks sounds about right.

 

[Puppy Love]

Hey @triaddukefan after reading this thread I think my fellow Yankees have pretty much nailed down the best New England foods

I myself am very partial to good seafood, for me there is nothing like fresh boiled lobster, steamed clams & mussels. I also love haddock & fluke, usually baked. No sauces, juices or butter. Just give me the fish and I'm happy.

And yes, butter & sugar corn on the cob cannot be beat. Again, no salt & no butter for me. I'm a purist that way.

I generally don’t like fish, but tautog is amazing if you can get it

 

[MilfordHusky]

I had totally forgotten about Indian Pudding. S.S. Pierce sold it in a can. It was wonderful served hot/warm with vanilla ice cream.

 

[sun]

Since 1826, this is the "Oldest Restaurant" continually operating in United States! The oysters are the best!!

Union Oyster House Inc, Boston, Massachusetts