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You may like to browse this page sequentially, or you can click on one of the following bookmarks to go directly to the recipe. Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Maid Rite Sandwich Md. Crab Cakes Crab Imperial Joe Duffy Stromboli Mary Monay Corn Meal Mush Crab/Shrimp Louis North of the Border Chili Fish and Chips BBQ Hot and Spicy Beef BBQ Chicken Monay BBQ Gene's Ribs BBQ Swordfish with Mushrooms Over the years I have been privileged to live in many different parts of our fine country. I took the family to England for three years, and we visited numerous countries in Europe. This page includes some of my favorite foods. I have prepared most of them, and have enjoyed eating all of them. I have arranged the recipes by region. Hope you enjoy them! (I included a few photos - you will note that there aren't any skinny people). For some additional unique recipes from my Marine Corps League pal, Max, visit Max's Recipes. The Midwest Let's start in the Midwest. I explained elsewhere that I consider Kirksville, Missouri as my "home town." I was a teenager for most of the time I lived there, so that had some effect on my choice of food. One dish that I consider a "must" when I visit is the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich. I admit that I have never prepared one. They must be purchased at a fried food stand. In Kirksville, that would be the "Crumbles & Cream" owned by my classmate, Larry Whitney. I also had a great tenderloin at the Mark Twain Dinette in Hannibal, Mo, I found this recipe from Hannibal, which sounds like the real thing: Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwich (A Midwest Favorite) (Source: Recipezaar)
A favorite found exclusively in America's Heartland. This one from America's
Hometown, Hannibal, Missouri.
4 servings 23 minutes 15 mins prep
The Crumbles & Cream in Kirksville used to be the Dairy Queen when I was in high school. Larry has done a great job restoring it to a real 1950's diner. His specialty is the CRUMBLE BURGER, also a mid west favorite known as a "Maid Rite." I don't have Larry's recipe but here is one I found on the internet: Here is a photo of Larry making Crumble Burgers at a recent Kirksville get-together (click on photo to enlarge):
Maid-Rite Sandwiches (Source Recipezaar)
This is a very TASTY, JUICY, LOOSE MEAT sandwich filling. In reading thru
this recipe you will notice the use of both fresh and dried onion.....please
use the onion type specified in the recipe step you are on for maximum
flavor. Although traditionally served on hamburger buns, this filling can be
messy for young children trying to keep filling in. Try using hotdog rolls
for the youngsters. Mustard & Onions are the seasonings of choice for this
recipe.
6 servings25 minutes 10 mins prep
Mary Monay's Corn Meal Mush (The basic recipe can be found in the Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book, McGraw-Hill, 1950) My mother used to make this when I was a kid, and it is still one of my favorite breakfast dishes. I put it in the mid-western section, because I saw it on the menu at a road-side restaurant in Ohio, and Ohio was her childhood home. It is simple to make. It resembles Italian polenta, and is sort of a distant relative of scrapple, which is much spicier. Great on a cold winter morning! (optional): Brown crumbled sausage in frying pan. (I like Jimmy Dean low fat sausage) In top of double boiler, mix 1 cup cold water with 1 cup corn meal. Stir in 3 cups boiling water, 1 tsp salt. Cook over direct heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Add the crumbled sausage from the frying pan. Stir, cover, put upper pan over boiling water in lower pan and cook (30 min) stirring occasionally. Pour the mixture (should be the consistency of heavy paste) into a greased bread pan. Let cool, and chill in refrigerator over night. In the morning, remove from pan, slice into 1/4 in thick pieces and brown on both sides on griddle. Add butter and your favorite syrup. Serve with fried eggs if you are a glutton.
THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC We lived in Maryland for about 30 years. There are some great dishes from that region, some of which go back to colonial days. The Lexington Market in Baltimore is a great place to see and sample the local fare as well as more exotic dishes. Local favorites of mine include "Pollock Johnnie's" hot dogs, Reuben sandwiches made with fabulous corned beef and fresh kraut, Gyros from the Greek stand, and fried chicken livers. But the best by far is the seafood, especially anything made with meat from the local Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab. In the summer, steamed crabs and cold beer is a great way to have a party in the back yard. Striped Bass (aka Rockfish in Md) stuffed with crab imperial is a real delicacy. Fried soft crab sandwiches are fabulous. An easy way to enjoy crab at home is to make crab cakes. Our dear friend Mildred from Baltimore makes the best ones I have ever had. Here is a recipe from Sen. Barb Mikulski's web site that is typical: Senator Mikulski's Crab Cakes (Originally from the Senator's web page) 1 lb Crab meat, 3 slices bread or 4 crackers, 1 TBSP Mayo, 1 TBSP Dijon mustard, 2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning, 1 TBSP snipped parsley (optional), 1 egg beaten. Pick over crab meat, remove crust from bread and break into small pieces. Mix bread with beaten egg. Add remaining ingredients. Form into cakes and saute quick in a small amount of fat. Serves 6. Some cooks leave out the bread and use cracker or bread crumbs. The less filling and the more crab meat the better! Crab Imperial, Chesapeake (From Maryland's Way - The Hammond-Harwood House Cookbook, The Hammond Harwood House Association, Annapolis, MD, 1963) I find this recipe an easy and delicious alternative to crab cakes. If you are using one pound of crab meat, divide quantities by 3. Combine 1 fresh green pepper, seeds removed, and 2 pieces of canned pimento (or substitute red bell pepper), both finely diced; 1 tablespoon dry English mustard; salt and pepper to taste (approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper), 2 raw eggs, 1 cup mayonnaise. Add 3 pounds deluxe backfin lump crab meat and blend all the ingredients together with the fingers, so that the lumps of crab meat are not broken. Then divide the mixture between 8 crab shells (or oven-proof serving dishes), heaping it in lightly. Top with a light coating of mayonnaise and sprinkle with paprika (or Old Bay Seasoning). Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 15 minutes approximately. Serve hot or cold. The traditional Baltimore garnish is creamy cole slaw, tomato slices with crisp lettuce, French fried potatoes.
Here is a photo of me chomping down on a soft crab sandwich at Gunning's Restaurant in Md. My friend JD is eating a rib-eye sandwich - not everyone in Md. eats seafood all the time! (click to enlarge):
Gene & JDW Backyard Crab Feast Bushel of Crabs
PHILADELPHIA I didn't actually live in Philadelphia, but my younger daughter's family did and we used to visit them a lot. Philadelphia has lots of ethnic food, my two favorites being Amish and Italian. The Reading Market, in the old Reading train station in downtown Philadelphia is a gourmet delight. Soft pretzels, scrapple, cheese steak sandwiches all rank high among my favorites. Here is a recipe my son-in-law gave me. He got it at work from a South Philly native. I've made it a number of times. A Stromboli is sort of like a soft, folded-over pizza. You can vary the contents as your taste buds desire. Joe Duffy Stromboli (I know, Duffy sounds Irish, but the Irish often make the best Italian dishes) Ingredients: 1. Frozen Bread Dough (or fresh pizza dough if available) 2. Olive or Canola oil 3. 1/2 lb Provolone slices 4. 1/4 - 1/2 lb meat (sliced pepperoni, genoa salami, Italian sausage, etc.) 5. chopped onion, bell pepper, etc. (optional) Instructions: Lay out dough, spread oil over entire loaf. Let thaw for 2 hours (if frozen), periodically knead to help thaw. Flatten to rectangle, the roll to square. Spread cheese, one layer, meat one layer. Leave 1 inch border on side and 2 inches on end. Roll/layer so it is 4-5 inches wide. Tuck in side before last roll, then seal. Flip over. Slit top about every 4 inches half-way through. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place in oven and rotate every 5-10 minutes. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool 5 minutes before slicing. I like to serve it with a dish of warm spaghetti sauce on the side for dipping. CALIFORNIA
I was born in Marin County, California (almost within sight of the Golden Gate Bridge - which opened the same year I was born) and lived there until I was 14. This was war-time California before the hippies and yuppies took it over. War-time price controls made it possible for my parents to rent a very nice house in a desirable neighborhood. But, as many of you my age will remember, food was rationed, and items that had to be shipped were scarce. California had lots of local goodies, so we ate a lot of seafood, veggies, and parts of cows most people have never heard of. I returned to California in the 1950's for two years, when I was stationed at Camp Pendleton between L.A. and San Diego. In more recent years, when I was working for the government, I made several business trips to the San Jose area to visit Defense contractors. My good friend JDW (see picture above) and I used to go over the hills to Santa Cruz, which had a big pier going out into Monterrey Bay. It was lined with seafood restaurants, and one of the best was Stagnaro's. Their specialty was Seafood Salads - also known as "Louis salads" (pronounced "Looie.") When my father was away from home during WWII my mother and I used to hop the bus into San Francisco. There was a restaurant at the entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge which served Crab Louis, and I learned to love crab there. When JDW and I went to Stagnaro's for a beer and a salad, I felt I had returned to my childhood. Here is a recipe from the Nitty Gritty Seafood cookbook by Sally Morris, 1979. The secret to a great "looie" is the dressing. No two salads ever come out the same - so be creative. Marylanders may prefer to use blue crab meat, but any fresh crab meat will do. You might get by with frozen, but don't even bother with the canned stuff. You can also use shrimp or lobster instead of crab. 1 large Dungeness crab, (or a cup or more of picked other crab meat) cooked and cleaned, or two cups small shrimp, cooked and deveined 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbs. chopped parsley, 2 tbs chili sauce (I like Heinz), 1 tbs. catsup (also Heinz), 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tsp. A-1 steak sauce, lettuce, endive, tomato wedges, hard boiled eggs Combine mayo, parsley, chili sauce, catsup, Worcestershire sauce, and A-1. Arrange lettuce and endive on chilled salad plates. Spoon crab meat (or shrimp) over greens. Add tomato wedges. Spoon sauce over top. Garnish with slices or wedges of hard cooked eggs. Makes 4 servings.
THE SOUTHWEST
We have family ties to the southwestern U.S.: "kids" and grandkids in the Tucson area, friends in Phoenix and Flagstaff and we have taken many side trips in the Arizona - New Mexico area. There is a tremendous variety of wonderful food in the area. I love Mexican dishes, but I didn't know what a wide variety there is until we took an Elderhostel trip to Santa Fe. For my representative dish I have selected a simple chili recipe which I found on a spice label from "North of the Border" spices while in Santa Fe (e-mail border@nets.com P.O. Box 433, Tesque, NM 87574). The Chili sauce mix contains red chili, onion, garlic, spices, salt and sugar if you want to try to custom blend your own. 1 lb . of ground meat (beef, turkey, etc.), 1 cup of chopped onions, 2 1/2 cups of water, 1 package of North of the Border Red Chili Sauce, 1-15-oz can of pinto beans (the beans are optional if you are from Texas), 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes (I use 1 14 oz can stewed or diced Mexican style tomatoes), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano. In a large sauce pan or dutch oven, brown the onions and the ground meat. When done add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 20 minutes. If the mixture gets too thick simply add more water. Serve in a bowl with a flour tortilla (or corn-bread muffins). I prefer to "age" it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating.
NEW ENGLAND
"I'm from dear old Boston, home of the bean and the cod. Where the Lowells speak only to Cabots, and the Cabot's speak only to God." That old ditty is out of date as the Lowells and Cabots have faded from memory. "Kennedys and Kerrys" doesn't have the same ring to it. Many people think of lobster as representative of New England, and lobster is a fine dish. There really isn't much to cooking them, and who cooks them at home anyway - just go to the local fish market and order them steamed and pick them up later. Or even better, find a "clam bake" such as the Marine Corps League annual clam bake (June 5, 2005 at the Elks Club in Eastham, MA). For this web page, I have selected good old "fish and chips" made with the local cod or haddock. This recipe comes from the The Cape Cod Seafood Cookbook, by Noel Beyle, First Encounter Press, 1987, and edited by a good friend and naturalist, Lee Baldwin. She called it "Cod/Haddock Meuniere." Don't be scared off by the fancy French name - it just means "chub" - a kind of fish, or a miller's wife - take your pick. Fish and Chips Take 6 cod or haddock fillets that weigh about a 1/2 lb. each (or cut up larger fillets to equal a 1/2 lb. each) and dip in milk, then dredge in a mixture of 1/2 flour and 1/2 fine bread crumbs. Saute in butter, slowly, in a large skillet (use between 1 and 2 sticks of butter I think that is a bit excessive - I use about half a stick of butter and a couple tablespoons of olive oil). Brown both sides, then remove to a warm serving dish. Add the juice of 2 lemons to the pan, raise heat, and scrape the pan to release the browned bits. Add more butter if necessary, and when golden (about 1 minute) pour over the fish. Serve with French Fries and your favorite green vegetable or salad. English version: When we lived in England in the 1970's, fish and chips was a local favorite. The Brits in Yorkshire where we lived liked to eat fish and chips as a late night snack, after spending an evening drinking at the local pub. It would be hard to duplicate their method: Dip fish fillets in batter. Deep fry in reconstituted dripping (fat) - lard would probably be a close approximation. Wrap in newspaper (lined with wax paper to keep the ink off the fish). Sprinkle with "malt" vinegar. Malt vinegar is supposed to be traditional, but the product served in fish and chips shops was a purely chemical concoction. "Chips" is British for "French Fried Potatoes." But they use a softer, soggier potato, and the result is sort of a limp, spongy product. The traditional British "veg" with fish and chips is "mushy peas." You may find them in stores in the US that sell British products to Yanks at holidays. Mushy peas are hard to describe. They are sort of like lima beans, pureed, and with less flavor. Most Brits skip the peas. FYI: the Brits do eat potato chips, but they call them "crisps." Beer is the beverage of choce with either version above.
Spring is here and it is time to fire up the grill. Here are a beef, chicken, pork and a fish recipe. That should get anyone through the grillin' season! I got this recipe from my fellow BBQ fan, JD,
down in Savage, MD a few years ago. It is still my favorite! It was a winner at
a Virginia beef cook-off in 1990. For the beef cook-off, John L. Huston,
president of the National Live Stock & Meat Board, renamed this dish to "Grilled
Beef - Real Food for Real People". It's been a family favorite for years, he
said, because it's so simple. At home, for instance, he cooks the
tenderloin in a covered grill, with the charcoal placed on the outside, the meat
in the center. When the fire is hot, Huston puts the meat on, and then has "45
minutes for martinis" before he has to look at the meat again.
(AKA SOY-BROILED CHICKEN from an old drug store
recipe book which I can't identify because the cover was torn off long ago) Our next-door neighbors in Annapolis, Maryland named this "Chicken Monay" because the smoke blew into their yard. Fortunately they liked the smell because they asked for the recipe. Or maybe it was so they could retaliate. Ingredients: 2 broiler-fryers, halved (I prefer to use chicken leg quarters, but the recipe works for any chicken parts - the time may vary a bit), 1/4 Cup Soy or Teriyaki Sauce, freshly ground pepper, 1 cup chicken stock (I use 1 14 1/2 oz can of chicken broth), 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon ground hot red pepper (or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon chili powder, or 1 tablespoon Old Bay. Vary according to your tolerance for heat), 1/2 cup butter. Marinate chicken in soy sauce, pepper, chicken broth, lemon juice and hot pepper, well mixed, 1-2 hours. Remove chicken and place on grill 4 inches from fire bed. Broil, cut side down, until browned (15-20 minutes) basting occasionally with marinade. Turn and brown skin side (I prefer to remove most of the skin) watching carefully not to burn it and basting with the marinade for 15-20 minutes longer. Keep turning until chicken is done (about 45 minutes in all). (I find 40 min is about right on my gas grill for chicken leg quarters). Meantime, heat marinade with butter in a saucepan and serve poured over chicken. (It's also good poured over baked potatoes or rice, as an accompaniment). Serve with a fresh green salad or your favorite veg. In the late summer, fresh butter and cream sweet corn is a delight with this chicken). Best with cold beer, or iced tea.
(AKA EASY COUNTRY-STYLE SPARERIBS, from the Sunset Barbeque Cookbook, Lane Publishing, 1982) The book says to cook these first on the grill, then finish them in a covered pan filled with BBQ sauce. I like to pre-cook them for 10 or fifteen minutes in the sauce first, then put them on the grill, and finish off with them in the pot at the end. The trick is to not overcook or they will be tough and dry. You can use a partial rack of pork ribs, or whatever fits conveniently in your pot. I use a Dutch oven. I like to use the so-called country ribs which are nice and thick and already cut into convenient sections. This is a "quick and easy" method. If you want to do ribs the more traditional way, you need a smoker and at least 3-4 hours of slow cooking. Ingredients: 1 cup each catsup, water, and dry sherry, 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce, 1 medium-sized onion, sliced, 1 large lemon (thinly sliced), 1 clove garlic (minced or pressed), 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, 4 lbs lean country-style spareribs, salt and pepper. In a 4 quart kettle that can be used on a barbeque grill (if you have a small grill like mine, you can use the kitchen stove), combine catsup, water, sherry, Worcestershire, onion, lemon, garlic, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes (this is where I pre-cook the ribs for 10 or 15 min). Arrange ribs, fat side up, on lightly greased grill 4 to 6 inches above a solid bed of low-glowing coals (or put your gas grill on low - cook indirectly if you have a big grill and more than one burner). Baste lightly with sauce. Cook, turning occassionally, for one hour to one hour and 20 minutes, or until meat near bone is no longer pink when slashed. Every half hour add 5 or 6 briquettes to fire, spacing them evenly, to maintain a constant temperature. Reheat remaining BBQ sauce by placing kettle on grill (or on kitchen stove). As ribs cook, remove themfrom grill, cut into serving-size pieces, and place in kettle. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes longer. Spoon sauce over pieces to serve. Season with salt and pepper. Makes about 6 servings. I like to serve the ribs with rice (or red beans and rice if you are more adventurous). Greens, like Swiss Chard, go well with these ribs, as does corn on the cob. And, of course, cold beer.
Swordfish fell out of favor for a while for reasons I forget, but it seems to be back in favor now. Swordfish steaks are usually plentiful in the summer, at least on the East Coast. I think frozen swordfish is available in the "fly-over" states now in the fancier markets. Fresh is best, but can be very expensive. This recipe always gets rave reviews. It is also from the Sunset BBQ Book, mentioned above. Ingredients: 2 pounds swordfish steaks, each about 1 inch thick, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 cup dry white wine or water (I like to use DRY vermouth), 1 clove garlic (minced or pressed), 1/2 teaspoon each oregano leaves, salt, and pepper, 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed (crushed), 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced (fresh, not canned), 2 tablespoons olive oil or salad oil, 2 or 3 green onions (scallions) thinly sliced. Wipe fish with damp cloth (or paper towel) and cut into serving-size pieces. Combine lemon juice, wine, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and fennel. Place fish in a plastic bag, pour in marinade, and twist-tie bag close (better to use a "zip" closure bag). Chill for 1 to 2 hours, turning bag often. Place on a well-greased grill 4 to 6 inches above the coals. Cook, turning once, for 5 to 8 minutes on each side or until fish flakes readily when prodded in thickest portion with a fork. As soon as fish goes on the grill, sauté mushrooms in oil until limp (about 5 mnutes). If you use a heavy metal frying pan, you can cook mushrooms on grill over the coals. Stir in reserved marinade and simmer for about 2 minutes. Transfer cooked fish to a serving plate, top with mushroom sauce and sprinkle with green onion. Makes about 4 servings. Hints: Sprinkle fennel seeds on the hot coals when you put the fish on the grill. Serve with rice and asparagus. Dry Martini's (the gin & dry vermouth kind - not those dessert concoctions that the trendy cool set drink) go well beforehand. Serve with a dry white wine, or good beer, if you aren't into wine).
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