Need PA-centric foods for my new book

[LewBryson]

Hi, folks, looking for some help. I'm writing a 4th edition of my guidebook, Pennsylvania Breweries. In the 3rd edition I added a Pennsylvania Regional Foods section that had cheesesteaks, cup cheese, Boilo, landjaegers, Old Forge pizza, bumbleberry pie, and the Primanti Bros. sandwich. I also had brief mentions of hoagies, soft pretzels, scrapple, Tastykakes, shoofly pie, apple schnitz, local chips and pretzels, chicken pot pie, red beet eggs, hot dogs (with the meat sauce that goes by a variety of names), and Pittsburgh fried fish sandwiches.

Now... what I'm looking for are other Pennsylvania regional foods I didn't list, the Pennsylvania equivalent of New York's spiedies or beef on weck, or DC's half-smokes, or New Jersey's salt water taffy and pork roll. Really Pennsylvania stuff, not a Pennsylvania restaurant that makes really good barbecue, for example. One that comes to mind -- and I can't believe I missed it -- is Lebanon bologna, definitely going in the new book. But I know I must have missed some stuff. I'm particularly interested in foods from the center and northwest part of the state, don't have many of those.

Can you help me out? Thanks!

Lew Bryson

[mkmccp]

Lady Locks! Miniature pastry wound and baked around an aluminum cone then filled with a special secret (not really) cream filling. They are on every cookie table at every wedding reception in western PA. I live near Philly and made these for Christmas, no one ever saw them before. One person said " omg I remember these , my aunt from pgh used to make them) Still getting requests for the recipe.

[Bacchus101]

The "associated with" modifier as noted more correctly defines most of the plethora of suggestions offered here. I am a bit surprised that you list "hot dogs" with meat sauce and fish sandwiches? Chow Chow is something I have associated with Pennsylvania and while pretzels ( not just soft) can be found world wide in some form, PA was and perhaps is the Pretzel Capital of the states.

[sarahspatch]

Lebanon bologna, and, I make Pa Dutch jerky.

[sarahspatch]

Polish food, as Halupki, is a must.

[disneydog]

Do kiffles count?

[mandylou]

Chipped ham ( or Isaly's chip-chopped ham). Also fries on a salad....when I travel they have never heard of a Pgh Steak Salad....kind of like a Primanti-style samdwich. Clark Bars are a Pgh thing too....and Pop , not dosa or cola...pop!

[shellbellc]

In Berks Co I know a lot of local churches do fundraisers selling Oyster Pie's. Never heard of them any other place...

[Snorkie47]

The bakery at Kaufmann's Department Store (now Macy's) used to sell Mediterranean Macaroons (coconut macaroons with nuts and dates and other good things). Does anyone have a recipe? The only mention I've found anywhere on the internet was from a funeral home cookbook from Southern Virginia, but it didn't include a recipe.

[shellbellc]

There are actually quite a few PA cookbooks, especially PA Dutch. As for the fastnacht's mentioned above, they were made and sold on Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday, the day before lent, it was a way to use up items and that would not be cooked during the observation of lent.
Something else I didn't see mentioned was sour cherry pudding and apple dumplings. Both of which were actually dinner at my house. Sour cherry pudding is actually a really dense moist cake that forms a gorgeous golden brown topping, pull that out of the oven and put a piece in a bowl and pour mild over top...heaven. Same with e'bl dumplings. The wos wit dressing is basically a warm sweet and sour bacon dressing, we serve over basic ice berg lettuce with hard boiled eggs. The mention of a treat soda and PA dutch birch beer, but nobody mentioned the aTreat black cherry, cream (white or red), or sarsparilla soda!! And how about entenmann's! Herr's chips used to be made close by in Phoenixville. Years back there used to be a place call the Trio in Phoenixville that had the best hot pork sandwiches. Mad I'd love to find someone that had that recipe!

[Bigley9]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/751906

[terrierboy]

Sorry to post again, but I completely forgot two other childhood favorites: Bassett's Ice Cream from the Reading Terminal Market and Fastnachts, which were created by many organizations as fundraisers every year around Groundhog Day. These were doughnuts that were cut in half and strewn with molasses or some other syrupy mess of one's choice. I preferred bittersweet chocolate shavings and whipped cream in mine. According to tradition, the last person to rise that day was the "Fastnacht." I'm not sure if these were completely PA-centric, but a favorite local bakery, Wenger's, also offered baby cookies, which were vanilla cookies in the shape of a child. They also sold marvelous chocolate crumb buns.

-----
Reading Terminal Market
51 N 12th St # 2, Philadelphia, PA

Bassett's Ice Cream
1136 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

[boboq]

Pepperoni balls from Erie. I miss them soooo much.

[terrierboy]

I grew up in Reading, PA, home of Luden's, which made Fifth Avenue candy bars and cough drops, which we could smell whenever we drove by. We also had many pretzel companies, including Sturgis and Famous Splits. Zerbe's chips were another popular brand. My grandmother made incredible fresh pot pie noodles (the traditional "slippery" kind"), though our recipe included either shredded chicken breast or boiled crumbled ground beef, along with the onions, celery and carrots. The noodles puffed up into fluffy clouds of dough. Gram also made other PD delicacies, such as Filled Noodles and Filled Knepp (please excuse any potential spelling mistakes). One was poached in milk, while the other was poached in homemade chicken stock, but I forget which was which. One had bits of smoked sausage, potatoes and onions, while the other had potatoes and onions. Both were heavenly. My great aunt on my father's side made Schnitz and Knepp, as well as the stuffed pig's stomach. Gram made her cucumber salad with sour cream and some vinegar; her hot bacon dressing with dandelion tantalized us every year. Our local farm markets all sold locally made chow-chow and pepper cabbage, as well as shoo-fly pies. I remember some in the family making moshie (brown sugar and molasses) apples, though I found them way too sweet. My grandparents had several friends who were butchers; one of them made the most delectable smoked sausage I've ever had. It was smoked so hard that the skin shriveled, but when you cooked it in a stew with root veggies, it softened somewhat. That stew remains one of my favorite dishes. I'm salivating just writing about it. In Reading, we had pizza and sandwich shops on nearly every corner. ATV Bakery provided most of the dough and rolls for these shops, and the last time I visited, I found out they still do. What others call hoagies, we called Italian sandwiches (hard & soft salami, cappicola, provolone, along with various chopped veggies (lettuce, tomato, onions, peppers) piled on hard or soft rolls with olive oil. We also had ham on roll, which most people had with mayo, lettuce and tomato. The best place was Screpesi's, which also still thrives nearly 50 years later. Our version of cheesesteaks (the best ones came from Augie's) had real cheese (provolone and/or mozzarella) and homemade tomato sauce. We also had a fabulous bakery called Schmoyer's that produced the best rye bread I've ever had; people used to line up around the block for their loaves. One of my family's favorite traditions was to create an incredible navy bean soup with the leftovers from a holiday ham; the soup had a tomato base and was finished off with pillowy little dumplings called dough balls.

[betsydiver]

what about funnell cakes? i imagine alot of whatyou will find are either amish or german specialties...

[Snorkie47]

Haven't seen any mention of scrapple which I believe is PA Dutch.

[artemis133]

Don't forget pitz at Senape's in Hazleton!

[Todd Selbert]

Lew-Is there anyplace with good eats in the Harrisburg/New Cumberland area?

[LewBryson]

Well...I'm a bar food kind of guy at heart. There's some really GOOD bar food at Coakley's in New Cumberland. Busy signs out front, good beer and bar chow inside, reasonable prices. I like it.

-----
Coakley's
305 Bridge St Ste Frnt, New Cumberland, PA 17070

[AnalGrammarNazi]

How about cucumber salad? I'm talking about the creamy kind made with mayo and a dash of vinegar.

And I almost forgot Carrot-Raisin Salad. I have never seent that anywhere but in PA Dutch country. Not sure if anyone mentioned Hot Bacon Dressing over young dandelion or fresh endve.

[LewBryson]

Thanks, everyone. I didn't have anywhere near enough room to get all this in; it was primarily a brewery guidebook, after all!
It's clear to me now that a book on Pennsylvania's regional/local foods is needed!

[AnalGrammarNazi]

I completely agree. I'd love to see these dishes/places in a guidebook.

[centralpadiner]

Sounds like a great project for you Lew! Let us all know when you are ready to get started. :)

[Fanci7]

As an older teen I moved from Central PA to Maryland. My boyfriends family invited me to a brunch. They served pigs in a blanket. I was shocked. It was a sausage rolled in a pancake.
Here in Central PA. A “pigs in a blanket” are ground beef stuffed cabbage rolls.. that are cooked in a mixture of sauerkraut and DelGrosso spaghetti sauce. Then served over mashed potatoes. This is one of my favorite meals.
Not sure where that recipe originated but its been in my family for more than four generations.

[vacationmomma]

Funny how different foods are called by different names. I'll never forget inviting new friends over for a supper of BBQ while living in St. Louis (BBQ in central pa is a sloppy Joe)...these friends thought they were getting "pork steaks"...when I served it in Texas...those friends thought they were getting beef brisket sandwiches....I still laugh about those suppers. But I also learned to cook those other types of BBQ.

[AnalGrammarNazi]

Ever hear of halupki or halushki? Schuykill county favorites! Miller's hot bologna, souse, scrapple, all local specialties. Heavenly indeed are the Grilled Stickies from The Diner in State College. How about A-Treat soda? Birch Beer? Funnel Cake? Apple Snitz? I could go on all day!

[PAScout66]

Would you believe that I actually have an A-Treat Birch Beer sitting right beside me at the computer while catching up on some work. A few of the restaurants in our area have added funnel cake or funnel cake fries to their dessert menus after being introduced to them at local fairs or carnivals. And yes, scrapple and puddin were both treats that we would find with a Saturday morning family breakfast at Nana's house after her early morning trip to the Central Market.

[AnalGrammarNazi]

A-Treat soda is da bomb. I remember Liver Pudding (aka Scrapple) as a Saturday morning breakfast treat as well. When we occasionally go to the diner for breakfast, I have to have my scrapple served on a separate plate so I can drown it in maple syrup! Glad some of your restaurants have added the funnel cake, but even when I make t at home, t just doesn't taste the same. Seems that the only place it tastes exactly right is at the firehouse carnival...

[Cynthia B]

My husband grew up in Harrisburg, PA and one of his favorite dishes as a small person was Pennsylvania Dutch Pot Pie (aka bott boi or slippery pot pie). He had been asking me to make it but unfortunately there isn't much out there on the subject. I ended up having to cobble a recipe together. Basically it's broth, veggies, and homemade noodles (homemade noodles are key). I do love the "traditional" flaky crust pot pie but have to admit that PA Dutch is fantastic. A great one for the book since it's not commonly found.

_______

Cynthia Brown
www.gochicorgohome.com/awesome

[AnalGrammarNazi]

Just to let you know, they do make Pot Pie noodles. They may be only sold in PA stores, but you should check.

[PAScout66]

They are also sold at specialty stores in the PA area, such as stores attached to orchards and farmers markets. But anyone that has ever made the actual noodles from scratch will tell you, there is just something different about them, perhaps it's all of the hard work and sweat. Maybe it is being about to share the experience with your children and teaching them how it has been done in the past. In a time before we all had mixers with dough hooks and pasta rolling machines. Just a table dusted with flour and a couple of hours to spare. Good Times and Good Eats.

-----
Good Time Bar
1304 Evergreen Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15209

[vacationmomma]

I have found "pot pie noodles" in Dallas also. Sold in the freezer section of the grocery. In the south, potpie is like their chicken and dumplings...so the noodles are sold as dumpling noodles. The only difference is that they are not squares but strips. I have always make my own...flour, salt, baking powder, shortening and cold water.

[Fanci7]

5 lbs ham (with bone in)
water
5 cups all-purpose flour
5 eggs
1 cup milk
salt
pepper

Place ham in large pot and cover with water.
Boil to make ham broth.
Cut ham into cubes and set aside.
In large mixing bowl, mix flour, eggs, and milk to form soft dough.
You may need to add a little more milk.
Roll dough to 1/8" to 1/4" thickness (depending on preference).
Cut dough into 2" by 2" squares.
Drop dough into broth one piece at a time.
Cook until dough is done. Broth will thicken a bit. Noodles will be firm yet soft.
Add ham.
Salt and pepper to taste.

[AnalGrammarNazi]

Thanks for the recipe. I'm going to try and make the noodles myself. And perfect timing, as I have 2 huge leftover ham bones (with a ton of meat on them) in the freezer.

[PAScout66]

I would have to say that Hog Maw is definitely one of my favorites, as well as the aforementioned Boiled Chicken Pot Pie. (And no I don't understand the name of it either as there has never been a crust involved at our table, I just know what my Nana told me it was called) Her Boiled Pot Pie was always accompanied by fresh Cole Slaw, and she always served a portion of the pot pie with the slaw on top. I now know what's for dinner this evening, I made myself hungry just thinking about it.

[vacationmomma]

Having grown up in Central PA and moved to many other places after getting married, I seem to be the "keeper of the PA Dutch family recipes"...so every time I visit with my siblings, they request I make Chicken potpie and I too, make the cabbage slaw for on top. I never deviate from my Mom's recipe....cherish all those cooking memories. The slaw is just shredded cabbage and good mayo plus a little salt. Yum.

[MaryfromErie]

In northwest PA (Erie) we have Smith's hot dogs and hams which are very popular and very good. Many people here will not eat any other hot dog. The natural casing dog is the best. It has a nice snap when you bite into it. We also have something called "Ox Roast," which is, a warm roast beef that is simmered slowly, most often with onions and served on a bun (or bread-this is very sloppy). Usual condiments are horseradish or ketchup, although I am sure there are many others. If I think of anything else, I will post again.

[mkmccp]

My apologies if you already have this, but stuffed banana peppers? Hot (or mild) hungarian peppers stuffed with hot sausage, baked with red sauce and covered with prov. cheese? Every Pgh restaurant has them on the menu. Also a 'Burgh thing- fried Provolone Sticks..Not Mozzarella. Provolone. Always Provolone. As a dessert- Pecan Ball (fr. vanilla ice cream covered in lightly salted pecans, covered in Hot fudge sauce/wh.cream. On the menu of finer Pittsburgh establishments everywhere- in 1978.

[VTRP]

I cant' believe that i didn't see the word scrapple once in these replies. Can't find those bricks of porky goodness anywhere else. Just don't read the ingredients. It's pork, thats really all you need to know.

[barryg]

The ingredient list on good scrapple is pretty straightforward--much more so than most commercial sausages and deli meats. Also the bulk of scrapple is cornmeal, not pork.

[vacationmomma]

Stopped at the Allentown's Farmer's Market (indoors) just last weekend...bought some scrapple and some dried chipped beef. Those are the things I have missed living in Texas and SC...for the last few years. When I get the chance I always have scrapple or SOS with the dried beef. Yum.

[Chowrin]

Philadelphia-style Ice Cream (as mentioned earlier, Turkey Hill and Penn State's Creamery are exemplary).

PA came up with the term French Vanilla... surprised it took over 100 posts to see ice cream mentioned.

[hughes227]

I haven't seen Hershey's chocolate mentioned!

Amish shoo fly pie is definitely a Pennsylvania tradition. My friends in other states have no idea what it is. Same for whoopie pies. My favorites are the pumpkin whoopie pies.

Elaine from http://www.elleats.com

[rickityr]

Fried green tomato pie, pickled eggs, mustard eggs, grape-nut ice cream. As someone mentioned--birch beer--red, clear, blue and brown. Chicken corn soup, rivels, bread dumplings, boiled apple dumplings, ring bologna.

[alanalb]

Potato filling
Potato dumplings
Rivels
all PA Dutch

[rickityr]

Fish pie made with molasses. Chicken & waffles -- chicken & gravy over waffles, no syrup involved. Faggots. Lulu paste made with sharp cheese (served in bars, firehouses), not the cooked cream cheese spread or dip (Market House spread). John Martin's cheese hot dogs, peanut butter & pickle sandwiches, dandelion dinners. souse, puddin' meat. Old fashioned sweet bologna, different from sweet Lebanon. Turkey Hill ice cream!

[meremar]

also saw someone post about stuffed pig stomach . It is called Hog- Maw . It is basically the lining of the stomach -It is stuffed with a mixture of sausage and potatoes .

[meremar]

In york county they make butcher bologna -it is similar to summer sausage but not the same thing . Not as strongly flavored as lebanon bologna .I haven't been able to find it outside of York county .Utz chips are a central Pa. institution ! Also soft pretzels with mustard ! Maple donuts -not sure if that company still exists

[JH Jill]

I'm just checking this thread because I'm going to York on business (from Queens NY) tomorrow. Maple Donuts have a number of locations in York and I can't leave town without having a couple. They are the best, and so many interesting flavors. I'm going to have to look for a butcher this time I'm there to get some bologna.

[elleb]

Wings at Rich and Charlotte's on Harvey's Lake, PA. They are quite unique....crispy big wings covered in a very saucy sauce that has a deeper reddish color and flavor than traditional buffalo wings. mmmmmmmmmm

[mary0201]

You may not be looking for help anymore since its been almost a year since the original post. But in Hazleton PA they have a kind of mozzarella they call scamutz. Its somewhere between fresh mozzarella and that rubbery stuff they sell in packages in the grocery stores. In Hazelton, its served mainly on pizza. It isn't as watery as fresh mozzarella so it melts better.

[AmyMcC]

PA Dutch stuff: Milk Pie is something I've never seen anywhere else.

[cookieluvntasha]

I thought milk pie was a south african dessert.

[verily]

Not from Pennsylvania, but all of my maternal relatives are from the Anthracite coal region and the Pennsylvania foods I usually look forward to when I visit are teaberry ice cream, city chicken, A-Treat soda, ring bologna, and Amish vanilla pie.

And it may not be one thinks of when someone says Pennsylvania, but PA has the largest array of bottled iced tea than anywhere else I've been in the country. The South may be known for Sweet Tea, but our stores never stock as many regional iced tea drinks in their coolers. Guers, Turkey Hill, Swiss, WaWa, Marburger...

[scadgirl007]

I lived in Georgia, and they distributed Turkey Hill in Kroger grocery stores.

[stopnstare717]

I was born and raised in Philly, PA and have traveled around the state, alot...and I LOVE FOOD! How about...Hot Bacon Dressing from the Pa Dutch Country, or Herr's sourdough Pretzels, how about TastyKakes Pies and cupcakes(they ship your favorites worldwide upon request)...great gift for the troops in Iraq or Afganistan. As for Philly cheese steaks...there is an ongoing "war" between...Pat's Steaks, Geno's Steaks, Jim's Steaks and one other in northeast philly, I can't remember, right now! My vote goes to Jim's, but Geno's has the best Hot Peppers There is an actual "language that goes with ordering a steak sandwich in Philly...i.e.: "Cheese Steak...Wid..Whiz...inside-out" Wid= fried onions, Whiz is cheese and in-out means scoop out the bread! I'll add more as I remember.

[BeerBoy]

Kluski Egg Noodles and Delgrosso's Tomato Sauce.

Good luck on the book! The third edition was great!

[celeryroot]

A couple others from eastern pa.
buckwheat scrapple
Moravian cakes
Potato cake , not savory a sweet
apple fritters and dumplings

[Fanci7]

Pagash - Polish Pizza (mashed potato pizza)
Pigs in a blanket (stuffed cabbage cooked in a bed of tomato sauce mixed with sauerkraut and served over mashed potatoes)
Pierogi or Pierogies (mashed potato filled dumplings)
Sweet or Regular Lebanon Bologna
Brownies potato chips (factory gone now)
Ham pot pie (square flour noodles cooked in ham broth)

I live in Central PA .. not to far from Delgrosso's Park.

[dfishhead]

Lew,

I used to teach with your dad, we met once at the Fulton Bar. Just to add to your list if your still there, tripe, pig's stomach, pickled pig's feet, liverwurst, Hammond's pretzels.

[LewBryson]

Thanks! My dad died last July, and hearing memories is great. I dedicated the book to his memory.
I think I got the Hammond's in the book, and pig stomach.

[mohairpear]

gibbles potato chips
tomato pie, not sure if originated in PA, but does not seem to be common anywhere else

[TT2]

Goldberg's Peanut Chews

[spicemistress]

What about the Schmitter sandwich? Maybe it is too specialized, but now that it is served at Citizens Bank Park it can be included? I eat one a year...soooo good!

[phillyjazz]

The Schmitter comes fro McNally's Tavern in Chestnut Hill originally. It is a PA-specific food, then. Does anyone else eat pepper and egg sandwiches (fried green bell pepper and scrambled eggs ?) Jim's Steaks sells a lot of these at breakfast time.

[Seeker19104]

Peppers and eggs were on the menu at Italian "joints" in Brooklyn when I grew up.

[ML PAVACT]

What about Fritzy (or is Fritzi) burgers/sandwiches? Take chipped ham fry up add a slice of cheese and serve on hamber bun.

Don't forget ham BBQ's. Fry some diced bacon and onions (optional green peppers) in a pot. When bacon crisp and veggies soft, add Heinz chilli sauce, catsup and water. Heat to simmer. Add chipped ham. Warm and serve on hamber buns.

Yes Pittsburgh favorites

[cookieluvntasha]

My grandma Becky used to make this for us all the time when I was growing up. I have no desire to eat one now though.

[murano]

I thinks "Peeps" are from PA. They are made by Just Born which is located in Bethlehem, PA.

[modbetty]

Saw this link to the food timeline (fascinating site!) and thought of this thread:

http://www.foodtimeline.org/statefood...

[Main Line Tracey]

Black cherry wyshniack (sp?) soda. I haven't had it in years...

[Mer_Made]

Gobs - Your family might call them whoopie pies, mine call them gobs.
Charval Chocolates - Give me no peanut butter meltways, but Charvals.
Dan Smith Chocolates - I love Charval more, but Dan Smith has a larger selection.
Buckwheat cakes - Buckwheat suppers seem to be a big thing in the Laurel Highlands.

[wandasue]

Funny Cake - Vanilla cake, chocolate layer, pie crust. Put the chocolate sauce on top of the cake batter, and it sinks cleanly through to rest on the crust as it bakes. Great for breakfast.

[StrandedYankee]

Look up something called pepper pot soup. When it's good, ain't nothin' better.

Sarah M..

[xtian]

What a great list!
Teaberry gum, ChowChow, Gibbles Chips, PawPaws, Cope's Corn, Birch beer, Snapper soup (especially catching the snappers to make it!)... this is the stuff of my childhood in southcentral PA.

Thanks, Lew. I look forward to seeing the book when it comes out.

[Didee]

Charles Chips, prune kuchen, and potato filling. Also eating saurkraut and pork at midnight (for good luck) on New Year's eve.

[centralpadiner]

Potato filling!!! Can't believe I forgot that one! Very dutchy, but Lew might not be familiar with this Berks/Leb. County PA Dutch treat - you almost never see it here in Lancaster Co.

[LewBryson]

Yeah, I got that at the hotel feeds in Shartlesville. Very tasty, but man, does it ever knock you out. Potato filling at lunch = auto-nap.

[centralpadiner]

In other homes, the tryptophan in turkey gets blamed for the Thanksgiving day nap, but in my house, I know it's the potato filling. ;)

BTW, hog maw is on the menu for dinner tonight. *sigh* my poor Polish husband ....

[JohnnyT]

Don't forget northwestern PA! Troyer's Farm Potato Chips, Smith's weiners, pretzel sandwiches, fried perch and goat milk fudge.

[joeysmom220]

Big Ben's soda and Moxey. Mac and cheese w/ stewed tomatoes.

[PattiCakes]

Sweetzles (Sweetzels?)Ginger Snaps

[truffles2]

Don't forget Hershey's chocolate & the New Hope Shad Festival...

[murano]

Yes, I was just going to add the Shad Festival.

[givemecarbs]

Did they move that thing? Used to be in Lambertville NJ

[folprivate]

While not necessarily just in PA, one of the other things I grew up with in Northeastern PA was Welsh cookies. Several churches did them for fund raisers and you could even find them in the grocery stores. They aren't baked but are cooked on a griddle. When we moved to the Lehigh Valley we could not get them so I found a recipe online that I adapted and baked them for my father at least once a year until he passed away.

[bignickpsu]

I dont know how I forgot Yuengling earlier......

[janmcbaker]

I suddenly thought of another item that I used to be able to get at Acme Markets until a few years ago. I'm not entirely sure though if it was strictly a PA thing-- Mrs. Shlorer's chow-chow. And it's not the same people as the mayonnaise-- the company was based in PA. This did have a melange of pickled vegetables-- cauliflower, corn, pickles, etc., but it was in a mustard-yellow sauce. Any other chow-chows I've seen look like they're in a clear vinegar-based solution. Boy I miss that stuff! It was great on a bologna sandwich, even if it did make it rather lumpy!

[mfkfox]

Do you kolacz? I've heard people here in NE Pennsylvania compare it to pagach or "Polish pizza" when I describe it but it's not quite the same.

[LewBryson]

Don't know it: what is it?

[mfkfox]

See this link for photo and recipe: http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.a...

[dberg1313]

Come to the Goschenhoppen Folk Festival in August & try pig stomach, corn pie (NOT the ones you can buy--the ones I make and serve samples of), potpie (NOT a baked pie with top and bottom crust, but the noodles with meat), pepper hash, chowchow, boova shenkel. In 2009, it's August 7 & 8 or look at the historians' website at www.goschenhoppen.org

[LewBryson]

Had all that stuff already -- well, except your corn pie, I guess -- but that sounds like an event to mention.

[CindyJ]

If you're looking for events unique to Pennsylvania, the Mushroom Festival, held every September in Kennett Square, ought to be included.

[Dib]

Oh man, too long since I've had that pig stomach. I always thought the noodles+meat was pronounced like "bot boi" or something, not "pot pie" - am I just confused?

[PattiCakes]

You are not confused. Both the same thing, just different pronuciations. "bot boi" is closer to how it would sound if a Pennsylvania Dutchman were to say it. And I think "pot pie" has come to mean something closer to a real pie (top & bottom pastry crust) than a casserole topped with thick squares of noodles.

[dberg1313]

There is no word in the dialect for pie, so a pie-like object with a top and bottom crust is a "kuchen" (in dialect). You will see a corruption of the word pie spelled/pronounced as "boi" but that is a commercial usage. For me potpie is stewed chicken (usually) but can also be sausage or other meat, cooked in a sturdy broth with vegetables. The potpie squares can be slippery (like thick noodles) or fluffy (more like a rolled dumpling). Samples and cooking demos also at GH Festival. Lots of other food too but maybe not anything new to many--corn pie, onion pie, potato pie; sauerkraut, ice cream, mush, chicken and waffles, pig stomach, fresh sausage (butchering demos both days, beef and hog), scrapple. Lots of stuff to see as well as eat.

[Bigley9]

I grew up with bot boi noodles as lasagne noodles in my PA Irish home!

[regina3196]

Clear Toy Candy (some people also call this Barley Sugar Candy, but they're not the same) -- it's not Christmas without it!

Mrs. T's pierogies!

Definitely German Butter Cake. Oh so good (and oh so bad for you).

[PattiCakes]

Hoagies, man, hoagies. They got their name from the sandwiches that the ship workers on Hog Island used to pack for lunch.

Now defunct, Mrs Paul's originated in PA. The original fish sticks.

Quirky: they serve Ranch dressing with their fries and their pizza (so you can dip the crust in it) in Western PA.

Hatfield Meats
Keebler cookies.
Kelchner's Hoseradish
Amoroso and Sarcone's rolls

[mfkfox]

Yeah, Mrs. T's and pierogies made by Catholic Church members during Lent.

[chefpa938]

Goldenbergs are still around and they just released them recently in their "classic" brown and red wrappers. There are both milk and dark versions now as well. My other thought was Cacia's bakery that serves pizza. How about the famed chicken cutlet with broccoli rabe sandwich at Tony Lukes?

[himbeer]

Shad, shad roe. Other fresh water fish.

Wise potato chips are the best.

Funnel cakes.

[nevets]

Chocolate covered molasses paddles

[PearlRabbit]

-Hog Maw
-Sous
-Mosey's
-Halupkies (spelling is off here)
-Apple butter
-Chocolate cake with peanut butter icing (apparently a PA thing according to many military people who have loved through out the country. If someone would mention this cake combo, they are almost always from PA.)

[LewBryson]

Mosey's?

[PearlRabbit]

MMMM. Hard candy made of sugar and King's Syrup. Boiled and then poured into clear toy molds or the bottom of a cupcake mold. Cooled and then sucked on. Not like a lollypop or a clear toy as it melts very slowly and is totally acceptable to eat a little then wrap it back up for later. You can eat it as you "mosey" along.

And I thought of something else: Pretzel Donuts from Achenbachs. Drool, drool DROOL!

[LewBryson]

Huh. I know about clear toys, but never heard of mosey's. Where are they from?

[PearlRabbit]

I grew up in Franklin County/Chambersburg and it was fairly common at bake sales, church bazaars etc. Always made by the little old ladies at your church. Sometimes flavored with candy flavorants like cinnamon, orange or vanilla. I have the recipe if you would like it.

[LewBryson]

Sure. Um...how do we do that? Been a long time since I was active here (four years?), do I just give you my e-mail here?

[PearlRabbit]

I am moving and won't have access to the recipe for about 2-3 weeks, hope that's OK. Are you on facebook? If so i can send it to your in box there. Or I could post it under this topic. BTW, my hubby is a homebrewer and loves to talk and think beer. Has your book and was very interested to find out that you are local to Lancaster. :)

[herbnbets]

i believe the mosey, they are referring to, is a mosey apple, they are the best with a hard cinnamon sugar shell, apple is stuck on a stick, another name is a candy apple.

[Burghfeeder]

Hartley's potato chips. I know that many people (including me) love Snyder's of Berlin, Middleworths, Troyers and others but Hartleys are truly unique. Made in Lewistown Pa.

http://burghfeeding.blogspot.com/

[bakersma]

Herlocher's Dipping Mustard

[Seeker19104]

Rick Nichols mentions the fried oysters and chicken salad combination which sounded bizarre to me when I first came to Philly from NYC, but I really liked.

Now I don't know anywhere that still serves it...

[xtian]

Fried oysters and Chicken Salad is an old school standby.
I just noticed that its on the Oyster House menu (the former Sansom Street OH).

[PattiCakes]

I had forgotten about that odd combo!

[TT2]

and snapper soup! which is also at the OH.

[centralpadiner]

I know Martin's Potato Bread/Rolls are available out of state now, but made in Chambersburg. I grew up there, and it's the only bread products I buy now.

[PearlRabbit]

Yeah for the 'burg!

[mary0201]

Water Ice...or isn't that considered food? And the ridiculously good combo of soft custard and water ice called a Gelati. And also Gibbles Potato Chips..."Nibble With Gibbles" a central PA standard.

[punkgirl107]

Ok this isn't something I eat but it is something I see on menus and have relatives that eat - fried jumbo on mancini's bread.

Also how about salt sticks?

[LewBryson]

Salt sticks? What's salt sticks, Precious?

[Bigley9]

I don't think salt sticks are PA food - They were usually available (although very hard to find now) at Jewish bakeries. They are bread sticks, about 8 - 10 in long, and about the diameter of a silver dollar, soft, with a ton of salt and usually caraway seeds on the outside. Incredibly delicious! Wish I knew where to get them now...

[givemecarbs]

Salt sticks were a childhood favorite of mine! Wish I had one right now! Or three.

[Dan D]

Wilbur Buds!

[LewBryson]

I'm a Lancaster boy, I'm all over the Buds.

[ElaineL]

My first thought was Wilbur Buds!!

[barryg]

Here's a recent article from Philadelphia Inquirer food writer Rich Nichols about the area's "vanishing" traditional foods, maybe you'll get some ideas.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/column...

[Delphine]

Chipped ham and Snyders potato chips

[Veggo]

Jacquin's Rock and Rye. Charles Jacquin is an old Philadelphia business.

[LewBryson]

I've got that in, going to do a little bit on the micro-distillers that are popping up, and tip the hat to Jacquin et Cie.

[Bigley9]

The phila distillers of Blue coat gin are now making a vodka - but even more interesting, an absinith

[Veggo]

Don't forget Hershey chocolate products, even though they are moving most production elsewhere.
EDIT: I see bignickpsu (from State College?) included it.

[bignickpsu]

Pepper Pot soup
Heinz
Hershey's
Possibly sticky buns

[LewBryson]

Heinz, good one!

[G Goo]

From Philly, SE PA: Snapper soup, pepper pot soup, roast pork italian sandwich (roast pork, sharp provolone, broccoli rabe or spinach - best sandwich in the world!).

[LewBryson]

Roast pork...definitely. Snapper soup? Is that a pure Philly thing?

[centralpadiner]

Snapper soup is popular here in Central PA - considered a delicacy, but I don't know anyone outside PA who's had it. Anyone mention the Steak Salad??

[LewBryson]

I've had snapper soup in Germany and Switzerland that was much like Philly snapper soup, though I don't remember being offered sherry on the side.

[G Goo]

I've always thought it was a philly thing.....at least the thick brown variety served with sherry on the side. Made famous by Bookbinders.

[wubar]

Lots of places down in the South serve Snapper Soup - it's a big hit with all of the jazz brunches in New Orleans.

[folprivate]

I never had what they call Turkey BBQ before I moved to the Lehigh Valley. It has no resemblance to BBQ and is actually shredded turkey in a broth with spices and served like sloppy joes on buns. Also Moravian Sugar Cake. There is also something I ate when I was younger that was made in the coal regions that we called "bar sausages" because they were served in bars in large glass jars. They were shaped like hot dogs but pickled in a spicy liquid. I remember the first ingredient on the jar was listed as beef hearts.

[LewBryson]

I know those bar sausages. We called them "Martian dix." Yeesh.

The BBQ thing, we used to get that about once every two weeks in the school cafeteria.

[shellbellc]

They're Millers Sausages...sausage in a pickle brine with hot pepper flakes. I used to eat them occasionally til I read the ingredients...

[Dan D]

Another one, the cabbage-stuffed peppers in jars, in vinegar or sweet-sour, another Amish staple.

Also, I have to keep some out-of-state friends stocked with Tait Farm's raspberry shrub, nothing quite like it is available elsewhere. www.taitfarmfoods.com

And I have to speak up for Martin's pretzels, the finest in the world, especially the darker variety.

[punkin712]

Benzel's Pretzels! I grew up in Altoona and ate (more than!) my fair share of those as well as Mallowcups and Middleswarth potato chips.

[LewBryson]

I did get Tait Farm's shrubs in the book: one of the brewpubs in central PA (Elk Creek Cafe in Millheim) sells them. Elk Creek's got a great menu, too: a lot of local/sustainable stuff and local flavor that they advertise as "nouveau Dutchie cuisine." Excellent beer, too.

[morganast]

Middleswarth potato chips in north central PA. Yum - especially the BBQ!

[LewBryson]

All over the Middleswarth phenom, baby!

[vacationmomma]

Was just in Central PA and got my Middleswarth fix! We ate the whole bag in one sitting!

[janmcbaker]

Do Goldenberg's Peanut Chews count, even though they're not 'Goldenberg's' anymore? How about Grandma Utz's lard-cooked potato chips?

[LewBryson]

I decided to leave Goldenberg's out last time, because of that. Might reconsider.

[Dan D]

OK, help me out here, I haven't seen Goldenberg's Peanut Chews for a couple of years.

Are they still available under another name? Pointers, please.

[brookquarry]

They were bought out by Just Born. They are still availble but simply called Peanut Chews. The label was modernized as well.

[CindyJ]

- Kennett Square mushrooms
- Bassetts ice cream
- whoopie pies
- Herr's potato chips

[LewBryson]

Do we know if whoopie pies ARE Pennsylvanian? I've seen them claimed as "made here" in a number of states...all with sizeable Mennonite populations. I wonder if they've spread them wherever they've gone.

[CindyJ]

A quick check on Google does not provide a definitive answer as to WHERE they originated. But they are considered to be of Amish origin.

[crazyspice]

My great grandmother came from Scotland to Maine and made whoopie pies without ever knowing anyone from Pennsylvania.

[hmadeirani]

Yes, definitely- I haven't seen whoopie pies since I've been here, but you'll find them in every small store in Maine... Mostly homemade by someone local and they are great. But I was surprised to hear they are around here too!

[Snookie]

I don't know if whoopie pies are just from PA, but I never saw them til I moved here. Styer's Orchard Market sells them in chocolate, pumpkin, and oatmeal raisin, and they sell a LOT!

[allisen]

Whoopie pies are common in Pennsylvania, Maine, and Indiana. Indiana and PA make sense as they share an Amish/Mennonite connection - not sure why they're also big in Maine. The suggestion is that PA has the strongest claim on origin though.

[Burghfeeder]

Turkey Devonshire!!!!

Check it out here: http://burghfeeding.blogspot.com/

[LewBryson]

Need to find it somewhere first!
But I'll tell you: I definitely agree on the Monterey Pub. Great place, wish I lived on that street.

[Burghfeeder]

I've had some people tell me to try the Union Grill on Craig St in Oakland...I haven't made it there yet, but I will!

The Monterey is really a great find. It's the kind of place that you just feel comfortable as soon as you walk in.

http://burghfeeding.blogspot.com/

[Dan D]

Sticky buns, Montgomery pie, whoopee pies, teaberry ice cream, birch beer, venison jerky, chicken and waffles, hot sausage sandwiches at all the fairs and auctions, pierogies, ham and green bean public dinners, Mallow Cups, Gardner's peanut butter meltaways, and those abhorrent western PA iceberg lettuce salads topped with French fries, among many others

[LewBryson]

I'm with you, and thanks (especially for the teaberry ice cream and birch beer (DUH!)) except... Montgomery pie? Who dat?

[brookquarry]

montgomery pie is very similar to shoefly pie except it is vanilla flavored.

other possibilities: pasties (slate belt area of northampton county), lettuce with hot bacon dressing. funny cake (like shoefly pie but with a layer of chocolate)

[jules1]

Mallow cups!! For sure. I am a Pittsburgh girl living near Austin Tx and get my Mallow cup fix at every Cracker Barrel in the state!!

Regional Pittsburgh food...chipped ham BBQ sndwiches for sure!

[cookieluvntasha]

chicken and waffles is not PA thing.

[LewBryson]

Depends on the "chicken and waffles" you're talking. FRIED chicken and waffles? No. But chicken gravy with chunks of chicken in it (and maybe some peas and onions) with plenty of black pepper? Yeah, that's PA Dutch, and I've never seen it anywhere else.

[jiffypop]

ya learn something new every day! my mother grew up in northeast Indiana - in THEIR Amish country. Those rare times we had chicken and waffles, it was what LewB described - kind of like a pot pie filling over waffles, but usually over toast. I've only just learned what southerners meant by chicken and waffles [and it sure doesn't sound right to me!]

[traveleryvette]

As I was growing up, My grandmother always had us over for leftover turkey. It was prepared as the chicken and waffles jiffypop and Lew Bryson describe above. Yum! The waffles were homemade too. No , let go my eggo in this scenerio. Grandma grew up in Pa Dutch/ MD country. Does anyone remember chicken pot pie with rolled out dough squares that would puff up cooked in chicken broth?Its another Pa Dutch recipe.

[Bigley9]

Chicken bot boi! was corrupted by english speakers to Chicken pot pie - American pot pie confused me no end when I first saw it!

[traveleryvette]

Lew got to include Prerogies Plus preogies.

[scadgirl007]

Whoopee pies (AKA gobs) are definitely something to include!

[Bigley9]

Not from the part of the state you are requesting but: pepper hash, Roast Pork with Provolone and Rabe, Copes corn and paw paws

[Dib]

Paw paws like the fruit, or something else?

[Bigley9]

the fruit. I don't know of it still be grown outside of PA and it is a native fruit

[centralpadiner]

My husband went to college in VA, and gave me the impression it's quite popular in parts of the South, so I don't know if it can be a PA thing.

Which is also true about a lot of ethnic foods, his family is Polish/Slovak from Cleveland and they would be absolutely horrified to learn that anyone considers pierogies or any other Eastern European cuisine to be a "PA thing". That would be kinda like trying to claim pizza. That is why we so often end up back at PA Dutch foods - it is its own unique culture, much like Creole is in Louisiana.

[Bigley9]

Ah! My mistake! I agree with the pierogies/German/Polish thing - we just had a heavy concentration of those ethnicities here early. It's like saying red gravy is native to South Philly! (although the name may be) ; )

[rgroverohrbaugh]

I'm from south central PA, and my grandpa used to grow corn for John Copes.

[Kelli2006]

I love Copes corn but it is almost impossible to find except for a few weeks before Thanksgiving.

Shoo-fly pie.

[Buckethead]

- German/Philadelphia gooey butter cake
- Stock's pound cakes

[LewBryson]

Ha, butter cake: the only time I ever saw people get nasty at Rieker's Prime Meats in Philly was when a woman ignored the clear sign and sat her bag on top of a butter cake and squashed it! They made her buy it, and I thought she got off easy: they should have taken her out back and smacked her.

[phillybeer32]

If you were at Riekers you should have gone down the street to Danish Bakers and got some butter cake from there its by far the best in Philly.

www.danishbakers.com is their new website