Oregon - "The Beaver State"

Oregon is a coastal state in the Pacific Northwest known for its diverse landscape of forests, mountains, farms and beaches. Oregon is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the north by Washington, on the south by California, on the east by Idaho and on the Southeast by Nevada. It's largest city, Portland is home for the iconic coffee shops, boutiques, farm to table restaurants and microbreweries. Highlights include the Native American art in the Portland Art Museum, the Japanese Garden and the Lan Su Chinese Garden. The capital of Oregon is Salem. Oregon is the home of the deepest lake in America. With a depth of 1932 feet, Crater Lake is a sight not to be missed.

Oregon's unofficial nickname is The Beaver State, originating in the early 19th century when the fur hats were fashionable and Oregon streams were an important source of beaver pelts. The trapping route were used by early mountain men later became known as The Oregon Trail, traveled by thousand of pioneers in the 1840s. The beaver is also Oregon's official state animal and appears on the state flag.

The cuisine of Oregon reflects the ethnic makeup of the region with noticeable influence of Asian and Native American Tradition. In the larger cities of Portland, Eugene and Salem, food carts with various ethnic fusion cuisine such as bulgogi burritos (bulgogi is a Korean dish that usually consists of marinated beef), deep fried sushi rolls and Japanese style hot dogs are popular.

Oregon is the home of Marionberry. The Marion cultivar or Marion Blackberry, marketed as Marionberrry is an indigenous blackberry developed by the USDA ARS breeding program in cooperation with Oregon State University. It is a cross between "Chehalem" and "Olallie" Blackberries. This was first originated in Marion County, Oregon in 1956.  

Marrionberries make for an exceptional pie filling. Mamma Toledo's The Pie Hole, owned by Tonya Saidi, a self thought pie baking specialist, is a cozy little shop located in the heart of Phoenix, AZ.  The shop serves delicious pies, pastries and gourmet coffee and one can definitely find the delicious Marionberry Pie baked fresh at the shop. This place is definitely worth the trip.

 



Marionberry Pie









Connecticut - "The Constitution State"

Connecticut is a small state, though most rigorously independent and productive since Dutch explorer Adriaen Block discovery of the Connecticut River in 1614. It is the southernmost state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Connecticut is also often grouped along with New York and New Jersey as the Tri-State Area. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west and Long Island to the South. Its capital city is Hartford, and its most populous city is Bridgeport.  The state is named for the Connecticut River, a major U.S river that approximately bisects the state.

Connecticut was designated the Constitution State by the General Assembly in 1959. As early as the 19th century, John Fiske, a popular historian from Connecticut made the claim that the fundamental orders of 1638/1639 were the first written constitution in history.
Connecticut is home to the oldest U.S newspaper still being published: The Hartfort Courant, established in 1764. Connecticut is also know to be the pioneer of few eatable items in US, such as lollipops and hamburgers. The state claims the world first lollipop was made in New Haven in 1908. Hamburger was probably made and sold in the state for the first time as well. Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut advertises itself as the first restaurant to serve hamburgers and as the oldest hamburger restaurant still operating in U.S. According to Louis' Lunch, the hamburger was created in 1900 in response to a customer's hurried request for lunch to go, simply by asking to put the steak in between two pieces of bread.
Either there aren't a lot of Connecticut expats in Phoenix, or those who do reside in Phoenix are suffering since New Haven clam pizza and Connecticut style steamed cheeseburgers, the two Connecticut-inspired dishes are seemingly no where to be found in Phoenix. Therefore, Italian Grinder is an alternative option chosen in line for having a taste of Connecticut's cuisine while living in Arizona, though the natives of Connecticut is still debating on how to serve a grinder, hot or cold. Italian Grinders also known as Submarine, wedge, sub, hoagine or hero sandwiches is the type of a sandwich that consists of length of bread or roll split lengthwise and filled with a variety of meals, cheese, vegetables and condiments. One theory has the name coming from Italian-American slang for a dock worker, among whom the sandwich was popular. Others say it was called a grinder because it took a lot of chewing to eat the hard crust of the bread used. Niccoli's Deli located in Phoenix, AZ makes a great sandwich that, if not precisely a Connecticut-style grinder, boasts a crusty roll, a pile of Italian cold cuts, and enough shredded iceberg lettuce and olive oil to make any Nutmegger happy. Nutmegger is a nick name for native residents in state of Connecticut.

Italian Grinder (Served Hot)

Italian Grinder (Served Cold)

Meatball Grinder

South Carolina - "The Palmetto State"

South Carolina is bordered to the north by North Carolina, to the South and West by Georgia across the Savannah River, and to the east by Atlantic Ocean. The capital and largest city is Columbia. The name Carolina dates back to 1629 in honor of the British king of Carolina or Carolus which in Latin means "Charles". Carolina was settled to make profit from trade and also by selling land. In the early years not many people bought land there and Carolina was not developed the way it was planned. It split between northern and southern Carolina, creating two different colonies.

The official nickname for South Carolina is Palmetto State, referring to the state tree, the sabal palmetto palm trees or commonly referred to as cabbage palmetto. The sabal palmetto tree symbol was also added to the national flag of Southern Carolina.

South Carolina has a humid subtropical climate which makes it very hot and humid in summer time. The state is officially affected by tropical cyclones. This is an annual concern during hurricane season. The state average around 50 days of thunderstorm activity a year.

South Carolina's coast is home to one of the country's richest culinary traditions knows as Lowcountry Cuisine. The lowcountry includes the coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia. While this cuisine  shares features with Southern cooking, it considers the geography, economics, demographic and cultures of the regions of these states. The cuisine consist of rich diversity of seafood from coast and uses the vibrant Caribbean cuisine and African cuisine influence, and has strong parallels with New Orleans and Cajun cuisine.

Food that are traditionally part of lowcountry cuisine can consist of Turtle soap, Oyster soap, Gumbo, catfish stew, Frogmore stew and many others. Shrimp and grits is another traditional dish in Lowcountry of Southern Carolina. This dish is said to have begun as a fisherman's breakfast, created by shrimpers using the days catch. Original recipes called for sautéing the small local shrimp in butter and serving the seafood as a topping for creamy, stone-ground grits.  Grit is a food made from corn that has been treated with alkali which is ground into a meal and then boiled. Today, there is a variation of Shrimp and Grits as creative cooks embellish the classic dish with everything from bacon and mushrooms to fresh truffles.

While the fans of soupy grits many not find the Shrimp and Grits served in Pig and Pickles Restaurant in Scottsdale, AZ to their liking, this may be the most flavorful version in town, laden with cheese and a thick, spicy tomato gravy.  Pig and Pickles in a gastropub that serves up small batch, barrel aged cocktails and all kinds of comfort food. It is a sweet place to hand out.

Creamy Broccoli and Brown Ale Soup

Shrimp and Grits

Bone Marrow

South Dakota - "Mount Rushmore State"

South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the states of North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a significant portion of the population and historically dominated the entire territory. The state capital is Pierre.

 

South Dakota is an expansive, sparsely populated state where rolling prairies give way to the dramatic Black Hills National Forest. Black Hills is home to two historical monuments carved right into towering granite peaks: Mt. Rushmore, the iconic depiction of 4 revered U.S. presidents, and Crazy Horse Memorial, a long-in-progress tribute to the storied Native American tribal leader.

 

The state has a strong agricultural base. It is the largest industry in the state. South Dakota routinely ranks among the top 10 states for the production of hay, sunflowers, rye, honey, soybeans, corn, wheat and cattle. Tourism is also a significant contributor, bringing in about $2 billion, annually. The service sector, retail trade and manufacturing industries account for the majority of the state's employment.

 

South Dakota heritage is a combination of indigenous people and settlers who made their way to the region over the last few centuries. In South Dakota, you will find German, Scandinavian and Native American cuisine served side by side, resulting in a distinct regional cuisine specific to the state.  Chislic, Kuchen, Kolaches, Wasna and Wojapi are among some of the native and unique cuisine of the state of South Dakota. Bison Burgers, mistakenly knows as Buffalo Burgers are naturally very popular in this state. Interesting enough, there is a small town named Bison in Perkins County, South Dakota, with population of less than 500 people. The town is named after the American bison which were once numerous in the area.

 

Chislic, Kutchen or other authentic dish served in the state of South Dakota is no where to be found in Arizona restaurants, however there are plenty of places around the valley that serve frybread.  But wait! Was frybread inspired or originated in South Dakota? The answer is No. According to Navajo tradition, frybread was created in 1864 using the flour, sugar, salt and lard that was given to them by the United States government when the Navajo, who were living in Arizona, were forced to make the 300 mile journey known as the "Long Walk" and relocate to Bosque Redondo, New Mexico onto land that could not easily support their traditional staples of vegetables and beans.For many Native Americans, frybread links generation with generation and also connects the present to the painful narrative of Native American history. It is often served both at home and at gatherings. The way it is served varies from region to region and different tribes have different recipes. It can be found in its many ways at state fairs and pow-wows, but what is served to the paying public may be different from what is served in private homes and in the context of tribal family relations. Frybread can be eaten alone or with various toppings such as honey, jam, or hot beef. Frybread can also be made into tacos, like Indian tacos. It is a simple complement to meals. One may question that what does South Dakota have to do with frybread?

Frybread was made the official state bread of South Dakota when Governor Mark Rounds signed House Bill No. 1205 on February 25, 2005. The South Dakota Legislature approved a bill designating by frybread, an American Indian staple, as the official state bread. The house voted 64-3 to add frybread to the long list of state symbols that includes coyotes, honey bees and walleyes, making South Dakota the first in nation to choose frybread a state symbol. Supporters have said it is time for the state to officially recognize a symbol of Indian culture. "Does it represent our heritage? Does it represent our culture? Does it represent our history?"  Asked State Representative, Larry Rhoden. He then said YES to all three.

There is a restaurant in Phoenix, AZ named Fry Bread House, a simple spot serving savory and sweet creations made from American Indian Frybread. Though the food in this restaurant is delicious and truly tasty, the cleanliness and the house keeping needs a lot of improvement.

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Frybread served like a Taco

Frybread with different toppings

 
 


Frybread can be served alone or compliment to meals

Sweet Frybread