Texas - "The Lone Star State"

Texas is the second largest state of the United States of America. Geographically located in the south central part of the country, Texas shares an international border with Mexico to the south and borders the U.S. states of New Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east. Houston is the largest city in Texas and Austin is the capital of the state. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify Texas as a former independent republic, and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The "Lone Star" can be found on the Texas state flag and on the Texas state seal, The origin of the state name, Texas, is from the word, "Tejas", which means 'friends' in the Caddo language. The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes. Their ancestors traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Due to its size and geologic features, Texas contains diverse landscapes that resemble both the American South and Southwest. Although popularly associated with the Southwestern deserts, less than 10 percent of Texas' land area is desert. Most of the population centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests, and the coastline. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, and finally the desert and mountains of the Big Bend.

One Texas industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle. Due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy. The state's economic fortunes changed in the early 20th century, when oil discoveries initiated an economic boom in the state. With strong investments in universities, Texas developed a diversified economy and high tech industry in the mid-20th century. Until 2010, Texas shared the top of the list of the most Fortune 500 companies with California at 57.With a growing base of industry, the state leads in many industries, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences.

Texas is a large state, and its cuisine is influenced from a wide range of cultural influences, including German, British, Mexican, Native American, and some Italian. Texas Barbeque, hamburgers, Steaks and Tex-Mex is among the popular cooking that state Texas can offer. Texas is known for its own variation of chili con carne. Texas red chili is an ingredient in Frito pie, a dish made with the eponymous Fritos corn chip, invented in Texas and produced by Plano, Texas-based Frito-Lay corporation. As part of the experience of getting to know 50 States popular dish, we made a visit to Texas Rhodehouse in Tempe, AZ to have a taste of what Texas cuisine has to offer.  Texas Roadhouse is an American chain restaurant that specializes in steaks and promotes a Western theme. While enjoyed a cup of Texas Red Chilie, a "fall-of-the bone" barbeque ribs, we could not help ourselves not completing  our experience with a filet mignon that Texas Rhode House decided to call "Dallas Fillet".

West Virginia - "The Mountain State"

West Virginia  is a state located in the Appalachian region of the United States.  The Appalachian Mountains often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period and once reached elevations similar to those of the Alps and the Rocky Mountains before they were eroded. Appalachia is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. West Virginia is bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the north and Maryland to the northeast. The capital and largest city is Charleston. The state is noted for its mountains and rolling hills, its historically significant logging and coal mining industries, and its political and labor history. The karst lands contribute to much of the state's cool trout waters. It is also known for a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, and hunting.

In 1861, as the United States itself became massively divided over regional issues, leading to the American Civil War (1861–1865), the western regions of Virginia split with the eastern portion politically, and the two were never reconciled as a single state again. The growing differences between Eastern and Western Virginia in the mid 1800's contributed to WV's desire to become a separate state. Issues included: National Political Leaders, Attitudes toward Voting, Geographical influences, and their disapproval of slavery. In June 20th of 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state.

West Virginia cuisine like many other states has a few favorite dish to offer, however the pepperoni roll is know to be a snack popular in West Virginia and some nearby regions of the Appalachian Mountains. It is ubiquitous in West Virginia, particularly in convenience stores, and is arguably the food most closely associated with the state. The pepperoni roll was invented by Giuseppe "Joseph" Argiro at the Country Club Bakery in Fairmont, West Virginia, in 1927. The rolls originated as a lunch option for the coal miners of north-central West Virginia in the first half of the 20th century. Pepperoni rolls do not need to be refrigerated for storage and could readily be packed for lunch by miners. Pepperoni and other Italian foods became popular in north-central West Virginia in the early 20th century, when the booming mines and railroads attracted many immigrants from Italy. The pepperoni roll bears a resemblance to the pasty and sausage roll, which originated in the mining communities of Great Britain, as well as the Italian calzone.
As the bread bakes, the spicy oil in the pepperoni melts and oozes into the bread. Sub Bro at O2 Lounge, a bar located in Glendale, AZ takes some liberties with the original design. O2 Lounge is a colorful neighborhood joint where staff is friendly, offers eclectic food and a diverse environment. You can enjoy a variety of bar games, while listening to music played by DJ. The Pepperoni rolls are kept frozen at O2 Lounge and it take some time before it is ready to serve. This maybe the only difference observed between the original recipe from way back in time, however it is somehow in line with the kind of variations you'll find in West Virginia today.

 

 

 

 

 
 

New Jersey - "The Garden State"

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania, and on the southwest by Delaware. New Jersey lies entirely within the combined statistical areas of New York City and Philadelphia. It is also the second-wealthiest U.S. state by median household income as of 2014.The area was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years, with historical tribes such as the Lenape along the coast. In the early 17th century, the Dutch and the Swedes made the first European settlements. The English later seized control of the region, naming it the Province of New Jersey.

New Jersey was the site of several decisive battles during the American Revolutionary War. In the 19th century, factories in cities such as Camden, Paterson, Newark, Trenton, and Elizabeth helped to drive the Industrial Revolution. New Jersey's geographic location at the center of the Northeast megalopolis, between Boston and New York City to the northeast, and Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., to the southwest, fueled its rapid growth through the process of suburbanization in the 1950s and beyond. The capital of New Jersey is Trenton and the largest city in this state is Newark.

The Cuisine of New Jersey is derived from the long history of immigrants to the state and its close proximity to New York City and Philadelphia. The state of New Jersey is known for its commercial food and industrial production, with the founding of Campbell's Soup in 1869. Campbell's Soup is currently headquartered in Camden, New Jersey. Goya Foods, the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States, operates a state of the art and sustainable corporate headquarters in Jersey City, New Jersey as part of a $500 million global expansion plan. Restaurants make use of locally grown ingredients such as asparagus, blueberries, cranberries, tomatoes, corn, and peaches. The state is the nation's third largest producer of bell peppers, cranberries, and spinach. With a passionate fast food culture, Italian hoagies are an icon. New Jersey is home to approximately 525 diners. Disco fries are a long-standing tradition at New Jersey diners. M&M candy has been produced in Hackettstown since 1958 and the Mars company has been headquartered in New Jersey for over 75 years.  

New Jersey doesn't appreciate you messing with its breakfast sandwich, so it's good thing Kal Salih, The Bagel Man, an Egyptian descent hails from New Jersey himself. There is nothing special about the breakfast sandwich's appearance - egg, cheese, usually a hard roll, sometimes a bagel but the defining feature and cornerstone of your complete Jersey breakfast is the meat, referred to by the popular brand name Taylor Ham. Pork roll  (known as Taylor Ham) is a pork-based processed meat originating and commonly available in New Jersey. It was developed in 1856 by John Taylor of Trenton, New Jersey, and sold as "Taylor Ham".   Sliced and griddled to a crisp, it's a salty, processed, guilty little piece of heaven, that is in not in the menu. You have to ask the staff of "The Bagel Man", a small bagel shop in Phoenix, AZ, for a special order of a Taylor Ham Breakfast Sandwich.

Florida - "Sunshine State"

Florida is a state in the southeast United States, bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Straits of Florida. Jacksonville is the most populous city in Florida, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. The Miami metropolitan area is the eighth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Tallahassee is the state capital.

Florida was the first part of the continental United States to be visited by Europeans. The earliest known European explorers came with the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León. De León spotted the peninsula on April 2, 1513, and he named the region La Florida ("flowery land").Today, Florida is distinguished by its large Cuban expatriate community and high population growth, as well as its increasing environmental concerns. Its economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture, and transportation, which developed in the late 19th century. Florida is also known for its amusement parks, the production of oranges and the Kennedy Space Center, and as a popular destination for elderly retirees. Florida culture is a reflection of influences and multiple inheritance; Native American, European American, Hispanic, and African American heritages can be found in the architecture and cuisine.

As part of "Eat in All 50 States without leaving the Valley", Cuban cuisine was selected for the state of  Florida. Due to large Cuban community, this country's cuisine is very popular in this US state.  Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Native American Taino food, Spanish, African, and Caribbean cuisines. Some Cuban recipes share spices and techniques with Spanish and African cooking, with some Caribbean influence in spice and flavor. As with many historic dishes, there was no "Aha" moment that marked the invention of the Cuban sandwich. Similar sandwiches existed in Cuba before they were brought to the States, but these variation exploded in popularity in Ybor City, a historic neighborhood in Tampa, which was a center of cigar manufacturing in late 19th century. Today's Cubano sandwich combines roasted pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and if you are in Tampa, add salami. There are also sometimes an layer of mayonnaise in the pressed, toasted sandwich that's expertly done at Cuban Foods Bakery and Restaurant in Phoenix, AZ. This locally owned restaurant is owned by a Cuban family. The food is very authentic and reasonably priced. The service is excellent and staff are friendly.

New Mexico - "The Land of Enchantment"

 

New Mexico is a state located in the southwestern and western regions of the United States, admitted to the union as the 47th state on January 6, 1912. It is usually considered one of the Mountain States.

Inhabited by indigenous peoples of the Americas for many centuries before European exploration, New Mexico was subsequently part of the Imperial Spanish viceroyalty of New Spain. Later, it was part of Mexico before becoming a U.S. territory and eventually a U.S. state. Among U.S. states, New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanics, including descendants of Spanish colonists who have lived in the area for over 400 years. It also has the second-highest percentage of Native Americans after Alaska, and the fourth-highest total number of Native Americans after California, Oklahoma, and Arizona. The nations in the state consist of mostly Navajo, Puebloan, and the Apache peoples. As a result, the demographics and culture of the state are unique for their strong Hispanic and Native American influences, both of which are reflected in the state flag. The scarlet and gold colors of the New Mexico flag are taken from the royal standards of Spain, along with the ancient sun symbol of the Zia, a Pueblo-related tribe.

New Mexico, or Nuevo México in Spanish, is often incorrectly believed to have taken its name from the nation of Mexico. However, New Mexico was given its name in 1563, and again in 1581, by Spanish explorers who believed the area contained wealthy Indian cultures similar to those of the Mexica (Aztec) Empire. Mexico, formerly a part of New Spain, adopted its name centuries later in 1821, after winning independence from Spanish rule. Consequently, New Mexico was only a part of the independent federal republic of Mexico for 12 years, 1836 through 1848. The two developed as neighboring Spanish-speaking communities, with relatively independent histories The capital of New Mexico is Santa Fe.

Every September, a cloud crosses the border into Arizona from the east and slowly rolls across the desert, engulfing Phoenix with the scent of millions of roasted Hatch chilies. Arizona has always had a desire on green chilies, but the state you'll it is New Mexico, as the Green Chilies Stew is the main and signature dish in this state. This dish is spicy made with pork and green chili. This dish is also made with red chili.

New Mexican Grill is your neighborhood family restaurant  in Gilbert, AZ serving authentic New Mexican cuisine. From their Red and Green Hatch Chile to the Carne Adovada and Chile Stews, you will not be disappointed with their food, however the service and hospitality of this restaurant is unfortunately very disappointing.