Missouri Favorite Foods (St. Louis, Carthage, Eureka: buy, stores, medical)

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Northwoods Voyager

Yes mam, moo yas gots moo that right. They be moo cow brains....

moo moo moo

Wow, oh my.

Why were people making such a big deal about the fact that I like lutefisk, eh?

[Northwoods Voyager]

Originally Posted by Plains10

I like lutefisk, but then again I am part Norwegian. Lutefisk is a very common dish in the Midwest in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Missouri is a place where fried foods are extremely popular. Once again, more southern influences begin to show up when it comes to food. I like the BBQ but not all the fried foods that Missouri folks seem to love.

Your sentence 'Once again, more southern INFLUENCES begin to show up when it comes to food.' is so true. The influences are there, as are influences that are brought here by many that come from other areas of this country. That is what makes Missouri so interesting when it comes to food preferences. Such a variety with so many INFLUENCES. And these influences do begin to show up in certain regions of the state as they are in most other states where people have gathered from other areas. We do have a tendency to bring with us our favorites. I do like the fried chicken, no matter in what state I find it.

There have been so many great food ideas on this thread so far. I find it so interesting to share with others our favorites. Thank you for sharing. I will pass tho' on the lutefisk.

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by Plains10

I was comparing the Upper Midwest to Missouri. Obviously the food preferences are going to be different between the two areas. The Upper Midwest areas prefer hotdishes, baked fish, pasties, lutefisk, etc based on my experiences. The Upper Midwest just does not have quite as much fried food as areas of the Lower Midwest and Upper South. Also, the Upper Midwest does not prefer BBQ as much as the Lower Midwest based on my personal experiences. I was not trying to get in a regional debate, but I just do not prefer fried foods that much.

I actually need to apologize for coming across as too harsh, did not mean to come across as an attacker But yes, there is no denying that Southern cuisine goes north of the Ohio River into the Lower Midwest. I have relatives in both Indy and Columbus. Fried chicken and barbeque are not hard things to find there at all. But as far as to how the Midwest and South are based...generally one bases these two things on the Deep South and Upper Midwest, because these two areas are the parts of those regions which are devoid of any influences of the other region. I'm in total agreement with the Upper Midwest thing though...they are not as big on fried stuff, and so I would imagine they generally don't have the weight problems that Lower Midwest and South have. In fact, if you look at the list of most obese states, you will find that many states of the South and Lower Midwest are at the top of that list. States of the Upper Midwest tend to be less obese. So I applaud them for avoiding the fried stuff in that sense...even if fried food tastes like a slice of heaven. I guess they must use a lot of special sauces and spices or something to add the taste in, or maybe they don't have to, maybe they know a way to make it taste good on its own...if so I would like to know how they do it. I have never tasted lutefisk before, I actually have to confess to not even hearing of it until you brought it up Plains. It sounds like Upper Midwestern cuisine may actually not be such a bad idea for being part of a diet. lol...sadly, a lot of Southern cuisine (sweet tea, fried chicken, bbq, etc.) while it is definitely mouthwatering is also about the last thing you want to eat in numerous amounts if you are trying to lose weight (I'm just a little over a BMI of 25 now and on a temporary diet to get back below it) i try to stick to grilled food with as many spices, seasoning, salt, pepper, etc. on there as possible to try and get something like the fried flavor. If only we could get find some way to fry food without adding all the fat and grease into the equation

[Northwoods Voyager]

ajf131: How right you are about the fried food problem. I do love 'good' fried chicken, but alas, have had to now make 'oven' fried chicken for my husband and I. While neither or us are overweight, other health issues require that we do be aware of what types of food we eat.

As far as the Sweet tea is concerned, that I manage to get only when my daughter in law comes to visit.

Again, you are correct in your assessment of obesity being a problem. Here in my little corner of the mid Missouri area, I have noticed so many people, male and female and unfortunately, children, being extremely overweight.

Now, back to this thread, do you have any favorite dishes that you associate with this region? Many good dishes have been mentioned here, whether they are indigenous strictly to Missouri or not, I am not sure.

Good point you make here. Thank you...

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by Northwoods Voyager

ajf131: How right you are about the fried food problem. I do love 'good' fried chicken, but alas, have had to now make 'oven' fried chicken for my husband and I. While neither or us are overweight, other health issues require that we do be aware of what types of food we eat.

As far as the Sweet tea is concerned, that I manage to get only when my daughter in law comes to visit.

Again, you are correct in your assessment of obesity being a problem. Here in my little corner of the mid Missouri area, I have noticed so many people, male and female and unfortunately, children, being extremely overweight.

Now, back to this thread, do you have any favorite dishes that you associate with this region? Many good dishes have been mentioned here, whether they are indigenous strictly to Missouri or not, I am not sure.

Good point you make here. Thank you...

As to other favorite dishes besides the ones I've mentioned, no. For Missouri, I really see so many different kinds of dishes served each day it's hard for me alone to say which are the favorite ones here. Growing up in St. Louis my family would eat Midwestern dinners of corn, beef, potatoes, and rice one night and then another night we might have the classic Southern cuisine of mashed potatoes and gravy with fried chicken and coleslaw. Both of these I think are popular in Missouri, given I have had these meals at all the houses my friends who live here. Italian food is very popular in St. Louis I think...the most common meal I've eaten is spaghetti with some type of salad to go with it. St. Louis is huge on Italian, like Chicago. I think the whole Midwest and Northeast are really big on any types of Italian foods, pizza in particular. The southern cuisine I tend to associate more with the Southern parts of Missouri, like Carthage, Joplin, Springfield, and Cape Girardeau...that is where I find this stuff being heavily favored in Missouri. Both of these things I think fit Missouri's list of favored dinners. Just about every type of meal I can think of around the country I have eaten in St. Louis at some point. I'm not the person to ask for specific cuisines in Missouri that are favored, but I am almost certain from the people I've known and talked to that you should expect to find plenty of midwestern and southern cuisine of all kinds in this state (minus the sweet tea, which is still fairly hard to come by in restaurants). I think my favorite cuisines are probably not only able to be associated with Missouri but the whole country. I love food...that's why I have to watch out for it becoming a crutch, as do most people in the U.S. I think that given Missouri is smack dab right in the middle of the country, it's range for favored cuisines could be quite endless.

[jdslady]

Originally Posted by Northwoods Voyager

Was sharing food ideas with my hubby and he reminded me of one of his favorites: Brain sandwiches. Cooked to perfection and served with a nice thick slice of onion.

First time I ever heard of brain sandwiches was when we were dating and he brought me to the little town near where his family had settled in the 1800's. The local bowling alley had a restaurant in it at the time and this was one of their specials. So we ordered a beer and he chose the brain sandwich and I stuck with a bacon cheeseburger. Had onion rings and our beer.

He asked if I wanted to 'try' his sandwich, and at first I declined. But since I am the curious type, I relented and took a small, very small sample. Surprisingly, I enjoyed my first bite.

He had first had this type of delicacy in South St. Louis at a neighborhood tavern. We also found a place on Watson rd. in St. Louis that had these sandwiches as one of their specials. Have not been ble to find any restaurant that prepares these for quite some time.

So, how many of you that may have made it this far, have ever eaten a brain sandwich and liked it?

Ever have brains and eggs?????????????? never had the brain sandwich though.. maybe it would make me smarter!!

Originally Posted by mrsgenealogy

Yessss! Gooseberry pie!!! One of the things I remember most about my grandmother was her cobblers!!! She made every kind but gooseberry was one of my favorites! It may be an acquired taste because it is so tart but since I first had it as a child, I didn't know that! Hahaha! If I were to have it today, I would probably want more sugar! I only remember that her cobblers were tangy and sweet and her crusts were off-the-charts!!!

Gooseberries grew on my grandmother's farm so they were plentiful. She was only about 4'10 and was like a little roly poly. I sure do miss her! Thanks backatcha for the memories, jdslady!

So, did your husband like the pie? And if so, can you remember the restaurant's name?

The name of the restaurant we got the gooseberry pie is Branson Cafe. It's a little cafe in downtown Branson.......right across from the tshirt shop my daughter manages.

[ajf131]

Actually have found out that barbecue is popular throughout all of the Midwest. Look up Midwestern cuisine and you will actually find that the Midwest and the South, while having their own dishes at times, favor MANY of the same foods. In fact, I think these two regions along with the Southwest are the best regions for food in the entire country. I love American food...in fact, is it just me, or does America make foods from other countries taste even better...I think so! I actually like Mexican food in America better than in Mexico The Midwest and South are definitely the most diverse food regions by far in this country....and they actually are now exchanging their own cuisines and spreading their businesses further north and south. In fact, I might go so far as to argue these two sections of the country being the most diverse places in the world for food.

[Cali BassMan]

Lets sum it up in one word " GRAVY"

[jdslady]

Hey Cali, is that white gravy or brown gravy??? With or without sausage?

[Veiled Prophet]

We love as a special treat the Gooey Butter Coffee Cake that I have only ever found in St. Louis. Have any of you ever had that?